[Vinnie R.]

All,

The Isabellina review on Positive Feedback Online is now up:
http://www.positive-feedback.com/Issue42/redwine.htm

Anyhow, the Isabellina is a wonderfully musical DAC that allows for hours and hours of stress free musical enjoyment—like a glass or two of wine! The Isabellina possesses no edge, grit, or grain… no harshness or hyped presence or detail to detract from your listening pleasure. Tonally even with a rock-solid like presence, the Isabellina is like a fine wine; drink it in and enjoy the day …err, music. Way to go Vinnie!

I want to thank Dave Clark of Positive Feedback Online for taking the time to review the Isabellina.  I also liked all the connections in the review to red wine! 

Thanks again,

Vinnie

[veloaudio]

Good read.

I'm crossing my fingers that the mailman delivers my Isabellina tomorrow! 

[kitten]

Hmmmm  16/44.1 and no hi res? I had thought it was the same implementation as used in the Isabella, which can handle up to 192kHZ?

[Mariusz]

right on the money.............. still love it -
more and more. 
Isabellina really lets me enjoy my digital rig and MacBook Air convenience without the annoying edginess as well as excessive, artificial detail ....... commonly known as - jitter. No, it is not eliminated  but it sounds like it is. 

Regards
Mariusz 

[Vinnie R.]

Hmmmm  16/44.1 and no hi res? I had thought it was the same implementation as used in the Isabella, which can handle up to 192kHZ?

Hi Kitten,

The Isabellina dac is the same as used in the Isabella tube preamp (if you order it with the dac option), and yes, it can accept up to 192kHz sample rate.  It does not oversample beyond what it is given, but if it is given 44.1, 96, 192, etc. -- this is what it keeps.

I don't know how I missed it when I read through the review, but I see there was confusion about this.  I'll contact the editor.  Thanks for pointing this out!

ght on the money.............. still love it -
more and more.  In love
Isabellina really lets me enjoy my digital rig and MacBook Air convenience without the annoying edginess as well as excessive, artificial detail ....... commonly known as - jitter. No, it is not eliminated  but it sounds like it is.  Drool

Hi Mariusz,

Glad you are still in love with her!   


Hi veloaudio,

Welcome to Audiocircle and the RWA forum!  I hope you received your Isabellina today and are too busy to post about it now because you are enjoying the music too much to pull yourself away! 

Happy listening,

Vinnie

[veloaudio]

...

Hi veloaudio,

Welcome to Audiocircle and the RWA forum!  I hope you received your Isabellina today and are too busy to post about it now because you are enjoying the music too much to pull yourself away! 

Happy listening,

Vinnie

Have been listening for about 2 hrs now. I've been trying to A/B Apple Lossless + Isabellina with my well broken in Meridian 508.20 (balanced out). I'm currently using two very similar headphone amps for both setups to facilitate an easier transition between the two. Same headphones, Audio Technica W3000 (W100 with L3000 drivers). It might sound crazy but in the first 2 hrs I've notice the low frequency extension of the Isabellina improve. I like what I'm hearing so far and I look forward to more break-in time.

Amazing packing job by the way. This thing could have survived a major drop without injury.

More impressions and comments forth coming. I need to pry myself away from listening or I'll be up all night 

-Matt

[wilsynet]

The biggest change I noticed in the Isabellina between 0 - 200 hours is the improvement to micro and macro dynamics.  It delivers, unlike so many other NOS DACs out there, a superbly dynamic performance.

It is interesting that the reviewer used a re-clocker like the Empirical Pace Car or the Bel Canto USB Link 24/96 and saw improvements in detail.  I am left wondering if those improvements (to my ears) would be at the cost of the relaxed and smooth presentation of the Isabellina.

[veloaudio]

The biggest change I noticed in the Isabellina between 0 - 200 hours is the improvement to micro and macro dynamics.  It delivers, unlike so many other NOS DACs out there, a superbly dynamic performance.

It is interesting that the reviewer used a re-clocker like the Empirical Pace Car or the Bel Canto USB Link 24/96 and saw improvements in detail.  I am left wondering if those improvements (to my ears) would be at the cost of the relaxed and smooth presentation of the Isabellina.

Good to hear. I look forward to breaking the Isabellina in although I'm very happy straight out of the box.

Speaking of the Positive Feedback review, I noticed the reviewer used a $1200 USB cable    I won't be purchasing one of those. I am looking forward to trying out some Red Wine interconnects though 

[Vinnie R.]

I am looking forward to trying out some Red Wine interconnects though 

Hi Matt,

Glad to hear you are enjoying your Isabellina.  wilsynet is correct - it really opens up with some hours on it!

I should have your 1.5 foot RWA interconnects ready in just a couple of days...

Thanks for your posts,

Vinnie

[Vinnie R.]

All,

We are currently all sold out of the Isabellina dac, but we are in the process of a new production run and they will be available in early April 2009 (just a couple of weeks!). 

Best regards,

Vinnie

[veloaudio]

All,

We are currently all sold out of the Isabellina dac, but we are in the process of a new production run and they will be available in early April 2009 (just a couple of weeks!). 

Best regards,

Vinnie

Glad I got mine when I did 

To any potential buyers, the short wait will be worth it!

[PhillipC]

I hope so.  Still patiently waiting for mine.  Keeping my fingers crossed it'll be next week

Vinnie did a great job in shipping it out for me!

[veloaudio]

I'm currently listening to 'Georgia' on Charles Loyd's 'The Water is Wide'. The piano is so real and Charle's sax sounds incredible, so raw and real. Might sound cliche but I feel like this is the first time I've really heard this song. With previous sources (Meridian 508.20/24, RA Opus 21, Cary 303-200, Rega Planet, Naim 3.5 w/Flatcap) I've had hard time distinguishing the cymbals from recording noise (hiss) but not now. Now there is a real presence to the music. Absolutely amazing. I've recently been running my Isabellina for 12-16 hrs a day trying to break her in. I think I'm somewhere around 50-60 hrs now.

[Vinnie R.]

Hi PhillipC,

Welcome to the RWA forum, and I hope you receive your Isabellina soon!


Hi veloaudio,

...had hard time distinguishing the cymbals from recording noise (hiss) but not now. Now there is a real presence to the music. Absolutely amazing.

Realism and presence are on the list of things that you should expect to get from a purist, non-oversampling, digital filterless dac with discrete class A output stage     

Thanks for your updated impressions!  I'm glad that you are enjoying your Isabellina.

Best regards,

Vinnie

[PhillipC]

Well I am happy to say that I am part of the Red Wine Audio Family now.  Just received my Isabellina DAC today and it's hooked up and burning in on hour 1 of many more hours I'm sure.   

[veloaudio]

Well I am happy to say that I am part of the Red Wine Audio Family now.  Just received my Isabellina DAC today and it's hooked up and burning in on hour 1 of many more hours I'm sure.   

Congrats and welcome to the family!

[Vinnie R.]

Well I am happy to say that I am part of the Red Wine Audio Family now.  Just received my Isabellina DAC today and it's hooked up and burning in on hour 1 of many more hours I'm sure.   

Congrats and welcome to the family!

Hi Phil,

Excellent - please keep us posted!

Happy listening,

Vinnie