Under my tower speakers -- Isoacoustics Gaia, other options?

Wellfloat delta with Revopods are supposed to be the cats meow, lots of info and pictures over at Audioexotica.

Townshend is reported to be much better than Isoacoustics Gaia. However, the price is higher and as a result it’s more suitable for higher end systems or speakers. There are folks who upgraded from the Gaia to Townshend and found the latter to sound noticeably better. The difference is claimed to be not subtle.

Isoacoustics Gaia can work on all surfaces - concrete, wood, tile or carpet. Carpet discs(additional cost) can be used with the Gaias if the floor is carpet. With Gaias, it’s mostly an improvement but there are cases where people don’t hear a difference, or it’s a degradation rather than improvement. With the Townshend, I believe the success rate is 100%.

If tight on funds, I can highly recommend the Isoacoustics Gaia.

@ryder Thanks for your comments. The Townshend is only portable IF any new speakers I purchase have a base that fits on the podium purchased. My present (somewhat trim) speakers would get a size 1 podium; unless future speaker fit this podium, then the it is not portable. The alternative is to spend extra money, now on a podium for future (possible) speakers. But now the expenditure is even beyond what is already a questionable investment. That's the challenge.

It’s not a question of funds being tight, really; rather, it’s a question of whether it makes sense to spend a third or more on a platform, given the speakers’ cost. Maybe your rule of thumb is different? Would you spend 1/3 of the cost of your speakers on a platform if your speakers had a concrete floor under them? Take that as a serious question -- I’m curious about your way of doing things. I would prefer to get any number of other tweaks -- skyline diffusers, isolation for other components, a better DAC, etc. before pouring money into more isolation than is really justified by my conditions and speakers.

As for success rates being 100%, I would like to know what percent of those folks have concrete floors. If wooden floors are a major problem for speaker vibration, and I assume they are, then it would make sense for most Townshend podiums to be sold to folks solving that particular problem. And if that is true, then the success rate would be quite high.

A couple of years ago I watched a Peter Townsend video demonstrating his speaker platforms.  He showed that even on concrete floors his speaker isolation platforms make a difference.  He showed it empirically using vibration transducers. Concrete is a plastic.  It moves and responds to vibrations.  However, I have not had my stereo on a concrete floor in several decades and so I have no experience to share in that regard.  

Anyway, after seeing Townsend's video I built my own isolation platforms for considerably less using specifically designed springs from McMasterCarr and wood butcher blocks as platforms.  I specified the spring rate to give the speaker + platform a natural frequency of 3 Hz.  That isolated the speakers from the floor.  I'm on a suspended floor and it was a dramatic improvement in sound quality.  Using accelerometers I found the speakers were completely isolated from the floor.  Unlike the Townsend platforms I had no adjustability.  It was a pain positioning the platforms and the speakers to be both level on the spring platforms and in the right position in the room.  

Out of curiosity I sprang for the IsoAcoustic Gaias for my speakers to compare them to my own isolation platforms.  The Gaias do not completely isolate the speakers like my spring platforms but overall I thought the speakers sounded better with the Gaias.  The accelerometer showed that the Gaia still isolates the speakers- just not as completely as my spring platforms.  But I think that the dampening in the Gaias helped with the higher frequencies.  I ended up keeping the Gaias and I use my spring platforms under my Home Theater sub woofers.  They make the bass sound amazing.

https://imgur.com/MsCuC2k

@tonywinga 

Thanks for your reference to the video and your own DIY account. Very interesting. I watched a Townshend video and there are some more and less convincing elements to it. The vibration dampening is impressive. However, a couple of things stood out to me.

First, I don't usually walk around my room while listening, and no one else does, either. So that "solution" addresses a non-existent problem.

Second, while the earth's seismic activity is an interesting factor, isn't the person in their chair (and the air in the room) also vibrating, and at the same rate? In other words, if I was to dampen the earth's seismic vibration on my speakers -- but I am still not isolated in a similar way -- wouldn't I be more out of sync with my speakers as a result? It seems like an angels-dancing-on-the-head-of-a-pin issue, anyway.

