[adamaley]

Decided to upgrade from my CIaudio VDA-2 to the Isabellina. It'll be slotted into my Squeezebox, Odyssey Candela preamp, Stratos amp(maxed), Quad 22l2 system, with Reality Cables throughout. Im looking for a richer, fuller-bodied, more analogue, dynamic sound. Advice from a couple of Audiocirclers sent me in this direction. I felt I needed to get the best source reasonably possible, before upgrading my speakers down the road.
I remember reading sometime back about how to handle initial battery charging so as to not negatively affect the life of the SLA batteries. Can anyone expand on this? Also, what can I expect soundwise during break-in?

[jwes]

The battery charging should take care of itself through the smart charging module.  It will turn itself off when needed and recharge.  If you want to keep listening (charge on my Isabella + Isabellina is quite long - maybe 7 hours), switch it to AC.  But it's probably good to give a full charge (light will indicate) before using the first time.

What to expect with break in? - awesome, getting awesomer  with time!!

[wilsynet]

0-50 hours:  You'll wonder what all the fuss is about and regret that you purchased the Isabellina.

50 - 75 hours:  Things start to come to life, but you wonder if money would have better been spent elsewhere.

75 - 100 hours:  Not bad.  You now know why people like this thing.

100 - 150 hours:  Really good.  You're not sure if it's one of the best DACs you've ever heard, but it's right up there.

150 - 200 hours:  Smooth, with resolution, and supremely dynamic.  Definitely a first rate, top tier DAC.  You may never want for anything more.

[Vinnie R.]

Decided to upgrade from my CIaudio VDA-2 to the Isabellina. It'll be slotted into my Squeezebox, Odyssey Candela preamp, Stratos amp(maxed), Quad 22l2 system, with Reality Cables throughout. Im looking for a richer, fuller-bodied, more analogue, dynamic sound. Advice from a couple of Audiocirclers sent me in this direction. I felt I needed to get the best source reasonably possible, before upgrading my speakers down the road.
I remember reading sometime back about how to handle initial battery charging so as to not negatively affect the life of the SLA batteries. Can anyone expand on this? Also, what can I expect soundwise during break-in?

Hi adamaley,

Yes - the Isabellina features our SMART board which will monitor the battery voltage and automatically turn OFF if the voltage gets too low.  Otherwise, you simply turn it ON and OFF just like any other product, but when it is OFF, it is charging.

The owner's manual goes into more detail about this, as well as break-in and much more.

If you want to keep listening (charge on my Isabella + Isabellina is quite long - maybe 7 hours), switch it to AC.

Yes - but this is only a feature for the Isabella preamp.  The Isabellina and all other RWA products do not have this AC switch feature.  However, the Isabellina dac can play beyond 12 hours on a full charge - so you can play all day and night if you wish...

Also, here are some Isbellina links on audiocircle (which you might find helpful, or at least an interesting read):

http://www.audiocircle.com/index.php?topic=58678.0

http://www.audiocircle.com/index.php?topic=69303.0

http://www.audiocircle.com/index.php?topic=65713.0

http://www.audiocircle.com/index.php?topic=63514.0

Im looking for a richer, fuller-bodied, more analogue, dynamic sound.

This is what the Isabellina dac is all about - so I know you are going to love it! 

Current lead-time is approx. 2 to 3 weeks.  I will email you as soon as it ships. 

Please keep us posted, and thanks for purchasing your Isabellina dac!

Happy listening, always,

Vinnie

[adamaley]

Thanks for the information guys. I must say, I'm proper hyped to get this into my sytem. I'll be sure to read all the links provided, Vinnie. Hopefully they dont make it any harder for me to keep patient.

[adamaley]

Received my Red Wine Audio Isabellina today. I must say great packaging. FLAWLESS. Came already charged. Took a quick listen, but can't give it much of a workout, have to go out paint the town red. I'll spend time tomorrow listening (not critically, mind), while my Vikings beat some Steel.
Thanks for the quick turnaround time, Vinnie. If I can get hold of a camera, I'll post some pictures.

[mca]

How are you liking your Isabellina now that it's had some playing time?

[adamaley]

I am loving it thus far. Want to really make sure it's completely broken in before I post any comprehensive impressions. What I can say I noticed from the onset till now as a constant is a warmth and total lack of glare/etch/grain/overzealous treble. That in itself takes care of one critical checkbox. Also, there is an added weight to each instrument that at first was unnerving and took some getting used to. I never felt my system was capable of such dimensionality. I feel this past weekend was when vocals bloomed and took on a human essence, and tonight I'm noticing an overall added sense of smoothness. Its been an interesting ride, keeping in mind that I listen to my system everyday. I'll post a review this weekend when I find time. Bottom-line is I am keeping this piece, and it just may prove to be the best upgrade in my short audiophile life.

