Hegel Integrated Amplifiers Blow Away Three Audiophiles 

The sound of opening the lid of that shaker was at high Audiophile levels!

Thank you for another extremely informative video.

Hello Adrian, Jay, and Phillip. Thanks for taking time to inform of the excellence of Hegel Integrated amps. I've been fortunate enough to have access to long term listening of an audio system consisting of Hegel 390, Jay's Audio CDT and DAC, and Sonor Audio Claro 6.2 speakers. All the rave reviews of the Hegel products are well deserved and I never thought I would find another integrated that would make me consider parting with my tried and true Naim Nait 5i. Today I got another listen with the Hegel but this time with a different set of speakers (a set of DIY Usher speakers). System still sounded musical but not to the same level of musicality and holographic imaging as with the Sonor speakers. Somehow the Hegel when paired with the Sonor speakers really becomes some kind of magical music paring. Based on what I think I am understanding from yours and other reviews, the Hegel can absolutely unleash the best performance of certain brands/models of speakers. Hope you guys can someday get to listen to this combination and I think it would be a good thing to list specific speaker and Hegel pairings that audio and music lunatics can set their ears to.

Jay's hair is on point! looking sharp

Adrian and team, I absolutely loved this open discussion. Please do make more videos..would love to see you guys discussing Wilson Audio speakers..you personal observations..cheers.

Hey Guys!! First of all I really like the way of your videos and how you talk about the equipments. I am also a true Hegel lover and personally I have had an H80 amp and loved it. Then I wanted to go up in their portfolio and get a H160 or even a H360! Then suddenly I find a Canadian amplifier on a good price (used) and bought it. It's an Anthem STR integrated amplifier and sound amazing! It doesn't sound the same way like Hegel but in this price points also a matter a personal taste. I am sure all og you know this brand very well. I would just suggest you to have a listen on it it you have a chance and ig you really liked to make a comparison video with a same priced amps. I don't know how interesting is an Anthem room correction system in a stereo amp but I think It's worth to take a look at! Thanks for your thoughts! Wish you a happy new year and good sounding gears! Best regards, Zoltan

Speaking about high damping factor. Do you guys realize that in order not to loose all that damping you would need to use very (and I mean VERY) low resistance cables? Let's say you have an amp with a damping factor 2000 for 8 Ohms load. It means that output impedance of that amp is 8 / 2000 = 0.004 Ohms. In case if you use 10 AWG speaker cables they would add 0.00328 x 2 = 0.00656 Ohms per meter resistance to that amp's output impedance. And just 2 meter-long cables would increase that output impedance to 0.004 + 0.00656 x 2 = 0.01712 Ohms. Now, let's calculate the damping factor at speaker's terminals. For the 8 Ohm speakers that will be 8 / 0.01712 = 467. Instead of the initial 2000 (just 23.4%)! And for any 4 Ohm speakers the damping factor will be a half of that number. Even if you use 2 meters of some pretty heavy 5 AWG speaker cable the resulting damping factor will still be less than a 1000 (985).

Loved this! Looking forward to the next video.

If we just discuss the amplifier, we can have very, very good amplifiers in tubes as well as SS, the only difference is price, supplied energy and heat dissipation. But besides the amplifiers there is a lot more to consider from the sound origin to my ears and also very important from ears to my brain, including my personal preference in music or just sound. Sound amplification from recorded or directly from the sound source like nature, musical band, orchestra symphonic or otherwise, just voice or singing, Those sounds has to be captured, with the right micro and placed properly according to the sound source and where we are listening it (room acoustics). In one word it is a complete science. The amplifier can be anyone as well as all the amplification channel, as said before the quality of sound can be as good in TUBES or SOLID STATE .

Would love to see you talk about Musical Fidelity, specifically the M8xi integrated.

Love Hegel

Guy on the left really enjoys his coffee!

I am glad you showed the thumbnail picture of the inside… man, that look like a mess of disorganized layout of parts and wires… what’s the warranty on this piece?

Thoughts on Hegel vs Pass Labs vs Benchmark AHB2?

Great video guys

Hegels not winning any award for neat assemblies, wires everywhere, like experimental version 1.0.

Hi guys, love the enthusiasm. You mentioned a clients Hegel sounding bad and being brand new. How long do you think something like the h90 need to run before coming into it own? Also, do think it’s suited for lower level listening (which is all I do)? Grabbed a h90 at an end of life deal, but initial impressions are not great (B&W Nautilus 805). Thank you and keep up the good work!

Another amazingly informative discussion!!! ☮️🖖🏽

PR offensive on US/Canadian market? I used Hegel in a past... for one month. Lucky i sold it.

The H90 is priced ok but WOW the others become expensive.

Thoughs on pairing Hegel (H190 or H390) with Klipsch, specifically the RF7iii?

Literally a window opened? That’s amazing!!!

How can a device at this price have such a messy internal wiring ? 🥴

Proudly Norwegian :-)

I have a AP Virgo25... Thinking of doing a home demo with the H390 or the Primaluna EVO 400... Any thoughts?

You guys need to hear a QSC MX 3000a power amp......Audiophile grade with 500+ RMS WPC @ 4ohm......You'll be surprised.

Hi, have you ever compare Hegel with Roksan Kamdy Power Amplifier/Integrated Amplifier?