Out of curiosity I sprang for the IsoAcoustic Gaias for my speakers to compare them to my own isolation platforms.  The Gaias do not completely isolate the speakers like my spring platforms but overall I thought the speakers sounded better with the Gaias.  The accelerometer showed that the Gaia still isolates the speakers- just not as completely as my spring platforms.

That was my finding too, in my set up with my Thiel speakers on my wood floors (a rug overlaying the floor).

I use Townshend Seismic Isolation Pods under my turntable platform and they totally decouple from floor borne vibrations.

I tried the Townshend Seismic Speaker Bars under my speakers and they decoupled them very well, a bit 'too well' in that I felt I lost a bit of "room feel" for the music.  

The Gaias I'm now using under the speakers split the difference: they isolate enough to get some gains in bass tightness and the speakers sounding more precise and "disappearing" but not totally at the expense of making the sound weightless.

I'm not 100% sure I'm keeping the Gaias under my speakers, I may yet end up preferring the speakers back on the floor, but for now they are staying.

I believe isolating the speakers from the floor prevents the floor from being a passive radiator.  That helps clean up the bass and sharpen the images. 

@hilde45 

I'm happy with my Gaia II's (under my 76lbs Teckton 2-10's).

They brought a small but noticeable improvement, which once experienced would be impossible to live without. The wood floor in my listening room behaves like a diaphragm bobbing up and down with the bass, smearing ever so slightly the presentation and focus. In a word, they deliver "clarity".   

I use Auralex subwoofer isolation platforms (can’t remember the exactly name) under my Tekton Moabs on suspended hardwood floors with excellent results. Something like $200 for a pair. 

I have a carpeted concrete floor. Put the Gaias on a few years ago.
Tightened up the bass. Gave a more focused presentation.

May be due to the speakers being higher, but I did hear a difference.

@hilde45 those rubber/cork square isolators is all you need on concrete floors. No need to spend any more money on esoteric stuff that will not get you more. I use exactly what you have. They work, and I don't even have carpeting or a rug on my floor. it's all tiles.

$20 dollars that all the money that is needed.

Townshend Podiums will be so effective as to like double the value of any speaker.

When the speaker is decoupled from the floor, the vibrations that leaked down to the floor will then come out of the drivers! Almost total transformation.

 

mglik

851 posts

01-20-2023 at 04:34pm

Townshend Podiums will be so effective as to like double the value of any speaker.

When the speaker is decoupled from the floor, the vibrations that leaked down to the floor will then come out of the drivers! Almost total transformation.

This is what makes these forums so much fun to read! Is this from the product literature or something you came up with as a conclusion of your listening tests?

Only my experience and my understanding.

Doubt any manufacturer would make such sweeping, absolute statements.

There is a YouTube of Max T demonstrating the effect of the Podiums.

There are 2 platforms. One with his tech and one with spikes.

Attached to each is a wooden stick standing up from the middle of each platform.

At the end of each stick is a small motor. When the motor is turned up on the spiked platform, it wiggles wildly. When the Townshend treated platform motor is turned up, its stick stands almost perfectly still.

The most clear example.

It's a good thing most (if not all) speakers weigh considerably more than a stick and are constructed much more robustly, obviating the need for a Podium to keep them still enough to be listened to and enjoyed with less costly devices.

There's a point to where such isolation is unnecessary (and even overkill), allowing one to spend much less and still get great results. This kind of reminds me of all the isolation and LIGO discussions one member used to bring up, ad nauseam. 

All the best,
Nonoise

@tonywinga 

Yes, isolating the speakers from the floor prevents the floor from being a passive radiator. But my floor is concrete with a carpet on top of that. I cannot imagine it's radiating that much. Then again, I just may be limited in imagination!

    @69zoso69 

Thanks for your report about your Gaia II's on your wood floor diaphragm bobbing up and down. You might not have seen in my OP that I have a concrete floor.

@whiznant -- you have a wood floor, too. I have concrete but appreciate hearing the name Aurlex.

