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Isabellina dac / headphone amp - Page 3

post #31 of 149
5/21/09 at 8:05pm
Well, If I hadn't just gotten a new PS Audio Digital Link III and ALO/RWA Amphora, and HD800 on order I would have been all over it. But now I am broke. Sorry.
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post #32 of 149
5/22/09 at 11:23am
Quote:
Originally Posted by mrarroyo View Post
Vinnie, would you be willing to post a "ball park figure" if you had 10 buyers. Thanks.
Hi Miguel,

With 10 buyers, I think we can price it somewhere between $2k and $2.5k

Vinnie
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post #33 of 149
5/22/09 at 11:36am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Vinnie R. View Post
Hi Miguel,

With 10 buyers, I think we can price it somewhere between $2k and $2.5k

Vinnie
Can I say this is the Isabellina + Amphora - the IMod VCap feature?
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post #34 of 149
5/22/09 at 11:53am
Quote:
Originally Posted by GreenLeo View Post
Can I say this is the Isabellina + Amphora - the IMod VCap feature?
Hi GreenLeo,

The Isabellina HPA will not have the iMod dock feature.

All the other features have been mentioned in the posts above.

Best regards,

Vinnie
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post #35 of 149
5/22/09 at 12:19pm
Hi Vinnie,

My post used the symbol "-" ,the minus symbol, because the Amphora has the IMod VCap feature. If the amp of the Isabellina HPA is the same as the Amphora, then I'm definitely interested in it.

Best Regards,
GreenLeo
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post #36 of 149
5/22/09 at 12:31pm
Hi GreenLeo,

Yes - the Isabellina HPA will use the Isabella headphone amplifier board (which is the same as used in the Amphora).

The Isabellina dac is already a fantastic sounding source, and feeding this into the same board that we use in the Amphora will be an amazing pairing (I already heard the Isabella dac + Amphora combo, so I know how well they sound together!). With the Isabellina HPA, it is all in one enclosure (no interconnects or RCA jacks in the path) and powered by a high-current SLA battery. So expect great things!

I also might want to experiment with the wiring that Ken is using in the Amphora SE models because it sounds so good!

I'll keep you all posted,

Vinnie
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post #37 of 149
5/22/09 at 12:48pm
What would be the price of this SE model?
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post #38 of 149
5/22/09 at 12:53pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by GreenLeo View Post
What would be the price of this SE model?
I think Ken mentioned the price is $1275 for the Amphora SE. It is in a birdseye maple
enclosure and the wiring is all 22awg solid silver in a cotton jacket. He is only making 10 of them -
sort of a limited edition of the limited edition Amphoras!

The Amphora thread has more details:
http://www.head-fi.org/forums/5677227-post154.html
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post #39 of 149
5/22/09 at 1:09pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Vinnie R. View Post
Hi Miguel,

With 10 buyers, I think we can price it somewhere between $2k and $2.5k

Vinnie
Vinnie,

I'm interested but since I already have an Isabellina mine would be an upgrade (if available). Don't know if that would include me in 10 needed or not.

-Matt
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post #40 of 149
5/22/09 at 1:51pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Vinnie R. View Post
I think Ken mentioned the price is $1275 for the Amphora SE. It is in a birdseye maple
enclosure and the wiring is all 22awg solid silver in a cotton jacket. He is only making 10 of them -
sort of a limited edition of the limited edition Amphoras!

The Amphora thread has more details:
http://www.head-fi.org/forums/5677227-post154.html

Hi Vinnie,

Sorry that I didn't manage to express my question clearly. I'm asking the price of the Isabellina HPA with the SE wiring model. Or are you talking about this silver wiring will be the standard of the Isabellina HPA?

Finally, I wonder if you can make the HPA not hssing with the ES3X?
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post #41 of 149
5/23/09 at 4:37am

Gain stage?

Quote:
Originally Posted by Vinnie R. View Post
I'll need to pass the output of the dac (as well as analog inputs) to an input select switch. Doing all of this gives us a preamp.
You seem to be describing a passive preamp circuit? If this is too expensive to add, how do you get enough gain to drive head amps with the Isabelinna dac/headphone amp?
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post #42 of 149
5/23/09 at 10:22am
Vinni and Ken, this sure sounds like a great piece of gear, and one I would love to own specially w/ the added silver cables from the Amphora SE. Too bad my bank account is in deep trouble. But where there is a will there is a way!

Just to make sure I understand (yeah getting old sucks in more way than one). The dac used in both the Isabella and Isabellina is the same, correct?

Thanks.
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post #43 of 149
5/23/09 at 11:50am
Hi GreenLeo,

Quote:
I'm asking the price of the Isabellina HPA with the SE wiring model. Or are you talking about this silver wiring will be the standard of the Isabellina HPA?
The SE wiring would be a standard feature. I will get some from Ken and test it out in the Isabellina HPA. If I like it (based on what I hear with the Amphora SE, I know I will like it in the Isabellina HPA), I will use it.

Quote:
You seem to be describing a passive preamp circuit? If this is too expensive to add, how do you get enough gain to drive head amps with the Isabelinna dac/headphone amp?
Hi Frihed89,

The max output voltage would be approx. 2Vrms (standard "line level" output), which should be enough to drive most amplifiers to max output.

Quote:
Just to make sure I understand (yeah getting old sucks in more way than one). The dac used in both the Isabella and Isabellina is the same, correct?
Hi Miguel,

Yes, the Isabellina is the stand-alone dac unit that we sell and contains the Isabellina dac board. The Isabella (which is our tubed preamp) can be built with the Isabellina dac board installed - as an option. They are the same dac board, and this is what I would use in the Isabellina HPA.


Best regards,

Vinnie
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post #44 of 149
5/23/09 at 12:17pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Vinnie R. View Post
Hi GreenLeo,



The SE wiring would be a standard feature. I will get some from Ken and test it out in the Isabellina HPA. If I like it (based on what I hear with the Amphora SE, I know I will like it in the Isabellina HPA), I will use it.

...

Best regards,

Vinnie
Hi Vinnie,

That's a good news. Given the current pricing range, I'm very much interested.

Please confirm if there is a way to improve this HPA so that it is not hissing with the ES3X. I know that this is hard for such a sensitive IEM and you may need time for testing but I can wait.

Best Regards,

Green Leo
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post #45 of 149
5/23/09 at 12:30pm
Hi GreenLeo,

Thanks for reminding me. I forgot to mention:

The Isabellina HPA is going to be best suited for "non-IEM" headphones. Those IEMs are just too sensitive and their sensitivity is in the noise floor of the headphone amp (and dac), so I don't think they will be the best match.

Non-IEM headphones like various Senns, AKGs, Grados, Denons, Ultrasones, Sony (R10s especially!), Audio Technicas, etc. are the ones to pair with the Isabellina HPA.

Sorry I cannot accommodate the high-sensitivity IEM crowd with this one

-Vinnie

PS: I'll be away this weekend (leaving shortly) and will have limited internet access - but I'll try to respond to questions as soon as I can.
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