By At the growing number of audiophile shows in the United States one of the big problems that audiophiles face is determining what exactly one is listening too? For example, if you go into a cable manufacturer’s room what effect does the cables have on the system being played? If they aren’t doing an A/B test of some sort, it can be hard to tell. At audiophile consumer shows IsoAcoustics gets right down to the point when they are presenting their Gaia line of aftermarket feet for loudspeakers. They do one of the most simple, yet effective demos out there where they take a standard pair of speakers like a pair of $2,000 Monitor Audio floorstanders and install their feet with a pair of their Gaia feet and another with standard feet and then use a simple switch to toggle back and forth. The difference is not subtle and the demo, often done by industry veteran John Bevier, is very effective.
My motivation to replace the very well-thought-out feet used on my Bowers & Wilkins 802 D4 speakers (read the review) was initially to not damage the floors in my recently rented condos in Marina Del Rey, California. What I learned in experiencing the product is that there is actually more, non-voodoo performance benefits to this affordable audiophile tweak. Let’s dig in for more details…
What Makes the IsoAcoustics Gaia I Neo Audiophile Feet Special?
- The IsoAcoustics Gaia I Neo feet use patented technology to deal with unwanted oscillations and/or vibrations in your loudspeakers. Speakers when being played at a good clip, physically move as you would expect. How they interact with the floor, it turns out, has a lot to do with how accurate the speakers sound. Just as smart audiophiles treat the basic acoustical elements of their listening room (bass traps, first order reflections on the walls and ceiling, and often some behind-the-listener diffraction) the vibrations caused by your speakers can negatively effect your sound. The IsoAcoustics Gaia I Neo (buy at Crutchfield) feet aim to remove the un-groovy vibrations for better overall sound.
- While I used the IsoAcoustics Gaia I Neo feet to protect hardwood floors, they work just as well on carpet. I love carpet even though it isn’t as popular in interior design today as it was once in the past. Regardless, of your flooring situation the IsoAcoustics Gaia I Neo feet are effective.
- The IsoAcoustics Gaia I Neo feet are designed for larger, heavier speakers. Each GAIA Neo model is tuned to the weight of your speakers or subwoofer. The GAIA I Neo supports speakers up to 220 pounds. Importantly, not all speakers have the same gauge threads for their feet, so IsoAcoustics includes the three most common thread adapters with each Neo model, so it will fit most speakers right out of the box. If your speakers require an uncommon thread size, IsoAcoustics can supply alternate adapters to match your needs. Check the website before you buy to confirm the appropriate GAIA Neo model and thread for your speaker’s weight and thread size. IsoAcoustics has lots of options to configure their products to your needs so don’t worry.
- The IsoAcoustics Gaia I Neo feet are directional which varies with the speakers obviously. My speakers aren’t rear firing or dipoles so I put the logo if the feet facing forward. The design of the feet works best when the logo is pointed in the right direction.
- According the NRC (where many of the best speakers in Canada are measured) the IsoAcoustics Gaia I Neo feet do not limit bass output. I guess there are some that feel that other isolation technology can limit the bass output of a speaker. My listening experiences suggest the exact opposite and the testing from the NRC shows that the math is behind me on that conclusion. The bass sounds better, just not less (or more).
- Unlike some comparable products, you can adjust and balance the feet to level your speakers. This was a little tricky on my part because my main speakers are not easy to level by design but we got them pretty close to level and that works for me.
Why Should You Care About the IsoAcoustics Gaia I?
Audiophiles are always looking for their next upgrade and at a certain point in our journey in the hobby, these upgrades get quite expensive. They also are no guarantees that there is an improvement as opposed to just a change. The IsoAcoustics Gaia I Neo feet provide and easy to hear benefit that is notable and they do it at a price that is quite reasonable when you consider the cost of upgrading components – especially speakers.
The audiophile who is looking for a little more performance from his or her system without making a big capital investment is the type of person who will seek out the IsoAcoustics Gaia I Neo products.
Some Things You Might Not Like About IsoAcoustics Gaia I Neo Isolation Feet
- The IsoAcoustics Product Selector helps choose the correct model. The IsoAcoustics Gaia I Neo are not a one size fits all solution, as we discussed earlier with the thread and weight issue. Those are quick research details for you to look into and IsoAcoustics makes it easy with a product selector on their website—this is a database of over 5,000 makes and models that will tell you the correct IsoAcoustics product for your needs, and it will usually specify the correct thread size for a speaker as well. If your thread size is not included in the Product Selector, IsoAcoustics will confirm your thread size if you are send them a photo of the thread with a ruler positioned beside it, as shown here.
- Not every speaker is easy to install the IsoAcoustics Gaia I Neo on to. For example, my MartinLogan Foundation F2 speakers (read my review) which are $2,000 a pair simple floorstanding speakers, are light enough to put on their sides on the carpet and screw in new feet quickly. The big, rounder, beautifully finished Bowers & Wilkins 802 D4 speakers were a whole other project. They required moving blankets and two people to install the IsoAcoustics Gaia I Neo feet. It wasn’t impossible by any means but some consideration is needed for this project.
