Hi DG, should you get some (… and you could 
), do remember to shim the speaker bases on the Podiums using Naim-shims for complete stability. They are normally available from your dealer. ATB Peter
I was at the UK Audio Show today and Townshend Audio had a stand there.
Looked at the podiums and how they worked, but just couldn’t come to terms with the amount of movement there was.
It just didn’t feel right, so I’ll keep with the spikes for now.
DG….
I was always taught the speakers needed to be absolutely rigid with respect to the floor, and also was a bit skeptical when I first encountered the Gaia feet. However, listening and hearing matters far more than conventional wisdom. The Gaia II brought such an improvement to the music that I can’t imaging taking them off again.
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I believe the theory is that by locating the speakers on a “squidgy” foundation which sits on the floor, the floor becomes decoupled from the speakers. In other words it is difficult for the speakers to transfer energy from the speakers cones into the floor.
The converse is also true - if you wanted to maximise the transfer of energy from speaker to floor you would probably come up with some form of rigid connection.
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I guess then it depends on what kind of floor you have, whether you want one or the other. My speakers sit on a wood floor with shakey subfloors in a 100-yr old house. I’m pretty sure I don’t want any transfer of energy from the speakers to the floor so they can resonate sympathetically and blur detail and response.
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Just reading up fully on this thread and other threads regarding Gaias and Podiums and trying to understand this.
My speakers are the Kudos Titan 606 and are 35kg each. They are spiked which goes through thick carpet and thick underlay into the concrete floor. They’re rock solid, with no movement, so that must mean they are coupled to the concrete.
Looking through the IsoAcoustics website, it advises to use the Gaia II feet based on the speaker spec. It then goes onto state that if there is thick carpet to use their Carpet Discs, which each has four spikes. These then go through the carpet into the concrete, then the feet sit on them. So going from four spikes to 16 spikes.
I’m confused with this, as to me, this is similar to coupling to the floor, which is what the spikes do that come with the speakers. Also does using 16 spikes make a difference to using four spikes, or is this not regarded as coupling
Is this defeating the object of the feet or am I missing something…
DG…
No, there is the rubber decoupling layer between the speaker and the carpet discs.
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Would this wobble as much as the podiums?
Still though confused why speaker manufacturers use spikes and not decoupling feet.
DG…
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You are missing something.
As a mechanical engineer, I can fully explain why spikes should be much better but can also explain the alternative decoupling theory as to why Gaias or Podiums should be better.
The theories lead us nowhere as they conflict but do not indicate which is the more important.
Better to experiment instead and just try them.
We did so and it took all of about 10 seconds to decide to keep the demo set of Gaias that Signals kindly leant us.
The lesson for us? Forget the theories and just try a set instead.
Hope this helps, BF
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The very top end speaker makers such as Magico are now offering spikes as standard or Gaia type feet as an on-cost upgrade. That should indicate that the thinking has now moved on from the 1980s idea of spikes rule.
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I have seen this….and then look at some of the ATC stands and wonder if they could do much better?
I used to be a structural engineer, not a specialist in audio or acoustics, so I would be very interested to learn what you find in your situation.
My guess is that if you have a solid concrete floor on which the speakers sit, then there would be little to be gained from using either Gaias or Podiums. But I’m also happy to be proved wrong.
Our house is 90 years old, suspended creaky wooden floor etc., so the floor is an obvious potential source of unwanted resonances. The Gaias certainly make a big difference.
If Gaias also make a big difference when used with a very solid concrete floor, then it would be very interesting to ponder why this might be the case….
Paul
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Podiums make a massive difference/improvement under my PMC MB2se on a very solid concrete floor. PMC themselves recommend the Podiums.
Check out Townshends web site for information on seismic isolation and why/how they work on any floor.
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We have a concrete raft floor, covered with thick underlay and a decent wool carpet. The improvement brought by the Gaias was the opposite of subtle.
Best regards, BF
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You mean what they refer to as “micro tremors “ ?
Its all on their web site, including some demonstration videos.
I saw the insides of the Townsend foot. It was just a thin spring inside a hollow rubber ball. Didn’t seem like much engineering went into that. It explains why they have so much movement.
My Gaia2s sit on concrete floor and the difference is not subtle. There are videos from Townshend Audio on YouTube which explain on this. The main source of vibration or resonance comes from loudspeakers. As the cone of the main drivers vibrate or move to create sound waves, the vibration is transferred to the speaker cabinet down to the floor and electronics. This is one of the reasons equipment often perform at their optimal level when they are isolated.
The vibrations produced by loudspeakers (and subwoofers) if strong enough will rattle everything in the room, going back to the original source - speakers thus affecting sound quality. With spikes, the vibration is transmitted out and then back in to the speakers.
Townshend platforms appear to be more effective than Isoacoustics Gaia in addressing vibrations that affect sound quality. That may explain why speakers show more severe sway when they are placed on the Townshend platforms.
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ATB PeterAh, Podiums doing their job beautifully.
What’s not to like? Only the withering looks of disapproval from the boss when I tentatively suggested bringing them into our home! Hence our decision to go with Gaias on aesthetic grounds. I suspect that the Podiums are even more effective from a sound quality perspective.
Perhaps I need a dedicated listening room/man cave? That might be expensive, as it would involve a new house…
Speak soon Peter!
Best regards, BF
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