The audiophile community is tricky to explain to outsiders. When people ask what I do for a living and I mention Bloom, they often follow up with, "So, just really expensive headphones?" to which I usually reply, "Yes." However, while that's an easy way to move the conversation forward without sounding like a total dork, it's not entirely accurate. Being an audiophile means you want gear that gives you the best sound reproduction and quality, prioritizing it far more than most casual listeners. Typically, this involves relatively expensive products, but a high price does not have to be a prerequisite for audio gear that sounds great. What I love about this hobby are the times when I get my ears on an IEM or headphone that feels like I'm cheating: when I find a set with exceptional quality at a price far lower than expected.
The "race to the bottom" is a term often used in this hobby, referring to exactly that. It's exciting to see how much value you can get for your dollar and be set up in this space for a long time. The FiiO FT1 and FT1 Pro shook up the headphone market this year. Priced just under $200, these open-back or closed-back headphones deliver truly premium sound. Meze Alba, ZiiGaat Lush, Kiwi Ears Orchestra Lite, and FATFreq Deuce are all sets under $250 that outperform any consumer earphone. I'm serious when I say you could get one of these sets and be happy for a long time without needing an upgrade.
DITA's latest offering, Prelude, is a new competitor in this race for value. Priced at $159, Prelude is a single dynamic driver IEM with plenty to be excited about. It offers intense detail, impressive imaging, and a great build design – unmatched at its price point. It also comes with an ANTE USB-C DAC/Amp dongle for compatibility with phones with no headphone jack, and better audio quality than plugging straight into your phone or computer. This is a truly impressive unit in its price class, and in this article, I'll break down everything there is to know about Prelude and help you decide if it makes sense for you to add to your collection.
Build and Design
Prelude comes with a single dynamic driver packed in each side. Dynamic driver IEMs stereotypically can mean 1 thing - big bass response. That is not necessarily the case here with Prelude, as I do not think that is what DITA was going for, but we can get more into that in the next section. I will say, a lot of new releases so far in 2025 have been coming with the very meta hybrid combo of dynamic drivers for the low end and balanced armatures for the rest of the frequencies, so it is refreshing to have a classic single DD in my ears. This just works - and I think it helps promote a very wide soundstage, but again I’m getting ahead of myself with the sound here. More on that later.
The shell on this IEM is nothing to freak out about, but it is generally very reliable and has a nice design to it. The shell is a 3 piece aluminum set that is mostly red with a silver accent lining the outside of it. Embedded where the silver meets the red it boasts its “Prelude” name proudly right on the shell, and the outside of the shell has a grupetto musical annotation. The aluminum shell is nice, breaking away from all of the smooth glossy finish we’ve seen on a lot of IEMs this year. I think it feels premium, and at first glance I did not think I would have the most comfortable seal on this set, but I was proven wrong with tip rolling and extended listening time.
The cable on this set is nothing special, and – if I’m being honest – it’s probably my least favorite part of this IEM. It is a 4 core twisted cable terminated with a 90 degree angle in 3.5mm. There is notably no chin slider on this IEM, which peeves me personally, but that wont be an issue for most listeners. The cable generally feels cheap and more of an afterthought, however, if you were going to sacrifice something at the $159 price point, this is where I would make the sacrifice. So it makes sense. If you have a cable you prefer laying around, I would just swap it out and move on. If this is your fist IEM, you won’t notice that the cable isn’t great so it won’t matter. Generally, the build on this set is solid and outperforms its price, and I have still seen way worse build quality on way pricier sets.
Sound
Let's get into how this set actually sounds. Firstly let me state as always that this is a subjective hobby and my ear may differ from yours! I’ve been listening to Prelude for weeks now, mostly on my SR35 which has a significantly warmer sound, and my desktop set up which is a Topping D90 DAC into the Cayin HA-2A, which again has a warmer sound signature. I also listened to the Ante DAC that comes with this unit, plugged into my iPhone 16 Pro and most of my listening on those 2 set ups have been on Apple Music, and I have FLAC files on my SR35. The stock ear tips are actually not bad on this set, but I mostly listened with the NiceHCK 07 ear tips. I tip swapped a lot initially, and I found these to compliment the set the most. I should also state my bias here, which is that this is truly one of my favorite sounding sets in the sub $250 price point. With all that being said, now that you know exactly what I’ve been hearing, let's break this thing down.
