Hegel integrateds have a streamer onboard, which adds to the value proposition. H190 also have a good headphone amp, replacing yet another box in your rack/desk. All this considered, it gets you quite close to an equivalent collection of separates. No need for expensive interconnects and a lot less clutter are also in Hegel’s favour.
I love your reviews, your ability to describe the sound and signatures of gear is some of the best I’ve ever seen. Still enjoying my gustard r26 thanks to you!
I knew it's specifications in details already but finally after long waited, the H190 finally reviewed by you. Very thank you on your details and specific description on the H190 🙏 The next video I hunger from you is: How is your KEF LS50 META sound going to like when they drive by this H190, then follow by KEF R3.
I do not doubt at all that this is a great sounding unit...as it seems all products made these days are. We honestly are living in a great time in the ever evolving audio market. What I liked about your review is the emphasis you seem to put on its particular character, because, of course, it would be even more important with an all in one unit to make sure you understand your speakers over- all character & what you value about those characteristics. In a separates system you would have the additional avenue of mixing and matching to make the most of your speakers.
Great video! I had the H190 on loan from my local hifi store and the rational side of me thought it sounded amazing, but the emotional side (which is the important one) wasn't captivated. Several times I caught myself checking my phone when I was supposed to listen and evaluate (and hopefully love it). I eventually bought the latest Bluesound Node and a Denon PMA 1700ne which I run in analog mode - this combo moves me so much more than the H190. At only €2700. Next to upgrade is the DAC, and it will probably be a Pegasus. I think that €4000 system will be stellar.
I did the same camparsion except it was the big denon pma2500ne both cost the same at time, i bought Hegel h190 for€2700 loved both, but considering Hegel has subwoofer connection, better display with easier way to turn up and lower the volume on denon its to big steps, denon is easier to listen to but has slight less details than Hegel h190
@@andreasmoller9798 Interesting, thanks for sharing! I much agree about the volume, I miss having digits to see exactly how loud it is, and also the steps when using the remote are too big. So I sometimes have to get up and use the knob to get the volume just right. I was worried about the sub out, but I gave high level input a go and connected my sub to the speaker outs, and to my great joy I found the sound out of the sub to be much better than via the sub out of my previous amp, and that of the H190. It seemed more matched, and easier make it to blend in with the speakers. Do you have any room treatment? My room is now fully-ish treated, and it's night and day when it comes to imaging and details. I tested the H190 before I got all of my panels, it would be interesting to listen to it now when it's all done. It really makes a big difference.
@@filipviljamaasvensson not sure if i would pay that much, but i think its a very good amp, but the denon pma 2500ne was really god as well, but the volume increase and decrease is not good when you are using the Remote controll i also have sub Arendal 1723 1s i have it plugged with one of variable outputs on Hegel h190 and i can insure you it blends perfectly in my system even for music, i don’t notice it, its just bass in the background, its just simple dissapears, its that good, not exactly what you expect when you see it, i don’t have much room treatment, can’t do much as i live in apartment
Nice review. Just wanted to add that the H190 is on sale in the us for 3200 dollars right now. It’s also available at some dealers in tax free Delaware as well. So the value proposition for this amp is much more relevant at this time.
I too have compared external DACs to the internal one. I prefer the internal DAC in both the H95 and H190, both of which I own. I think they sound warm, detailed and with depth and width.
I heard Hegel purr…in a refined, resolving, analytical, and spacious manner. My 50WPC Rotel a11 isn’t as refined, resolving, or spacious. But it does roarr. Isn’t it all about which aspect of sound the listener is willing to compromise?
