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Connecting External DAC's and Pre-Amps to Hegel Integrated Amplifiers?

Can any of you Hegel owners provide me some guidance with the connection of an external DAC, and external Pre-amp to the Hegel H590 / H600 integrated amps???  

Please advise how I can connect the following to my H590 / H600:

1.  A Digital Player?  It appears I can connect the digital player via various interconnects - among others the following:  BNC interconnect cable, Coax interconnect cable, etc. to the respective input connections of the Hegel amps - correct???

2  An external tube DAC?   

Can I connect the external tube DAC via the following:  Coax interconnect cables, Balanced XLR cables, to the respective input terminals on the Hegal amps?  I assume that by-passes the internal DAC of the Hegel - correct?  

If not, is there anyway to bypass the internal DAC of the Hegel amps???

2.  An external tube pre-amp?

Can I connect the external tube pre-amp via the following:  Coax interconnect cables, Balanced XLR cables to the respective input terminals on the Hegel amps?  

Does that leave both pre-amps operating - the external and the internal Hegel pre-amp???

Will that connection bypass the internal pre-amp of the Hegal amps?  

If not, is there any way to bypass the internal pre-amp?  

I love the great sound of the Hegel amps with my Maggies and my Harbeths!  But... I'd like to try the above variations, if its possible to do so.  While it appears that its pretty simple to connect various digital sources - it appears that it's difficult or impossible to bypass the internal DAC and Pre-amp of the Hegel integrated amps.  

Thanks for your help...

bassdude
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jeffbij
65 posts
 

@rick_n    -  "... something is going to blow", not necessarily.  There are a bunch of preamps and integrated amps out there that allow for Home Theater bypass.  I have two in my house right now.  (Parasound JC-2 BP and a PrimaLuna integrated)  It is going to depend on the design of the downstream integrated/preamp on the receiving side as well as the output levels of the upstream feed.  What I'm not sure of is if the downstream side would need somekind of gain suppression (???) to offset the overall feed to the amp. (If that makes any sense...)

What I will put to the OP, is it time to replace the Hegel integrated with a power amp, whether it be a Hegel or another brand?  The integrated is overly complicating the setup at this point.   You have a very good pre in the ARC unit and a good DAC in the Yggdrasil that are out performing the Hegel DAC/Pre.

- Jeff

bassdude OP
501 posts
 

OK - thanks for your guidance.  

Hegel's guidance is more or less the same as above.  

As I read these comments and the Hegel guidance I am concerned that I might risk damaging the speakers - if - I understand correctly.

Hegel says the following:

Set the Hegel to HT (Home Theater) mode setting, which I think sets the volume to "fixed high level" (99-100) with no attenuation.  I would think this would risk damaging the speakers - even if - the ARC 5se is set to 0.  

Or... does... the HT mode set the Hegel Pre-amp to "fixed high level" (from the source) and 0 gain / full attenuation of the Hegel Pre-amp?  If so, then the ARC 5se would control the entire volume level without risk to the speakers - I would think.  

I'm thinking "Fixed High Level" in Hegel's terms surely means "Fixed High Level" from the source.  Maybe????

I agree - if I want to use a tube pre-amp, it would be far simpler and safer to drive an amp which is not integrated.  But, this is what I've got.  I do have the ARC 150se tube amp... which I've tried... but... I want to see what the Hegel sounds like with a tube pre-amp.  

Thanks... again...

bassdude OP
501 posts
 

Hegel just responded saying that the HT mode sets the Hegel pre-amp to a "fixed high level" volume of 85 (85% of the maximum volume of the H590) - which is very likely too high, when the ARC 5se is even set to 0 (100% attenuation).  

I don't understand why the "fixed high level" of the H590 would be set so high - except that its designed to be used with a HT receiver or integrated amp, which power / volume may be much lower and the a volume level of 85 from the H590 spread over 3-7 speakers, might not be too much for them to handle.  

In any case, it's beginning to appear that it may not be a good idea to use a tube pre-amp with the H590 via the HT mode - too much of a risk to my speakers.  

I've already tried the combo by just adjusting the volume of both pre-amps to drive the speakers safely - using both pre-amps simultaneously.  The sound was fine, but much better when I just used the H590 pre-amp alone.  

Thanks again...

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