[Vinnie R.]

All,

By the end of this month we will have our website updated with our upcoming Isabellina dac unit (this is the stand-alone
dac that features the identical Isabellina dac module that we are offering as an option with our Isabella tube linestage).
We anticipate having the Isabellina ready to ship in early August. 

In this same time period, we will have our website updated with the new RWA cables (interconnects and speaker cables) that we
have been working on for quite a while... they are finally ready and being made as I type this message.  Details about their
design and synergy with RWA components will be discussed on our website soon.

We will also be making a special announcement in the next week or two (sorry this is just a big tease for now), so keep a close watch on the RWA forum 


Regarding the 6moons review of the "fully-loaded" Isabella, 6moons will be receiving their review unit in the first week full week of August... directly shipped to their new location in beautiful Switzerland!

I also want to announce that Tone Audio will have another "fully-loaded" Isabella reviewed in their October 2008 issue.  Jeff Dorgay himself will be doing the review and using the Isabella with his Signature 30.2 power amp.  Sources for the built-in Isabellina dac will include a Macbook (USB), the Wadia iTransporter (spdif), and I'm sure Jeff will also be connecting one of his analog rigs via the analog inputs.  aa

We will be lining up more reviews soon enough and will post when we have them confirmed.

Wishing you all a great weekend!

Vinnie

EDIT (7/19): I forgot to mention that David Abramson of StereoTimes (www.stereotimes.com) finished his review of the Signature 30.2 integrated and it will be posted any day now!

[krmathis]

Great to hear that you are on-schedule regarding the Isabellina.
The Isabella (with Isabellina DAC module) get some nice feedback around here, so I have huge expectations for the Isabellina. 

The cables and "special announcement" are quite exciting as well... Can't wait.

[nature boy]

y the end of this month we will have our website updated with our upcoming Isabellina dac unit (this is the stand-alone dac that features the identical Isabellina dac module that we are offering as an option with our Isabella tube linestage).  We anticipate having the Isabellina ready to ship in early August.

Very cool Vinny.  Thanks for offering the Isabelina as a stand alone dac unit.  Oh Gordy..............

NB

[Loftprojection]

Vinnie, did you or is there any pro lined up to do a comparative review between having just an Isabellina direct to Sig30.2 integrated versus a full Isabella/Isabellina to Sig30.2 power amp?  It would be nice to have an idea which attributes of the sound are most influenced and upgraded by adding the pre-amp in between, after all it is a "significant" amount of money difference for many of us.

Also, I guess with just an Isabellina you still get a few inputs right (optical, BNC, USB)?  I find this option kind of interesting for someone like me who plugs just two type of input, an RWA SB2 via BNC and a DVD player via optical plus the possibility of Macbook USB. 

[pert]

I (as newb) am wondering if this DAC (16 bit) will play, ultimately emerging 24 bit music.
I suppose no since it is 16 bit DAC. But if someone can clarify this for me please.
If no, I suppose there was some reason for choosing this road...

[jrebman]

Vinnie.,

Any clues as to the form factor for Isabellina?  Same size as 30.2, etc., or narrower or shorter chassis?

Thanks,

Jim

[Vinnie R.]

Vinnie, did you or is there any pro lined up to do a comparative review between having just an Isabellina direct to Sig30.2 integrated versus a full Isabella/Isabellina to Sig30.2 power amp?

Hi LP,

There is no review lined-up to do a review of the Isbellina + 30.2 integrated versus the Isabella/Isabellina + 30.2 power amp.  The upcoming reviews of the Isabella will feature the 30.2 power amp and RWA cabling.

I (as newb) am wondering if this DAC (16 bit) will play, ultimately emerging 24 bit music.
I suppose no since it is 16 bit DAC. But if someone can clarify this for me please.
If no, I suppose there was some reason for choosing this road...

Hi pert,

Welcome to Audiocircle and the RWA forum!

Whatever you can send via SPDIF (optical or coax) or via USB will play with the Isabellina dac. 

Any clues as to the form factor for Isabellina?  Same size as 30.2, etc., or narrower or shorter chassis?

Hi Jim,

I can give you all the clues now:  aa

The Isabellina will use the same style enclosure as the 30.2, 70.2, Isabella.  The front panel will look like a 30.2 power amp (just the power switch on the left, and of course it will say "Isabellina" on the bottom).  The back panel will have the 3 digital input jacks, the mini-toggle selector switch (switch position will line up with the input jack selected), vampire RCA jacks, and charger jack. 