I have the h160 and you can say similar as to the comparisons with the h190. Some say the improvements on the h190 were significant but I think it's not as much as some think. One thing they may have improved on is on the power curve regarding volume control. People found the h160 doesn't kick in until you raise the volume knob so perhaps you get more power at a lower position on the volume knob with the h190. Not more power or loudness just a readjustment on the curve so more grunt is realized at a lower position. Distortion is stated to be a bit lower but really, both are so low in comparison to many other amps. Smooth and liquid but detailed is how I would describe it. Very good separation with good depth. NAD and Emotiva have more treble extension which good be nice sometimes but they miss out on other attributes. The h160 dac was a very desirable chip and the implementation is good but truncated at 88.2kHz I believe for streaming. They should have at least included 96kHz which is available on Optical and Coax. I also have a Topping d70s which shares similarities in SQ. The D70s has more bottom end support/density and is a bit warmer with the one in the h160 being a bit more analytical with a bit better separation, close but noticeable. I can prefer one over the other depending on the music. I paired the D70s with a Keces E40 which, IMO essentially matches the performance of the hegel at low to moderate volumes and 6ohm speakers and above with decent sensitivity. It will drive 4 ohm speakers but lot of those drop well below 4 ohms and needs lots of power to drive, so it gets pretty warm. The Hegel has no issue with hard to drive speakers with its' high power as long as you aren't listening at concert levels for extended periods of time (applies to most amps at any price) and you'll lose hearing much sooner. Hegel is a great amp. And it is heavy. The previously mentioned pairing is small, light but still powerful in many applications. Try to review a Keces e40...it's a nice small amp solution, dynamic, smooth and refined for well under a grand.
I bought the Keces E40 based on the review at the Soundnews channel. It drove my Wharfedale EVO 4.1 speakers very well. Used both the Topping D90 and D70s DACs with that amp. I'm really into micro details when I listen critically, the E40 amp and D90 deliver in that regard.
Forty hundred, I had to think about that one a bit. I would be especially worried about the streaming part of the amp quickly getting deprecated. I am with you on separates. All in one is more something for people who don't want to make too many decisions and play around.
I have the H190 paired with Bowers & Wilkins speakers. The only thing I miss, just a bit, is tone adjustments. This sound stage does at times, seem further away, so, I turn it louder, then it’s too loud, a high fidelity loud. This may be in part to my aging ear. I did add a subwoofer just for the extreme low frequencies, so this system can handle anything on the low end. Classical music with its wider dynamic range leads me to up the volume for quieter passages, then the forte hits and is almost too much. It may just be the Hegel, but to bring the treble forward would be nice though. It is hard to discuss sound; liquid glass bears and all. Overall, though, I am very happy with it. I love the integrated streaming.
@@obscurazone The Loki Mini + would work well for a CD player or external source. I’m not sure how anything could work with the streaming signals (Bluetooth or WiFi) into the Hegel.
Another stellar review. I really appreciate your candor regarding direct to consumer vs old style dealer networks. Here in the US, Emotiva is a direct to consumer brand that is making a lot of inroads as well as Schiit.
I tried the 'many box' system for quite a while (initially to deal with a class D integrated that was not quite satisfying). In the end, I sold all the little boxes and settled on an integrated A/B amp (Arcam SA10) that ticks all the boxes with a natural sound. Streaming from a television optical out and a CD transport supply the music. It's enough.
Your description and insight trying to explain how a piece of equipment sounds is second to none. I have been following your site for a long while now and enjoy all your reviews even though I am mainly an analogue/vinyl guy. Do you have any plans to review turntables and cartridges in future or are you a digital guy only?
Thanks! Unfortunately, I don't plan on going vinyl because it is a big hastle for me to buy and store all the records. My living space is compromised with this whole hobby as it is, so I am staying dedicated to making digital formats sound as good as possible. Cheers!
As always appreciate your upfront, honest review. I think you are going into tricky territory Agreed that smaller independent companies like Acoustic Invader or Sonic Winds may have excellent products for the money But we always have to consider what happens if one of these products break, and how easy they are to resell. Also having a recognizable brand we feel good about is also important. The other side for audiophiles is we want the best preforming, musical involving system , bang for the money and these smaller companies may then be the way to go. Also there is a new wave of products from Asia including : Kinki, Denafrips, Enleum, Willsenton, S.M.S.L. , Hifi Rose that are really good .
