Hey folks,
I figured I'd update my trials and travails on the speaker isolation front.
Sorry, as before no measurements, so with that caveat, if anyone is still here...
....
For a long time my Thiel 2.7s have, in my room, exhibited a little extra emphasis in the upper bass area - likely I think a room node. It never bothered me much, as it didn't raise it's head too often, and I loved everything about the speakers. I ended up shifting my speakers/listening position for even more immersion - a bit closer - and I think I ended up in a place where the room lift was getting a little more emphasized, so I was noticing the bass hump on more material. My hunch is that I ran in to the old problem that sends many to using subwoofers - the spot where midrange and higher frequencies may sound great may not be the best spot for bass - hence, crossing over to a subwoofer and placing subs and the main speakers where each will sound most smooth.
This actually hasn't been much of an issue with all the different large and small speakers in my room. I just seem to have hit a spot where it did get a bit much in this case.
Anyway...I'd already gone the subwoofer route a while back - two subs, with a JL Audio CR1 crossover, room correction etc. I ended up getting a bit more even sound, but ultimately it changed the tone enough to turn me off, and my speakers also sounded more lively and punchy without the subwoofers. Sold it all.
I did try some PrimeAcoustics "London bass traps" - I'm very limited for where those can go - managed to get a couple in one corner, but that wasn't enough to do anything notable.
I also tried some PrimAcoustics HF Recoil Stablizers under the Thiels. They are a foam-based absorber/decoupling system. They didn't seem to do much for the sound either way - not particularly tighter or compelling.
Going back to the spring isolation footers mentioned earlier in the thread: As I mentioned they certainly had tightened up the sound and made the speakers "disappear" more as sound sources. But it also left the sound more lightweight, more electrostatic-like, less "room feel" and drive. This was true to some extent with the more expensive spring-based isolation I tried from Townshend Audio. (Isolation bars).
With the speakers sitting directly on the carpet over the wood floor, as usual, I could feel the music going right through my listening seat, which I think helped alter the perception of the sound, making it seem more solid and dynamic.
So it seems like I wanted SOME decoupling but not "too much."
This got me thinking again about the Isoacoustic Gaia footers.
These are obviously very popular but I hadn't gone that route mainly because I had some Isoacoustic pucks left over from testing isolation for my Turntable isolation bass. When I'd measured (vibration measuring app) sound transfer, I found the Townshend spring footers to offer significantly more isolation/decoupling effect than the Isoacoustic pucks. And I'd tried those pucks under one of my speakers, didn't think much.
But recently I thought, what the heck, Isoacoustics has a 30 day return policy. Maybe I'll try the Gaias which are purpose-built for speakers.
So I ordered some which arrived last week.
Next post: my listening results.