You can do much better than Hegel, even at a comparable or lower price point, I do understand that a lot of mid-fi gear is difficult to demo but make an effort instead of relying on paid print/video media or fanboys!
Hegel H120 or H190
Hello!
I’m considering getting an Hegel integrated amplifier. I like their sound, they are in my budget range and they feature the functions I will use. Because of my budget, I’m considering a H120 or a H190, used or new. H390 and H400 are out of my budget I think.
After several tests, I would say the H190 sounds slightly better (wider soundstage, more precision) but it’s not day and night though so I am still wondering what to do because it is also much more expensive, whether used or new.
I’d like to know your thoughts about that, if any of you had the two and used them over the course of several weeks or months.
Speakers are B&W CM1 (bookshelf); I’ll probably upgrade them within 2 or 3 years. I rarely listen to my music above 80 db and the room is about 17 square meters.
Thank you very much for your ideas!
Showing 2 responses by dayglow
@grislybutter I will always reply when one takes the time to ask my opinion. Regarding Hegel no "secret sauce" exits other than marketing. Specifications are the Hegel selling point. As you might know watts are cheap and a very high damping factor can give an amplifier a very mechanical characteristic. How many times does a Hegel fanboy spew "4000 damping factor". Have heard the H390 enough times to know it checks few if any boxes for me, even for a second system. Yes, it can play loud and has bass control but so does a Crown XLS 2502 power amp. Transparency in production, consistency and parts quality has always been another issue with Hegel. |