Isabellina HPA LFP-V Edition (Discontinued)

Headphone Amplifier and DAC

Audiophile headphone amplifier with built-in DAC. Doubles as high-end standalone digital-to-analog converter. Available with high-res (24/192k) playback.

Overview

Isabellina HPA combines Isabella’s headphone stage with Isabellina’s digital-to-analog converter. Discriminating headphone users will find the sound hard to beat at any price!

  • Latest generation of our much loved Isabellina HPA
    Upgrade available for previous versions
  • Delivers a highly-resolved and seductive headphone listening experience
  • Couples warmth and tone, while uncovering subtle details and delicate spatial cues
  • Runs on LFP batteries, so HPA can be easily transported to the patio or work
  • Includes remote volume control for added convenience
  • Supports three types of digital connectivity (USB, Coaxial and Optical)
  • Red Book (16-bit) playback ships standard
  • Isabellina Pro Icon Optional Isabellina Pro adds high-resolution playback (24/192k)
  • Optional 4-pin XLR balanced output stage
LFP-V Features

Learn about the unique design innovations behind our sound.

  • Vacuum Tube IconTube Stage
    Adds richness and warmth.
  • LFP Battery IconLFP Battery
    State-of-the-art technology.
  • SMART Battery Monitoring Chip IconSMART Battery Monitoring
    Fully automates all aspects of battery management.

Renaissance Edition upgrades available for existing customers

Doubles as external DAC or linestage for digital music
  • HPA’s tube-stage also feeds rear-panel outputs -- Just add an interconnect cable to enjoy your Isabellina DAC in any audio system
  • Outputs can be ordered fixed or variable, at no additional cost
  • Choose variable outputs and your HPA can feed a 2ch power amp, eliminating the need for a separate linestage when listening to digital music
  • Combination of variable outputs and supplied remote control make leaving the comfort of your listening chair harder than ever!
Take your entire headphone system off-the-grid!

Optional 5V/12Vdc output jack allows you to take select products like Wadia i170, Onkyo ND-S1, Pure  i20 and others off AC power, letting you harness the benefits of LFP battery-power for your entire headphone rig.

*Custom-made DC power cable sold separately

Reviews

Isabellina DAC now part of Jeff Dorgay’s reference system

“Not only did it get one of our PC awards, I purchased the review sample and have been using it as a reference component for almost a year on a daily basis.”

Source: Jeff Dorgay, TONEAudio Magazine
Download TONEAudio Issue 42

Referencing Red Wine Audio’s Isabellina HPA DAC/headphone amp, this is the question Steve Guttenberg poses in CNET News. But, Isabellina HPA LFP-V Edition owners already know the answer.

“I’ve reviewed and auditioned a lot of headphone amplifiers over the years, but Red Wine Audio’s Isabellina HPA LFP-V Edition stood out from the pack… It sounds remarkably pure, detailed, and clean, but without any false clarity.”
“…acoustic music sounded a giant step closer to the way it does in real life…”
“… Isabellina sounded more like live music.”

Source: Steve Guttenberg, CNET News

“…Red Wine Audio Isabellina is the best USB DAC / amp solution I have heard. There’s nothing more to say really, this is quite clearly the best sound I have heard coming out of my headphones, and by quite a margin.”

Source: Daryl Hoffman, Headphonista

“…it let me enjoy the music without feeling that I was listening through headphones, disconnected from reality. Its freedom from the AC grid allowed it to provide the purest music signal, elevating my enjoyment of what truly matters: the music.”

Source: Uday Reddy, SoundStage!

“In twenty years of performing and recording, I have never heard anything that approaches the natural sound of the HPA for acoustic music.”

Source: Chris Fátóyè Theberge, Grammy-nominated Jazz artist

Specifications

Circuit Design
Included tube 6922/E88CC dual triode
Accepted tubes 6922/E88CC, 6DJ8/ECC88, 7308/E188CC, 7DJ8/PCC88, 6N23, 6H23, 6N11, and 6GM8
Digital to analog converter (DAC) 16-bit, non-oversampling, using purist R-2R conversion
DAC analog output stage Discrete, Class-A transistor output with cathode follower vacuum tube stage
Number of digital inputs 3 (USB, Coaxial, and Optical), user selectable
Output voltage 2Vrms max.
Headphone output 1/4" stereo output jack
Minimum headphone impedance 16-ohm
Headphone stage gaiin 6db
Power supply transformer / rectifiers / transformers in signal path None – for the purest possible sound reproduction
Battery Pack / Charger
Battery Red Wine Audio 25.6V LiFePO4 battery pack
Battery charger 30V, 2A LiFePO4 battery charger; Input voltage range: 100-240Vac, 50/60Hz
Typical continuous play time in battery mode between full charges Approximately 6 hours
Dimensions
Dimensions 12" width x 9" depth x 3.5" height (including feet)
Weight (without charger) Approximately 8 lbs.
Package weight Approximately 14 lbs.