The past year I have gained experience with a set of Gaia's, but unfortunately I have not been completely happy with the result. They definitely changed the sound compared to the spikes, in some areas for the better, but in others for the worse. So now I am, once again, messing around with some relatively heavy concrete tiles, in a combination with rubberized washing machine damping mats and other thinner flooring damping mats in a sandwich buildup, and on top the speakers with spikes and skeets. I should mention that I unfortunately am quite challenged by a softly suspended wooden flooring, which loves to play it's part in a not so audiophile manner. But what I also realized is that the acoustics of my room; the walls and ceiling and the acoustic influence of the furnitures plays a significant role (the distances, their surface hardness and ability of acoustic reflections). So I my conclusion on the matter is, if the speakers themselves were built properly, it all comes down to two main things which solution is the better: your flooring and the character of your room acoustics. In other words: what works in one setup, is not necessarily the best solution in another, even with the same speakers.
I installed Gaia on my spendor a7 just a week a go, was blown away of the effect that they brought in my system, a must have upgrade for a good system.
it took me 3 seconds of listening to the 1st track to determine that the AUVA are more effective on these older design (Altec Lansing 19). However, the difference will likely be less evident on speakers with cabinets with better bracing and rigidity.
I can only completely agree with this review, I switched from the GAIA 2 to the AUVA 100 and really noticeably improved the SQ for my setup (see below). Same goes for the Auva EQs. My setup - Wharfedale Elysian 2 speakers (with Stack Audio Auva 100 absorbers), Musical Fidelity Nu-Vista 600 amplifier (with Stack Audio EQ), Holo Audio Spring 3 KTE DAC (with Stack Audio EQ), REL S/510 subwoofer, Triade Flow reference 808 speaker and XLR cables, Puritan Audio Labs PSM156 Net filter, Cisco Meraki MS220-8P switch full upgrade + power supply, Magna Hifi Mano Ultra MK3 streamer (with Stack Audio EQ), Pink Faun LAN isolator -
Hi Guido, I'm a fellow RUclips reviewer, and I have only just finished wrapping up a review of essentially exactly the same comparison you've done here on your channel. I must say I have been a subscriber of yours for many years now and love your content.👍 My comparison was the Auva100s against the Iso Acoustics Gaia Titan Theis 70s under my Wilson Alexia's. I could clearly hear a difference in your audio comparison, very much the same as I heard under my system. I have carpeted floors, and I spiked my 100s, and they improved even further, in relation to sound stage articulation and even better imaging. There just seems to be a real believability about what's coming out of the speaker now, and of course, the lower octave is something you can't unhear once you've heard it. Mine are staying underneath my Wilsons, and I've ordered enough EQs to go under every component in my system. I'm that impressed with Theo & Josh at Stack Audio. Two great young guys. Keep up the awesome work mate love your stuff.👍🙂🎧
@timothyrogerson4251 Hi there, I don't want to take over Guido's replies, and I'm not sure whether you're asking him or me. I can tell you that I have tried the Townsend platforms, and the Stack Audio Auva 100s made a bigger improvement in my system. 👍
@anadialog Thanks Guido, yeah they made a huge difference to my system. I'm on suspended timber floors. I think that also really found out a weakness in my system that now has been resolved dramatically. 👍🎧🙂
I now have a dilemma guido. My proac 3.8 proacs floor standers were going to be mounted on Gaia1's because i have a solid wood floor which is laid on battens which are fixed to an insulated concrete floor. I have two large REL subs in the room which cannot be decoupled so I intended to decouple the main speakers to help prevent bass interactions with the subs. I am not sure now whether Auva or Gaia is the best option on this scenario. I guess there maybe speakers that perform better with Auva and others with Gaia. I'm going to need to do more research I think. Love those Altecs, the long front ports though are they not mirror pairs or does it not matter? Cheers Gez
Great video. I am going to keep the GAIAs on my subwoofers, and buy the Auvas for my main speakers and a source component, such as the DAC, Music server, and try on my Preamp. What I heard in the video is clearer decay of notes with the AUVAs.. I find a clear decay of notes is soothing and enjoyable.
I installed some Gaia iii on my GoldenEar T66 and I totally agree with you how the bass can sound detached from the rest of the performance, it really wasn’t great so I moved them on. I’m looking to buy and try the AuVa 50’s based on the positive reviews and comments but in the meantime I purchased the AuVa 50 EQ isolation pucks and placed them under my Naim Unity Nova which I have noticed a marked improvement in focus and tightening up the bass. Notes are far more defined and easier to follow whereas without them the bass can sound slightly boomy at times. I was never a believer in throwing money at isolation feet before but get it right, they do make a nice difference to the overall performance imo and definitely worth the outlay, to a point!
Thanks for going to this much trouble. I have 1st generation Canton Vento 7 floorstanders on a suspended wood floor. They have built in shock absorbers with a downward port venting towards a platform. I first used bamboo boards under them which work well for little $. I switched to Gaia 3’s. Everything became clearer and more separated but it seems I need a sub now where before it seemed less required. It sure looks better than a board so I’m glad I bought them when they were on sale over Christmas. All I need is a Rel s510.
I prefer the sound of the gaias, the auvas sound a bit duller, less spacious, less lively. Thanks for comparing Guido. The only thing I don't understand is on what basis should someone order which model. The gaias go on weight but I don't know what the basis is for auva. I can't find any information on their website either.
Interesting review- I just bought a set of the EQ’s which I fitted under my Ideon Ion DAC -very impressed giving a more clean organic sound, plan to try the AUVA’s under my Avalon PM1’s next which are on spikes. I did try the Stillpoints under my previous DAC but not impressed.
Did plenty of the A/B, thanks for setting it up so well. Listening on Audeze LCD-X headphones (2022 model). In your first song comparison I found the Gaia to be more forward sounding and the Auva vocals were further back. The auva also seemed to have more of an airy sound, don't know if thats a good thing with rock and pop. In the second test song was more difficult to tell the difference but I suppose you could say the instruments were a touch more realistic with the auva. Great video, thanks.
@@bannani68i use heavy industrial mounting strips that we use for isolating vibration from heavy pumps and air handling units ( the big stuff not domestic ) it’s a high density rubber tico pad that in the uk we get from industrial suppliers ( bss in our case ) I use squares of this under my spikes of my speakers and under some of my separates mainly my dac, cd transport, phono pre amp etc..not my turntable though as it is wall mounted. Made a big difference to the focus of my speakers bass. I got it free as it comes from work but looking at the price it’s about £40 sterling much cheaper than expensive solutions.for reference my system is around 20k.
