[MorganE]

Thanks to everyone's very favourable comments on the Isabella, Isabellina DAC and Amphora amplifier, I finally pulled the trigger a few months ago on an isabellina HPA.  Just got mine on the 24th from the Canadian distributor, and have about 80 hrs. on it now. 

My goal in the headphones hobby is to go as far as i can go with a dynamic setup. I came from Stax SRx MkIIs and ended up getting rid of them after 30 years of on and off pain in my ears! 

 I listen to about 80% to classical music, with an emphasis on piano.  My old main rig had Magneplanar 3as in it.

My current headphones are HD650s (SAA Equinox) and K701s. My source is a Macbook Pro (2009) using USB out and mainly lossless AIFF files, but some MP3s up to 320 bitrates.  I also have B&W P5s and Sennheiser IE8s for portable (and quiet time) use and a HeadRoom Total BitHead amp.

I have a number of questions of course as I am fairly new to this hobby, and I am patiently waiting for burn-in to finish! So far I am very pleased with my isabellina,, but have not done any critical listening at this point.  My Equinox cable is new too, and my K701s probably don't have more than 100 hrs. on them so I have a lot of things going on at the same time in terms of burn-in.

If I had to make a choice on the synergy of the Isabellina with my headphones, as classical piano comes first for me, I would take the K701s.  I am starting to get better layering of instruments in the orchestra with the Isabellina, and the tone of a grand piano with the Isabellina/701s is dead on, IMO.  That being said, I also like the warmth and bass of the Senns for just about everything else - and particularly strings/violins. 

Next steps?  Break everything in through the Summer, and then deciding in the Fall on one of the flagship headphones, and then at some point, whether it makes sense, with only headphones use, to go beyond the Isabellina. 

Thanks Vinnie for making a great product, which I am enjoying very much so far. 

I am 'Ridleyguy' on the Head-Fi Forum, so hopefully will see some of you over there.  Cheers!

[Alwayswantmore]

Gawd, Magnaplaner 3a's must go back a number of years, right? I had T1Bs. I know the T1Cs were better, but forget where 3a's fit into their history (Minnesota boy, so both Magnapan and ARC were local companies).

I've been out of headphones for over a year now. I sold AKG K1000s to help fund my Isabella purchase. My Isabella has a headphone out, so I still hope to purchase something. At local Headfi meets, 701s have been my favorite for the money. Many people report 701s take 300 - 400 hours to fully break in. If you have a non-battery unit, like an old receiver -- you may want to put some hours on the 701s via an AC device. The Isabellina will be broken in in half the time as the 701s.

I know Vinnie is a Senn 650 fan. That's where I started in Headfi (mine were balanced), but quickly moved to K1000s. Keep us posted on what you like best. BTW: Are you using your HPA as a DAC for your 2ch system?

Kent

[Mariusz]

 Hi Ken
I've listen to both Senn and AKG at Vinnie's old place before I made up my mind as far as CANS purchase goes.

For my taste, Senn are too laid back (I also owned 650 ones before).
Great if you sit for hours and listen to horribly bright recordings.
But AKG 701 or my own 702 are IMO more accurate and revealing.
Bad recordings WILL sound...... well, bad. However headphone like this lets me compare and voice my main system to the same standards (my own that is )
Have heard some owners of AKG complaining about these cans being too forward and all, but with HPA in chain I haven't found this to be an issue.
These two stroke perfect balance. YMMV

Excellent DAC as well. Still my personal reference in my personal upper budget.


Mariusz   

[MorganE]

Gawd, Magnaplaner 3a's must go back a number of years, right? I had T1Bs. I know the T1Cs were better, but forget where 3a's fit into their history (Minnesota boy, so both Magnapan and ARC were local companies).

I've been out of headphones for over a hear now. I sold AKG K1000s to help fund my Isabella purchase. My Isabella has a headphone out, so I still hope to purchase something. At local Headfi meets, 701s have been my favorite for the money. Many people report 701s take 300 - 400 hours to fully break in. If you have a non-battery unit, like an old receiver -- you may want to put some hours on the 701s via an AC device. The Isabellina will be broken in in half the time as the 701s.

I know Vinnie is a Senn 650 fan. That's where I started in Headfi (mine were balanced), but quickly moved to K1000s. Keep us posted on what you like best. BTW: Are you using your HPA as a DAC for your 2ch system?

Kent

Kent, thanks for your post.  Unfortunately I don't have a 2 channel system any longer, and that's why, within reason, I can build up my headphones-based rig.  My wife doesn't like big speakers and metal boxes in her Living room!

Yes, I had my 3as in the late 70'S and 80's and loved their spacious sound - when placed properly!  I know I can't achieve exactly the same effect with headphones, but I have been very pleasantly surprised at how good the sound is from my Isabellina and K701s even this early on.

I'll post again when everything is fully burned-in, but I'd love to hear opinions on 'best headphones' for the Isabellina - including the T1s if anyone has them.  Cheers.




 

[Alwayswantmore]

T1Bs were the three panel tympani. I think yours were more than three panel per side (or had a center channel?) and were likely bi- or tri-amped. I worked in a hi-end store in downtown Mpls, so we saw the guys from ARC and Magnapan every once in a while.

My first exposure to high-end was a large multi-amped tympani system. All driven by ARC.  At the time it blew my mind.

[Vinnie R.]

Hi MorganE,

Welcome aboard!

If I had to make a choice on the synergy of the Isabellina with my headphones, as classical piano comes first for me, I would take the K701s.  I am starting to get better layering of instruments in the orchestra with the Isabellina, and the tone of a grand piano with the Isabellina/701s is dead on, IMO.  That being said, I also like the warmth and bass of the Senns for just about everything else - and particularly strings/violins.

This is quite common among those who listen to the 701s and 650s.  The 701s definitely bring out more detail and accuracy, while the 650s have more bottom end, warmth, and are more forgiving of recordings that have imperfections (e.g. bright or thin recordings). 

Both headphones work very well with the Isabellina HPA, and of course there are many more out there to listen to.  If you listen to a wide range of music, I think it is good to have more than one pair of headphones.  The 701s (and 702s) and 650s are really good values.

Like home audio speakers, headphones all have their own sonic flavor

Thanks Vinnie for making a great product, which I am enjoying very much so far.

I am 'Ridleyguy' on the Head-Fi Forum, so hopefully will see some of you over there.  Cheers!

Thank you!  Head-Fi is a great place to find a wealth of info on headphones and others experiences with them. 

I also highly recommend trying to attend any local headfi meets if they are in your area, where you can get to listen to so many headphones in one day.  Also try to buy from companies that offer a return policy if possible...

All the best,

Vinnie

[MorganE]

Hi Vinnie,

Thanks very much for the warm welcome to your Forum!

Cheers,

Morgan