@rvpiano -- thanks for your report about the concrete floor effect. Be nice to know if it's the height.

@robert_1  I suspect you're right, but a friend and expert audiophile went from those cork deals to Gaia and had his skepticism overcome. Different speakers than mine but concrete floor. Hmmm.

@mglik 
"Townshend Podiums will be so effective as to like double the value of any speaker." 

I believe it's a good product but I have to admit this claim is hard for me to fully accept. The videos are impressive but your phrasing, well, it made me giggle.

Do you have another handle, MC ?

@nonoise  Agreed. There's a way in which scientific claims can be accurate but misapplied. We can measure things to the microgram, but that doesn't really help us bake. 

If I see my 100lb speakers wiggle wildly it will be due to a problem far beyond what Max T is capable of resolving.
Jokes aside, I use spikes and floor protectors that came with my speakers.

As far as components are concerned, I pulled all isolation devices out. Concrete floor and solid component rack is all that is needed. 

Don’t waste your hard earned money.

buy some racket balls, cut in half, put,speakers on them with slightly,larger fine grit sandpaper under the racket balls.off the,floor, and not like the bass will resonate concrete. Or tennis balls, or go to a home store and buy 2 cutting boards for the,speakers. Have my,amps 1 each on a very thick cutting board, which I threw 5 coats of cherry stain n them, they,look nice. Don’t drop that kind of money on snake oil.

Home Depot, get some large flat stone squares for the speakers, use normal cutting boards, nt inflated prices by some greedy snake oil douche.

https://www.bedbathandbeyond.com/store/s/cutting-board

Or get some 2” restaurant pads, ones that the,cooks stand on all day, spikes would sink in and never move. 
 

I used racketballs in my rack years ago, worked a charm, and your not getting taken advantage f by the eejits who say “use our modular half circle moon isodampening pads, they will make the music reach out and lightly stroke your ears and neck like a bunny fart. 
use your own ingenuity.  Plus. U have brag rights of saving hundreds of dollars for which you and your wife can get a nice steak and blue cheese med. rare only!

@arcticdeth 
Your DIY suggestions include putting cutting boards, or large flat stone squares, on top of the situation I describe -- which is carpet on a concrete floor. I don't see what putting your suggested hard things on top of another hard thing, my the concrete floor, makes sense. Can you explain?

Thank you, thought floor was bare concrete. Which,would benefit from a block or a thick rubber pad.

the racketballs sure helped,dampen,vibrations in my rack

Hey hilde45...

In my long experience as an Anti-Resonance Cop (especially under the hood) masonry rarely works.  If your floor carpet is thin enough, you might try to find some vintage golf cleat spikes and weigh down the speakers:

50_31067b_lg.jpeg (1200×1600) (iconicauctions.com)

I've also been pleasantly surprised with bookshelf monitors atop carefully weight measured Vibrapods, isolating in a somewhat 360 degree fashion, despite most preferring mass loading with loudspeakers.  Aluminum isolation cones can work well and are reasonably priced.  As stated, adding some mass to the top of your loudspeakers can prove effective depending upon the approach used.  Sound dampening the boxes internally and/or externally can prove extremely rewarding.  

More Peace, Pin           (bold print for aging eyes)

isolation recommendations without specifying floor type are meaningless.  

@OP, you've been around long enough to know that everything matters. This includes vibration. The link below should be required reading for anyone after good sound. This article is informative and debunks all the hooha about spikes.

A novice reading this thread would be forgiven if he was to heed the advice so far which is to use spikes. The majority say spikes which is not true. If you merely seek stability then spikes will help but the aim here is to get better sound.

The author uses a tuning fork to illustrate his theory and reasoning.  I made up an old tonearm and cheap cartridge to measure the amount things vibrate and by using a signal genny could see first hand and at what frequency the vibrations were occurring. Simply rest the stylus on the concrete floor, wood floor, furniture, audio rack etc. and measure the output with your multimeter at intervals. Doing this is far far better and more enlightening than random noise on a forum. Most of the posts here are recommending spikes but unfortunately they are wrong.