[Vinnie R.]

I am loving it thus far. Want to really make sure it's completely broken in before I post any comprehensive impressions. What I can say I noticed from the onset till now as a constant is a warmth and total lack of glare/etch/grain/overzealous treble. That in itself takes care of one critical checkbox. Also, there is an added weight to each instrument that at first was unnerving and took some getting used to. I never felt my system was capable of such dimensionality. I feel this past weekend was when vocals bloomed and took on a human essence, and tonight I'm noticing an overall added sense of smoothness. Its been an interesting ride, keeping in mind that I listen to my system everyday. I'll post a review this weekend when I find time. Bottom-line is I am keeping this piece, and it just may prove to be the best upgrade in my short audiophile life.

Hi Adamaley,

Thanks for posting your feedback - and I'm happy to hear you are enjoying your Isabellina! 

What you describe is what the Isabellina dac is all about - total musical enjoyment! 

Enjoy!

Vinnie

[adamaley]

Hi guys,

Planned on writing this over the weekend, but was busy. As promised, my impressions on the Red Wine Audio Isabellina. I would say, I've been on this quest for 3 years. My affliction was caused by a set of Klipsch promedia computer speakers, which just sounded better than I felt reproduced music had any business sounding. I just had to investigate. Since then I've gone through modest gear culminating in my current system of:
Squeezebox----(stereovox hdxv2)-----Isabelina----(Reality ICs)------Odyssey Candela----(Reality ICs)-----Odyssey Stratos Stereo Extreme----(Reality SC)----Quad 22l2s

I am enjoying the journey thus far. In terms of DACs, I've progressed from a Rotel RCD-975 player to CIAudio VDA2---to the Isabellina.  I listen to a lot of Jazz, World Music, Reggae, Classical, Blues, others in that order, a very acoustic predilection.

I have read many debates as to whether speakers or the source is the most important food in the chain. I weighed both in terms of an upgrade and came to the conclusion that if I were to upgrade my speakers, it will simply augment the current state of my system. However, improving the source will give me a better grasp of what my current speakers are capable of, and will make a speaker upgrade more meaningful. And there you have it: Isabellina made her bow.

For the record, a lot of my impressions will be relative to my former DAC, VDA-2. I spoke earlier about how much warmer and fuller sounding the Isabellina was during break-in. I liked that about  it because it banished all my anxiety about fatique. However, I had a worry in the back of my head about a lack of fire coming forth. There was less of an edge to the sound. Something that I had gotten used to on some recordings. Well, I worry no more. There is high frequency energy to spare, it just came late to the party and in different clothing. It is of a more refined demeanor, and I must say it bodes well for the metal tweeters of my speakers.

In the latter stages of break-in things really smoothed out. Cymbals started to shimmer instead of crackle. Voices glowed and energized the space around and ahead of them even more. Instruments became more alive. They were more present. You could hear and to a larger extent feel them being aroused, reacting and then giving of themselves, harmonious sound. There were more overtones to the sounds of these instruments I had heard time and again. They never felt like they were missing, but now I wont let them leave.

The music seems to flow even better. I don't know much about PRAT, don't know how its supposed to look, but I do know how it makes me feel, and as long as it stays that way, what a wonderful world this would be. I really believe there is an increase in so many audiophilic elements that just makes everything flow. There is more air, a greater sense of reverb, space and venue, longer decay, and a feeling that no one frequency is overly dominant. The sounds tend to comingle more realistically as well, and they seem to be weighted exactly as they would in real life, and their pulses reach you, all at just the right time. And it does feel right!!

Mind you, I haven't done much system auditioning. I can't say I'm personally friends with another "audiophile". Most of what I know, I read. I always knew about "depth" charges, pixel "resolution", programming "transients" in java, my teacher always called me a "dynamic" student, and I always knew flowers "bloomed." Well, now I feel I know what the hell you guys talk about. And, listening to classical music finally puts the cherry on top of this cake.

I hear individual violins get resolved. Trombones are way deep in the stage, yet their body remains so much more intact. Drums, I admit, now scare me. Transients all over the place. Dynamics galore!! Oh dear, where have I been all this time. I feel so spoiled, and yet it seems I haven't scraped enough crust off this pie to get to the goodies.

A speaker upgrade is being engineered as I type. I know I fail at audiophile speak, but the Isabellina has me hurtling out of the comforts of my sheltered, safe musical existence. I now understand what is possible, and what can be achieved. I now understand, people. I now understand that voices, even bass can be dry. I never imagined I will hear a sax really sound like one. Well people, I guess it's what you guys call tone, with some transient attack mixed in, a generous amount of air, I presume, and a good helping of body coupled with enough detail to hear the occasional elusive finger work. Oh la la!