On my hard wood floor in my tile floor I just cut a piece of carpet the same size as the speaker box and put it under the speaker box it dampens the vibrations plenty where there's no record skipping or anything. And it's free you can find pieces of carpet Anywhere For Free.
I have not actually purchased any speaker feet but do experiment with various different packing foams of various densities and have noticed differences.
I just wanted to thank you for the cd review with the gold masters. I just got a copy of Supertramp's gold master and it's very good. Bravo! Just as you said, lower level so we require a system that can compensate without degrading the sound, but if you do, 'oh boy'. If anyone else would like to make recommendations along the same lines please do for exceptional gold masters... Yes please.
Last year when all the positive reviews of the Gaia came out, I bought a set of these for my speakers. I couldn't hear any difference between the Gaias and the spike solution I had before, therefore I concluded it's all marketing but no real engineering behind those. I hear difference between cables, so it's not like I am unable. I heard also the small difference in this video.
Sorbothane is great, but I saw a significant improvement moving to Gaias. Plus, my speakers no longer wobble about like a tower block in an earthquake. Or a Weeble ( if you get that reference you are likely as old as me ).
Ciao Guido dopo tanto che ci riflettevo ho preso i Gaia 2 per le mie kef reference 1 da stand .devo dire che c'è differenza tra le punte e i gaia ,ho dovuto riprendere il lavoro di posizionamento dei diffusori che era molto cambiato .quindi cambiare i piedi lasciando la posizione originale spesso può incidere .saluti F
With stand mounted speakers I recommend Auva between speaker and stand, as I noticed a step up compared to under the stands. I ended up gluing Auva100 between my monitor speakers and stands, and Gaia as feet for the stands.
For me, there was a sonic difference between the two that was noticeable. Up high, the Gaia’s showed a more open presentation…there was a brighter, more lively sound with a hint of “ringing” to the notes. On the Auvas, that ringing was gone…it seemed to be a far damper presentation with a greater sense of control and quietness to the presentation. The rub is that some could say that the Auvas are removing sound from the recording, that the brightness up top of the Gaias is more indicative of the way that those notes naturally decay over time. I would offer that these two products could be used to tune an owner’s speakers to match the sound they are chasing…use the Gaias if you’re looking for a more lively, accurate sound versus the Auvas to dampen a speaker/sound that is too bright or lively. The Auvas are also very controlling in the bass region, so if you have a speaker that seems “muddy” down low, the Auvas could possibly clean that up as well. My $0.02 worth…Great video! I appreciate your thoroughness and efforts in showing us your methods and results…You’ve earned a new Subscriber!
After reading so many reviews of others trying both I began to suspect the points your making have alot to do with it. Very good perspective I think you're really onto something.
In this case Theo Stack was very nice enough to let me keep them but that was communicated to me after the review. In other cases this is clear since the beginning while in others, like my last video on Analog Tone Factory tapes I had to purchase them with a small discount. But the vast majority of my reviews (which ai don’t do that often, I am not a full reviewer) is based on my own purchases because I want as much independence as possible. For me it is very important to be as transparent as possible on this topic widely abused by other colleagues.
OK here's my 2 cents. I too preferred the Auva and since I'm planning on buying two sets of Gaia lll I was a bit surprised. But listening through a pair of headphones over RUclips I did not detect a big difference. The Auva were a bit more resolving than the Gaia's but not four times better. $1312.00 vs $354.00... So the Gaia's win the value award. I'm hopeful that the vibration absorbing nature of my new Custom Design FS104 Speaker Stands will act synergistically with the Gaia lll's.
This is a really hard thing to evaluate. I think this comparison is only valid for your combination of floor construction and speaker. Someone with a different setup could likely have a very different experience.
Indeed, but the concept of these feet (both of them) are a win win for everyone because you need speakers to be isolated. In other words it’s not if, but how effective is one compared to another and the factors you mentioned do influence the final result.
Hi Guido, I know you use the Sumiko speaker setup technique, so I wonder if you've verified how Auvas and Gaias behave when the speakers are tilted back (rake angle)? The feet would then be no longer in full contact with the floor so I'm not sure they'd be effective. Thanks.
Hi there! That was with my old SCM35. The ALTECs need to stay down. They have been designed that way also for the mid-lower frequencies that bounce off the floor.
the powder would be tungsten you could use kilm dried sand. please put some sponge on the bottom centre of your speakers it will help a lot something like 8 in by 9 in rectangle block open cell foam not closed cell. an old mattress would do it has to rest against the floor under compression. that might help the awful voicing I can hear from the drivers probably the horn? but hard to say!! you'll get a much better mid-range you could try the foam block bigger hard to say with the size of your speakers maybe 10 x 12?? but I would say it's in the crossover different inductance coil and resistor changing the type of capacitor could have a big bearing as well don't have to stick to the value necessarily in parallel you could try a lower value slightly say if it's got a 9 mfd then try a 12 mfd I think foam is the best isolator all around for speakers I cover the whole bottom with foam I have done a lot of experiments with different materials another good one is jelly packs especially for turntables can't be beaten try it. I don't know if those speakers might be a bit too heavy I've got large speakers and they seem to be alright but you would use five not four any foot you need to use five not four you could glue it on with some double-sided tape if you didn't want to drill a hole. try cutting a piece of foam 3-4 in thick or thereabouts place it under the speakers instead of the feet see how you get on let me know! if you like to move your speakers then put a board underneath the foam so it can slide about a bit and doesn't damage the foam. another thing dampen the horn on both sides glue some cork on the outside of the horn and on the inside of the horn glue some felt this has to be strategic tho a couple of strips close as possible to the driver diaphragm going to about 1/3 out of the horn and then you can leave the rest untouched. you might need to adjust how much you use 1/3 should be about right fractionally less fractionally more maybe. you want about 3 mm felt if you want to remove it you can clean it off with acetone might take the paint off but you could repaint remove the driver from the horn first. another thing you could try connecting the horn to the front baffle but use a lot of blu tach a good 5 mm of blue tech make sure you cover the screw holes on both ends as well that'll give you some great isolation from the rest of the cabinet and the woofer this has a big bearing on compression drivers and tweeters in general any vibration you do not want that to get into the driver causes cancellatio and smearing
I could not help but notice that your floor was tiled (I assume on concrete?). So I still see the question of superiority as unanswered when speakers are situated on a suspended (wooden) floor. As the feet use different methods to achieve a similar objective perhaps the outcome of the tests might also differ depending on the floor type.