First let’s talk about the low end regions. The sub bass region is nothing that a bass-head would jump at, but rather a subtle layer to the sound signature that just fills space. It does not have that satisfying rumble that you might expect from a bass focused set. What stands out to me in the low end region is the low mids. Kick drums are super detailed in their presentation, which pairs really nicely with heavier music. I was listening to a lot of “NEVER ENOUGH” by Turnstile, and the drum sound on this set was pretty spectacular. The drums just sound massive, the kick drum comes through in a strong way, and the snare drum sounds thick and weighty. Switching tunes here but I also like how the lower notes on an acoustic guitar are presented on Prelude. “Live at the Cabin” by Slaughter Beach, Dog was excellent, where the production is literally just a live take of Jake playing his guitar and singing. The acoustic guitar is immersive and warm and has some weight to it, which I really got sucked into.
Prelude has a very impressive midrange and I think it is my favorite part about this set. Nothing about this set is weighty exactly, but the word that comes to mind is crisp. Instruments that fall in the midrange on this set just feel delicate and detailed, and at this price point I have a hard time comparing it to any other set. “Joker Lips” by MJ Lenderman is an excellent representation of this. Joker Lips features at least 4 electric guitar parts layered nicely, and the separation and imaging of this along with the organ, bass guitar, acoustic guitar, and synth parts combine very nicely. The guitars are lighter on this record and this is highlighted strongly with prelude.
Staying on the same record, the treble regions really shine. I especially like the airy ride cymbals. I feel like I can hear the nylon tips lightly hitting the cymbals. When you get into some of the slide guitar parts that reside higher up in the frequency response, they really create a nice contrast to the distorted guitar parts and scratchy vocals. Prelude doesn’t boast one thing over the other - it doesn’t quite have the slam of a basshead IEM, it's not as technical as most reference IEMs, and it doesn’t boast lush vocals. Instead, Prelude strikes a great balance, it provides just enough power, tons of detail, and delicate treble to create a soundscape that is clear, immersive, and downright impressive, especially at its $159 price point.
Comparison: Meze Alba
Meze Alba in my eyes has been the king of the race to the bottom for a while. Alba lands at the exact same price as Prelude, and with Meze’s reputation as a pioneer in this hobby, this unit has been a staple here around Bloom for a while. And quite frankly - these sets are very similar, not just in included accessories and value, but also in what they accomplish: impressive sound that doesn’t break the bank. However, there are some key differences, which we’ll get into and see which may be for you.
So firstly, Alba has a stronger bass response. Alba has more of a low end rumble in the sub bass region and bass region, which is highlighted more in hip hop music. The low mids in alba are a little less clear than they are in Prelude, making Prelude a heavier contender if you are listening for more layering in your music. The difference in the bass is quality vs quantity here, if you are looking for more impact, I’d go Alba. For detail in the lower region, I would pick Prelude. I think generally that Prelude has more detail in the upper midrange as well, making this a more appealing pick for those listening to a lot of female vocals. And while the imaging is quite impressive on both sets, I do find the Prelude to be a bit more engaging and immersive than Alba.
Neither set is particularly comfortable for my ears, but I would give the edge to Prelude. I find Alba to be too small for my ears, where Prelude got me a better seal quicker. I really have to tip roll to find the perfect seal on Alba, where on Prelude I found it almost right away. At their respective price points, both sets are quite impressive and accessible to anyone, neither are offensive in their tunings and Prelude’s included ANTE DAC dongle is a step up from the adapter included with Alba.
Concluding Thoughts
The DITA Prelude is a standout in the sub-$250 IEM market, delivering exceptional sound quality, crisp mids, and detailed imaging that punch above its $159 price. While the cable could be better, the solid aluminum build and included ANTE DAC make it a fantastic value. Its balanced sound signature avoids over-emphasizing any frequency, offering a clear, immersive experience. For audiophiles chasing high-quality audio without breaking the bank, Prelude is a compelling addition to any collection. It’s a testament to the exciting "race to the bottom," proving you don’t need to spend a fortune for premium audio that you can be excited about. Have any questions about Prelude? Hop in our live chat or shoot us an email at hello@bloomaudio.com. We’d love to chat with you and see if this set is right for you!
