Gaia Isolation anything in this?

[killdozzer]

IsoAcoustics GAIA-TITAN Cronos for $1399!!​

Snake oil!

I'm with you on this. Overpriced is, indeed, a specific form of snake-oil. Perhaps even worse in some aspect as it is often much more difficult to debunk.

It would be something like 2k Aspirin. It does what it says it'll do, but you can get Aspirin for a few bucks.

 

[Vhond]

In the name of science I just disassembled my Gaia 2 and took a picture so that you all can see inside.

The center is a dense plastic that fits into the rubber hole. The chassis is probably chrome plated steel because it is heavy. The base that makes contact to the floor is a concave rubber, so that when the speaker weights it down, it sucks the floor in quite a strong manner. Makes moving the speaker very difficult, so for testing better put a cloth between them and the floor until the final position is found, then remove the cloth. On top is the screw with different thread terminations depending on the thread the speaker uses, and between them 2 washers to fix one to the top and the other to the bottom.

Installation instructions say that all 4 logos must face forward for best effect. That is both the long axis of the center plastic, and also promotes the brand, double win in their book.

As far as I know the design is patented.

View attachment 232647

Edit: From what I see in their drawing, the rubber hole also has a concave side on the inside, probably sucking the top chassis the same way the bottom rubber sucks the floor.

Edit 2: Since they are designed to be used with a certain weight range, it is probably when both concave rubbers are part way deflected, so that the speaker is "floating" to the rubbers' mechanical compliance. Like a piston compressed between 2 air bags.

View attachment 232652

So there's only rubber and plastic inside, no mechanism??

 

[Matias]

So there's only rubber and plastic inside, no mechanism??

No mechanical moving parts, only bending materials.

 

[bungle]

The Genelec on the other hand ships many speakers with so called Iso-Pods (one of the benefit they mention is "The vibration isolation and damping properties reduce midrange coloration caused by unwanted vibration transmitted to supporting surfaces") :

Iso-Pod™ Stand - Genelec.com

Vibration decoupling Iso-Pod™ stand improves sound image definition.

www.genelec.com

But for subwoofers they just suggest nothing or just felt pads:

Pad for subwoofer - Forum - community

Pad for subwoofer

community-staging.genelec.com

I think REL has similar recommendations for subwoofers (don't invest on isolation platforms or spikes).

I think it must be that subwoofers are more or less designed to be on the floor, and if they need something, it is already build in subwoofer design. The shelf-speakers on the other hand need more adjustability, but it seems like isolation can be beneficial too (?).

 

[DSJR]

Can't remember if I posted here before about this but I had to learn and also unlearn a lot. I was 'trained' to use spiked stands and shown how in some speaker cases, coupling tightly to the floor and transmitting the energy away was better. using thin wall 'BBC Derived' boxes currently, there seems naff-all difference (we have a thick carpet underlay and the boxes are sat on simple but solid oak lamp tables of the right size with a small 12x3mm approx clear 'bump-on' stick on foot on top of the table so the speakers only contact at their corners. Sure, the speakers can move if I deliberately rock them, but as the bass isn't exactly 'tight' in perceived quality (in fairness they don't boom either), it doesn't matter here as the room takes over totally low down. My boxes are sweet toned regardless of spiked stands so again it matters not...

My second small rig has the old desk sited small boxes (currently Wharfedale Diamond 7.2Sse) sat on Studiospares isolators, which are 2" thick rectangles of foam with a rubber topped steel plate on top the speakers sit on. These really do work in minimising bass transmission into the desk and down to the floor (as heard in the kitchen directly below).

Another chap I know lives in a flat (one of the large Victorian houses (brick, plaster with wooden joists between floors) with bay windows converted into apartments) and found isolators between stands and floor helped with the neighbour below who again, used to get bass transmission through the wooden floor

I'm sure the Gaia isolators work at a price and some I've seen are like mini speaker stands, but watch the costs fellas

 

[Matias]

The ISO-Stand pair and 8 piece ISO-Pucks kit start at 100 USD each, it's not that expensive depending on the speaker and system price. The Gaia are their high end offering, the Titan ones especially expensive.

 

[Count Arthur]

Isoacoustics pro audio orientated products are more reasonably priced, although not as pretty: https://isoacoustics.com/pro-audio-isolation-products/

I have my desk monitors on some Iso-Stands and they seem to work quite well at stopping the desk buzzing along with the music. They also lift the monitors closer to ear height.

On my sub, which is on a suspended wooden floor, I replaced the original hard plastic feet with some SVS feet:

SVS SoundPath Subwoofer Isolation System Review

Performance Features Build Quality Value

www.soundandvision.com

These have a hole in the centre, so I imagine you could adapt them to fit on speakers to get similar results to the Gaia feet at a lower price.

 

[terryforsythe]

My speakers were vibrating on the speaker stands when running sweeps with REW. $10 isolaters off of Amazon did the trick, but perhaps the placebo effect from spending $1,399.00 would had made it better.

 

[Purité Audio]

The ISO-Stand pair and 8 piece ISO-Pucks kit start at 100 USD each, it's not that expensive depending on the speaker and system price. The Gaia are their high end offering, the Titan ones especially expensive.

Sorbathane better and cheaper.
Keith

 

[Vhond]

What about isolation/decoupling for audio devices like DAC's (clocks which are sensitive to mechanical vibrations)?

 

[tw99]

What about isolation/decoupling for audio devices like DAC's (clocks which are sensitive to mechanical vibrations)?

Unnecessary, it's a complete non issue, talked up by people who want to sell you expensive stuff.