Hegel Amplifiers

I have had many Hegel amps in my store. H70, H100, H200, H20, H30. They have never failed to impress me (and I'm not easily impressed). I was lucky enough to have a pair of H30 monoblocks for a couple of months and I couldn't stop listening to them: seeminly unlimited power and bass extension, but also delicate finesse in the critical upper midrange. I currently have the H20 and--though not as powerful as the H30--it still rivals anything else I have in its ability to produce beautifully detailed imaging, strikingly sudden (but natural) transients, and a deep soundstage. Even the H70 integrated is a personal favorite of mine: it sounds much better than a $2000 integrated should. It's hard to properly describe, but when auditioned side-by-side with other brands, Hegel amps just tend to sound more "compelling": that is, they grip you and make you listen... deeply.

Amen Adkav!

I have heard on more than 1 occasion (and read) that the H30 actually sounds better as stereo amp, rather than with mono's.

Magfan in 1-2010 makes the statement that peak amperes ratings are near-real-world meaningless. Completely false. Peak amperes has nothing to do with the amount of current going to the speaker. It is the internal power reserve thats available to achieve continuous output at all levels.
The Hegel H20 amp puts out 200 watts rms. Typical 200 watt amps normally have peak amperes around 50. When you turn the gain way up to play loud, the amp relies on the power reserve to draw from so the 200 watts output stays constant
at the full rate. If the peak amperes are higher, than the amp will have greater power reserve to meet the on demand current at at a 200 watt rms output so the amp will not clip and over heat when you play at high volume. The Hegel H20 has 130 amperes peak which is stunning for a 200 watt amp so you never have to worry about running out of gas no matter how hard you push the amp. A remarkable design. Bent Holter is an engineering genius.

I just bought a stereo Hegel H30. Review to come.