uncle_monkey
Regarding your post and comment about the IsoAcoustics Gaias, I wanted to relay my experience.
Give social separating and all, I've been spending time redoing my whole system; I've torn it apart, remade all contacts, isolated components, redressed all wires, repositioned speakers--and finally (after many months of experimenting with speaker position) remounted my CS3.6s onto my Townshend Speaker Isolation Podiums.
Since I think they have the same function as the Gaias, I wanted to provide my experience with using the Podiums. Specifically-IMHO and in my room, they provide:
-- significantly improved width and depth imaging
-- significantly better "disappearing" of speaker positioning
-- better low-level detail retrieval
-- some lessening of an upper-mid peak present in the 3.6s
-- tighter and better defined low-mid-bass with better rhythm & timing (I'm a Naim guy)
Along with all those positives is a caveat. My dedicated listening room is on the second floor of my house-so on a suspended wooden floor. I bought the Townshend Platforms primarily in an effort to lessen transmission of low-end bass notes into the house structure (and quiet my wife complaining from downstairs of "the boom").
The isolation platforms significantly reduce this problem, so I can listen louder and later if I want without bothering the rest of the house.
Along with all those positives is the fact that the platform's taking away of the floor's significant contribution to the low-end also somewhat lessens the excitement and impressiveness of the bottom end. So while the bottom end is cleaner and faster, it's also a little less impressive since what you're left with is the sound of the speaker alone-devoid of the low-end enhancement and reinforcement from the floor.
For me-it's 95% positive using the isolation platforms, but some may find it more of a compromise. (These comments are based on my previously using the supplied spikes.) Since you're lucky enough to have a wood floor over concrete, you may not have the same experience as I did. Hope that helps!
I'm going to update my system pics on Audiogon's Virtual Systems Community section to reflect the addition of the podiums and "prettying up" my system, if anyone wants to see the 3.6s on the Podiums.
Stay safe everyone!
