[eril]

What CD transports are going to be most suited to the Isabella with DAC ?
One of the key features of RWA is being "off-the-grid". Will having a Transport "on-the-grid" compromise the DAC ?
Are there future plans for a battery-powered transport?
Or Doesn't it matter?

Thanks
Eril

[Flashman]

Are there future plans for a battery-powered transport?
Or Doesn't it matter?

There is, ahem, a battery-powered transport offered by Vinnie: the RWA-modified Olive music server.  Here's what Vinnie had to say about connecting the Olive to the Isabella with any of the RWA amps:

The dac option for the Isabella will accept 3 different digital inputs: 75-ohm BNC (perfect for using use with your RWA modded Olive's 75-ohm BNC digital output), optical (TOSLINK) and USB (perfect for using with a computer-based music server such as a Macbook or and PC).

There you have it: a totally "off the grid" system!

[ZLS]

Macbook.  Battery powered, portable, actual computer, 160GB memory (can be increased to 240GB) music server.  I have been listening to it using the internal dac, and while it is loud, brash and lacing in subtlety, it is just plain fun to listen to!

[Vinnie R.]

What CD transports are going to be most suited to the Isabella with DAC ?
One of the key features of RWA is being "off-the-grid". Will having a Transport "on-the-grid" compromise the DAC ?
Are there future plans for a battery-powered transport?
Or Doesn't it matter?

Thanks
Eril

Hi Eril,

As Flashman and ZLS kindly pointed out, both the battery modded Olive Music server (using the 75-ohm BNC coax output) or something like the Macbook (which can run on its battery power for up to 6 hours, and using its USB output) would make excellent choices.

Also, using even non-battery powered CD transports with optical outputs (most have this feature) will totally isolate them from the Isabella / Signature 30.2 off-the-grid system.  This should also provide very good results, even with an inexpensive DVD/CD player like an Oppo or Toshiba.

The dac option for the Isabella will sound fantastic with the coax, optical, or USB inputs.  The beauty of the USB input is that the USB signal gets converted directly to I2S which will feed to the internal NOS dac chip. 

Happy New Year!

Vinnie

[Vinnie R.]

Or maybe this one will do:

http://www.audiocircle.com/index.php?topic=49277.msg441998#msg441998

 aa

[Afterimage]

Forgive my ignorance, but would something like the Wadia make the Olive obsolete? 

[Vinnie R.]

Forgive my ignorance, but would something like the Wadia make the Olive obsolete? 

Hi Afterimage,

No, not at all.  The Olive is a stand-alone music server.  Unlike the iPod, it does not require the use of a computer to load music onto it.  With the Olive, you can simply insert a CD into the Olive and rip the music onto the Olive's internal hard drive (and you can also play the the CD using the CD drive).  You can even burn CD-Rs of the music that is on the hard drive of the Olive.  The Olive also has analog inputs (if you want to record to the hard drive), USB ports for adding addtional hard drives, a wireless connection (access to internet radio, tag info, control of the unit via a computer or wireless PDA, etc.), both optical and coax digital outputs, and I'm sure I am missing some other features

Best regards,

Vinnie

[Afterimage]

I do not know a whole lot about Ipods.  To me they were always the darkside.   But now it looks like things are changing.  Okay, so if Wadia has a way to make ipods sound good, why use or get the Imod? Or is the impoved signal/sound with the Wadia only applicable with home stereo systems as apposed to portable?  As I understand it,  the Wadia sends the signal to a DAC, but without it, the ipod is still a crappy sounding source.  Is that right?

