Firstly, we would like to start off by thanking everyone who attended the event in the showroom, and a big thank you to Alex Bickford from IsoAcoustics for running the demonstrations.
For this event, we set up two pairs of identical speakers by Focal (Aria Evo No2 Floorstanding Speakers), one fitted with the Focal-supplied spikes and the other with IsoAcoustics' latest version of the GAIA feet, the Neo range. On the front end, we spared no expense in an effort to remove all weak links in the chain before the speakers to hear them at their best. We set up the dCS Bartók Apex for high-resolution streaming from Qobuz and paired this with the Gryphon Diablo 333 integrated stereo amplifier to drive the Focal speakers to their maximum potential.
Alex brought with him a custom-made “speaker switching box”, which allowed him to seamlessly switch between both sets of speakers without interrupting the music or upsetting the amplifier. This gives an instant A/B demonstration with and without the isolation feet, allowing us to hear the differences instantly.
The theory is simple: remove unwanted vibrations from the equation so that only the music can be heard. In practice, this is a complex task that requires innovative designs and a deep understanding of physics and material science.
Fortunately, this is not something the end listener has to worry about; simply fit, place and listen to the difference.
In the demo, we had IsoAcoustics Oreas under the streamer and GAIA NEOs under the speakers. Although doing the same thing, the Oreas are designed to be placed under components to minimise micro-vibrations feeding back into sensitive components like the DAC or a phono stage, resulting in a cleaner sound with a reduced noise floor. The GAIA NEOs are focused on minimising the larger vibrations that cause problems within the speakers themselves. Once fitted, the GAIAs remove the crosstalk vibration generated by each speaker that is usually transmitted through the floor to the opposite speaker. The GAIAs act as a physical barrier to this vibration, meaning that the speaker is only playing the notes it is given and not resonating with notes from the opposite speaker, which muddies the sound and makes your stereo image less defined.
The latest range of GAIA feet by IsoAcoustics, the GAIA NEOs, have taken the design principles from the original design but added a much nicer levelling adjustment that is built into the feet themselves, making adjustments tool-less and easy, as well as improving the mounting mechanism to the speaker, meaning a more secure fit and even less vibration leaving the speaker through the floor.
The results are clear: less noise, more music.
The proof is in the listening. Once we switched to the GAIAs, the image was sharply pulled into focus, as if a thin veil of distortion had been removed from the stereo image, allowing for clearer vocals and more precise, twinkly highlights from the sweeping violins in Paul Weller’s Orchestral Song Book. The improved stability of the speakers, once the unwanted vibrations are removed from the equation, allows for the more subtle vibrations to be captured and projected more easily from the speaker, resulting in a smoother roll-on and roll-off of mid-bass notes, as well as a more grounded bass, evident when listening to Metallica's Enter Sandman.
Some of IsoAcoustics' biggest endorsements are the OEM partnerships they have with high-end manufacturers like Marten, Sonus Faber, Innuos and Merrill Audio, incorporating their technology directly into hi-fi components and speakers.
“IsoAcoustics is proud to be working with international manufacturers in the audio field to integrate our technology into their high-end loudspeakers, studio monitors, turntables, equipment, and furniture.” - IsoAcoustics.com/partners/
For anyone who was unable to attend this demonstration, we invite you to book a demonstration with our sales team, who will be happy to talk you through the range and let you experience the brilliance of IsoAcoustics technology in person in one of our listening studios.