That is surely a variable to consider and worth exploring for wood, I agree. If rigid enough it shouldn’t change but you never know until you try. Yes, my floor is terracotta tiles on concrete.
I am fortunate to have solid concrete floors and two sets of heavy floor standing loudspeakers, TDL Studio 1's in my man cave and Tannoy DC3000's in the living room. I have found that coupling these particular speakers to this type of floor works far better than isolating them, to the extent that I have modified them to use three spikes as opposed to four. This eliminates any possibility of micro-rocking, and is certainly a whole lot easier to adjust :), I really don't understand why four points of contact is so popular given the problems it introduces. I wonder if your isolators might not perform even better when used in threes?
I had to use 3 Gaia instead of four because 4 under my speaker sounded detached I think you have to play with them to get the right weight distribution I think a little vibration is good it’s more natural just my opinion .
Is there any information about the weight of each model units ? They indicate the height and size but no weight. Would like to know if it is available. The model 100 massive compared to the 50's. Thanks. Great review.
I have has the Auva 100s for about 6 months. I like like them a lot, but I think if you are on a budget your money is better spent on room conditioning, or upgrading your speakers, or dac / streamer.
Hi Guido, Would you consider a record brush shootout as content? We do the Hart SuperCleaner. It can clean records perfectly. We can send one. Thank you in advance for your consideration. BTW I have followed for many years also and love your content.👨🎓
I think you got mixed up. The Gaia I is the strongest of all, it holds up to 220lbs/100kg isoacoustics.com/home-audio-isolation-products/gaia-series/gaia-i/#:~:text=About%20GAIA%201&text=GAIA%20I%20isolators%20provide%20improved,an%20elegant%20dark%20chrome%20finish.
I now have a dilemma guido. My proac 3.8 proacs floor standers were going to be mounted on Gaia1's because i have a solid wood floor which is laid on battens which are fixed to an insulated concrete floor. I have two large REL subs in the room which cannot be decoupled so I intended to decouple the main speakers to help prevent bass interactions with the subs. I am not sure now whether Auva or Gaia is the best option on this scenario. I guess there maybe speakers that perform better with Auva and others with Gaia. I'm going to need to do more research I think. Love those Altecs, the long front ports though are they not mirror pairs or does it not matter? Cheers Gez
Yes, if you can explore both. Each speaker is a world apart. Subs, in contrast are usually strongly coupled with the floor. The ALTECs 19 are made just in one version, all have the port on the left and that is good, otherwise they would have different sound from each other. Someone did try to reverse them but it’s not the original design.
Did you ever consider that both are wrong for your speakers? While the first ones preserved the life and presence the second ones killed it as anything with spikes is terrible sonically. I have found that hard rubber solutions were the best at keeping the true sound of the speakers. Altec 19 was never a particularly neutral sound so may benefit from som frequency response tampering from radical feet solutions
It is not a matter of wrong or correct, but the amount of effectiveness since it can only bring benefits. ALTEC 19 are monitor speakers so they were actually the emblem of neutrality when they came out.
The treble sounded harsh with the gaias and much better with the auvas. I'm going to try a diy version. I put a weight on my speakers and that improves the sound and stereo image.
Я очень уважаю мнение автора, тем более компании, которые пытаются это продать, но извините, 2 старых ящика стоят в маленькой кладовке ,впритык к стойке и стенам, но шайбы решают всё 😂
Auva have better clarity, a little on the bright side. It’s so funny that in the 1840s they wanted to close the United States patent office because they thought there was nothing left to invent!! Wow!! Build a better mousetrap…….
I experience a clear difference between the first two samples (via in-ears). Different, not necessarily better, but different? 100%. The primary differentiating characteristic being midband tonal shifts (the first two examples). It's worth noting, I experience the recordings differently, not the products. That's a vital distinction. Nice work.
Well, frequency response goes down to 30hz, and that is only the response clearly they are going even more down. But beside specs, my prior GoldenEar Triton reference speakers have a frequency response going down to 12Hz. Much more than ALTEC. Well, surprise surprise the “limited” bass of the ALTECs are much, much more realistic and engaging.
Please don’t let this channel go down the audiophile nonsense path. There’s already too much on RUclips. I much prefer cassette decks, turntables, and the rest of the analog goodness.
If you couldn't hear that difference with the greatest of respect, I would suggest you need to get your hearing checked. I must admit I've also covered this exact comparison on my channel recently there are profound differences here no nonsense at all in my humble reviewers' opinion. Even down RUclips compressed audio stream I could hear a difference between these two products on this video. Just the same as I heard the difference when I put the ISO acoustic under my Wilsons and then compared them with the Auva100s, and I can tell you they are staying under my Wilsons.
Recently purchased a set of Stack Audios to replace ISO Acoustics and stumbled on this review. Excited to see if I experience the same benefits once they arrive from the UK. Thanks for sharing!
What a big difference in sound. I am impressed. The Gaias sound more spacious and three dimensional and are overall more balanced. The Auva have a more impressive bass. I would be intresting to hear them on wooden floors. But for me, the Gaias win, at least on RUclips. Thanks for the test Guido !
Thank YOU! I can only report that what came out on camera is not what I heard in person and that is why I feel such a difference in the results. Same happens with other gear or cables.
I know, RUclips and all the gear in between can transport maybe max 20% from the real event. I am looking forward to the Munich show to hear real stuff. 😀
I've been saving my $ for these because I'll have to architect a special base for my speakers as they're down ported and height will affect them. But I've switched all of my IsoAcoustic footers for my components over to the AUVA, they are a significant part of my system getting to the "next level". To all those people with the the "cheap stuff I used" is the same, it isn't. The higher you go with your systems, the easier it is to gain benefits from best practice optimization. It's not something people want to hear but the truth is not always easy to accept.
