Warbler Audio's Prelude CIEM- a labour of love
Sep 22, 2017 at 3:41 AM Post #46 of 220
Yeah: three in a row! :ksc75smile:

I'm very curious if you guys will love 'em as much as I do these days. Just can't stop listening to them and I'm 99% sure that I will order them within the upcoming weeks.
I already tried to contact them on their site with some practical questions, but the message got stuck twice, so I send a mail directly to: warbler@warbleraudio.net
Now I'm waiting for a reply...

The 2 green ones (especially the ones from @ranfan) look like silicone shells. If they are, I thought only acrylic shells were available :thinking:
The amber shells / black fp is completely my kinda taste. If I would choose to have a copy of that later on, @hamhamhamsta: please don't sue me :grin:

Now, looking forward to your impressions and happy listening in advance!
 
Sep 22, 2017 at 4:10 AM Post #47 of 220
Yeah: three in a row! :ksc75smile:

I'm very curious if you guys will love 'em as much as I do these days. Just can't stop listening to them and I'm 99% sure that I will order them within the upcoming weeks.
I already tried to contact them on their site with some practical questions, but the message got stuck twice, so I send a mail directly to: warbler@warbleraudio.net
Now I'm waiting for a reply...

The 2 green ones (especially the ones from @ranfan) look like silicone shells. If they are, I thought only acrylic shells were available :thinking:
The amber shells / black fp is completely my kinda taste. If I would choose to have a copy of that later on, @hamhamhamsta: please don't sue me :grin:

Now, looking forward to your impressions and happy listening in advance!

Lol, I'm calling my lawyer j/k :)

How does Prelude sounds with PW1960? I have PW1960 with 4 core and modded 1Z. I wonder if they sound similar to SE5 Ultimate? I use SE5 Ultimate and the sound is simply sublime. Best of the best of the best (I'm borrowing quote of another member, Louis Armstrong):darthsmile:
 
Sep 22, 2017 at 4:30 AM Post #48 of 220
Lol, I'm calling my lawyer j/k :)

How does Prelude sounds with PW1960? I have PW1960 with 4 core and modded 1Z. I wonder if they sound similar to SE5 Ultimate? I use SE5 Ultimate and the sound is simply sublime. Best of the best of the best (I'm borrowing quote of another member, Louis Armstrong):darthsmile:
So far I've mainy listened to the Prelude with the Ares II cable, which came with it. I haven't tried it with the PW1960 (I have the 2 wire) yet, as that one's 'married' to my Zeus XR. But, I might give it a try this weekend to see how they match :thinking:
The SE5U is the 1% that keeps me from ordering the Prelude straight away. I expect to have it on a loan very soon, so I will be able to check which one I prefer. Now I'm hoping and praying (for the sake of my wallet) that the SE5U won't impress me as much as the Warbler :scream:
If I like the SE5U even more I might have to find a way to get budget for both...
Sorry kids, I just heard that Santa got really sick and won't be able to visit our house for the upcoming 5 years :santa:
Oh, and who needs a car anyway...

 
Sep 22, 2017 at 4:45 AM Post #49 of 220
Listen to Kerouac

The man got his priorities right:)

There's a guy who does graph who mentioned Prelude is lacking bass and treble extension

What does your ear tell you Kerouac?
 
Sep 22, 2017 at 5:08 AM Post #50 of 220
Listen to Kerouac

The man got his priorities right:)

There's a guy who does graph who mentioned Prelude is lacking bass and treble extension

What does your ear tell you Kerouac?
Nope! Never ever listen to me! One of the biggest mistakes you can make in life :wink:

Well, I'm not always that impressed with the information that graphs provide. To me the way a signature reaches my brain (analytically) & heart (emotionally) is much more important. I consider graphs as guidelines, but they're certainly not holy to me.

Prelude might not have a lot of sub-bass rumble, but the mid-bass is so good that I don't miss that rumble at all. Regarding treble, I think this is the best treble I've ever heard in an iem and the most beautiful (never harsh) for sure. The level of (micro)details is also extremely good imo. Besides that, I really like how the L/R separation is presented, even from a 'less expensive' dap as the Opus #1. Prelude might not have the widest soundstage, but it has some magical way to present it in a very nice 3D (out of your head) way nonetheless.

So, this is what my ears tell me. Just a few more days and you can judge for yourself :ksc75smile:

Oh, and one more thing. Like @jelt2359 mentioned in his #1 post/review: ''The separation in the music is really good, and I've happily encountered that 'hmm, I've never heard that before' sensation that we audiophiles covet when hearing familiar music. What is this hobby, if not the continued rediscovery of new facets to the music that we enjoy the most?'' I also had multiple moments like that with the Prelude, which also makes it a 'must have' for me.
 
