[Vinnie R.]

All,

I'd like to share some preliminary information regarding a very exciting new product that I planning to have ready for production this November... the Isabella!

The Isabella will be an SLA battery powered tubed preamp, with built-in NOS dac (non-oversampling...not to be confused with "new old stock" in this context  ) .  Details are still being worked out and please keep in mind that nothing is set in stone at this point, but here are some of the features:

-- Tubed-preamp stage using two 6922 (6DJ8/ECC88) tubes...one per channel.  Other tubes in this family can be used, such as the 7308, 6H23 (russian), 6N11 (chinese)

-- The Isabella will be completely off-the-grid running on SLA battery power, and will feature the new SMART module as described here:
http://www.audiocircle.com/index.php?topic=44739.0
It will also feature the same new style 24V SLA battery charger as the Siganture 30.2 and 70.2 (with 4x faster charging speed and beefy XLR plug), and touch-sensing power switch built into the front panel.

-- The gain will probably in the neighborhood of 12dB

-- There will be a built-in non-oversampling dac that is going to change your opinion of "digital music" in that it is not going to sound anything like digital.  With a USB input (direct to I2S), using a computer as your source is going to blow your mind.    For those who prefer to use a CD player, DVD player, SB2, SB3, Olive Music Server (hopefully modded on SLA ), or any other source that outputs SPDIF, the Isabella's internal dac will also accept coax or optical spdif inputs.
 
-- There will be 2 or 3 pairs of analog inputs and 2 pairs of analog outputs (RCA jacks for the analog inputs and outputs).

-- The volume control will be a very high quality precision stepped attenuator made by Goldpoint and will come standard with remote control operation.

-- The enclosure used will be a matching style enclosure as the upcoming Signature 30.2 and 70.2 monoblocks.  The front panel will feature the same touch-sensing power switch on the left side, same style knob in the center for the volume control.  Over to the right will be a slightly smaller knob that will control the input select.  The faceplate will also be 0.5" thick.  Stacking an Isabella on top of the Signature 30.2 or 70.2 monoblocks will be possible.

-- I would like the top cover to have a clear "window" that will also the user to view the tubes, but I also want this to be something that can easily be slid open and closed (for quick and easy tube rolling). 

-- A phono stage and headphone amp stage is something that I am onsidering offering as built-in option.  Again, everything inside will be entirely ran on SLA battery power (no matter what that add-on options are).

-- Continuous play time between full charges will probably be in the ballpark of 6 hours before the SMART module switches the unit off and begins the charging process.  I believe that for most people, this is plenty of time for a long listening session.  For those that want to run background music on all day, I'm not sure if this is enough, but the Isabella demands being seriously listened to!    As I mentioned above, the new style charger is quite fast.

-- Pricing: It is a little too early to confirm pricing at this time, but the Isabella somewhere in the ballpark of $3k. 

While the Isabella will be voiced to be a perfect match with the Signature 30.2 and 70.2, it will also be a fantastic sounding tubed preamp...period.   In other words, Isabella will be quite happy driving many types of power amps (tubed, solid-state... high or low power) and you as the listener will be even more happy when you hear what she does for the music! 

As always, will post more details as they become available.

Thanks again for all your interest and support!

Vinnie

[borelek]

Ouch, Vinnie,

you can say you are blowing my expectations. I'm simply voiceless.

Congratulations Vinnie, congratulations

serge

[richs]

Vinnie --

This sounds extremely cool.  As described, though, it wouldn't work for me for two reasons.  I offer these to you in case many other potential customers have similar issues

1.  While 6 hours is fine most of the time, I sometimes like to have the system on longer, half background, half real listening.
2.  My amp (Sig 30) does double duty for stereo and powering my L and R channels for TV/home theater.  In this case 6 hours definately is not enough.

Here are two ideas.

1.  Provide an AC option with a switch.  This would let us use an adapter and power the unit off AC for non-critical listening and home theater, and then switch to battery for real listening.  I built this into my battery power supply for my DDDAC, and it works really well.

2.  Provide a HT bypass which passes the signal from the HT processor to the amp passively.  Presumably this could be done without power, allowing extended TV and HT use.

These may be crazy ideas, but I just thought I would offer them for your consideration. Isabella sounds great, but 6 hours play time is just too short.

Take care,

Rich

[Cacophonix]

Cool! 

I always wondered why we don't see more inbuilt DACs in preamps. I especially like that it has a USB and optical input. I've ripped most of my music onto my PC and will never buy a standalone CD player.

[ZLS]

aa  Vinnie,

    The Description of the Isabella sounds tres chic.  Looking forward to the reviews!
    Is it possible to have an outboard battery supply as a way to extend the playing time of the Isabella?  If so, what would such an option cost? 