Agreed, that's why I talked about warranty, ease of fulfilling it, ease of hearing the product before purchasing, etc. In the end, everybody should decide about the importance of these things for themselves.
Have you ever heard the Creek Audio integrated amps? They sound like vacuum tubes, but with rich detail and power. It is a brand that throughout its history has made very good integrated amplifiers at "reasonable" prices. I have a couple of these amps and i put a tube amp aside, the Creek has everything I want and is powerful. If you get a chance to get one, it doesn't matter the year, they all sound great. They have differences, but maintain the character of details. Note, they are very sensitive to audio cables and speakers. Matching with the speakers is something to deal with. Are difficult to find used, once you have one you don’t want to sell it. People said, Hegel copied that brand, i don’t know.
Using a Creek Evolution 50A in the bedroom setup. I absolutely love the amp. Wish I had gotten a 100A to try out. I keep looking out for one to pop up. For the money it's so ridiculously good. I didn't know about sensitivity to speaker cables. Tell me more!
BAT .. I love it 🎉❤ Ps: Hegel have everything in one… just member if we buy couple parts they need cables so another 2-3 k euros or dollars… Hegel H190 needs only one power cable 🎉
I like your channel. How you describe the product in a particularly interesting way. iam gonna loan a Hegel H190 to test at home. I have been thinking about going from separate parts to intergrated. But after this video, I think I will continue with separates. It will be interesting to listen to a Hegel. Thanks for a great video
I'm happy that you actually got into the topic of comparing the H190 to your beloved Acoustic Invader separates. I remember your highly enthusiastic review of the Acoustic Invader equipment and afterword I even got in contact with the owner of the company. I've been swaying back and forth in my own head which way I should go: "integrated or separates". I believe I have already answered my own question as I've already purchased a wonderful DAC costing $2500CAD (factoring in duties and taxes). So I'm not interested in an integrated with features galore like bluetooth, streamer, dac built in. I could care less about bluetooth and streamers. I already have a great DAC. I'm pretty sure a set of separates like your Acoustic Invader stuff is far more appealing as I'm also looking for that "end game" system that I won't need to concern myself about for the the next 15-20 years.Thanks for helping me think this through.
@@franknelissen8041In the end a couple months after this post, an Atoll IN300 showed up on the used market. That beauty normally sells for over $5k new in Canada. I got it for $3k. One of the better buys I've made for my rig. I've been loving it ever since.
Awesome timing - bought my H190 today :) Btw you don't need UPnP, the H190 is Roon Ready. Edit: your chain at the end is missing a streamer. Just saying.
Yeah, if you're a Roon user that's perfectly fine. Also, yes I forgot to include a streamer... and that's why all in one units have a great value. :) Enjoy your H190!
@@franknelissen8041 I sold everything, hifi is a bogus hobby with a lot of hate and ignorance in the community. With that said, the H190 was the best amp I have ever owned, bar none. It held its own up to some 5000€ integrateds, easily. Especially if you put a Roon capable streamer and a good DAC (Denafrips ARES II or Chord Qutest) behind it, it is crazy good.
Interesting as always. Personally I prefer walk the way of class D and small or chinese manufacturers. I’m walking your way. Go on like this. Thank you.
I recently acquired a Krell KAV 400xi integrated. In a way it seems like the predecessor to the Hegel H190 minus the digital section. 150/300 watts. Balanced input. Slim, minimal design. I think it sounds great and it works with a wide range of speakers that I have on hand. Anyone with more experience than I care to comment on how much "better" the Hegel is compared to one of these old Krell integrated amps?
Great review as usual !! Would appreciate your take on the Marantz N40 one day if possible ! By the way the Book Shelves behind you seem to be arousing a certain curiosity ! Thanx, Bill from Northeastern France !! Bonne Journée
Great video! I have a question.. Is Hegel’s H190 DAC better than iFI Audio ZEN ONE Signature DAC? I want to buy the H190 and I already have ifi ZEN ONE. Should I keep it or sell it?