I can vouch for Stack Audio. I have my whole system on top of their products. My speakers weigh over 300lb. each and the Auva's still made a significant difference. Coherency (in all frequencies) is a great description.
i bought the auva 50 for under my totem tribe speakers,it is a huge different.Much wider soundstage an lower bass.Also is the background much blacker and more quite.
The AUVA was easily the best. I do not know what setup the commenters here who preferred the GAIA are using, but I use an audiophile grade PC speaker setup and the AUVA sounded more real and natural. Maybe with cans It would be different.
Since I added a set of AUVA100 isolators, my ATC 50ASLT speakers are performing at best. my comparison was with or without isolators. highly recommended ! 👍
To me it sounds that the Auva’s are reacting more with the room meaning that the isolation is poorer than with the Gaia’s - 1.the bass seems to have more sustain and is more on front with the Auva’s than in the actual recording itself. 2.The separation between the elements are poorer on Auva’s than with the Gaia’s. 3. The Gaia’s give more truthful eq balance of the song. If I’d had to choose which one to work with I would choose Gaia’s all day long. But it makes me question the process of doing this recording why there is so big difference on stereo image in the first song between the Gaia’s and Auva? With Auva’s the music is mono and with Gaia’s the music is coming as stereo. Something is not right there. Also there is someone speaking on the left side during the first song while Gaia’s are under.
Great! It is important that each of us get what they like from HIfi and the gear to enhance and reproduce it. As stated in the video, this was a very simple shot, nothing fancy like I usually do. I used my iPhone 15 pro which actually does an amazing job since I previously did this in my tour in Milano high-fidelity and the results where very good. The entire file is mastered in stereo. I can guarantee that. I checked all files and the single master file of the video (hopefully RUclips didn’t mess things around). Finally, yes, my daughter was next to me. Sorry about that.
@@anadialogYes for sure! Am a mastering engineer so am sure that my needs varies from a person who just wants to listen music the way he wants to. Btw I got an inspiration for testing power cables etc by watching one of your videos - it was one of the crucial points for my system and the sound I can create these days. So nice job on that aspect👌🏾
As a Frenchman, I preemptively pardon your French ;-) I'm in France at the moment so listening through the laptop speakers was not ideal. I'll revisit the video once I get home. Thank you for your work. Grazzie Mille
Thanks for a really interesting video Guido. I've had great results using Black Ravioli Big Feet between my old Focal 1007s' and the stands-huge step up in dimensionality in all directions and much higher resolution. Then moved to a flat with a pretty crappy wooden floor so got a set of Townshend Speaker Bars - that helped sooth neighbourly relations most importantly.But soundwise, the combination of the two products is just synergysticly amazing - the other end of the room literally disappears on good recordings. So,yes, I'm a big believer in both absorption and isolation, the magic seems to lie in finding the right balance for your own particular speakers - all good fun and games. Oh yeah, The AUVA's definitely sounded better to me. Cheers from Sunny Scotland.
Interesting. I did hear a small difference and liked the second one better. I think you needed to do a third test, with nothing under the speakers. I might have missed it but were the speakers set up to be the same height?
Well, here is a video with no feet: ruclips.net/video/UDwMq43bWdM/видео.htmlsi=sKKziAdMa53fZbFb The height is practically identical, no significant difference
@@arthurgrab926 Thanks I watch videos from NRD and his LOTS method it's great for achieving soundstage. My cuestion was for Guido. How he achieve three dimentionallity in space
@@anadialog Agreed It's just another tool. Another example would be the demo track flowing without interruption, ... yet alternating every few seconds from A to B. At best our aural memory is short ... fallible and easily corruptible. Dig the video, seemingly quite compelling.
![ANA[DIA]LOG](http://yt3.ggpht.com/50CpmGNilS8aoMlarZVhI_GxRDoZdbj4ZgwCMZXg-Rq2PrEvCytlE6RVyLUrNY-rwE_sAlZ1Zw=s48-c-k-c0x00ffffff-no-rj)
Gaia is better !!! In my book
I can hear the difference in the lows
Prefer the Gaia
The past year I have gained experience with a set of Gaia's, but unfortunately I have not been completely happy with the result. They definitely changed the sound compared to the spikes, in some areas for the better, but in others for the worse. So now I am, once again, messing around with some relatively heavy concrete tiles, in a combination with rubberized washing machine damping mats and other thinner flooring damping mats in a sandwich buildup, and on top the speakers with spikes and skeets.
I should mention that I unfortunately am quite challenged by a softly suspended wooden flooring, which loves to play it's part in a not so audiophile manner.
But what I also realized is that the acoustics of my room; the walls and ceiling and the acoustic influence of the furnitures plays a significant role (the distances, their surface hardness and ability of acoustic reflections).
So I my conclusion on the matter is, if the speakers themselves were built properly, it all comes down to two main things which solution is the better: your flooring and the character of your room acoustics. In other words: what works in one setup, is not necessarily the best solution in another, even with the same speakers.
I installed Gaia on my spendor a7 just a week a go, was blown away of the effect that they brought in my system, a must have upgrade for a good system.
Enjoyed your Video
it took me 3 seconds of listening to the 1st track to determine that the AUVA are more effective on these older design (Altec Lansing 19). However, the difference will likely be less evident on speakers with cabinets with better bracing and rigidity.
I can only completely agree with this review, I switched from the GAIA 2 to the AUVA 100 and really noticeably improved the SQ for my setup (see below). Same goes for the Auva EQs.
My setup - Wharfedale Elysian 2 speakers (with Stack Audio Auva 100 absorbers), Musical Fidelity Nu-Vista 600 amplifier (with Stack Audio EQ), Holo Audio Spring 3 KTE DAC (with Stack Audio EQ), REL S/510 subwoofer, Triade Flow reference 808 speaker and XLR cables, Puritan Audio Labs PSM156 Net filter, Cisco Meraki MS220-8P switch full upgrade + power supply, Magna Hifi Mano Ultra MK3 streamer (with Stack Audio EQ), Pink Faun LAN isolator -
May I ask which kind of flooring you have? Is it solid concrete or is it a suspended wooden flooring?
Hi Guido, I'm a fellow RUclips reviewer, and I have only just finished wrapping up a review of essentially exactly the same comparison you've done here on your channel.
I must say I have been a subscriber of yours for many years now and love your content.👍
My comparison was the Auva100s against the Iso Acoustics Gaia Titan Theis 70s under my Wilson Alexia's.
