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

I used an inexpensive cork/rubber disk to little effect.   Then I tried the IsoAcoustics Gaia II and was amazed at the difference.   I’ve got hardwood floors upstairs and vinyl tile/carpet over cement on the first floor.   In both cases the Gaia II footers made a noticeable and pleasant improvement in the sound and soundstage depth. My speakers are XStatic EC/X, 40lbs each, used 4 footers each.  YMMV.

Gaias are very good but Townshends are better.

Here you can find a paper about coupling or decoupling speakers (in french but Google Translator will turn it into english).

On concrete floor : the best solution is coupling spikes .... but the good general cases way to carry loudspeakers is to use LOW THICKNESS, HARD (requires a low damping factor) DAMPER (rubber) rubber/hard polymer feet less than 5mm.

audiobidules.blogspot.com

I bought the Gaias and returned them. I suspect any difference people report is attributable to the effect of raising the speakers closer to ear level. In my case, they made the speakers too wobbly for my liking.

@avanti1960   @audphile1 

Spikes!!!    Quite right!   I entirely agree.

Key points.

First order objective.  Prevent the speakers vibrating to the music.

Second order objective.  Prevent the speaker chassis from vibrating in response to the moving parts - cones, etc and other in-room vibrations.

Those who have concrete floors are fortunate.  More fortunate still if it is a concrete screed laid directly on footings on the ground.  Spikes are mandatory.  If the speaker is heavy enough (weight it if it's not) spikes prevent all movement of the speaker chassis.  Thus what you hear is only the movement of the cone etc and not cone movement inherited from chassis movement (better known as distortion).

Some people say the vibrations of planet Earth will affect this set up.  Phooey.  Such vibrations are FAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRRR less then in-room in-home vibrations permitted by flexible footers.

None of the above applies where speakers are not standing on concrete, where flexible footers are a necessary compromise solution.