I met Max Townshend at the XFI Premium show in Veldhoven, Holland in 2019 and we had a long chat where somehow conversation also turned to his supertweeters which is another area for gaining more from your system. Regarding the topic of interest here, he had 2 identical pairs of speakers matched for height and using same source, amp, cables and of course acoustics. Switching between the pair with factory feet and the pair on his platform was not at all subtle. Pricey, yes, but way better value than the Gaia footers I installed on my OB speakers. I heard very little from the Gaias on Isoacoustics carpet spikes on medium pile carpet on concrete.

Don't concern yourself about rigidly coupling to the floor. Intuitively it would seem that the more solid the mount the better but some guys are suspending their speakers from the ceiling on fishing lie or similar and reporting improvements.

Ok lets assume a speaker weighs 40Kg and the woofer cone weighs 40 grams. What's the ratio in mass? it's 1000:1 which translates to 0.01dB  Do you think you will hear that???

This was not intended to come off as a lecture 🙂  Please read the link.

Since vibration control is not really an issue with concrete floors, you may want to try a speaker platform like the Symposium Segues I use under my tower speakers to clean them up from internal vibrations inside the cabinet. They can be custom sized to extend beyond the speakers by a few inches on each side to give a little more stability if they came with some kind of outriggers.

Although mine sit on a wood floor which on top of a suspended floor over a crawl space, the owner of Symposium Acoustics said locating them a few inches might be a negative and the platforms provide some isolation as well. 

Peter is a great guy, very helpful and tells you when his soluti9ns won’t help, and offers a money back guarantee (unless you get them custom sized).

In my mind at least, I do believe that the isolation platforms not only help eliminate the floor form adding to the sound but also vibration getting back to the speaker, especially with concrete floors. The vibrations have no where to go but back into the speaker. That’s how I think the iso platforms would benefit your situation. 
Kind regards. 

@nonoise 

On the contrary.

If the T Podiums have such profound effect on something as delicate as a stick with a motor attached, imagine what they can do with vibrating box!

@whiznant 

 isolation platforms not only help eliminate the floor form adding to the sound but also vibration getting back to the speaker, especially with concrete floors. The vibrations have no where to go but back into the speaker.

That comment, especially the bold part, has really helped me see why the "concrete floor" factor is not the end of the story. Thank you! I suppose I figured that the floor was so inert, it wouldn't resonate in sympathy with the speakers -- and indeed it would not. But the vibrations coming from the speaker is the key, and thank you for pointing that out in a way that made sense to me.

@sokogear Thank you for your recommendation. It's hard to believe a platform that inexpensive is out there as a solution. I appreciate it.

@lemonhaze I deeply respect your opinion and experience. I will read the link you provided and seriously consider the platforms. It defies my economic common sense to spend that much but you're making a salient pitch, here.

Ginko Audio has some budget friendly speaker vibration control. They cost less than $400 for my speakers….the Isoacoustics for my speakers would cost me over $1500

@lemonhaze Some very helpful conclusions from your article. I quote:

Spikes came about in the early days of wall to wall carpeting to prevent the cabinets from dancing around by anchoring it to the underlying wood. Beyond that, the audiophile world has been misled as to their purpose. Rigid coupling feet will operate and perform the same function as the bridge does in coupling the strings to the soundboard of any string instrument.

In summary

• Rigid feet couple vibrations
• Vibration is a two-way street
• Spikes cannot drain energy to a heavier mass
• A small contact point actually amplifies vibrations
• Spikes cannot reduce internally generated cabinet vibrations
• Question one-size-fits-all and no lab report devices
• Isolation means the mechanical path is either broken, or the form of energy is converted to another form
• Properly designed isolation is predictable, repeatable, and neutral in performance
• Isolation will offer clarity that cannot be experienced with coupling, because with coupling comes additional, unwanted vibrations
• Isolation is easy to perceive
• Vibration transmissibility is easily measured

Also interesting, making some case for spikes (suitably tested on a particular setup): 

