I know there have been previous discussions on these feet but the topics are closed as inactive so apologies for a new feed. I am personally looking at the Gaia 3 model possibly.
I would like to know peoples thoughts on if they have used these in a small to medium size room to remove any bass bloating. Has it worked and other improvements or not that have been noticed.
Also, I would assume that as the speakers naturally cause vibration through the floor at present and up through the hifi components that fitting these would also work as isolating the hifi as well more ? Do you think, double win ?
I use Gaia III’s on my Neat XLS’s to great effect. I find on my floors , which are 90+ years old (wood), the bass bloat is removed and things are tightened up. They may behave differently on yours or in your room. I have a fairly narrow and long room, so I need to control bass or it can get out of control.
I use Gaia I’s on my audio rack and I find that in combination with isolation pucks help clean things up substantially. Both are a great, relatively inexpensive improvement that is not subtle (akin to a new component added).
The pic below gives an impression of my room, can really make out the isolation from this perspective, however. They do look good as well, which is an added bonus.
I have the GAIA III feet fitted to my PMC floor standers and have been using them now for about 2 months. They replaced the stock spikes which were sitting on Linn Skeets.
The room is roughly 4mx4m so not large overall.
I wouldn’t say the system sounded poor before but having fitted them and spent a few days experimenting with speaker spacing and toe in I found they helped give more control to the bottom end (my speakers are ATL based and front ported at the base) and a greater sense of dimension and layering to the soundstage.
The floor is all wood with floor joists, a fibreboard Caberdek subfloor and a solid wood parquet top layer which has a room beneath it so whilst it’s solid there is flex and resonance present in the floor overall.
I’d say they are for sure keepers and have added a nice dimension to the sound presentation and at modest volumes the lower end frequencies don’t have the sense they are overly reacting with the room environment as they had a tendency to do in the past.
I’d have no hesitation recommending them on the basis of my own personal experience.
The rest of the system is in my profile but in summary for reference it’s a full Fraim rack (on Fraim chips) with a Supernait 3 + NDX2.
I did find that with the GAIA III feet on that speaker positioning needed adjustment and I’ve ended up with them somewhat closer together than they were previously by a few feet and with a little more toe in relative to the listening position, this is in part due to other large items in the room and sources of reflection.
As you can see, they are a reasonable size and are somewhat smaller than I thought they would be but do look good when on and form a slight suction between the base and the floor. The speakers themselves have a little movement in them if you push at the top but they’re certainly pretty solid.
Also recommend them, used the Gaia 3s on my ProAc D30RS, I have a sprung wooden floor and the Gaia’s tightened up the bass and imaging substantially, great product highly recommended. I haven’t tried the isolating feet for equipment yet, but may do so in future.
Just to give a little balance to the thread, here’s a dissenting voice! I tried the Gaia 3s under my ProAc K6s hoping they would remove an occasional tendency towards a bass ‘bloat’ on certain tracks. The speakers sit on a t&g planked wood floor (screwed down securely) over a 6’ void. The Gaias showed a tendency to suck the life out of my music, and whilst some of the ‘bloat’ was calmed, it was done in a way that emulated the way air fresheners mask rather than eliminate odours!
I sincerely wish the Gaias had done for my system what many of the other contributors describe. At £400 for the set of eight it would have been substantially cheaper than the Stillpoints Ultra SS I tried and bought after returning the Gaias. These immediately transformed my system.
As ever, all our stories serve only to illustrate the need to trial these products on your own system, in your own listening environment. If I’d taken as gospel everything I’ve read on this forum over the last few years I’d probably have sold everything and given up listening to music!
Certainly one to try in your own system, whilst the Gaia feet are generally liked and well received it’s rare an element in a system meets with universal approval.
I also looked at the Townshend Isolation Podium but at their price point relative to the Gaia option discounted them at the time.
Completely agree with the last two responses, there are so many unique variables with speakers and isolation that a home trial is a must. Although they are moderately priced compared to some rivals, I certainly would not have bought them without the opportunity to demo at home first. My local dealer was happy to do this…
I tried Gaia 1 on my floor standing Spendors. Speakers weigh 57Kg and sit on parquet over concrete. I found they removed the vitality from my system or as was said above they sucked the life out of the music. Room is approx 7m x 4m.
I sold them on at a considerable loss. Home demo is essential. My mistake was to rely on recommendation. They work for some but not all.
I now use castors and can move the heavy speakers when necessary. My engagement with the music, mostly classical, is restored.
For me, on my dodgy old carpeted floor (over very old and creaky floorboards), they helped remove another veil in that never ending quest for the best possible sound! This included helping the definition of the bass eminating from the PMC fact8s.
I think if you have a good solid concrete floor gains might not be possible or as easy to identify.
I have my 804D3 on GAIA2 on concrete floor with Amtico and made significant improvement. Will be on individual basis so need friendly supplier that offers home trial.
I suppose it’s a mistake, @timmo1341, because, on the specifications, the ones indicated for the K6s are not the Gaia 3s but the Gaia 2s in any case.
I have the Gaia 2s on the K6s, and the Gaia 3s on the MF NuVista 600, which carries threaded feet; with the Orea Indigo and Bronze under the NDX2 (3) and CD NAD (4) respectively. For me a great leap forward in SQ and accuracy, with better soundstaging, better control and cleanliness of the low frequencies, and a better treble extension.
I’m very pleased for you. Whichever model the hifi dealer gave me to demo was, and I’m sure it would have been the correct one, the Gaias didn’t do it for me and my speakers. Simple as that, but fortunately it’s not a competition! As I said above, we all need to make our own decisions based upon what our ears tell us. I would never try to persuade anyone that my choices should be theirs, or take umbrage when someone else’s experiences don’t mirror mine. À chacun son goût and all that.
never ending… spot on.