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Isoacoustics Gaia Speaker Footers

Replacing the spikes in my Soundocity outriggers (Soundocity made me a set of outriggers with threaded holes) with the Isoacoustics Gaia 2 footers has improved the sound of my Merlin VSM speakers.  They now sound more open and articulate than with any combination of Z-feet or other spikes, with or without outriggers, on the floor or on a platform, that I've tried.  Like the Townshend products the Gaia footers completely decouple the speakers from the floor, allowing them to float.  See:

http://www.audiostream.com/content/isoacoustics-gaia-isolation-pucks#IVXH8EtVAjQdwbuj.97     

http://www.isoacoustics.com/products/gaia-series/gaia-i/


128x128cellcbern
ozzy's avatar
ozzy
7,542 posts
 
I have the GAIA 1’s with carpet spikes under my Sopra 2’s, although my speakers are sitting on carpet with no padding over a cement floor.

Before adding the carpet spikes the speakers sat very firmly to the floor and was difficult if not impossible to move.

The suggestion about putting a heavy granite type slab over the carpeted/padding is a good idea, then you wouldn’t need the carpet spikes.

ozzy

dvdboulet
78 posts
 
Hi all,

Is there a sonic benefit or cost to use a higher rated footer (gaia I) with a lighter weight speaker than what it's officially rated for? I want to get the ones that support the most weight so when I upgrade my speakers in the future with a heavier set the footers will be ok. Thanks!

Dave
david_ten
5,480 posts
 
@dvdboulet  If your current speakers are close to the spec'd limit for the IIs, I would move up to the GAIA I, regardless of future usage. In your case, since you are open to considering heavier speakers down the line, going with the GAIA I makes complete sense.
bdp24's avatar
bdp24
9,966 posts
 

In the new Stereophile Art Dudley reviews two different IsoAcoustic footers, and says he prefers the GAIA to the Oreo under his Garrard 301. The GAIA is intended to be used with loudspeakers, the Oreo with components, but Art found the GAIA to provide more improvement with his table than did the Oreo. Since it comes with mounting studs in three sizes including the 1/4-20 used on the feet of VPI turntables, it occurred to me that the GAIA is a good candidate for use with those tables.

A set of four GAIA III (which support up to 70 lbs.) retails for $199, about half the price of four Townshend Audio Seismic Pods. The Pods are really good (I have them under my Townshend Rock Elite table), but for only $199 the GAIA is worth a try bolted onto my Aries 1, in place of the stock cone "isolation" footers. The parens is in recognition of the fact that cones (and spikes) are not isolators, they are couplers. Why that myth continues is a mystery to me! 

Geoff Kait's springs are also worthy of consideration, but for use under a turntable---which requires precise leveling---the height adjustability of the GAIA (via the threading on the studs) makes it ergonomically better.

david_ten
5,480 posts
 
Just placed an order for two sets of GAIA IIs for my 2A3 monoblocks. IsoAcoustics helped with choosing between OREA and GAIA as well as between the GAIA IIs and IIIs.

I had been looking at various options and landed at the Critical Mass CenterStage2 footers as the high performance/high price option and IsoAcoustics as the value/performance option. I will revisit the CenterStage2 Footers at a later date.

I should have them on Thursday and will report back with initial impressions after I’ve installed them.

FYI, I did have the GAIA IIs for my Tekton Design SE speakers but ended up preferring my own ’double’ isolation solution using two sets of Herbie’s Giant Gliders with a TAOC isolation platform in-between.

A shout out to @mac48025 and @audiotroy for their assistance. Thank you!
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