"By having spikes on the base of the stand (as illustrated in diagram 1) we allow the speaker stand to ‘grip’ the floor under the carpet. As a result, we can expect the spikes to reduce how much the speaker and stand wobble around, particularly at low frequencies. Unwanted vibrations or shaking of the speaker box and stand at low frequencies could then be reduced. By holding the speaker more firmly we may alter or assist its ability to radiate low frequencies. In addition, the floor may now act as a secondary radiator or medium to convey sound vibrations to the listener. Hence spikes under a stand may well have an effect we can sense, not because they “isolate” vibrations, but for precisely the opposite reason! To do so, however, they need to effectively penetrate through the carpet so the stand can grip the floor underneath.

What the above can’t tell us, of course, is whether any changes produced by such spikes will be judged to make the resulting sound “better” or “worse” – or even if the changes will be noticeable. That will be a matter of individual circumstances and the personal preferences of the listener. There are various reasons for this. One example is that, in some cases, the movement on the springy carpet might help damp out higher-frequency resonances in the stand more effectively than being gripped by the floor. Matter of circumstances which might be judged ‘best’ for changing the performance in the way the individual user might prefer."
https://www.audiomisc.co.uk/cones/speak.html

My system is on a concrete slab floor with a fairly thick carpet/pad. My components are in a massive salamander cabinet with source components on IsoAcoustic pucks and my preamp and monoblocks on maple plinths. My speakers, Dali Mentor 6s, were on spikes. Still, when I put them on GAIA IIIs I heard a significant improvement in resolution and sound staging. It may have been that the Dali spikes weren’t really long enough to penetrate the pad and carpet, but the improvemt with GAIAs is real.

In our former house, the system was on wooden floors—the speakers were on spikes there, but the speakers sound better with the GAIAs on carpet, if my memory serves me. 

@hilde45,  Hey  OP:    "Beyond that, the audiophile world has been misled as to their purpose"    Yes because as in most areas of commerce where there is a buck to be made it's climb on the bandwagon. 

I understand your reluctance to spend on something that does not appear to make sense when comparing it to the price of your speakers. How about: buy once, cry once.  I am trying to convince myself of this very quote. I bought Gaias after some poster convinced me by stating they were a poor man's Townshend device 😉

Anyone with a mild interest in audio and an awareness of the market could not help notice that easy to manufacture and with little to no understanding of the principle involved can produce a HIFI stand, complete with obligatory spikes. Witness the plethora of stands with spikes on offer.

Some of these amplifier stands/platforms on spikes are beautifully made and very attractive. I have seen photos of racks that I think most enthusiasts would love to have their gear on. With everyone and their uncle who owns a milling machine and lathe able to produce spikes from basic to exquisite it comes as no surprise that spike-momentum endures. A search on amazon shows what is available in the more budget market.

I am not saying that some of these component stands do not help, just that there are better ways of addressing the problem. I have long been dissatisfied with Gaias and the title of this thread attracted me, hoping to find positive results with something other than the annoyingly ubiquitous spikes.

The search continues  🙄

Spikes affect the sound. I have heard it firsthand. I used spikes on my Thiel speakers for years. I could hear the difference between the speakers sitting on the floor vs on spikes. Imaging improved. But when I put my speakers on tuned spring platforms it took them to another level. The same thing happened when I put my amps and preamps on tuned spring platforms. In fact, the increase in detail and resolution was so great that at first it was distracting me from the music. I could hear hum in mic cables, talking, footfalls- things I had not heard before in recordings. I almost put things back to the way they were before, but I finally adjusted to the new level of resolution and transparency. I can’t go back now that I have heard what tuned isolation can do. I no longer have anything resting on spikes.

Spikes do not isolate. They might sink vibrations or whatever the claim is but using an accelerometer I do not see any real change in vibration levels myself. Springs isolate and rubber dampens. Just look at a car suspension. It is a combination of springs and dampers- rubber and viscous dampers.