I could clearly hear a difference in your audio comparison, very much the same as I heard under my system.
I have carpeted floors, and I spiked my 100s, and they improved even further, in relation to sound stage articulation and even better imaging. There just seems to be a real believability about what's coming out of the speaker now, and of course, the lower octave is something you can't unhear once you've heard it.
Mine are staying underneath my Wilsons, and I've ordered enough EQs to go under every component in my system. I'm that impressed with Theo & Josh at Stack Audio.
Two great young guys.
Keep up the awesome work mate love your stuff.👍🙂🎧
Could you consider adding a third option into your review, the Townshend Seismic Isolation Podium.
@timothyrogerson4251 Hi there, I don't want to take over Guido's replies, and I'm not sure whether you're asking him or me. I can tell you that I have tried the Townsend platforms, and the Stack Audio Auva 100s made a bigger improvement in my system. 👍
I checked, woah! You did a wealth a videos on the topic. Great speakers there man. Congrats!
@anadialog Thanks Guido, yeah they made a huge difference to my system. I'm on suspended timber floors. I think that also really found out a weakness in my system that now has been resolved dramatically.
👍🎧🙂
I now have a dilemma guido. My proac 3.8 proacs floor standers were going to be mounted on Gaia1's because i have a solid wood floor which is laid on battens which are fixed to an insulated concrete floor. I have two large REL subs in the room which cannot be decoupled so I intended to decouple the main speakers to help prevent bass interactions with the subs. I am not sure now whether Auva or Gaia is the best option on this scenario. I guess there maybe speakers that perform better with Auva and others with Gaia. I'm going to need to do more research I think. Love those Altecs, the long front ports though are they not mirror pairs or does it not matter? Cheers Gez
Great video! And I concur with your listening assessments of the strengths of the AUVA widgets over the GAIA widgets.
Great video. I am going to keep the GAIAs on my subwoofers, and buy the Auvas for my main speakers and a source component, such as the DAC, Music server, and try on my Preamp.
What I heard in the video is clearer decay of notes with the AUVAs.. I find a clear decay of notes is soothing and enjoyable.
I installed some Gaia iii on my GoldenEar T66 and I totally agree with you how the bass can sound detached from the rest of the performance, it really wasn’t great so I moved them on.
I’m looking to buy and try the AuVa 50’s based on the positive reviews and comments but in the meantime I purchased the AuVa 50 EQ isolation pucks and placed them under my Naim Unity Nova which I have noticed a marked improvement in focus and tightening up the bass. Notes are far more defined and easier to follow whereas without them the bass can sound slightly boomy at times.
I was never a believer in throwing money at isolation feet before but get it right, they do make a nice difference to the overall performance imo and definitely worth the outlay, to a point!
Thanks for sharing your experience!
Thanks for going to this much trouble. I have 1st generation Canton Vento 7 floorstanders on a suspended wood floor. They have built in shock absorbers with a downward port venting towards a platform. I first used bamboo boards under them which work well for little $. I switched to Gaia 3’s. Everything became clearer and more separated but it seems I need a sub now where before it seemed less required. It sure looks better than a board so I’m glad I bought them when they were on sale over Christmas. All I need is a Rel s510.
Thank YOU!
Listening through my headphone amp dac, I clearly preferred the AUVA .
I prefer the sound of the gaias, the auvas sound a bit duller, less spacious, less lively. Thanks for comparing Guido. The only thing I don't understand is on what basis should someone order which model. The gaias go on weight but I don't know what the basis is for auva. I can't find any information on their website either.
Thank you! I explained that. Simply the AUVA work with anything below 275kg/606lbs and they simply dampen, the more (I.e. bigger) the better.
Interesting review- I just bought a set of the EQ’s which I fitted under my Ideon Ion DAC -very impressed giving a more clean organic sound, plan to try the AUVA’s under my Avalon PM1’s next which are on spikes. I did try the Stillpoints under my previous DAC but not impressed.
Did plenty of the A/B, thanks for setting it up so well. Listening on Audeze LCD-X headphones (2022 model).
In your first song comparison I found the Gaia to be more forward sounding and the Auva vocals were further back. The auva also seemed to have more of an airy sound, don't know if thats a good thing with rock and pop.
In the second test song was more difficult to tell the difference but I suppose you could say the instruments were a touch more realistic with the auva.
Great video, thanks.
I use tico material which I use at work for isolating heavy industrial pumps..it doesn't get any better than that.
can you advise which reference of tico do you use ? Thanks. Bruno
@@bannani68i use heavy industrial mounting strips that we use for isolating vibration from heavy pumps and air handling units ( the big stuff not domestic ) it’s a high density rubber tico pad that in the uk we get from industrial suppliers ( bss in our case ) I use squares of this under my spikes of my speakers and under some of my separates mainly my dac, cd transport, phono pre amp etc..not my turntable though as it is wall mounted. Made a big difference to the focus of my speakers bass. I got it free as it comes from work but looking at the price it’s about £40 sterling much cheaper than expensive solutions.for reference my system is around 20k.
On my hard wood floor in my tile floor I just cut a piece of carpet the same size as the speaker box and put it under the speaker box it dampens the vibrations plenty where there's no record skipping or anything. And it's free you can find pieces of carpet Anywhere For Free.
I agree, you can hear it via RUclips too
I have not actually purchased any speaker feet but do experiment with various different packing foams of various densities and have noticed differences.
I just wanted to thank you for the cd review with the gold masters. I just got a copy of Supertramp's gold master and it's very good. Bravo! Just as you said, lower level so we require a system that can compensate without degrading the sound, but if you do, 'oh boy'. If anyone else would like to make recommendations along the same lines please do for exceptional gold masters... Yes please.
Last year when all the positive reviews of the Gaia came out, I bought a set of these for my speakers. I couldn't hear any difference between the Gaias and the spike solution I had before, therefore I concluded it's all marketing but no real engineering behind those. I hear difference between cables, so it's not like I am unable. I heard also the small difference in this video.
You shouldn’t reach that conclusion when so many people are confident on the results. Simply your speakers are immune or the changes were too subtle.
Add Sorbothane in the comparison. 1/10 of the price for same or better results.
Sims Navcom Pucks,
I bought eight back in the 80's, and they're still exceptionally effective.
Sorbothane of every type is available online.