[PLMONROE]

Vinnie, any chance of adding an I2S input in addition to the S/PDIFs for those of us who already  have digital gear which outputs I2S??

Paul

[Horny]

Hi Vinnie,

the Isabella seems to be a perfect match for my equipment! Think I've got to save some money now til chrismas...

[Bucky]

Dang I had the feeling this would be pricey.. I wish there would be a stripped down version for those that just want the preamp (i.e no SMART, DAC).  I guess if the DAC is good I could my current DAC to get the appropriate funds.

What DAC chip is used by the Isabella?  Can you go into a little more detail.  Have you compared this DAC to anything else?  Please provide impressions and what equipment was compared (if any).

[Loftprojection]

Quite impressive Danny, those features you offer are really well targeted to the current audio trends in forums like here, internal USB DAC, tubes, clean battery power, wow, car makers should hire you as a design consultant!    You are going to play in the big league now!   Might be too high a price range for many (me included) but I'm sure you have the product and sound to compete against others at even higher prices.  Congrats.

A suggestion for the battery issue, I definitely second the suggestion above of offering an external battery option instead of an AC option that would change your one of a kind vision of being a battery driven audio equipment designer!

[DARTH AUDIO]

Hey Vinnie, sounds like a great preamp. Will there be a prototype at the RMAF? Just wondering if you thought of using the 6SN7 tube? 

BTW, I have an answer for you guys who think this preamp is pricey. Get better paying jobs

Gary

[Vinnie R.]

All,

Thanks for your feedback!

Hi LP,

Quite impressive Danny, those features you offer are really well targeted to the current audio trends in forums like here, internal USB DAC, tubes, clean battery power, wow, car makers should hire you as a design consultant!  

I'm sure you meant to say "Vinnie" instead of Danny  
Thanks for your feedback.  Regarding what you said here:

A suggestion for the battery issue, I definitely second the suggestion above of offering an external battery option instead of an AC option that would change your one of a kind vision of being a battery driven audio equipment designer!

Yes, exactly!  See below:

Vinnie,

    The Description of the Isabella sounds tres chic.  Looking forward to the reviews!
    Is it possible to have an outboard battery supply as a way to extend the playing time of the Isabella?  If so, what would such an option cost?  

Hi ZLS,

This is what I am most likely going to offer as an option.  One can either buy the Isabella with the built-in SLA batteries (and obtain the approx 6 hours of play time between charges, or whatever it turns out to be... I'm in the ballpark with that estimate), or
for those who want longer play time between charges, I can offer an external battery unit that will play longer... at least twice as long.  Would 12 hours be enough for just about everyone?  It would still be controlled via the SMART module so you can't accidentally kill the batteries.  Ideally, I would like the enclosure of the external battery power supply to match that of the Isabella (which will be nice for those who what to stack them), but it would be much simpler and less expensive.
I'm not sure what the price of the external battery supply unit would be... my guess is that it would add another 10% of the price of the Isabella.  Again, this would be optional because I know it is not something that everyone is going to need.

Vinnie, any chance of adding an I2S input in addition to the S/PDIFs for those of us who already  have digital gear which outputs I2S??

Hi Paul,

This is possible, but I wonder how many people have gear that outputs I2S?  

What DAC chip is used by the Isabella?  Can you go into a little more detail.  Have you compared this DAC to anything else?  

At this time, I am not disclosing these details...

2.  Provide a HT bypass which passes the signal from the HT processor to the amp passively.  Presumably this could be done without power, allowing extended TV and HT use.

Hi Rich,

This is something that I might consider adding.  I'm not so sure how many people would need this, but it is a possibility.

Hey Vinnie, sounds like a great preamp. Will there be a prototype at the RMAF? Just wondering if you thought of using the 6SN7 tube? 

BTW, I have an answer for you guys who think this preamp is pricey. Get better paying jobs

Gary

Hi Gary,

I will not be at RMAF and there won't be a prototype there this year... right now I'm just too busy to attend. 

The 6SN7 was another possibility, but I'm pretty sure I'm not going with it for this application.

Regarding pricing, it is not set in stone and I may offer discounted pricing for Red Wine Audio customers who own the Signature 30.2, 70.2s or have sent in their Sig 30 or 70s in for upgrades.  At this time, I don't have this finalized.  Hopefully I'll have a better idea on pricing and options within 4 weeks or so.


Thanks again,

Vinnie



  

[eril]

Vinnie

Will you do the Isabella without the DAC?
Some of us have great CDP's or Dac's already.

Thanks
Eril

[Bucky]

Vinnie

Will you do the Isabella without the DAC?
Some of us have great CDP's or Dac's already.

