Recommended Component 2024 – Stereophile
Outstanding Product Award - Hifi Pig
Tighter Bass, More Clarity and a Wider Soundstage
The GAIA I Isolators are machined units that incorporate IsoAcoustics’ patented design to provide a high degree of speaker isolation, while resisting lateral movement and oscillations, to maintain alignment with the listening position. Internal reflections from the hard supporting surface are attenuated resulting in greater sound clarity and openness.
"Recommended Component" Honors
Stereophile honored the GAIA I by awarding it the magazine's coveted Recommend Component status for 2024.
According to Stereophile, "Gaia and Orea isolation feet are both intended to isolate the products they support from their environment, and both are offered in different sizes/compliances, to suit various component weights.
"After using a Gaia I set ($1199.98 for two sets of four) with his Monitor Audio loudspeakers, RD reported hearing 'an across-the-board improvement in the sound,' and he noticed a similar if less marked improvement after putting Oreas under his PS Audio monoblocks.
"Instruments and voices were more precisely defined on the soundstage, which itself was wider and higher," reports Stereophile magazine, October 2017. "A remarkable product."
"Tighter Bass and Lower Midrange"
"With every track, I consistently heard tighter bass and lower midrange, with greater focus and depth," writes Bob Barrett, HomeTheaterReview.com, March 14, 2018.
"They allow the speakers to sound more tactile, resolute, spacious and natural, adding tone and timbre and increasing timing performance," reports Dan Worth for HifiPig.com, which honored the GAIAI with an Outstanding Product Award.
The Soundstage Blossoms
When a speaker is placed on a hard surface, secondary internal reflections result. Any artifacts of this smear that is similar in the two channels is perceived to be in the center, causing the sound stage to collapse. The GAIA series of isolators eliminates this smear resulting in a larger three-dimensional sound stage. Using GAIA I Isolators, the soundstage blossoms to open up a three-dimensional image of natural, spatial sounds.
Optimal results are heard by installing these units with the logo facing the listening position, or rotated 180 degrees, to align the isolators with the speaker’s motive forces, lift and place the speakers into position as the GAIA I lower isolator will adhere to the supporting surface.
"All Around A Total Success," Notes Harry Weisfeld
IsoAcoustics was pleased to be invited to one of VPI Industries’ listening rooms to demo the GAIA I’s under a pair of KEF Blades. Harry Weisfeld, founder of VPI Industries and Dipinjeet Sehdev of KEF America immediately heard tighter bass, more clarity and a wider soundstage.
Harry Weisfeld later noted, "Installing the GAIA isolators on my KEF Blades gave the biggest improvement in sound I have ever heard on the system. Better than changing cables or electronics, the noise floor was lower, the focus was better, and the bass went deeper. All around a total success."