Funny thing is being an engineer I still went along with the prevailing winds. Since I could hear a difference with my speakers on spikes I assumed spikes were a good thing for all of my stereo gear. Why did I check my engineer brain at the door for so long, I wonder. For example, back in 1979 I was shopping for my first turntable. I remember looking at a Philips belt drive and a Garrard DD turntable. The Philips had a suspended table while the Garrard was fixed. But the bouncy Phillips looked so 1960s to me while the Garrard looked nice and modern. It wasn’t until 1992 when I brought home my first Sota Turntable that I realized how important isolation was to the sound. Even then I did not think to apply that principle to my other gear using mainly Sorbothane pucks for damping.

It is not a simple solution. Spikes impact the sound of components, isolation and damping are effective but like room dampening- too much of a good thing is bad. I learned that first hand too. Even my Sota Turntable can be sensitive to the type of platform it rests on regardless of its remarkable isolation. I learned that as well. One thing about the audio hobby- anyone who assumes to be an expert and scoffs at the various tweaks and setup configurations be it mechanical or electrical will almost certainly be humbled at some point.

@tonywinga, good post. May I ask what you use under your components and speakers. I'm hoping you'll say rubber pads that cost $1 each on amazon 😀 

Thank you.  Unfortunately, I have not found $1 solutions but the spring platforms for my Thiel speakers were pretty reasonable.  The price of 8 springs and two butcher blocks was not too costly.  I designed the springs for the load of my speakers and the spring rate to achieve a Fn= 3 Hz and ordered them from McMasterCarr..  I counter drilled the butcher blocks to a depth to leave just a small amount of travel when loaded and to support the springs so they remain vertical.  I also stuffed some foam inside the springs for damping and added rubber feet.  I used the same springs on my amp stands to isolate the amps from the floor.  My amps are beasts but not quite as heavy as the Thiels so the Fn (resonance point) is about 3.5 Hz.  I bought the Nobsound spring footers online.  These are clever little devices that are perfect for stereo components.  These footers hold up to 7 small springs which allows you to tune them for the weight of the component that you are isolating.  These are inexpensive but very effective.   

Now, like I said before, out of curiosity I bought the Gaia footers for my Thiel speakers to try them out.  While they did not perfectly isolate the speakers from the floor like my tuned spring platforms, they did improve the sound of the speakers.  Enough so that I kept them and put my spring platforms on my HT subwoofers.  Wow, did that make quite a difference.  Life begins when you isolate your subwoofers.  

So last summer I bought me a pair of Wilson Sasha DAW speakers.  They sound good.  They come with the Wilson spikes which I used.  Wilson now offers their version isolation spikes made from their X material.  I have no doubt that they are effective but they are an additional 10% cost of the Sasha DAW speakers.  Therefore, I bit the bullet and bought a set of Gaia Titans.  If you think buying the Gaias hurts- try getting a set of their Titans.  The Wilsons will give you all the bass you want.  I could feel it in the floor even after set up per the Wilson method.  I found the Gaia Titans improved clarity and imaging.  The floor doesn't vibrate like before with the spikes but the furniture, pictures and windows still shake and rattle. I had to put sticky tack on all of my pictures to keep them from rattling.  

I'll add that when you use the Nobsound spring footers on your components, they need to be tuned to maximize the isolation.  Do that by using only enough springs in each footer to have about a 0.100" gap when under load.  So the footers are still floating- don't let them be grounded under load but provide the lowest Fn possible. My preamps, for example are heaviest in the front where the transformers sit, so I have one more spring in those front footers vs the footers in the back.

Ok, so this is the post where I eat some of my words. I’ve been reading your posts, and others, and watching videos about the Townshend podium. I really like my speakers enough to try to bring out their best qualities. From what I am reading and seeing. -- e.g., here: https://youtu.be/IvTrtMmrfE4?t=1088 there’s a lot that could be gained by a profoundly isolated speaker. If it all does nothing, well, shipping is a small price to pay to really know that.

The other thing I am thinking is that I’m not really going to be ready to go to a "next" level speaker for a while, in part because I really think these speakers are quite a great value and match very very well even with my lower powered tubes and subs. My next speakers are going to be at least 2x or 3x my current pair, and I’m not ready to go there, yet.

