Looking for a little advice. I’m debating whether to buy IsoAcoustic GAIA I’s or Herbie’s Decoupling Gliders for a pair of Focal Sopra 2’s. I used GAIA II’s when I owned Focal 1028Be’s and they made a significant difference. I sold them because the Sopra 2’s were at the II’s upper weight limit. I like the fact the Herbie Gliders would allow easier position of the speaker and are much easier to install. The cost is much more responsible as well. Thoughts?
This subject is one I’ve been trying to deal with. I’m a firm believer in reduction of vibrations, etc., and have used Herbies’ products for decades. I currently use Tenderfoots under ALL my electronics, but I’m undecided about how to ‘foot’ my speakers, Quad 2905s. Currently they’re spiked to my concrete-pad floor. It’ll be interesting to read where this thread goes.
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A bit off topic, I guess…I just replaced the spikes on the bottom of my Anthony Gallo Acoustics Reference 3.1 speakers with SVS Soundpath Isolation Footers, I don’t have enough listening time in yet to form a definitive opinion as to whether doing this was helpful, but my initial perception is that there is a bit less “smearing”, which allows for some more low level detail to emerge. I don’t know that these footers operate on the same principle as the kit the OP is considering, but since my speakers have side-firing, dual voice coil low frequency drivers built into the bottom of the speaker “towers”, I thought they would be interesting to experiment with. You can read a bit about SVS’ claims for these footers at their web site. Cheers.
What type of floor? I like to spike into concrete but isolate on raised wood floors. Gaia III for my stand mounts on drum-like wood floors are amazing.
My Gaias made a huge improvement on porcelain tile floors. Highly recommend giving them a try.
Oops… That would help. The speakers are on thick carpet/pad over concrete; the room is in a finished basement. If I choose the GAIA’s, I will buy the carpet spikes as well.
About a month ago, I placed Herbie’s gliders under spiked Wilson X1s (600# each) initially to help positioning the speakers per Jim Smith’s book. It did allow moving the speakers by myself BUT the SQ improved very audibly in that a more fullness (real) tone resulted without losing bass definition. The actual defining decay of drums, cello, etc. was more evident. The Herbie gliders are great but I have no experience with GAIA.
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Thank you. Based on what I have read in a few other forums, people seem to really like the Herbie’s. I really like the fact I can leave the Sopra spikes in place and just place the gliders underneath. I think I’m going to give them a try.
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Like dbeau above, I recently added the Herbie’s Spike Decoupling Gliders under my TAD CR-1’s. They make moving them a breeze, and they produced exactly the type of sonic benefits dbeau describes with these speakers, too.
I had been debating between the Herbies and the IsoAcoustics Gaia’s, like you, and I thought that the price of admission on the Herbie’s was so low that I would try them first. I will try the Gaia’s at some point as a comparison to see if they bring even more of this good stuff, but they will certainly need to at the price for two sets of III’s! (Why they won’t sell them in sets of 3 I don’t understand.) Users’ descriptions of the sonic improvements are certainly along the same lines.
Are you and others using the Brass, Steel or Titanium versions of the “Decoupling Gliders”?
Brass, in my case.
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Heres an interesting article…I think i’ll give the Herbies a go under my Triton 1’s but in the meantime i took Jim Smiths advice and tried some furniture sliders under my spikes ($10usd from the local hardware store). Speakers are now far easier to move and there is a noticeable improvement in sound. Cheers Jim!
Ok so this has me wondering the impact on my Legacy Focus SE…they aren’t spiked now(just OE rubber feet)…Any feedback on this set-up into a good entry versus going straight to GAIA Is?
I have used Herbie’s Decoupling Gliders under my Focal 1027be speakers for years. Prior to that, the speakers were spiked to a concrete basement floor. The floor is is covered by thick carpeting and pad. I heard a noticeable difference in sound - better clarity, etc.
The only caveat I have regarding easy movement of the speakers
- be aware of the material the speaker spikes are mounted in
- make sure to either lift the speaker a bit to take some weight off of the spikes or make sure the spikes take on equal pressure when moving the speaker.
My Focal spikes are mounted in footers made of composite wood covered with a nice finish. The base appears stronger than it really is. I apparently put too much pressure on one of a speaker’s spikes and the composite wood holding the spike broke. The spike became so loose it collapsed when I bumped one of the speakers. The speaker toppled into the wall. Fortunately the wall was softer so there was minimal damage to the speaker.
I wound up buying a new Focal speaker base from a dealer and some Soundocity outriggers (no more toppling towers!). Now I have the outrigger spikes sitting on brass Decoupling Gliders - still sounds great.
Good advice! My Triton 1’s are quite tall and slim and could possibly do with some additional stability courtesy of these outriggers.
I use GAIA IIs under my Focal Sopra 2. Even though the IIs were at the upper weight limit under N2, it is perfectly fine, if you look at the effectiveness curve of different GAIAs under different weights, it is obvious that the effectiveness is pretty consistent across the claimed weight limit. BTW, I put furniture gliders under the GAIAs when I was trying to optimize the locations of the speakers, then took the gliders off.
Also, I would take JRSBat’s comment seriously about moving heavy speakers with spikes in place. I ruined one of the spikes on my heavy rack when trying to move it.
When I sold the 1028Be’s I debated keeping the GAIA II’s and using them on the Sopra’s. I reached out to IsoAcoustics to get their thoughts on using the II’s on the Sopra’s, and they recommended the I’s based on weight and the performance curve. They said the II’s would work but was at there upper limit. Granted they are in the business of selling product… In hindsight, I probably should of kept them. Still haven’t decided if I want to spring for the I’s or buy the Herbie’s. I have yet to hear anything negative about either.
GAIA I is probably better than GAIA II for N2, since it’s just above the half loading weight limit of GAIA I. IsoAcoustics footers should not be under-loaded, which will be much worse than overloading them a little.
I haven’t had any experience with Herbie’s stuff, but I do have a set of IsoAcoustic Gaia II’s under my Martin Logan 60xt’s. Not quite in the same league as the Focal’s, but the difference was large enough that the girlfriend noticed. I’m in an older studio apartment with wooden tile floors that were causing some issues though so a bit of an extreme case.
Ok, got the Herbies today and yes, for me, there was an immediate and positive improvement in bass detail but also midrange. Very happy with these! Listened to some of my usual suspects over usb and ethernet to my PS Audio DSJ:
Blue Collar - BTO
Walking in the graveyard - Jimmy Rip and the Trip
Space cadet - John Garcia
Birdcage - Sophia Pfister
Push on thru - Salmonella Dub
Vincent price blues - ZZ Top
Always good to find a reasonably priced tweak that works
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