Now there are reports that one Isabella can add to this terrible drug and potentially cause an overdose. Well, I guess if that's what it takes......

[truant]

I'm looking at the Isabellina to replace my mhdt Havana DAC but would appreciate some feedback and experienced insight before I decide.  My system currently consists of a MacBook/Havana DAC/Bel Canto usbLink/LFD integrated amplifier and Vandersteen 1C loudspeakers.  Cabling includes a Locus Design Polestar USB/Pure Note Alluvion PCs/Pure Note Titanium ICs/LFD speaker cables.  I've also upgraded the tube in the DAC and use a variety of Herbies Audio Lab dampers and isolation devices.  I feel that I've gotten fairly close to getting the most from this setup and I don't have any issues with it's overall sound.  However, if I could make some gains in resolution, if I could hear more into the music through the Isabellina it would be an easy upgrade decision.  I've only come across one review that mentions these two DACS in the same breath and the RWA DAC
apparently surpasses the Havana in this regard.  Any further thoughts or experiences?  Thanks...

[ALOaudio]

I'm looking at the Isabellina to replace my mhdt Havana DAC but would appreciate some feedback and experienced insight before I decide.  My system currently consists of a MacBook/Havana DAC/Bel Canto usbLink/LFD integrated amplifier and Vandersteen 1C loudspeakers.  Cabling includes a Locus Design Polestar USB/Pure Note Alluvion PCs/Pure Note Titanium ICs/LFD speaker cables.  I've also upgraded the tube in the DAC and use a variety of Herbies Audio Lab dampers and isolation devices.  I feel that I've gotten fairly close to getting the most from this setup and I don't have any issues with it's overall sound.  However, if I could make some gains in resolution, if I could hear more into the music through the Isabellina it would be an easy upgrade decision.  I've only come across one review that mentions these two DACS in the same breath and the RWA DAC
apparently surpasses the Havana in this regard.  Any further thoughts or experiences?  Thanks...

Hi I have both the Red Wine Audio Isabellina HPA and the MHDT Labs Havana units and spent a short time swapping them back and fourth with the Music Hall 25.2 DAC. The Havana is a really nice DAC (especially for the price) however found the HPA to be preferred in with the items in my little system. I am also using a Macbook, with a MiniWatt, Omega XRS5s and the Deep Hemp sub. However the HPA had a sweeter sound and the notes had cleaner decay. The HPA was a little more musical as well. I think its also hard to get that kind of special sound you can get when your running on a SLA battery.

KB

[TONEPUB]

0-50 hours:  You'll wonder what all the fuss is about and regret that you purchased the Isabellina.

50 - 75 hours:  Things start to come to life, but you wonder if money would have better been spent elsewhere.

75 - 100 hours:  Not bad.  You now know why people like this thing.

100 - 150 hours:  Really good.  You're not sure if it's one of the best DACs you've ever heard, but it's right up there.

150 - 200 hours:  Smooth, with resolution, and supremely dynamic.  Definitely a first rate, top tier DAC.  You may never want for anything more.

I don't know, mine sounded pretty darn good out of the box!

[Vinnie R.]

Hi Adamley,

Thank you for your excellent review of your Isabellina!  I enjoyed reading it, and really appreciate all your effort in describing how your Isabellina has improved your listening experience. 

Hi Ken,

However the HPA had a sweeter sound and the notes had cleaner decay. The HPA was a little more musical as well. I think its also hard to get that kind of special sound you can get when your running on a SLA battery.

Thanks for your comparison!

I don't know, mine sounded pretty darn good out of the box!

Hi Jeff,

I agree with wilsynet that after approx. 100 hours - Isabellina really starts to sound damn good, but I also agree that right out of the box, most people would be very pleased.  But after that break-in time, everyone (including myself) is surprised by how much better it gets!  The music really comes to life (as posted in this thread and in many others) and you will have long-term listening pleasure and satisfaction with your digital music 

Thanks again for all your posts!

Vinnie

[truant]

I had one additional question I forgot to ask on my previous post.  I'm currently using the Bel Canto usbLink with the Havana and without question like what it does.  I was thinking I would also use it with the Isabellina.  The Positive Feedback review encourages this and it was a similar review of the Havana and the usbLink that brought this combination to my attention in the first place.  It would also cut $500 from the cost of the RWA dac.  Is there anything I might be missing by NOT getting the usb option?  Thanks for the helpful feedback.

[adamaley]

I didn't get mine with the USB option, so I wouldn't be able to comment on it. I use RCA, and I love the sound. Its even gotten better since I wrote my impressions. Maybe, down the road, I'll look into some dejitterizing.