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Sep 22, 2017 at 7:13 AM Post #51 of 220
Listen to Kerouac

The man got his priorities right:)

There's a guy who does graph who mentioned Prelude is lacking bass and treble extension

What does your ear tell you Kerouac?

I assume you mean me, and no I didn't say anything with regards to the actual sound of the Prelude because I haven't heard it yet. I assume you're referring to this guy.
 
Sep 22, 2017 at 9:43 AM Post #52 of 220
Looks absolutely perfect @ranfan! I hope you will receive them soon and from what I have heard they will take you to sonic heaven! :ksc75smile:
Thanks Wyville, I've been looking forward to. Yeah, I hope these little birds could help show me the way. :D

Hasan is also sending mine tomorrow.

Glad to see another, and at the same time too. Warbler was working weekend to finish all their pending orders. Your design looks sweet! I look forward to hear your impression Hamsta (and maybe a slight comparison with your SE5 as well, hehe :)).

mine should get shipped today too. everything takes a bit long for my taste :)
It was good that they had one-week break before continuing to make our orders. A bit unfortunate also though. But nevertheless, the end-product looks incredible! Worth the while waiting. :thumbsup:

f9reyksa.jpg
Green like the leaves, and the trees on which the Warbler bird perches. Green like the forest, the world that the bird knows, and the world within where the bird sings.

wow 3 new prelude owners at once

looks like nic's shootout really did the trick

enjoy guys
Credits to Warbler, for their wonderful early creation. Remember, this is still only the prelude. Who knows what will the interlude (or even postlude) be. :) It would compete for the top place on the list maybe.

Yeah: three in a row! :ksc75smile:

I'm very curious if you guys will love 'em as much as I do these days. Just can't stop listening to them and I'm 99% sure that I will order them within the upcoming weeks.
I already tried to contact them on their site with some practical questions, but the message got stuck twice, so I send a mail directly to: warbler@warbleraudio.net
Now I'm waiting for a reply...

The 2 green ones (especially the ones from @ranfan) look like silicone shells. If they are, I thought only acrylic shells were available :thinking:
The amber shells / black fp is completely my kinda taste. If I would choose to have a copy of that later on, @hamhamhamsta: please don't sue me :grin:

Now, looking forward to your impressions and happy listening in advance!
Thank you buddy! Will share of course. I imagine pairing it with Ares 2 will make it sound better. Aesthetically, they'd look great together IMO, Forest-Green (Prelude) + Wood-Brown (Ares). However I know someone who would mind. :D

I guess your ears don't lie, hehe. I'd suggest you to go and get it, but it seems you need to listen to the SE5 first. Good thing that you live in Europe. For now, good luck in solving your dilemma!

Yes, that is the correct email. Sometimes you need to wait, because of how busy, and understaffed they are at the moment.

The transparent shell and photo-lighting may be why they look silicone-made. But I think they're acrylic, I'd be surprised if they're not.

My advice, add some glitter to avoid getting sued! :D
 
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Sep 22, 2017 at 10:54 AM Post #53 of 220
Green like the leaves, and the trees on which the Warbler bird perches. Green like the forest, the world that the bird knows, and the world within where the bird sings.
Green like the dollars, spend on this little bird :wink:
200w.gif


My advice, add some glitter to avoid getting sued! :D
Hmmm, you could be right about that :thinking:
200.gif
 
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Sep 26, 2017 at 10:13 AM Post #54 of 220
The bird has landed. :) Seeing the shell first-hand, I can tell it has an excellent build quality. Love the green forest/booger colour. :) Came in a Pelican 1010 case, with some foams. Along with a stock silver cable (which has a very poor quality, both build and tonally). I can't wait for the Ares 2 cable to arrive tomorrow, or the day after. At the moment I'm pairing the Prelude with Effect Audio Ares 2+ cable. Looking good together so far. The acrylic shell's fit is perfect for my ear, and outside noise is isolated pretty well. Delighted to find no hiss listening with my players, laptop, and phone. It's a rather source-tolerant IEM, sounding great even with my phone, or laptop.
P_20170926_195011.jpg

P_20170926_194920.jpg

P_20170926_194939.jpg

15064338086401315583208.jpg

15064339880422050624898.jpg
 
Sep 27, 2017 at 5:12 AM Post #56 of 220
The bird has landed. :) Seeing the shell first-hand, I can tell it has an excellent build quality. Love the green forest/booger colour. :) Came in a Pelican 1010 case, with some foams. Along with a stock silver cable (which has a very poor quality, both build and tonally). I can't wait for the Ares 2 cable to arrive tomorrow, or the day after. At the moment I'm pairing the Prelude with Effect Audio Ares 2+ cable. Looking good together so far. The acrylic shell's fit is perfect for my ear, and outside noise is isolated pretty well. Delighted to find no hiss listening with my players, laptop, and phone. It's a rather source-tolerant IEM, sounding great even with my phone, or laptop.
P_20170926_195011.jpg

P_20170926_194920.jpg

P_20170926_194939.jpg

15064338086401315583208.jpg

15064339880422050624898.jpg
Nice! So, did you also get lost in time and space when you started listening with the Prelude, or was that just me?
I'm very curious about your opinion when you've recieved the Ares II later on :thinking:

Btw, I didn't know about the stock cable. If it really has such poor (build) quality and especially tonallity, people might get disappointed at first listening if they don't have a good cable around.
But I've never heard it with the stock cable, so I'm also not completely sure about that...