Sorbothane is great, but I saw a significant improvement moving to Gaias. Plus, my speakers no longer wobble about like a tower block in an earthquake. Or a Weeble ( if you get that reference you are likely as old as me ).
@@jimfarrell4635
Significant improvement, nice.
What do the Gaias do that Sorbothane doesn't?
The answer is a squash ball !!! 👏👏
Ciao Guido dopo tanto che ci riflettevo ho preso i Gaia 2 per le mie kef reference 1 da stand .devo dire che c'è differenza tra le punte e i gaia ,ho dovuto riprendere il lavoro di posizionamento dei diffusori che era molto cambiato .quindi cambiare i piedi lasciando la posizione originale spesso può incidere .saluti F
Ottimo lavoro!
With stand mounted speakers I recommend Auva between speaker and stand, as I noticed a step up compared to under the stands.
I ended up gluing Auva100 between my monitor speakers and stands, and Gaia as feet for the stands.
Nice combo!
For me, there was a sonic difference between the two that was noticeable. Up high, the Gaia’s showed a more open presentation…there was a brighter, more lively sound with a hint of “ringing” to the notes. On the Auvas, that ringing was gone…it seemed to be a far damper presentation with a greater sense of control and quietness to the presentation. The rub is that some could say that the Auvas are removing sound from the recording, that the brightness up top of the Gaias is more indicative of the way that those notes naturally decay over time. I would offer that these two products could be used to tune an owner’s speakers to match the sound they are chasing…use the Gaias if you’re looking for a more lively, accurate sound versus the Auvas to dampen a speaker/sound that is too bright or lively. The Auvas are also very controlling in the bass region, so if you have a speaker that seems “muddy” down low, the Auvas could possibly clean that up as well. My $0.02 worth…Great video! I appreciate your thoroughness and efforts in showing us your methods and results…You’ve earned a new Subscriber!
After reading so many reviews of others trying both I began to suspect the points your making have alot to do with it. Very good perspective I think you're really onto something.
You said they send them to you for review. Do you get to keep them or are you offered some kind of discount? If so what is that?
In this case Theo Stack was very nice enough to let me keep them but that was communicated to me after the review. In other cases this is clear since the beginning while in others, like my last video on Analog Tone Factory tapes I had to purchase them with a small discount. But the vast majority of my reviews (which ai don’t do that often, I am not a full reviewer) is based on my own purchases because I want as much independence as possible. For me it is very important to be as transparent as possible on this topic widely abused by other colleagues.
OK here's my 2 cents. I too preferred the Auva and since I'm planning on buying two sets of Gaia lll I was a bit surprised. But listening through a pair of headphones over RUclips I did not detect a big difference. The Auva were a bit more resolving than the Gaia's but not four times better. $1312.00 vs $354.00... So the Gaia's win the value award. I'm hopeful that the vibration absorbing nature of my new Custom Design FS104 Speaker Stands will act synergistically with the Gaia lll's.
This is a really hard thing to evaluate. I think this comparison is only valid for your combination of floor construction and speaker. Someone with a different setup could likely have a very different experience.
Indeed, but the concept of these feet (both of them) are a win win for everyone because you need speakers to be isolated. In other words it’s not if, but how effective is one compared to another and the factors you mentioned do influence the final result.
Hi Guido, I know you use the Sumiko speaker setup technique, so I wonder if you've verified how Auvas and Gaias behave when the speakers are tilted back (rake angle)? The feet would then be no longer in full contact with the floor so I'm not sure they'd be effective. Thanks.
Hi there! That was with my old SCM35. The ALTECs need to stay down. They have been designed that way also for the mid-lower frequencies that bounce off the floor.
the powder would be tungsten you could use kilm dried sand.
please put some sponge on the bottom centre of your speakers it will help a lot something like 8 in by 9 in rectangle block open cell foam not closed
cell. an old mattress would do it has to rest against the floor under compression.
that might help the awful voicing I can hear from the drivers probably the horn? but hard to say!! you'll get a much better mid-range you could try the foam block bigger hard to say with the size of your speakers maybe 10 x 12?? but I would say it's in the crossover different inductance coil and resistor changing the type of capacitor could have a big bearing as well don't have to stick to the value necessarily in parallel you could try a lower value slightly say if it's got a 9 mfd then try a 12 mfd
I think foam is the best isolator all around for speakers I cover the whole bottom with foam I have done a lot of experiments with different materials another good one is jelly packs especially for turntables can't be beaten try it. I don't know if those speakers might be a bit too heavy I've got large speakers and they seem to be alright but you would use five not four any foot you need to use five not four you could glue it on with some double-sided tape if you didn't want to drill a hole.
try cutting a piece of foam 3-4 in thick or thereabouts place it under the speakers instead of the feet see how you get on let me know! if you like to move your speakers then put a board underneath the foam so it can slide about a bit and doesn't damage the foam. another thing dampen the horn on both sides glue some cork on the outside of the horn and on the inside of the horn glue some felt this has to be strategic tho a couple of strips close as possible to the driver diaphragm going to about 1/3 out of the horn and then you can leave the rest untouched. you might need to adjust how much you use 1/3 should be about right fractionally less fractionally more maybe. you want about 3 mm felt
if you want to remove it you can clean it off with acetone might take the paint off but you could repaint remove the driver from the horn first. another thing you could try connecting the horn to the front baffle but use a lot of blu tach a good 5 mm of blue tech make sure you cover the screw holes on both ends as well that'll give you some great isolation from the rest of the cabinet and the woofer this has a big bearing on compression drivers and tweeters in general any vibration you do not want that to get into the driver causes cancellatio and smearing
I could not help but notice that your floor was tiled (I assume on concrete?). So I still see the question of superiority as unanswered when speakers are situated on a suspended (wooden) floor. As the feet use different methods to achieve a similar objective perhaps the outcome of the tests might also differ depending on the floor type.
That is surely a variable to consider and worth exploring for wood, I agree. If rigid enough it shouldn’t change but you never know until you try. Yes, my floor is terracotta tiles on concrete.
I am fortunate to have solid concrete floors and two sets of heavy floor standing loudspeakers, TDL Studio 1's in my man cave and Tannoy DC3000's in the living room.
I have found that coupling these particular speakers to this type of floor works far better than isolating them, to the extent that I have modified them to use three spikes as opposed to four.
