Love to hear from current owners or past users of Isoacoustics Gaia footers.

I use the smallest ones on my Focal Sopra to raise the height of the tweeter (to get the 2’s closer to the height of the Sopra 3’s). They do that well enough and I think look cool. They don’t do anything to the sound, other than the sonic benefits I get from the higher tweeter height. 

The main issue with Nobsound springs is they do not have a threaded base for anchoring to the bottom of stands. They look like the Isopuck or Orea equivalent and not the Gaia. Also, aesthetically they don’t look as good.

The Townshend looks promising as I have read about their effectiveness elsewhere. I am sure they are superb products but just like Grannyring the Townshend are too costly and not within my budget.

Understand the cost factor. Couple things about the Nobsound spring approach. The full 7 springs are never needed. Your speaker would have to be over 200lbs to need all 7. With the center spring removed you drill and tap the center 1/4-20 threads fits most studs on most speakers. Or whatever you have. Now you have a fully adjustable Nobsound spring footer. They are so inexpensive it would still be the way to go even if you had to buy the drill, bit, and tap. Heck you could buy a whole set of drill bits, and a full tap and die set, and the drill AND the Nobsound and STILL be WAY AHEAD of Gaia. 

Then if you don't like the look, so what? Find something you can live with, cover em up. Or cut your own footers from wood, acrylic, Corian, whatever you do like. 1/4" drill bit, springs are a perfect fit. 

Speaking of which, those springs you removed? Drill some 1/4" holes in a piece of wood, MDF, or whatever and you can easily make more footers. I was able to make extra sets for my subs this way. Cannot do this with anything else and another reason Nobsound is a stone bargain.

In summer of 2018 I purchased sistrum platforms by Starsound Technologies (new name since, i think) with a 60 day MBG.  I liked them generally, but thought I should make some comparisons, so I brought in GAIA footers.  Frankly, I found them very very close in performance such that I didn’t feel I could pass a blind test.  While comparing the two, a wise person advised me that much of the improved SQ could be attributed to the increased height. So, I compared the two commercial products to a stack of concrete pavers and sqaures of plywood that raised my speakers the same as them.  Then, I decided to bring on Herbie’s Big Fat Dots—which I put on stacked concrete and wood squares to equal the height of the GAIA’s and Sistrums.  The BFD’s on pavers and wood were the winner.  They actually sounded better. Without revisiting my notes (yes, sadly I have notes) I seem to recall the Herbies on pavers and wood had significantly better LF quality and matched the others in every other way.  BFD’s are something like $10-12 each, so under $100 all-in (I needed 8).  Demo price on Sistrums were almost $800.  GAIA pricing I forget, but I think around $400.  BTW, I’m on a second floor, so it’s suspended with carpet and a pad. No idea if concrete floor would have yeilded different results.  I’ve moved onto a far superieor DIY solution since then—that still incorporates BFD.  And will recieve Nobsound springs any day now.  No matter how good they sound, or don’t—I will be trying Townshend podiums next.

Saving the best for last. What I did too.