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

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.

From my previous post, I should state the obvious: to my ears, the Herbies BFD sounded better between my speakers and the stack of concrete pavers and wood sqaures than said stack without BFD’s.

My DIY platforms are wood with threaded inserts for 5/16 bolts at the four corners.  They provide 4” of height adjustment and also allowed me to insure plumb/level or rake (forward or backward).  Try this:  Set your speakers on padded carpet on a suspended floor.  Using a level, see if they are plum or level in any direction.  Even if they are, see if the floor itself is level.

My speakers were “listing” like a sailboat in wind.  And when when I set a long level between them, they were not level to each other (nor is the floor).  My platforms allow me to true everything up.  Speakers are level to each other, they are plumb/level so I get them exactly symmetrical to front/side walls and to my ears.  In my room with my gear this has provided outstanding results.  I go to within 1/16” L to R.  The stereo effect and placement of sounds is insane.

My interest in height adjustment came when I noticed singers—and everything else—were lower than they should be.  Then I read a reviewer lament that it is quite common among systems he visits at audio shows.  Note, I wasn’t trying to address perceived shortcomings in frequency response.

My speakers now sit 8 1/8” above grade based on listening tests.  My platforms allow me to listen as I make changes in only one variable:  Height.  Toe and distance to walls are unchanged as I raise (over lower) the speakers that sit on my platforms.

My tweeters are a 1/2” below my ears.  But my baffles slant backwards but I’m not sure if that affects the height they sound best compared with vertical (plumb) baffles.  My tweeters “fire upward” because the baffle slant backwards.  If they fired up like a laser (with zero dispersion), they’d fire about 8” above my ears.  Just an fyi—that they sound great about at ear level despite being raked back.  And the soundstage has been raised nicely as was my original goal. 

My latest experiment is to play with rake to try to get drivers (mine are 2-ways) identical distance from my ears.  Small rake back so far sounding very good, but I let such changes settle in and evaluate them for quite a while.

Nobsound springs will arrive any day.  Townshends will be tried next.

Note:  I will likely switch to a lower chair relatively soon.  Will lower speakers if needed.  I think vertical height adjustment is a largely ingnored parameter.  How could it not matter when every other set-up parameter does?