Great review as always. You are one of the more credible reviewers on RU-vid. I am relatively new to this audio mania😆(2-3 years). I started with an all in one (IOTA VX SA3, ELAC UNIFI 5.2) I have quickly moved to all separates (mono blocks and all) costing 12 times my initial gear purchase 😁, the improvement in SQ is worth every penny. I was just curious, what is that speaker sitting behind you? is that a Musician Knight 1 speaker? only reviewed by Tharbamar on you tube. He is another reviewer I regard as credible and was very impressed with it. I hope you get to review this speaker; I might use this speaker for my 2nd system.
@@iiWiReviews Looking forward to your review on the spirit wind speaker. It's Interesting, it looks a lot like the Musician Knight 1 in shape. I was also wondering if you were going to review the Pie 2 AES Mercury Streamer?
Yeah because that shape is very good for good acoustic wave dispersion... The only reason it's not done more often is because of complexity. Mercury review is coming sometime soon.
@@iiWiReviews I remember your explanation on how your first set of diffusers displaced your DIY absorbers at 1st reflection points. Now these Bigfusors…can you elaborate on them? Maybe you already did in a video I may have missed? If you didn’t, just don’t forget to mention those in your next review, as a side-content. Thank you in advance.
Imam RIZ hi-fi stub sa P3060 pojacalom. Nedavno sam kupio Blusound Node streamer i sad sam zadovoljan ali pitanje je sad ako kupim ovaj HEGEL 190 sto je neznam koliko puta skuplji od RIZ pojacala, dali je i tolika razlika u saund?
Great review. The comparisons become really helpful in understanding the value and sonic capabilities clearly. Having separates one concern is the interconnects and the quality of it and also the added sound signatures, interference, cost and so on in my opinion. Would that be a important point to consider?
Really great review. Great amp..But only substantiated reasons to put together separates with synergy (lol!). I've also moved to separates. Very interested in the Acoustic Invader pre, wondering how it would pair with a gold note pa-10 amp. Just worried about any potential service issues being over here in the US.
I have the Kef R3 Meta. I'm using the cambridge audio cxa61 but I find the treble too harsh and tilted up especially when turned up load. I am strongly considering the Hegel H120 because of what I've ready about the Kef Hegel synergy. What are your thoughts on this vs using separates & do you have a suggestion as far as amp, preamp, dac, streamer etc that will work well with the kef r3 meta? Update: I got the new Hegel H190v and it is amazingly good.
I always enjoy and learn something of value from your reviews. You explain things very clearly. Now, I checked out Acoustic Invader - found their website but could find no opportunity to purchase (nor prices). I find this odd ... it's like they tell you we make some pretty cool stuff but we just make it - don't sell it. They list a phone number but can you imagine how many products Schiit would NOT sell if you had to call them first? They really need to clean this up because when a respected and well followed reviewer such as yourself mentions their product in a positive light - potential customers like myself want to do further research and study a potential purchasing scenario.
Thanks! I agree about Acoustic Invader needing to improve their website. For now, the easiest way of contacting them is trough the e-mail that's on the website. It's a small business and units are usually made as they're ordered.
Don't worry. I conducted all my dealings with Goran Vidic, the guy who runs the company, by e-mail. I found him very accommodating, answering all my questions. He's a genuinely nice guy who kept his promises and arranged for a method of postage and delivery that was the best for me.
Acoustic Invader would probably quadruple their sales if they could get someone to put a quality A B demo onto youtube of their separates versus the Hegel H190. Why does such a demo not exist?
Definitely a competent amp and in a totally differently league to the H90, but ultimately the Hegel sound is not for me. I think it might be the high damping factor (give me an Exposure with
What stack of cheaper brands like smsl or others (chinese, as that is all I can get here), would you recommend to get a sound signature simililar to the HEGEL H190? I'm very sensitive to brightness/ harshness and very prone to listening fatigue. Also I'm after a more warm/lush full bodied sound. Liquidy as you describe it. Also thank you for your super helpfull reviews and very descriptive sound evaluation. This helps me a lot since where I live, I can't demo anything.