Happy listening in the meantime!
 
Sep 27, 2017 at 8:00 AM Post #57 of 220
Nice! So, did you also get lost in time and space when you started listening with the Prelude, or was that just me?
I'm very curious about your opinion when you've recieved the Ares II later on :thinking:

Btw, I didn't know about the stock cable. If it really has such poor (build) quality and especially tonallity, people might get disappointed at first listening if they don't have a good cable around.
But I've never heard it with the stock cable, so I'm also not completely sure about that...

Happy listening in the meantime!
1506513496776502245307.jpg

I'm listening with the iFi EarBuddy at the moment. And I found this device to be quite useful for improving the overall presentation. The background is now a cleaner black in kind. And resolution of each note slightly more defined. Volume can now be increased higher to comfortable listening level. It was before at around 2-3 o'clock, and now 5-6 o'clock. The sound signature remains the same as before. But now, I can more confidently say that the hiss is non-existent. IMO this is a great complement for more sensitive IEMs, or sources. It can also be plugged more easily to phone with casing, than thicker custom cable plugs.

Sound impression of the Prelude will follow, as I'm still starting to adjust listening with CIEM, after many hours spent listening with earbud. Really liking the treble though. Each note-release is so effortless, and velvetly smooth. Although this current Ares 2+ cable pairing is sub-optimal, due to the excessive increase in warmth, and emphasis on low-frequency.
 
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Sep 27, 2017 at 8:51 AM Post #58 of 220
The bird has landed. :) Seeing the shell first-hand, I can tell it has an excellent build quality. Love the green forest/booger colour. :) Came in a Pelican 1010 case, with some foams. Along with a stock silver cable (which has a very poor quality, both build and tonally). I can't wait for the Ares 2 cable to arrive tomorrow, or the day after. At the moment I'm pairing the Prelude with Effect Audio Ares 2+ cable. Looking good together so far. The acrylic shell's fit is perfect for my ear, and outside noise is isolated pretty well. Delighted to find no hiss listening with my players, laptop, and phone. It's a rather source-tolerant IEM, sounding great even with my phone, or laptop.
P_20170926_195011.jpg

P_20170926_194920.jpg

P_20170926_194939.jpg

15064338086401315583208.jpg

15064339880422050624898.jpg

Whoaaa, that looks really nice indeed! Beautiful pairing!
 
Sep 27, 2017 at 8:55 AM Post #59 of 220
1506513496776502245307.jpg

I'm listening with the iFi EarBuddy at the moment. And I found this device to be quite useful for improving the overall presentation. The background is now a cleaner black in kind. And resolution of each note slightly more defined. Volume can now be increased higher to comfortable listening level. It was before at around 2-3 o'clock, and now 5-6 o'clock. The sound signature remains the same as before. But now, I can more confidently say that the hiss is non-existent. IMO this is a great complement for more sensitive IEMs, or sources. It can also be plugged more easily to phone with casing, than thicker custom cable plugs.

Sound impression of the Prelude will follow, as I'm still starting to adjust listening with CIEM, after many hours spent listening with earbud. Really liking the treble though. Each note-release is so effortless, and velvetly smooth. Although this current Ares 2+ cable pairing is sub-optimal, due to the excessive increase in warmth, and emphasis on low-frequency.

How do you find the bass impact so far? Is it a bit light?
 
Sep 27, 2017 at 9:11 AM Post #60 of 220
I'm listening with the iFi EarBuddy at the moment. And I found this device to be quite useful for improving the overall presentation. The background is now a cleaner black in kind. And resolution of each note slightly more defined. Volume can now be increased higher to comfortable listening level. It was before at around 2-3 o'clock, and now 5-6 o'clock. The sound signature remains the same as before. But now, I can more confidently say that the hiss is non-existent. IMO this is a great complement for more sensitive IEMs, or sources. It can also be plugged more easily to phone with casing, than thicker custom cable plugs.

Sound impression of the Prelude will follow, as I'm still starting to adjust listening with CIEM, after many hours spent listening with earbud. Really liking the treble though. Each note-release is so effortless, and velvetly smooth. Although this current Ares 2+ cable pairing is sub-optimal, due to the excessive increase in warmth, and emphasis on low-frequency.
Ares II will probably be a better match then:
Ares_II_Ares_II+.png
 

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