Listening to the IsoAcoustics Gaia I Neo Isolation Feet…
Unlike the demonstration that is done at many IsoAcoustics dealers and at show like the recent AXPONA event in Chicago, I don’t have a second pair of $31,000 speakers to do A/B tests with. With that in mind, I played some of my Greatest Hits audiophile demo tracks and then again with the IsoAcoustics Gaia I Neo installed. This wasn’t a perfect solution but suitable for hearing the clear differences.
The Beatles song “Blackbird” recently covered by Beyonce’ on her Cowboy Carter record (on QoBuz) is a modern audiophile classic. With an unlimited recording budget, the female voice of our generation and Lennon and McCartney songwriting – you’ve got one hell of a musical foundation. The song is delicate in its overall presentation but it was just a little bit more detailed with the IsoAcoustics Gaia I Neo installed. The depth of the soundstage was better which on this richly layered track was just that much more delicious with the IsoAcoustics Gaia I Neo installed. This isn’t a bass heavy track but for what low end there was, it was even more resolved and tight. The pick clicking on the pick guard of the acoustic guitar was a percussive effect that sounded even better the IsoAcoustics Gaia I Neo in place.
Bass was where I heard a dramatic difference recently in the IsoAcoustics Gaia demo at AXPONA and the Tampa shows. The big bass track that I used was Taylor Swift’s “Vigilante Shit” which unabashedly goes low. With the IsoAcoustics Gaia I Neo there wasn’t just more depth in the soundstage the low end was much more resolved. I didn’t feel like it went lower (I have a sub doing the low-low bass) but it felt like it was more tight. I did wonder what a set of IsoAcoustics Gaias might do for my SVS SB-4000 subwoofer (read my review) but that’s for a future upgrade.
I’ve been listening to a lot of 1970s soul lately, specifically The Spinners who have a full arsenal of big hits in their catalog. “Then Came You” with Dionne Warwick was the best track as it is so rich in its mix. The depth simply sounded better with the IsoAcoustics Gaia I Neo installed. The walking bassline sounded just a little bit more solid and full. The vocal harmonies were a bit more rich and layered in the chorus. Everything sounded a little bit more on point than before installing the IsoAcoustics Gaia I Neo and that is saying something for a somewthat affordable upgrade.
Will the IsoAcoustics Gaia I Neo Isolation Feet Hold Their Value?
There are so many product reviews where this section of the review is uber important. The IsoAcoustics Gaia I Neo review is not one of them. At their price, you likely will consume all of the value out of the IsoAcoustics Gaia I Neo but in the event that say you changed speakers and needed a new pair with a different thread size, IsoAcoustics can supply alternate thread adapters with minimal hassle. If your new speaker is in a different weight category. You likely can find a buyer on Audiogon.com or somewhere like that as IsoAcoustics does suitable marketing and there is a following for these small and easy-to-ship products. I wouldn’t stay up at night worried about value as you will get your money back in performance right out of the gate and that is a good value right then and there.
What is the Competition for the IsoAcoustics Gaia I Neo Isolation Feet?
The IsoAcoustics Gaia I Neo are a pretty unique product in terms of what they do and the value that they present. The main competition for IsoAcoustics Gaia I Neo feet are the stock feet that come with the speakers and in some cases (think: Stenheim) there is a strong argument to be made that the speaker itself is well isolated but a quick A/B with the IsoAcoustics Gaia I Neo can tell you if there are big performance gains to be had. The IsoAcoustics Gaia I Neo feet are sold at top retailers and can be deinstalled and returned with ease so there is little to no risk to give them a try.
Stillpoints makes much more expensive and somewhat similar feet for speakers like Rockports (very high end and very good – just ask Jim Swantko). These feet are very, very good and wonderfully well made. They also are a lot more expensive than IsoAcoustics Gaia footers.
Final Thoughts on the IsoAcoustics Gaia I Neo Isolation Feet …
Far too often, our favorite audiophile publications suggest that we need to make large financial investments in order to take the next step forward sonically. That new $10,000 preamp is the ticket or you need $20,000 speakers to be happy. It is never ending yet always expensive and often can be frustrating. The IsoAcoustics Gaia I Neo (buy at Crutchfield) is the opposite of that. There is performance waiting for you to come and claim and it isn’t that hard to get or too pricey to afford. For so many audiophiles today, a modest tweak is a welcomed change to our audiophile systems.
I started out with looking into the IsoAcoustics Gaia I Neo as a way to not hurt the floors in my swanky yet rented condo. This goal is accomplished but the performance benefit that I heard was unexpectedly large. Most audiophile tweaks are hard to hear the benefit from but not the IsoAcoustics Gaia I Neo isolation feet. This is a rock solid performance tweak at a price that most audiophiles can afford with little to no downside.