Thanks SO much for this review. Do you think that iFi Zen Streamer is a good source for that Hegel and adds value to the sound or inbuilt streamer in Hegel is just enough?
How would this compare to its Rotel counterpart RA1572? Is it really $2000 better? Or $2000 more because it was batch produced in Norway instead of mass produced in Japan?
Hey, could you please review Topping M50? It seems like an excellent and feature packed streamer for not a lot of money! I'd really like to have your opinion on it.
Hello again, with my interest in speaker building ( I have built the Troels Gravesen " Discovery 861 " ) I did some searching on Jeff Bagby's speaker designs. Of course noting the Spirit Wind behind you $1,900us in kit form I have now noticed on Meniscus Audio web site the " Helios " kit by JB and did some searching on this model, It appears it is their best standmount speakers that they have designed inc against the Spirit Wind's. Now the Helios kit is priced at $2,000us which inc the upgrades to the crossover ( a must I think all day ) Makes me think for $100us extra over the SW seems a no brainer. I would suggest and consider after the Spirit Winds that you take a look at the Helios kit for evaluation... just planting a seed Lol! as I am now interested in buying this kit to build. Regards.
Helios looks very interesting but it is a very big standmounter that would require new stands, wife approval, etc. Maybe someday, so far I am very happy with Spirit Winds and in my room, with its help, they reach down to 35Hz in full force and there is still some usable - 6dB at 30Hz... I'll talk more about their other qualities soon. But I did go all out with cabinets and parts quality. Cheers! 🍺
Hi! Getting off the Hegel, I too have noticed the " Spirit Wind " speakers in the back ground. I have searched and found they are available through " Meniscus Audio " $1,900 US + optional upgrades to the crossover. The photo's I have seen, RU-vid inc look different than the ones behind you, are these a kit that was bought and someone or yourself built/designed the cabinetry to their liking ? Look forward to your review of these..thanks.
Yes it is that kit, but we only bought cabinet and crossover design from Meniscusaudion (since I'm in Serbia, shipping the whole kit from US would be a little expensive) then ordered parts and cabinets done by ourselves (respecting the designer's guidelines of course).
I had to wait a couple of weeks for my own Acoustic Invader preamp, which cost me £1,375 including delivery and taxes. I already had an Edge a2-300 ice power class D power amp (£500), and my Tradutto DAC cost me £700 -- so £2,575 in total. The cheapest I can find the Hegel H190 is £3400. Hence my combo is cheaper, for sure. I suppose that for stricty comparability, one would have to add an external streamer (not something that interests me), but even then, the total would likely still come in less than the Hegel. One thing I wonder is whether your ice power class D power amp is better sounding than mine -- could be, as it's over double the price of my a2-300. But even so, I'm still probably in at least the same ball park as the Hegel (which I haven't heard, incidentally). That said, I'm more flexible when it comes to possible future upgrades -- change of DAC or power amp for instance. My Audiolab 6000A doesn't sound quite as good as my combo, of course, but at 1/5 the price of the Hegel, I think it puts in a very creditable performance and I'd recommend it to anyone wanting a reasonably priced, high-quality integrated unit. I don't think one could better it at the price. Maybe one day you'll review it. BTW, what is that speaker I spy behind your left shoulder? It looks a bit like the Musician Knight 1, which Tharbamar reviewed and thought to be very good. Are you going to review it? If so, I look forward to that.
Those are actually a DIY speakers called Spirit Wind. Those are designed by late Jeff Bagby and he often referred to them as the best speakers he designed. Lots of time, effort, and good parts went into making them. I'll be making a video dedicated to these sometime.
@@AromaFrank My reply to this seems to have disappeared. Maybe because I mentioned av forums (all one word). If you search for "I got bitten by an acoustic invader" you'll find my review - check it out if you like.
@@johncallaghan3097 I got ur review, nice! And many thanks! Can I ask you more about speakers and amps. (I would like if I can do it directly to ur email etc. :)) I now have Audiolab a6000 and Evo 4.1 in my study (small 8x8) - close to wall. I’m still missing engaging.. Where should I upgrade, Should I get the Menuet SE etc. or Acoustic Invader amp?
