"Prelude is a perfect example of Goldenwave’s approach to amplifier design," says Dr. Fang Bian, President and CEO, Hifiman Electronics. "The reference Prelude, in particular, stands out as a performance leader at its price point."
Goldenwave was established in Guangzhou, China in 2011, with a focus on desktop audio decoders and headphone amplifiers. Goldenwave's first product was Amber, a fully balanced headphone amplifier, which was followed by the Sapphire DAC and GA-09, its flagship product. After years of growth, Goldenwave's most recent products fall under the Prelude and Serenade series, the former of which includes reference models while the latter is designed for lifestyle audiences.
The Prelude Reference Headphone Amplifier is designed for personal audio and music fans who want a superior listening experience. The amplifier uses a fully balanced Class A MOSFET design that delivers high current output, providing clean and powerful sound reproduction. The amplifier's circuit is fully discrete, allowing better control over the analog audio path targeting improved sound quality. It includes a precise single-ended-to-balanced conversion circuit, allowing both single-ended RCA and balanced inputs to convey the benefits of fully balanced drive, which helps reduce noise and interference, enhancing the overall audio performance.
The Prelude's preamplifier circuit is entirely independent, ensuring a strong driving force and producing a pleasing timbre in the audio output. In order to achieved balanced tone control, the amplifier uses an ALPS quad balance potentiometer, known for its high quality and precision, to achieve a natural and balanced tone control.
Specially customized for Prelude, the high-power and low-noise toroidal transformer provides clean and stable power to all levels of the headphone amplifier, contributing to improved sound quality from 32Ω all the way to 600Ω loads. The amplifier's housing is made from a single piece of aluminum, helping it to isolate harmful resonances that may degrade audio performance, ensuring cleaner sound output.
"The Prelude headphone amplifier is a precisely-designed, meticulously crafted device that is typical of the Goldenwave design philosophy emphasizing audio quality, signal purity, and overall user experience. Audiophiles looking for a premium headphone amplifier will be satisfied with the quality and possibly surprised by its affordability," adds Fang Bian.
The Prelude is currently available at a suggested retail price of $2,499, from authorized Hifiman dealers and the company’s online store.
www.goldenwave.hk
www.hifiman.com