This eliminates any possibility of micro-rocking, and is certainly a whole lot easier to adjust :),
I really don't understand why four points of contact is so popular given the problems it introduces.
I wonder if your isolators might not perform even better when used in threes?
I much prefer the Auva
Under a subwoofer I would use the Auva but with a speaker I would use the Gaia. I find the Auva recessed further up which I dislike.
I had to use 3 Gaia instead of four because 4 under my speaker sounded detached I think you have to play with them to get the right weight distribution
I think a little vibration is good it’s more natural just my opinion .
plain semi-circular tap seals are perfect speaker insulators from stands/shelf, cost 30 cents each
Is there any information about the weight of each model units ? They indicate the height and size but no weight. Would like to know if it is available. The model 100 massive compared to the 50's. Thanks. Great review.
Sure, just follow the link to their website and each model has its specs including the weight
I have has the Auva 100s for about 6 months. I like like them a lot, but I think if you are on a budget your money is better spent on room conditioning, or upgrading your speakers, or dac / streamer.
Hi Guido, Would you consider a record brush shootout as content? We do the Hart SuperCleaner. It can clean records perfectly. We can send one. Thank you in advance for your consideration. BTW I have followed for many years also and love your content.👨🎓
The Gaia I are rated for speakers up to 70 lbs maximum. Are your Altecs lighter than 70 lbs? If not, you may be getting better results with Gaia II?
I think you got mixed up. The Gaia I is the strongest of all, it holds up to 220lbs/100kg isoacoustics.com/home-audio-isolation-products/gaia-series/gaia-i/#:~:text=About%20GAIA%201&text=GAIA%20I%20isolators%20provide%20improved,an%20elegant%20dark%20chrome%20finish.
@@anadialog you’re right! Sorry about that.
I just fitted my focal Kanta 3s with Gaia feet. They makes the bass a little tighter if that’s possible.
I now have a dilemma guido. My proac 3.8 proacs floor standers were going to be mounted on Gaia1's because i have a solid wood floor which is laid on battens which are fixed to an insulated concrete floor. I have two large REL subs in the room which cannot be decoupled so I intended to decouple the main speakers to help prevent bass interactions with the subs. I am not sure now whether Auva or Gaia is the best option on this scenario. I guess there maybe speakers that perform better with Auva and others with Gaia. I'm going to need to do more research I think. Love those Altecs, the long front ports though are they not mirror pairs or does it not matter? Cheers Gez
Yes, if you can explore both. Each speaker is a world apart. Subs, in contrast are usually strongly coupled with the floor. The ALTECs 19 are made just in one version, all have the port on the left and that is good, otherwise they would have different sound from each other. Someone did try to reverse them but it’s not the original design.
Did you ever consider that both are wrong for your speakers? While the first ones preserved the life and presence the second ones killed it as anything with spikes is terrible sonically. I have found that hard rubber solutions were the best at keeping the true sound of the speakers. Altec 19 was never a particularly neutral sound so may benefit from som frequency response tampering from radical feet solutions
It is not a matter of wrong or correct, but the amount of effectiveness since it can only bring benefits. ALTEC 19 are monitor speakers so they were actually the emblem of neutrality when they came out.
The treble sounded harsh with the gaias and much better with the auvas.
I'm going to try a diy version.
I put a weight on my speakers and that improves the sound and stereo image.
$20. cement blocks at any building supply.
Я очень уважаю мнение автора, тем более компании, которые пытаются это продать, но извините, 2 старых ящика стоят в маленькой кладовке ,впритык к стойке и стенам, но шайбы решают всё 😂
the best are hockey pucks
Have u tried the dmsd?
Yes, older versions, also because they are Italian. Wasn’t impressed at the time. Still have them.
Hello there
Auva have better clarity, a little on the bright side. It’s so funny that in the 1840s they wanted to close the United States patent office because they thought there was nothing left to invent!! Wow!! Build a better mousetrap…….
Do you think you can tell them apart in a blind test? 😅 IMO you can’t.
Well, from the video I can…live I should try but my back is done doing the flipping…unless I find a willing friend! ;-)
What? I could hear the difference dead easy on my iphone??
@@russellparker4568 good for you
Honestly I hear no difference I think it's overkill and I'm not buying what you're selling.
I am not selling anything that is for sure. Just presenting stuff with passion that can enhance or maybe not our playback experience ;-)
Saw a video where a guy told us his $400 FUSE made the sound better!
Perhaps it’s RUclips compression that’s the issue. Stack Audio offers a money back guarantee if you’re not satisfied.
I experience a clear difference between the first two samples (via in-ears).
Different, not necessarily better, but different? 100%.
The primary differentiating characteristic being midband tonal shifts (the first two examples).
It's worth noting, I experience the recordings differently, not the products.
That's a vital distinction.
Nice work.
Only the 100s have 5 cells. The 70s have 3 and the 50s have 2.
Thanks for pointing that out
How can you comment on bass quality/quantity using speakers that have no low bass at all.
Well, frequency response goes down to 30hz, and that is only the response clearly they are going even more down. But beside specs, my prior GoldenEar Triton reference speakers have a frequency response going down to 12Hz. Much more than ALTEC. Well, surprise surprise the “limited” bass of the ALTECs are much, much more realistic and engaging.
Gaia the guitar sounded more isolated as an instrument
Please don’t let this channel go down the audiophile nonsense path. There’s already too much on RUclips. I much prefer cassette decks, turntables, and the rest of the analog goodness.
What's nonsense about improving the sound of your speakers? Or did you not hear any difference between the two products?
@@alistairwilson5344 pls dont listen to the ... professor. He just likes shiny things !!!
If you couldn't hear that difference with the greatest of respect, I would suggest you need to get your hearing checked. I must admit I've also covered this exact comparison on my channel recently there are profound differences here no nonsense at all in my humble reviewers' opinion. Even down RUclips compressed audio stream I could hear a difference between these two products on this video. Just the same as I heard the difference when I put the ISO acoustic under my Wilsons and then compared them with the Auva100s, and I can tell you they are staying under my Wilsons.
Don't try to listen to this using your cell phone speakers. Use a decent headset and you should hear is a difference.
I understand you think it's nonsense it's just means your hearing isn't good enough to hear the big differences the feet makes
Not worth it!