Which Naim we're you comparing it with? Have you heard a Supernait 3? That would probably be a good comparison instead of a blanket one with all Naim gear.
I didn't have any Naim to compare directly during my time with H190. That's why I was speaking in general Hegel-Naim terms. BTW, I listened to Supernait 3 only shortly, Supernait 2 a bit longer, Unity Atom too. Some of these would be a very interesting for a direct comparison if chance presents itself.
Pozdrav. Ako sam dobro razumeo u poredjenju sa NAD-om. Hegel je topliji i meksi dok je NAD koncentrisan vise na preciznost, visoke frekvencije i open stage. Pitam posto imam NAD
Tako nekako. M32 je brži i ima više vazduha u visokima. Hegel ima malo više udara u basu, malo tečniji i mekši zvuk. Što se scene tiče meni se učinilo da je NAD podiže više (taj vazduh pomaže) a Hegel ima malo veću dubinu (više reverba se čuje). Sve su ovo utisci na relativni kratko slušanje... Trebao bi mi M32 malo duže da pohvatam sve njegov osobine kako valja.
Great Video and information. I am thinking of pairing KEF LS50 Meta with a Hegel H190 Integrated amplifier in a room that measures 19.5ft long x 11.5 ft wide x 10-14 ft high and opens up into another space that is 11.5ft x 11.5ft.. Would this be a good pairing between speaker and amplifier and also for this room? Do these LS50 Meta have enough bass response or should I add one or a pair of REL T7x or T9x subwoofer? Thanks in advance.
H190 and LS50 are a great match to my ears. Have to hear Meta version yet but don't think it would change my opinion. As for the room, you'll probably going to need a sub to fill in some lower frequencies in the room of that size.
In a technical sense, what makes a different sound stage in different dacs? If I have understood right, speakers do it by their different directivity and reflections and the room acoustics make the rest. As far as I know, in headphones, a narrow 9 kHz dip in the frequency response also makes part of the soundstage. But, if the measured specifications are about the same in the dacs, what makes the difference to the sound stage?
Real music has several constantly changing elements - it is a signal that very quickly changes its complexity, levels, and frequencies in time. That puts a different kind of stress on the power supply, output stage, and even filters designed to manage the signal. By comparison, every measurement that is possible to take is either a constant signal or a slowly changing signal (signal changing in a linear fashion, for example frequency sweep). Even a multitone test is just a group of constant frequencies that don't change in time. Now try to imagine this - if you know how to run and you can do it quickly, and you know how to juggle and you can do it well - and somebody records both of these separately as proof... does that mean you can run fast and juggle at the same time? And if you wonder why are then measurements done that way, well it is because of the nature of the measurements and measuring instruments themselves. We have to make everything that's not of interest for that single measurement a constant (or slowly changing), so our instruments can actually isolate that one thing we need to measure and plot a graph of it. In reality, when all mentioned parts of the device are stressed a lot can happen that we simply can't detect during measurements... more noise, slower response in the time domain, etc... this can introduce time smearing (lower resolution and decreased spatial cues, causing shallower soundstage), and all kinds of added noise and distortion that can manifest themselves as brightness (if it's in the high spectrum) or fatty bass (if it's in the low spectrum). Oh, I kept writing for too long. :)
The measurements we typically see are far from comprehensive, and frequency response is only one aspect of sound. The *timing* and coherency of the sound is what creates the soundstage - and digital recordings and converting them to analog is very much about timing.
@@iiWiReviews Thanks for this clarification. I haven't read or heard much about this before. It has surprised me how the dacs I own, which all measure well, sound so different, for example, in bass reproduction.
@@iiWiReviews Very well put indeed. Nice analogies. Some of the folk over at ASR would do well to keep this in mind when considering how much weight to put on SINAD measurements.
Imo $4000 automatically means junk. What a joke 🤣. I have a pencil I can sell u for only 5000. It works even against gravity and in the hands of an artist can create amazing art.
