First impressions of the Isoacoustic Gaia 1’s

@jafant: I actually don't have any IsoAcoustics GAIA's. I learned of them from VPI's Harry Weisfeld, who raved about the improvement they wrought when installed under his KEF Blades. So I investigated them, as well as the Townshend Seismic Pod. I have for years owned and used a number of Townshend's earlier Seismic Sinks, and decided to go with the Pods rather than the IsoAcoustic products.

If you look into the design of the GAIA (and the other IA models), you will see that the isolation they provide is that afforded mostly by the rubber material inside the GAIA housing, the housing itself serving only a structural/supportive role (as well as cosmetic). That rubber material may be proprietary, or just Sorbothane or Navcom (or similar). Those rubber products provide isolation down to at best 10Hz, then drop of rapidly. 10Hz is, imo, not good enough. Vibration isolation: the final frontier ;-) .

I installed a set of Pods under the CD/DVD player, which sat on the top shelf of one of my Solid Steel racks. When I added another turntable to my system---which required that top space---I moved the player to the second shelf. The height of that shelf isn't sufficient for the height added by the Pods, so I use instead a set of Geoff Kait's (missed by many here ;-) small springs, which themselves are imo superior to rubber isolation products. By the way, after getting the Pods I sold all but one set of my Sims Navcom Isolation Pucks, which I preferred to Sorbothane.

How much of a change should I expect to hear if I put pucks under My Hegel H390? It weighs 44 pounds so I will need 4 Orea Indigo pucks @$240. What are other options?
 

JD

Now this is just my opinion, but I think part of the Podiums effectiveness is due to the fact they they are connected to a very stable and rigid steel platform. They work together as one unit.

I don't think the pods by themselves would be as effective. Again, just my opinion.

ozzy

There IS that consideration, @ozzy. The Sound Anchor speaker stands I bolted the Townshend Pods onto are even more stiff and rigid (and filled with sand) than is the thin sheet of steel used in the Podium and Platform. For lighter components (phono and line stages) I don't think the lack of a platform is consequential, but that is just a hunch.

With my Townshend Rock turntable, I set the table on a Torlyte shelf (who's old enough to remember Torlyte? ;-), the shelf on a set of four Pods. The final incarnation of the Rock (the Mk.7) incorporated a set of Pods into its' structure, using the Pods as the tables' suspension.

For those with enough $, sure, spring (ha ;-) for the Podium/Platform. Me, I gotta do it on the cheap. For the price of a single set of Podiums, one can get three sets of Pods.

@ozzy 

The Reference 5’s have a heavy steel plate bolted to the bottom with small bumps where the spikes screw in. If I got the Townsend Platforms, would I remove my steel plate and sit it on their steel plate?  Does the Townsend platform screw into the holes formerly used by the spikes?

Thanks.

JD