Isoacoustics Gaia Speaker Footers

I highly recommend going with the GAIA I. You are at the limit of the IIs and I found that being at the limit of the IIs wasn't good. You will also get better stability with the larger diameter Is.

@wrm57  If your PMCs are fully coupled to your stands, I would expect it to work. If not, the degree of coupling (or lack of) might be a factor. Let us know how it works out.

@dvdboulet  If your current speakers are close to the spec'd limit for the IIs, I would move up to the GAIA I, regardless of future usage. In your case, since you are open to considering heavier speakers down the line, going with the GAIA I makes complete sense.

Just placed an order for two sets of GAIA IIs for my 2A3 monoblocks. IsoAcoustics helped with choosing between OREA and GAIA as well as between the GAIA IIs and IIIs.

I had been looking at various options and landed at the Critical Mass CenterStage2 footers as the high performance/high price option and IsoAcoustics as the value/performance option. I will revisit the CenterStage2 Footers at a later date.

I should have them on Thursday and will report back with initial impressions after I’ve installed them.

FYI, I did have the GAIA IIs for my Tekton Design SE speakers but ended up preferring my own ’double’ isolation solution using two sets of Herbie’s Giant Gliders with a TAOC isolation platform in-between.

A shout out to @mac48025 and @audiotroy for their assistance. Thank you!

Following up on my impressions post the GAIA II install on Thursday.

My Found-Music 2A3 monoblock amps are threaded and I used a full set of GAIA IIs per amp. Amp weight is 62 pounds, each.

The install meant powering down, removing cables, removing the tubes, moving the amps to my workstation and then turning them on their side / over to mount the GAIA footers. The footers are all oriented in the same position (logo facing forwards) and are level / same height.

The amps were previously on Herbie Tenderfeet > Maple Platform > Spikes > Herbie Gliders > Hardwood (Oak) suspended floor. The only change is from the Tenderfeet to the GAIA IIs.

Since the amps had to be powered down, the tubes removed and reinserted (the same with the cables), and the amps moved/handled in a major way...I chose to evaluate after a full two days of allowing the amps, cables, tubes, etc to sit and settle. I have run the amps for approximately 20 hours.

Difference in sound was immediately apparent. The impressions I am sharing are after two days and ~20 hours of runtime. In descending order, i.e. in absolute difference:

Bass is improved...in definition, weight, impact, solidity, separation, etc. I’ll label bass tone as being very slightly improved, I think, due to the added definition and separation which has helped in my further perception/awareness of bass notes.

Soundstage is wider, maybe slightly higher (I’m going off of inaccurate memory regarding the height) and a tad deeper. What is different about the soundstage is a slightly clearer / more defined separation / placement of instruments and performers.

Transparency has increased, resulting in the very minutiae of musical information being expressed and being expressed more clearly / wholly / completely.

My preference is for a balance between the cerebral and the emotional. At this point in time I will label the shift in gestalt slightly towards the cerebral.

Overall, the impact of adding the GAIA IIs is slightly greater than ’subtle’ in that the differences / changes were easy to hear and experience and connect with. I’ll add that the upside is (at this point in time) positive and worthwhile though not substantial.

IF I notice any changes / movement in/of gestalt, after 50 hours of runtime on the amps, I’ll share.

I now have over 60 hours on my amps after installing the GAIA IIs.

Please refer my previous post, three up (5/18 10:43am), for context.

Due to the time involved in powering down, removing the tubes and cables, moving the amps, and installing the GAIAs (and the reverse in setting them back up) PLUS the time for the amps, tubes, and cables etc to settle back in...

...a quick A/B (which I find best for my evaluations) is not possible.

In other words, I believe "head to head"comparisons (with the GAIAs vs other footers) would be separated by 3 to 4 days, at a minimum, for my system.

Overall and general results are that the sound quality is ’better’ and more enjoyable. Most importantly, the balance of heart and head and the connection to the music that I value has returned and significantly .

I cannot parse WHAT and HOW MUCH is attributable to the GAIAs, the resettling of the amps, and / or a possible cognitive reset.

The GAIAs are staying.

Another update as I close in on 100 hours running my amps with the GAIA IIs.

Warmth, naturalness/organic-ness and realism have significantly returned. For my goals, I now have 'that rightness' (in of itself) as well as a 'rightness' of balance with the cerebral aspects.

How much of this is attributable to my amps coming back on song versus solely the GAIAs, I cannot say.

Based on the differences from 9 days ago (prior to the GAIAs going in) the contribution from the GAIA footers under the amps is significant for my system and for my goals and was worth the investment.

I'll add that my trial with the GAIAs under my speakers (a while ago) was much easier to hear immediately.