Thanks
Eril

I definetly agree, I feel this will detract alot of buyers who just want a pre.  Isabella seems to have all of the must haves, but looks like you are also locked into some niche items, which is good if you want them, but bad if you don't need them.  Considering the competition I think 3K is definetly too high for someone who is just looking for a pre amp.  If your analog outputs are so so / good or your DAC is so so / good then its worth it, but I guess i'll have to wait for some unbiased reviews to see if the DAC/ preamp combo is worth it.  Its suprising that Vinnie will not provide DAC info, when just about everyone out there will provide this info, this is not  typical item that is the "Secret" component.  I'm actually also very surprised that the headphone output isn't standard as I would think this niche product fits in pretty well with high end head-fi crowd. 

[IronLion]

Vinnie

Will you do the Isabella without the DAC?
Some of us have great CDP's or Dac's already.

Thanks
Eril

I definetly agree, I feel this will detract alot of buyers who just want a pre.  Isabella seems to have all of the must haves, but looks like you are also locked into some niche items, which is good if you want them, but bad if you don't need them.  Considering the competition I think 3K is definetly too high for someone who is just looking for a pre amp.  If your analog outputs are so so / good or your DAC is so so / good then its worth it, but I guess i'll have to wait for some unbiased reviews to see if the DAC/ preamp combo is worth it.  Its suprising that Vinnie will not provide DAC info, when just about everyone out there will provide this info, this is not  typical item that is the "Secret" component.  I'm actually also very surprised that the headphone output isn't standard as I would think this niche product fits in pretty well with high end head-fi crowd. 

[Bucky]

its not crying its called voice of the customer.. essential to any companies success.

[Bemopti123]

I actually believe that this is not really overpriced for what it is being offered.  The biggest problem I find with the crowd concern here is that there are too many opinions for the many features to either be offered or taken off.  Perhaps the wisest thing to do is to simply have a "full monty" version or a "poor man's Isabella" available.

When the reviews get going, perhaps you can have the full monty version sent out to see whether a good review will wet the appetites those sitting in the fence.

Although the voice of the customer must be decisive on all business related decisions, sometimes you have to build them and they will come for it.  There is NO PRODUCT out there that will satisfy the wishes of all.  The worst that can happen is to have too many captains manning the ship.  I say no no to this idea.

Returning to price concerns, the biggest drawback that I find in audio in general today is that it is very difficult to find "value" on a high ticketed items.  For some 3K can be a lot, but for some others, it is a down right bargain, so much so that it might really not hit their "snob" appeal.

When one looks for the best bang for the buck on a commercial product, I believe that most people have this DIY psyche on the back of their minds that they cannot push themselves to admit that an item is really worth the $$$ that is being asked for.

As far as I am concern, I think the idea you have for this preamp is a killer.  I really hope it will continue the streak of success you have made so far with all the other products. 
 
Anyway, I like the idea of Isabella and also the price, it is not overpriced for what it offers.  To entice those reluctant ones, perhaps you should offer an special intro pricing.

[Vinnie R.]

Vinnie

Will you do the Isabella without the DAC?
Some of us have great CDP's or Dac's already.

Thanks
Eril

Hi Eril,

I'm not sure about this... all I can say at this point is "possibly."

I definetly agree, I feel this will detract alot of buyers who just want a pre.  Isabella seems to have all of the must haves, but looks like you are also locked into some niche items, which is good if you want them, but bad if you don't need them. 

Hi Bucky,

While the SMART module is a niche item, IMO it goes hand in hand with the niche SLA battery power concept that is at the heart of RWA products.  I believe it is a must-have because customers are bound to accidentally leave the unit ON and kill the SLA batteries (this has happened before and it *will* happen again).  I've learned that I can't burden my customers with the responsibility of having to be careful to turn off their products when they are finished using them.  As simple as this is, people sometimes forget for whatever reason.  Therefore, I have decided that ALL RWA products going forward will feature the SMART module (making them much more user-friendly and eliminating any "battery fears" from potential buyers who already know they are not always responsible with turning off their equipment).  The user will no longer have to be concerned with "oops I forgot... dammit!" and I am not looking back. 

The built-in dac goes with the RWA philosophy of simplicity, as well as running off-the-grid (as the internal dac will also be ran off of the SLA power) and system synergy.  I am very confident that once people listen to the Isabella with built-in dac, they'll be hooked.  You simply add your digital source and get very musical and highly involving sound.  Your source can be a PC, MAC, DVD player, CD player, SB2, SB3, Olive, Sonos, etc. (or even a few of these) that has either a USB output or SPDIF (optical or coax).  I do believe that a good transport does make a difference, but one will not necessarily need to spend a lot of money for a transport (be it an optical transport or hard-drive based transport) to get excellent results.

