Three months with the HiFiMAN Prelude, and I noticed something strange…
It’s the first amp that made me forget I was supposed to be analyzing the sound…
and just enjoy the music.
This review is based on daily use over almost three months.
I want to thank Hifiman @hifimanofficial for their great support. They gave me a discount in exchange for an honest, transparent review of the amp.
Product link from the company’s official store on aliexpress
https://s.click.aliexpress.com/e/_c3FL7SEh
Contents
My system
I used more than one DAC during testing.
The main one was the
Gustard R26
and I also tried it with the
Denafrips Ares 15th
LAiV Harmony DAC
Pre-amp
Burson Soloist 3X Performance
Op-amps ⬇️
Volume Controller / Burson V7 VIVID DUAL Fully Discrete
Line Out / Staccato DUAL Fully Discrete
Streamer
LUMIN U2 Mini
The headphones most of these impressions are based on:
NAN7 (main)
HiFiMAN HE1000se
HiFiMAN Susvara
Of these, the Susvara went through a huge transformation
And some secondary headphones:
Power
The first thing that grabs you: power
It’s not just a powerful amp…
it’s an amp that knows how to use its power.
The punch is very strong, and drum hits and the kick drum give you a clear physical feel.
The nice part is that all that power is fully under control.
With the Susvara, you could clearly feel the driver working at full capacity.
Honestly…
this is the best I’ve heard the Susvara perform so far.
Bass
On the Prelude it’s not just clean bass.
It’s bass that’s:
deep
fast
and full
It gives the music clear weight without overdoing it.
With the genres I mostly listen to, like:
Country
Dark Country
Rock
EDM
the energy and rhythm came through really clearly.
Soundstage
The stage is clearly wide, with exceptional depth.
Instruments spread out naturally, not just left and right.
Even in busy passages the imaging stays stable and you can follow the instruments easily.
Details
On detail, it’s very close to an amp like the Mass Kobo.
The Mass Kobo might edge it in resolution.
But what didn’t suit me about that amp was how forward the vocals were, especially female vocals (the opposite of what I like)
The Prelude gives you:
stronger dynamics
more bass quantity and density, and better extension
more energy
and a live feel to the music.
Mids and treble
The mids are neutral with a nice density that gives instruments clear body and weight.
Vocals sit in their natural place on the stage, neither forward nor pushed back.
The treble is smooth and comfortable.
The detail is there without harshness or fatigue, which let me listen for hours without getting tired. It’s one of the things I liked most about it.
Things to know if you’re considering it
I won’t hide how much I like this amp, but there are a few things I have to mention:
– It’s big and heavy
– It gets hot while running, which is normal for this type of amp, I mean Class A
– Not suitable for IEMs because of the noise
– It didn’t pair well with the hifiman edition xv in my testing. I think it’s because of its low 12 ohm impedance
The Prelude shows the quality of your system very clearly. The better your source and cables, the more you hear what it can do.
Verdict
After three months, I can say with full confidence that the HiFiMAN Prelude is one of the best amps I’ve heard. In my current system it’s the best, hands down (so far).
The closest thing it reminds me of is the Holo Audio Bliss KTE, but I heard the Bliss on a much weaker system than the one I have now, so comparing them wouldn’t be fair.
What sets the Prelude apart for me is that it gives you:
pure enjoyment and a powerful presentation, with an energy that makes the music come alive.
If you own headphones like the Susvara, HE1000se, NAN7 or any planar, I see it as a strong buy, as long as the rest of your gear is strong too.
Turning points in my setup
About a week ago I upgraded all my power cables to a really good level
For the amp’s power cable I picked plugs from Viborg, a long-established brand
VE512R rhodium plated /// VF512G gold plated
For the power strip,
I went with one that has no filter at all, so it’s basically an (AC POWER DISTRIBUTOR)
Be careful: don’t plug this amp into any power filter at all, because it directly hurts the dynamics. I’m saying this from trying two different ones.
The second upgrade:
I changed the fuse, and used a: HiFi-Tuning Supreme 3
Rating: 3.15A, same as the factory fuse
I waited 48 hours until it gave me the biggest change in performance:
better stage depth and width, holographic image and detail
The AES digital cables
and the XLR interconnects
are all Tone Brade
https://iem-world.com/ar/yKwGRDP
And the headphone cable:
NAiF SignaturE
https://iem-world.com/ar/oZDBraQ
Thank God, every cable I use right now is one I made myself, and I know how well they perform
To close this review: the HiFiMAN Prelude is definitely going to be my main amp, and for a long time,
because I think this performance is very hard to beat.
Thanks, everyone, for reading.
I hope I got the picture across and that it helped.
Best regards,
IEM World
In the market
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