Hegel Music Systems amplifiers
This Norwegian electronics company has been around since the mid-1990s but in recent years has become much better known in the higher end of the audio market. They have a very focused range of amplification products which include integrated amplifiers and 2 pre-power amplifier combinations (one of which can be upgraded to bridged mono-blocks).
Their amplification systems utilise their unique and in-house developed “SoundEngine 2” design which is a local error cancelling system preventing distortions in the audio amplifier circuit stages whilst preserving the fine details and the dynamic range of the original recorded music signal. This technology even cancels crossover distortion between the transistors themselves, which is a problem found in all makes of multi-transistor, class-A/B amplifiers. This minimises any high frequency distortion, which the human ear is very sensitive to. The result is a much cleaner, organic sound, with a larger dynamic range.
All Hegel integrated amplifiers incorporate sophisticated DAC designs that allow you to maximise the sound quality from your digital sources, as well as stream from your mobile devices. The in-build DACs plays the digital source in their original native format throughout, for the most dimensional sound quality.
Their integrated amplifiers show marked improvements as you go up through the model range, from the H95 to the flagship H600 super-integrated, with technology from their flagship Pre/Power combination.
All Hegel Integrated Amplifiers allow for updates to the digital section over the network, so you are always at the latest specification.
Our listening tests confirm that the sound of Hegel amplification is quite distinct to many other mainstream brands. A significantly lower noise floor, more transparency that allows low level aural clues to be heard easily. Not at all bright or forward, with a natural, organic tone marginally on the warm side of neutral. The result is a smoother, less transistor-like sound. Large three-dimensional soundstages and fine detail are excellent as you would expect from a company that takes low distortion and low noise as its priority.
Hegel H600 flagship integrated amplifier with DAC and streaming functionality
The top of the range integrated amplifier from Hegel, the H600, has a minimalist and elegant design. It offers a sound that will compete very easily with many of the top brands in the high-end audio market at a substantially lower price. The H600 is designed to perform as closely as possible to a separate preamplifier and mono-blocks combination, in a single chassis. It also boasts a state-of-the-art preamplifier section, with the extremely precise volume attenuator found in their reference P30A stand-alone preamplifier.
The H600 is an innovative dual mono design, with its dedicated high-quality power supplies and advanced volume attenuator, to the massive output stage using 12 ultra-fast high power output transistors per channel. A healthy 303 watts at 8 ohms and around 500 watts into 4 ohms, of Class A/B amplification means that this unit will drive any speaker with ease, including very difficult 2 Ohm loads. It also incorporates Hegel’s latest Sound Engine 2 technology to reduce distortion, especially crossover distortion between transistors.
The new DAC in the H600 is a step up from that found in the outgoing H590. In the past, AKM chips had been selected but the fire at the AKM facility forced them to look elsewhere and Hegel have now decided to go for a Sabre DAC chip, the superb 9038 Q2M. This is a remarkably good sounding DAC chip which does not use oversampling, and sounds much more natural than most. Whether you play CD format or high-resolution files as a source, they will all benefit from the sophisticated DAC incorporated.
The H600 can be a digital hub with optical, coaxial and USB inputs. Using the USB input, the H600 will also support high end formats such as DSD. It also includes MQA decoding and rendering technology, which enables you to play back MQA audio files and streams.
The updated streaming capability of the H600 includes support for: Apple AirPlay 2, Spotify Connect, Tidal Connect, UPnP/DLNA and Roon Ready certification (pending). Hegel says the H600’s new streaming platform allows for future upgrades such as Qubuz Connect.
A truly innovative product for those wanting high-end sound at a realistic price. Whilst the price is not insignificant, it offers a true step forward in clarity, resolution of fine detail, over the outgoing H590.
Hegel H600 integrated amplifier in black - £10,500
H600 integrated amplifier
Hegal H400 integrated amplifier with DAC and streaming functionality
Building on the success of the H390, the H400 pushes the envelope still further, with a new bit-perfect DAC which maximises the sound quality from your digital sources. It also has a new Streaming platform that supports Apple AirPlay 2, Google Cast, Spotify Connect, Tidal Connect, and UPnP. This has allowed the H400 to win the 2024/25 EISA award for Best Premium Streaming Amplifier. It incorporates Hegels Sound Engine 2 Technology to lower distortion. This streaming platform is a step up from that found in the 190V and lower models.