[kyrill]

yes
as i understand it.
The wadia "doc" uses a code to bypass the internal DAC, so you get S/PDIF out.
this code is only executed when the ipod is in the doc. When you take it out of the doc, it is a standard Ipod again. The charm is the S/PDIF out. SO you can get world class analogue sound when connected to a world class DAC+ system. Comparable with the SB3 or Olive S/PDIF out
the doc is not battery powered and rather big. Because it does not need the internal Dac, you can use the 6th generation Ipod Classigue model which has a crappy dac inside but 160 gig storage, which is perfect for lossless compression. ( so NO mp3)
The imod bypasses all the analog cheap opamps but uses the internal Wolfson DAC which is of high quality
but i wonder if the internal clock in the imod is a precision clock and the Q of the circuit to provide it power
maybe someone can mod the 160 Gig from Classique into the 5th gen. Ipod

But aiming for the best sound from the Ipod, the Wadia has the answer.

In the development of the product Wadia I  assume has had (multiple) contact with Apple which resulted for Wadia in a ridiculous low price. It is an "Apple" price. So Wadia will experience a completely different market. Instead of selling high priced high profit based products in low numbers, they will aim now at the same mass Ipod market with a matching Apple price. I wish them fortune and good luck with this new move. Very maybe Ipod or Apple centers will sell them too

[Vinnie R.]

I do not know a whole lot about Ipods.  To me they were always the darkside.   But now it looks like things are changing.  Okay, so if Wadia has a way to make ipods sound good, why use or get the Imod? Or is the impoved signal/sound with the Wadia only applicable with home stereo systems as apposed to portable?  As I understand it,  the Wadia sends the signal to a DAC, but without it, the ipod is still a crappy sounding source.  Is that right?

Hi Afterimage,

iPods are viewed as the "darkside" because many people associate "MP3" with iPod.  Sure, the iPod plays MP3s, but it also can play Lossless or WAV files. 

I really like the sound of the Wolfson dac used in the 4th generation and 5th generations units (unfortunately, the new 6th gen units do not ue this dac) and the iMod is designed to enhance the signal from this dac.  Details of what we do with the iMod can be found on our website.  The iMod is VERY popular with the headfi crowd because it sounds great and it portable.  However, it also works very well as a source into a home audio preamp or integrated amp.  For best results, use Lossless or WAV files... just like you would when using the Squeezebox, Transporter, Olive, Sonos, Sooloos, or any other server feeding a high-end audio system. 

The Wadia is designed to get an SPDIF signal out of the newer iPod units (6th gen.), and assuming this signal is of high quality (I'm sure it is if Wadia is bothering coming out with such a product and showing it off with their high end dac units), you can feed this into a high-end dac of your choice and enjoy it as a transport.

Best regards,

Vinnie

[Afterimage]

Yeah, I'm going to get the Imod for sure, I hate carrying around a portable cd player and amp when I go on walks and stuff.  It just seems awkward these days.  I just never looked into getting on ipod because the few times I tried one, it hurt my ears and sounded terrible.  So if I walk into an Apple Store, will they still sell the 5th gen. or are they done producing those?  Thanks

[Vinnie R.]

Yeah, I'm going to get the Imod for sure, I hate carrying around a portable cd player and amp when I go on walks and stuff.  It just seems awkward these days.  I just never looked into getting on ipod because the few times I tried one, it hurt my ears and sounded terrible.  So if I walk into an Apple Store, will they still sell the 5th gen. or are they done producing those?  Thanks

The iMod mods the line-level signal, not the headphone out signal, so you will need a headphone amp.  With the 5G iMods, the headphone out is stock... it is ONLY the line-out that is modded.

I just never looked into getting on ipod because the few times I tried one, it hurt my ears and sounded terrible.

The little "ear-bud" headphones that come with an iPod are really, really bad sounding.  Get a pair of good headphones and everything will change.

You won't find the 5G iPods at the AppleStore anymore.  You can purchase fully modded 5.5G / 80GB iPods from ALO Audio: www.aloaudio.com   He will have more in stock in about 2 weeks.

Best regards,

Vinnie

[Afterimage]

Thanks.  I have a RSA portable amp, but am looking into getting the new Pico from Headamp.   Have a bunch of aftermarket headphones, I would never use those crappy ones that come from an idpod.  Man, those will hurt your ears.  I even made my kids get some other headphones instead of those things.