BS
Recently purchased a set of Stack Audios to replace ISO Acoustics and stumbled on this review. Excited to see if I experience the same benefits once they arrive from the UK. Thanks for sharing!
Let us know!
What a big difference in sound. I am impressed. The Gaias sound more spacious and three dimensional and are overall more balanced. The Auva have a more impressive bass. I would be intresting to hear them on wooden floors. But for me, the Gaias win, at least on RUclips.
Thanks for the test Guido !
Agree 👍
Thank YOU! I can only report that what came out on camera is not what I heard in person and that is why I feel such a difference in the results. Same happens with other gear or cables.
I know, RUclips and all the gear in between can transport maybe max 20% from the real event. I am looking forward to the Munich show to hear real stuff. 😀
Yes. I felt the Auva had a touch less clarity and the vocals seemed recessed.
I've been saving my $ for these because I'll have to architect a special base for my speakers as they're down ported and height will affect them. But I've switched all of my IsoAcoustic footers for my components over to the AUVA, they are a significant part of my system getting to the "next level". To all those people with the the "cheap stuff I used" is the same, it isn't. The higher you go with your systems, the easier it is to gain benefits from best practice optimization. It's not something people want to hear but the truth is not always easy to accept.
I can vouch for Stack Audio. I have my whole system on top of their products. My speakers weigh over 300lb. each and the Auva's still made a significant difference. Coherency (in all frequencies) is a great description.
i bought the auva 50 for under my totem tribe speakers,it is a huge different.Much wider soundstage an lower bass.Also is the background much blacker and more quite.
What are the price differences of the 2 brands of sane load bearing ? Is Gaia cheapee than the other stack ones ?
Prices are described in detail in the video
The AUVA was easily the best. I do not know what setup the commenters here who preferred the GAIA are using, but I use an audiophile grade PC speaker setup and the AUVA sounded more real and natural. Maybe with cans It would be different.
Since I added a set of AUVA100 isolators, my ATC 50ASLT speakers are performing at best.
my comparison was with or without isolators.
highly recommended ! 👍
Nice, thanks for your feedback!
What thread you use for your GE?
13:49
14:25
To me it sounds that the Auva’s are reacting more with the room meaning that the isolation is poorer than with the Gaia’s - 1.the bass seems to have more sustain and is more on front with the Auva’s than in the actual recording itself.
2.The separation between the elements are poorer on Auva’s than with the Gaia’s.
3. The Gaia’s give more truthful eq balance of the song.
If I’d had to choose which one to work with I would choose Gaia’s all day long.
But it makes me question the process of doing this recording why there is so big difference on stereo image in the first song between the Gaia’s and Auva? With Auva’s the music is mono and with Gaia’s the music is coming as stereo. Something is not right there. Also there is someone speaking on the left side during the first song while Gaia’s are under.
Great! It is important that each of us get what they like from HIfi and the gear to enhance and reproduce it. As stated in the video, this was a very simple shot, nothing fancy like I usually do. I used my iPhone 15 pro which actually does an amazing job since I previously did this in my tour in Milano high-fidelity and the results where very good. The entire file is mastered in stereo. I can guarantee that. I checked all files and the single master file of the video (hopefully RUclips didn’t mess things around). Finally, yes, my daughter was next to me. Sorry about that.
@@anadialogYes for sure! Am a mastering engineer so am sure that my needs varies from a person who just wants to listen music the way he wants to.
Btw I got an inspiration for testing power cables etc by watching one of your videos - it was one of the crucial points for my system and the sound I can create these days. So nice job on that aspect👌🏾
How about a real performer?
As a Frenchman, I preemptively pardon your French ;-)
I'm in France at the moment so listening through the laptop speakers was not ideal. I'll revisit the video once I get home.
Thank you for your work.
Grazzie Mille
Thanks! ;-)
Guido, I suggest that you try the french Neodio Origine B2 (those are the best I've heard, so far).
Interesting, thanks!
@@anadialog , Full solution :) You should check.
Hi Guido Gaia, all my life, my already fantastic Focal Aria 926s have an extra edge, congratulations for the video, they are mine on RUclips.
Thanks for a really interesting video Guido. I've had great results using Black Ravioli Big Feet between my old Focal 1007s' and the stands-huge step up in dimensionality in all directions and much higher resolution. Then moved to a flat with a pretty crappy wooden floor so got a set of Townshend Speaker Bars - that helped sooth neighbourly relations most importantly.But soundwise, the combination of the two products is just synergysticly amazing - the other end of the room literally disappears on good recordings. So,yes, I'm a big believer in both absorption and isolation, the magic seems to lie in finding the right balance for your own particular speakers - all good fun and games. Oh yeah, The AUVA's definitely sounded better to me.
Cheers from Sunny Scotland.
ON MY MEDIOCRE LAPTOP WITH ANCIENT POWERED ALTEC LANSING SPEAKERS, THE CLEAR WINNER WAS THE AUVAS
Interesting. I did hear a small difference and liked the second one better. I think you needed to do a third test, with nothing under the speakers.
I might have missed it but were the speakers set up to be the same height?
Well, here is a video with no feet: ruclips.net/video/UDwMq43bWdM/видео.htmlsi=sKKziAdMa53fZbFb
The height is practically identical, no significant difference
great video man. I keep wondering about depth and soundstage in your set. How you achieve a three dimentionallity in your room?
акустическая обработка
New Record Day
I do, more that my Triton reference, but it would be much better if I could bring the speakers a little more in the room…but I have a family ;-)
@@arthurgrab926 Thanks I watch videos from NRD and his LOTS method it's great for achieving soundstage. My cuestion was for Guido. How he achieve three dimentionallity in space
Agree with you. Auva better
Hi Guido, I agree with you, I changed my Gaia I for the Auva's 100 with my Revel Ultima Salon 2 speakers and it was onother thing, much better.
Cool, thanks for the feedback!
If the sound changes so much on this US$2000 gizmos, then there is something wrong with the speakers.
I'll stick to carpet squares
Optimized, tighter edits;
@13:23
@13:59
Hope something else came out of the video! ;-)
In any case I disagree. You need to separate and prepare with silence. The edits are correct IMHO.
@@anadialog
Agreed
It's just another tool.
Another example would be the demo track flowing without interruption, ... yet alternating every few seconds from A to B.
At best our aural memory is short ... fallible and easily corruptible.
Dig the video, seemingly quite compelling.