The H400 has a dual-mono design allowing for better channel separation, with a massive 250 watts per channel at 8 ohms (420 w/p/c at 4 ohms) and a damping factor of 4000, ensuring tight control of the woofers and the ability to drive almost any speaker. It is also stable down to 2 ohm loads for those harder-to-drive speaker models.
Hegel 400 integrated amplifier, dual mono – 250 wpc/8 ohms - £5,900
H400 integrated amplifier
Hegel H190V integrated amplifier with DAC, streaming functionality and phono stage
This amplifier builds on the success of the H190 which we were real fans of. The outgoing H190 was Hegel’s best-selling model and the 190V offers more. The V of the new model denotes a very high-quality, moving magnet only phono stage board , which is a cut down version of their superb V10 stand-alone phono stage (which supports MC cartridge as well as MM variants).
The unit retains from the outgoing H190, the 150 watts per channel at 8 ohms (250 w per channel at 4 ohms), A/B amplifier with a 4000 damping factor, ensuring maximum control of your bass drivers. However, the power supplies to both the Pre-Amp and DAC sections have been improved, from the outgoing H190, to lower noise even further.
It also has an excellent built in DAC to maximise the quality of your digital sources. It will also allow for streaming and has support for AirPlay, Spotify Connect, DLNA/UPnP and is Roon ready.
It also has a headphone amplifier with ¼ inch output.
Hegel H190v integrated amplifier in black – 150 wpc/8 ohms – £3,250
Hegel H190V integrated amplifier
Hegel H120 integrated amplifier with DAC and streaming functionality
The H120 is a more affordable and compact amplifier than the H190V, with in-build DAC to maximise the quality of your digital sources. It incorporates their in-house Sound Engine 2 Technology as explained in the sections above. This amplifier would not be possible without the development of their higher end models.
Damping factor is over 2000, which despite being half of that of the higher models is still very impressive for an amplifier at this price range and is 20 times higher than the industry average. This ensures close control of your bass drivers. The H120 will run more challenging loads than their entry model, the H95.
As with all Hegel integrated amplifiers, this incorporates streaming functionality which includes: Apple Airplay, Spotify Connect, IP Control, Control4 and UPnP streaming and is Roon ready. It retains the DAC and streaming capability of the H190V with half the amplifier output power.
It also has a headphone amplifier with ¼ inch output.
Hegel H120 integrated amplifier – 75 wpc/8 ohms £2,250
Hegel H120 integrated amplifier
Hegel H95 integrated DAC with streaming functionality
This is the first step into Hegel amplification, which includes technology from their higher end models, including their in-house developed ‘Sound Engine 2’ distortion reduction technology. It offers exceptional value to those with tighter budgets.
The in-built DAC allows for steaming from Apple Airplay, through UPnP, or through Spotify connect.
The amplifier is even stable down to 2 ohms for difficult to drive speakers and has a damping factor of over 2000, which is 20 times the industry average. The higher the damping factor the better the grip and control of your bass drivers.
It also contains a headphone amplifier with ¼ inch output.
H95 integrated amplifier – 60 wpc/8 ohms £1,500
Hegel H95 integrated DAC with streaming functionality
Other Hegel amplifiers
P20 Balanced pre-amplifier £2,350
P30 Reference Balanced pre-amplifier £7,000
H20 Power amplifier, dual mono – 2 x 200 wpc/8 ohms £5,250
H30A Reference Power amplifier, stereo of 2 x 300 wpc/8 ohms or 1 x 1100 wpc/8 ohms when used as a Mono-block, with 2 units required for the later configuration £17,000 each
C53 3 channel power amplifier - 3 x 150wpc/8 ohms £5,800
C54 4 channel power amplifier - 4 x 150wpc/8 ohms £6,700
C55 5 channel power amplifier - 5 x 150wpc/8 ohms £7,700
Hegel H20 power amplifier
Hegel H30A power amplifier
You may be interested in our other amplifiers
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