RMAF 2008

At last year's CES, the crowds surrounding the Red Wine Audio room were so large and enthusiastic that I had very little opportunity to speak with Red Wine's owner, Vinnie Rossi. Here, at the Rocky Mountain Audio Fest, I decided to beat the crowds and make Red Wine Audio my first stop.

While Red Wine Audio may be best known for their iMod iPod modifications, Vinnie Rossi also specializes in SLA-powered electronics. Named after Rossi's young daughter, the newest addition to Red Wine's roster of products is the tubed Isabella preamp. It offers three analog inputs, three analog outs, and has a convenient high/low gain switch. Two tubes are visible through a sliding door on the preamp's top panel, giving easy access to audiophiles who may enjoy swapping tubes for a variety of sounds. The Isabella costs $4000 without DAC and $5500 with DAC.

In addition to his Isabella preamp, Vinnie Rossi was also showing the Signature 30.2 30Wpc amplifier ($2600), and was especially pleased to show off his yet-to-be-named MM/MC tubed phono preamp, which is set to be available by the end of the year and will cost around $3500.