Same experience with the Gaias, improved resolution esp mid bass, I have wood over cement slab floor in the listening room, so no need for spikes and imagine others with less solid floors will have even better results.
Isoacoustics Gaia ll footers plus carpet spikes
Where is the terminus for this perverse hobby? I invested heavily in ATC 40 active floor standers only to be enticed with possible improvements using Gaia ll footers and carpet spikes. I bit and voila, more discretionary income succumbed to the insanity.
The footers performed the usual audiophile magic of cleaning up upper bass, providing a better foundation for low bass, stabilized the vocals. Then the carpet spikes did more of the same and improved imaging. Reminded me of the old days when we would place machined aluminum cones under floor standers and improve everything.
I wish all of this were psychoacoustic and I could return everything, but it seems all too tangible so it stays.
The footers performed the usual audiophile magic of cleaning up upper bass, providing a better foundation for low bass, stabilized the vocals. Then the carpet spikes did more of the same and improved imaging. Reminded me of the old days when we would place machined aluminum cones under floor standers and improve everything.
I wish all of this were psychoacoustic and I could return everything, but it seems all too tangible so it stays.
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- 17 posts total
@twoleftears - You would want to use Orea Pucks most likely instead of Gaias as the Gaias get screwed into the speaker or footing hardware. Check out my Olneya stands as this will provide a simple visual: https://verdantaudio.com/collections/verdant-audio-speakers/products/olneya-stand?variant=26547277168740 Because the pucks are integrated into my stands, I have machined recesses to make placement super easy. This is not required. Just take care to space them evenly. Take the weight of your speakers and divide by the number of pucks you would want to use which would typically be 3. That will give you the appropriate weight rating to decide which Orea (Bronze, Indigo or Bourdeaux) to use. The Orea Puck has sort of a suction cup surface on the top and bottom (the Gaias have it on the bottom). Puck sets on stand, speakers sit on pucks. |
I added the carpet spikes for the Gaia II under my speakers a couple of days ago. I am not going to say, it improved this, it made that fantastic, etc. All I will say is, if you have the footers, then do not skimp on the spikes. I have removed the granite bases underneath the speakers and the spikes directly contact the concrete floor underneath. For me the improvements was more than worth the asking price.I had purchased the Iso-puck minis a few days ago and placed them under the preamp and the Oppo. So I am guessing it was a cumulative effect. But completely worth it. |
Forgot to mention one more thing - make sure that the speaker placement is as precise as possible. While adding the spikes, the left speaker moved up 3/4 inch up, when measured from the back wall (compared to the right speaker). And that messed up my center vocal positioning. I went nuts for 2-3 days before I used the measuring tape to find the issue. Once fixed, the image snapped precisely in the middle. So, yes, the spikes improve the sound, but be careful with that speaker positioning. |
- 17 posts total