If you already own an external dac, you can still use it with one of the analog inputs.  However, I do believe that the Isabella approach of incorporating the dac inside of the preamp and running it off-the-grid, and reducing the complexity of an added component (the external dac) and interconnects, will be preferred and may also have you thinking about selling your dac if you own one... and simplifying.

Those who only own a turntable and do not own any digital gear are the only ones that I can see who really wouldn't need the built-in dac, but I hope they keep their minds open and give it a try and compare it to vinyl... I am also confident that they will find that it does NOT sound all that "digital" 

Considering the competition I think 3K is definetly too high for someone who is just looking for a pre amp.  If your analog outputs are so so / good or your DAC is so so / good then its worth it, but I guess i'll have to wait for some unbiased reviews to see if the DAC/ preamp combo is worth it. 

I understand that this price point will not be inviting to everyone, but I am also very confident that it will compete very well with much more expensive preamps (and dacs) for those who are looking for a minimalist, highly musical and engaging experience and will actually be considered a very good value to those who have the chance to try the Isabella and compare it to the competition. 

Its suprising that Vinnie will not provide DAC info, when just about everyone out there will provide this info, this is not  typical item that is the "Secret" component.  I'm actually also very surprised that the headphone output isn't standard as I would think this niche product fits in pretty well with high end head-fi crowd. 

Regarding the dac, all I stated is "At this time, I am not disclosing these details..."  Please give me a chance... I am still in the design phase and quite a few dac chips have been and are continuing to be evaluated. 

Regarding the headphone output, if the headphone output is standard, I know that there will be certain people posting things like "Isabella seems to have all of the must haves, but looks like you are also locked into some niche items, which is good if you want them, but bad if you don't need them."   

I actually believe that this is not really overpriced for what it is being offered.  The biggest problem I find with the crowd concern here is that there are too many opinions for the many features to either be offered or taken off.  Perhaps the wisest thing to do is to simply have a "full monty" version or a "poor man's Isabella" available.

Hi Bemopti123,

Thank you for your post and understanding 

Although the voice of the customer must be decisive on all business related decisions, sometimes you have to build them and they will come for it.  There is NO PRODUCT out there that will satisfy the wishes of all.

Exactly!  Thank you.  I have been receiving many emails expressing lots of interest in the Isabella.  Many of these people don't even post here on AC (although they do read all these posts) and it is clear to me that the majority of those interested do love the idea of the built-in dac.  I am also getting the same kind of enthusiasm from dealers (and potential dealers) from around the world.  I have to admit that it is difficult for me to shy away from the Isabella concept as described with this kind of response 

As far as I am concern, I think the idea you have for this preamp is a killer.  I really hope it will continue the streak of success you have made so far with all the other products. 
 
Anyway, I like the idea of Isabella and also the price, it is not overpriced for what it offers.  To entice those reluctant ones, perhaps you should offer an special intro pricing.

Thank you very much!

As I mentioned before, pricing has not been made official and won't be until I get closer to production.

Best regards,

Vinnie

[kbuzz3]

The Isabella will be in direct competition with the 3k Dodd battery powered pre which got stellar reviews. An A/B shootout would be very interesting.

didnt welbourne also offer a battery tube pre amp? 

[Loftprojection]

The built-in dac goes with the RWA philosophy of simplicity, as well as running off-the-grid (as the internal dac will also be ran off of the SLA power) and system synergy.  I am very confident that once people listen to the Isabella with built-in dac, they'll be hooked.  You simply add your digital source and get very musical and highly involving sound. 

Ho yes, I second that Vinnie, I strongly agree and encourage you to keep that vision.  Ho no, I'm exciting myself again, I'll have trouble sleeping, you really had to use the "minimalist" argument.  Means I could use my RWA SB2 to Isabella to Signature and be off the grid, no AC noise, no need for power conditionning, miam miam! 

[ZLS]

I am a repeat customer of RWA.  I have owned and do own several pieces of RWA gear.  I purchase RWA products because ultimately my idea of a good sounding piece of equipment happens to coincide with Mr. Vinnie Rossi.  I do understand however, that it his vision and I am just along for the ride. 
    The Isabella preamp has a built in dac and costs $3000.  It will rise or fall on its own merits.  I can purchase and just use it as a preamp or I can take advantage of the dac if I choose.  It is up to me as the customer to determine if I want to spend my money on the product. 
    I have purchased vintage Intergrated amps in the past that have included working phono stages.  I did not find this feature to have any value in as much as it has been over 20 years since I owned a turntable.  I paid the price for the equipment because I thought it was worth it.  I then used the features that I desired and ignored the rest.  I believe the same logic applies to the Isabella. 
    I can pay $3000 for a battery powered preamp, or I can pay $3000 for a battery powered preamp that includes a battery powered dac.  The choice to buy is mine, the price I pay is up to Vinnie.  Ain't capitalism great!