[Vinnie R.]

All,

I often receive emails containing feedback from those who do not post on audiocircle (not everyone likes to sign up and
post on a public forum - for whatever reason, and this is fine).  Here are two recent emails from Isabella customers that I'd
like to share (with permission):

From Denmark:

Vinnie,

Yesterday I received the Isabella !.........
 
Of course I had expected the Isabella to be good, but I was not prepared that it would be
that good (read: beyond imagination).

Right out of the box it played equal to a Copland CTA 301 and Audio Note 2.1x Signature – both installed
with the best tubes to find (Siemens Cca from the 60’es), equipment stands from Black Diamond Racing, special mains cables and a PurePower mains re-generator.
 
After only 2 hours it plays significantly better than the Copland/Audio Note combination.
Today after approx 24 hours of burn-in it totally blew the Copland/Audio Note combination away !
Isabella is my new standard which all other preamps and DAC’s have to be compared with !

I for sure must admit that I’m most impressed what you have been capable of in relation to the Isabella –
I can tell that you have used an impressive amount of hours and many sleepless hours to get to this almost
unbelievable result – and that’s what really differs your work from all the rest – you have my deepest respect !

Thank you,

Carsten

Here is one from Singapore:

Hi Vinnie,

I love how the Isabella sounds! Had an audition yesterday and we put the Isabella up against the ModWright
LS36.5 and the Isabella came out tops! On first hearing the MW seems to have more upper extension but it soon
became apparent that the Isabella is not less extended, but more analog sounding, better balanced and  definitely
more musical. It deals with complex passages much better and we find we can not only listen without ear fatique,
we can listen LOUD at live levels without fatique For me that is the real  test... Great stuff Vinnie!!

Haven't had the chance to really listen to the DAC yet... but first impressions are really good!

Cheers,
Ray

In both cases, my customers are using the stock JJ 6922 tubes...

Thank you all for your continued feedback and support!

Vinnie

[jrebman]

Congratulations once again, Vinnie!

That's some nice gear to have been compared to -- and the results really quite impressive.

Take care,

Jim

[stevenkelby]

Nice one Vinnie!

Can't wait, some day soon, she will be mine!

[pardales]

Well done! 

[Vinnie R.]

Thank you ,everyone! 

[Vinnie R.]

Here is a "teaser" that I spotted from Jeff at Tone Audio:
http://www.audiocircle.com/index.php?topic=59229.0

...the synergy with my 30.2 is perfect and after
a week of listening will be trying his cables in that system
too.

So far the DAC is very well done.  My Sooloos music server
really has a marginal on board DAC, so the Isabella
was good for a HUGE jump in performance right there.

A full review will be in our October issue, but I can
already tell you this one is another home run for RWA.

If you are on the fence and have a 30.2, (or one of Vinnies
other amps) this is as easy as it gets!

Thanks for your post, Jeff!  Looking forward to the October issue!  aa

Vinnie

[Vinnie R.]

Update -

Srajan of 6moons will be doing some traveling - a Serbian RoadTour as well as the Top Audio show in Milan, Italy....  looks like the Isabella review process follow after these events (late September / October)...

Vinnie

[Srajan Ebaen]

What can I say - just got settled in and the road calls. Vinnie is right, we're leaving for Serbia on Thursday, come back next Tuesday and leave for Milan two days later for another 4 days. After that's, it's Isabella time. She's already playing on the WLM Grand Viola Signatures and in conjunction with the 30.2 as amp, everything is very promising indeed 

[Vinnie R.]

What can I say - just got settled in and the road calls. Vinnie is right, we're leaving for Serbia on Thursday, come back next Tuesday and leave for Milan two days later for another 4 days. After that's, it's Isabella time. She's already playing on the WLM Grand Viola Signatures and in conjunction with the 30.2 as amp, everything is very promising indeed 

Hi Srajan,

I was hoping to make it to the Milan show - but just got too busy and I need to gear up for RMAF!

Enjoy your travels and looking forward to reading the show reports...

Vinnie

PS: Glad to hear you are all settled in - moving can be such a big stress (it was for us a few years ago!  )

[Alwayswantmore]

Srajan, enjoy your travels. Looks like September is going to be a looooong month (...waiting on the 6 Moons review). 

[borelek]

Srajan, enjoy your travels. Looks like September is going to be a looooong month (...waiting on the 6 Moons review). 

During this time, I went to 6rs and enjoyed the bliss of a full Isabelle ( sorry Isabella, the fact is Isabelle is the surname of his daughter and the one of my wife) and sig 30.2 experience.

I spent only one hour and half, and endured a very big frustration. The big problem : it's almost impossible to test such a bunch. Yes, impossible to switch from a configuration to another, impossible to stop the music I was listen to ... It's so wonderfull you forgot all of your technical curiosity and enjoy the music for itself.

Back to the reality I'm counting my bucks to ask, as a first step, a Sig to Winnie.

A big thank-you to 6rs for his perfect sense of hospitality.

[borelek]

oups sorry

[Vinnie R.]

All,

Here is a link to a review by Head-Fi member "Skylab."  He is a very well-respected Head-Fi member we has owned and reviewed a lot of top-notch gear, and really put the fully-loaded Isabella to the test (especially using the headphone output stage) and made a very nice effort with this review and we greatly appreciate it!

http://www.head-fi.org/forums/f113/review-redwineaudio-isabella-tube-preamp-dac-headphone-amp-368375/

Here are a couple of quotes from the review:

Let’s get the gushing out of the way. The Isabella is the best sounding headphone amp AND the best sounding preamp I have ever had the privilege of having in my home. It was better than any of my Singlepower amps, better than my Krell preamp, and sounded better as a DAC than my Denon DVD-5900, and took my main hi-fi to another level. I desperately wish that I could afford to buy it. It sounds phenomenal.........

While my Krell preamp comes very, very close, the Isabella is at once more colorless and also more musical. Some of what I perceive from the Krell as neutrality is actually some “enhanced” etch and detail that the Isabella doesn’t burden the listener with. The Isabella has all the detail of the Krell, but delivers a more relaxed musical presentation without using sonic colorations to deliver it. It was breathtaking.

I had always considered my Singlepower Extreme to be a highly transparent amp. And in the grand scheme of things, it is. But it is not in the same league as the Isabella in this regard. The Isabella sets a new reference point for me in terms of what transparency means in an audio device. I am quite certain it’s the most transparent sounding audio device I have ever heard."

Thank you, Skylab! 

Vinnie