The Isabellina will feature the same new style charger charger and SMART board that is featured with the Sig 30.2, 70.2, and Isabella products.  Just like the Isabella with built-in Isabellina option, we will also include the 6ft USB cable and a BNC-to-RCA adapter plug for those who are using a source that does not use 75-ohm BNC.  The Isabellina will also have the same 5-year warranty as all RWA products.

Best regards,

Vinnie

[kitten]

Hi Vinnie,

Would a downloaded Hi-Res file sent to the 16bit Isabellina NOSNOS DAC be expected to sound better, worse or the same as the equivalent 16bit redbook WAV file?

[jrebman]

Vinnie,

Thanks for the sneak preview.  Will definitely be staying tuned to this one.

-- Jim

P.S. -- the 30.2 now has about 500 hours on it (gets played 10-12 hours a day, pretty much every day) and is sounding sublime.  I'll be getting some new, custom designed and built speakers to try with it, fairly soon -- should be very interesting.

[jrebman]

Is it August yet?

[Vinnie R.]

Hi Vinnie,

Would a downloaded Hi-Res file sent to the 16bit Isabellina NOSNOS DAC be expected to sound better, worse or the same as the equivalent 16bit redbook WAV file?

Hi kitten,

You can pass any sample rate up to 192kHz into the Isabellina dac and it will work just fine.  It does not upsample/oversample, so whatever you pass in it will use.

If you have a transport that can output 24-bit via SPDIF, the Isabellina dac simply truncates the word length to 16-bit. 

As for which sounds better (16-bit redbook or high-res), I suppose it depends on the actual recording, your tastes, etc.  I'm sure you will hear the difference between the two files, but I am NOT under the belief that the "high res" version 'always' sounds better. 

Hi Jim,

Glad you are enjoying your 30.2 and the Isabellina is a really nice addition to it!  We are already building the stand-alone Isabellina units and we should have them ready for sale (and on our website) early next week! 

The new RWA cables will also be ready then! 

Best regards,

Vinnie

[Vinnie R.]

All,

This has been an extremely busy week for me, but I am planning on having the webpages for the Isabellina (stand-alone dac unit) and RWA cables finished and posted on our website over the weekend, and will be up for sale starting on Monday. 

We will also be making a special announcement in the next week or two (sorry this is just a big tease for now), so keep a close watch on the RWA forum 

We plan to have this announced later next week... these are very exciting times! 

Cheers!

Vinnie

[jrebman]

My money's on the silver faceplate option -- for at least one of the big announcements .

Now I just have to figure out if I should go for the DAC alone, or wait to raise the extra dough for the full preamp.

Must be patient, must be patient -- my new mantra.

-- Jim

[borelek]

Quite in the same mood as jrebman. But I'm planning to ear the Isabella very soon by 6rs in Switzerland.

By the way, I've my little idea about the big announcement

all the best

serge

[mcullinan]

My money's on the silver faceplate option -- for at least one of the big announcements .

Now I just have to figure out if I should go for the DAC alone, or wait to raise the extra dough for the full preamp.

Must be patient, must be patient -- my new mantra.

-- Jim

hehe... ive said that to myself Oh so many times... hasnt worked for me yet, I hope you have better luck!
Mike

[jrebman]

Serge,

I think that an early listen would be too much for me right now .  I'll just have to live vicariously through the reports of others.

Mike, if you saw the state of my audio savings fund and the stack of medical bills sitting next to it, you'd see that it's much easier than you think .  Let's see, refinance?  OH, that would go over so well, I can tell.

-- Jim

[mcullinan]

Definitely take care of yourself first.

Mike

[jrebman]

But that's what the new preamp would do -- cure me of all ills .

[jrebman]

Good stuff, Vinnie .

I'll never tell .

-- Jim

[Vinnie R.]

But that's what the new preamp would do -- cure me of all ills .

Hi Jim,

Yes, the Isabella preamp cures all! 

Seriously, the big news is not a silver faceplate.  We'll be looking into that at some point, but it is
not a high priority for us right now.

Tomorrow we'll have the Isabellina dac and the new RWA cables pages up... almost finished!

The big announcement will be posted in the next 1 to 2 weeks (possibly as early as Friday) 

Best regards,

Vinnie