With the Townshends, I can try do a real comparison with the spikes or even some Gaia.

The other thing a podium could do -- if it works well -- is know that I can move my speaker into my next (new) room (which has a wood floor on some cork over concrete) without worrying about how the speakers will sound in there. Or to a room upstairs (over suspended wood).

I’m almost over my reluctance to try the Townshends.

What I have noticed is that my old Thiel speakers which had the mineral front baffles were totally inert on that face but vibrations could be felt on the sides and back of the speaker cabinets. That tells me the speakers were transmitting vibrations from the cabinet bottom through the spikes to the floor and some amount of vibration reflecting back into the cabinets. So the Gaias which both dampen and isolate seem to me to improve the sound of the speakers by both isolating the speakers from the floor and damping reflections that would otherwise go back into the cabinets. The Wilson speakers are remarkably inert on every surface. Totally dead no matter the loudness they are playing. And yet they still transmit vibrations to the floor through their spikes as well. Perhaps the energy must go out of the cabinets somewhere. I find the Gaia Titans remarkably effective on my Wilson speakers. I would like to hear them with the new Wilson isolation spikes but my curiosity has limits. I have no doubt the Wilson isolation spikes would be an improvement. Their material development knowledge is remarkable when considering they can build an entirely inert speaker cabinet.

I think any speaker will benefit by isolation from the floor but the tonal qualities of the speaker might be altered, as I found with my Thiels and so some amount of dampening (damping) might be needed to go along with the isolation. That’s likely something to be solved on a case by case basis. Some of us engineer types are able to come up with some good homemade solutions, but I have to give credit to the entrepreneurs who develop a product for the market that has to work 90% of the time on a wide range of applications- sometimes great and sometimes not. Some people like hang gliding. Some of us like the security of an enclosed cabin.

Ok, my last sentence is not a comment about open baffle speakers; but it could be...

@hilde45,  if you do get the Towshend units please share your findings here.

@tonywinga, I ordered a set of nobsound  to compare with IsoAcoustics Oreas I have had in place under my Wadia DAC and an Oppo for a year, so am now familiar with the effect they are having on the sound of some components. Should  be interesting.

Have you heard of or tried Herbies Isolation Pods/Pucks? 
I did some testing with them and without: nothing incredible but they did at least affect and improve a few specific Frequencies from my loudspeakers when I used them underneath.  Also noticed they helped kill about 1/2 of a noise/distortion issue I have with a couple very micro-phonic pre-amp tubes.  I don't think they are 'better than' Gaia (which I think also have actual solid real world room speaker and turntable measurements), but they are really affordable, and the owner of the company is VERY communicative.  
 

I have the Oreas under my Turntable platform.  They do some isolating but mostly dampen vibrations.  Works good for my Sota turntable.  (Putting a second set of spring footers under a Sota is not a good idea.  The double spring system would be unstable.)  I tried the Nobsound footers both directly under my preamps and DAC and on platforms that the preamps and DAC sit on.  I found that better because the feet on my equipment are designed to dampen vibrations.  You can see them on my system page.

Remember to tune the footers to your equipment by using as few springs as possible for each footer.  If you are in-between- ie one less spring is too little and one more spring is too much, don't be afraid to add a mass to your component to increase the load.  The lower the spring rate, the lower the natural frequency of the system.  Fewer springs gives a lower system spring rate.  Lower is better.  And the higher the mass, the lower the natural frequency.

Hilde:

Added Gaia Ii to my Dynaudio C60s and the difference in midrange and bass was remarkable. I use the spikey pads on carpet over concrete. Do it!

@tonywinga

A couple of years ago I watched a Peter Townsend video demonstrating his speaker platforms

That would be surprising. Pete Townshend is the guitarist for the Who. The gentleman who made the Podiums was Max. No relation. https://hifiplus.com/articles/max-townshend-a-personal-tribute/

Oh yeah. Thanks for the correction.  I was listening to The Who just the other day.