Hegel H590 vs Mcintosh MA900 ?

Hi Jay and team, Appreciate your advice I have a pair of HiFi Speaker Power rated at 15 W min - 130W. Would like to know, if were to use an Amplifier with a higher Power rating than the Speaker would it damage my mentioned rated speaker i.e Ad Amplifier with rated Power of 2 x 150 W into 8 ohms Amp Which would best the best suitable and matching Amplifier WATTS to drive my speakers with the below-shown Amplifier power rating 2 x 150 W into 8 ohms 2 x 75 W into 8 ohm 2 x 60 W into 8 ohms Thanks in advance

Hi, I’m thinking of upgrading my stereo setup which is several years old (Revel F12 speakers and Lexicon RV-8 integrated amp). I’m looking at Spatial Audio X5 speakers with a Hegel H-390, do you think they make a good match (synergy)? Which other “combo” for less than $15,000 (speaker, integrated amp, DAC, and music streamer) would you recommend? Thanks!

I‘m considering buying Sonus Faber Sonetto V pairing it with the new MC Intosh 252. Do you think I should go for the Hegel 390 instead...?

Hello, Would you say the Maggie LRS are better than the Elac Uni-fi UF51 floor standers? I have a high current amp rated at 400 watt per channel at 4 ohms and can play down to 2 ohms. Thanks for your time.

Immediately Pass Labs/1st Watt comes to mind for comparison...

Anyone know anything about Pathos quality? I would like a hybrid tube amp and the build quality of the Pathos looks amazing. I have heard horror stories about service as they are based out of Italy, however, so I would look at a McIntosh as a second choice. Hegel is nice but for 4K I want tubes!

Pound per pound Best amps!

I have the Bowers & Wilkins 702 S2 floorstanders. Will the Hegel H200 be a good match for the Bowers & Wilkins ?. Thank you

How would the Hegel amps pair with the KEF LS50s?

Have to say am not overly impressed with the rats nest of wiring in this amp ,just contrast it with how the ladies at Naim wire their amps,dont own either of these amps just to clarify, but i have built a few amps before and would not dream of leaving that mess.

I have a hegel h360 driving a pair of Magico S1MK2. Feed with a Chord Hugo TT2 and it sound incredible.

Hegel 390 for 702s2 or mcintosh 8950 which one is more preferred ?

Does that mean all other brands are dead???

Hello. I purchased a Hegel h 590 for my magnepan 1.7 I. I was very disappointed. Good dynamic ,very good dac but the overal sound is quite harsh compared to my vtl st 150. You can’t listen music more than 15 minutes. Very boring in fact.the real life of music is gone. A lot of money for a so bad result. For me magnepan are good with powerfully valve amplifier...

also compatible with beagle and my pet eagle

Do you know how hegel h590 compared to devialet 220 pro?

Nice. Can you advice: I have Audio Physic Scorpio, Hegel H360 match for this speakers? Or better Parasound Hint 6? Thank You.

Have you tried hegel 90 with Atc Scm 11's ?

Hello, is the H90 a good choice to drive the Magnepan 1.7i ?

Any opinions on using a hegel h360 to drive a susvara?

hegels are great sounding amps and are good value but the dacs arent that great sounding to my ears

Are you suggesting the H90 outperforms the Naim Nait 5si?

Would the Hegel h390 make the ATC SCM 40 s sound better just like the Hegel transformed the Audio Physic speakers?

10:40 Messy wiring.

A damping factor of 100 is plenty. Hegel is an overkill and shouldn’t make any difference to sound. See ceo psb audio who states 4000 is nuts

2200 for a h90 at 60 watts a side I don't know how you can call this affordable. Get your math straight.

The French company Atoll makes integrated amps worth comparing to Hegel, would you agree?

The Hegel H590....is almost $8000.00.......it better blow away those Blowhards...!

how does it compare to the sonos amp?

Glad I found this channel. I'm in the Detroit area, but Markham, Ontario isn't too far to go to get HiFi equipment. It sounds like it might be a great place to shop.

Interesting, a channel promoting high end audio with very poor audio reproduction.

How is the Hegel Röst vs the H90?

How come their integrated amps have much more dampening power (4000) versus their power amps (1000)?

Boys get a room

I wish you guys have somewhat better sound quality and used a separate mic.

I hope you didn't listen to the amps in the room your sitting in. Your voice sounds boomy and off and I notice a questionable placement of the white speaker behind you. I could only imagine how this room would effect the quality of your listening experience.

What is the reliability on Hegel?

Thanx for a nice and informative review but you should learn somthing about sound recording!

SO they are good because you guys sell them?! Lol

Which model, price, power output, class A,AB,D, etc? you all put out a summary first with this spec first before talk about the secondary issues.

*Nice marketing/advertising.*

You're audiophiles, but you cannot record sound properly.

The guy on the left should be on a diet!

No demo

Sound is not everything ..Silver please....

Or are they just remarketing something from the 80s?

So, three biased Hegel fanboys like the Hegel. Hmmm, it‘s surprising! I‘ve bought some 500$ loudspeakers from amazon and hooked a Hegel H190 up. Now they sound like Wilson Audio.

Dampening factor is not as important for bass response as you guys make it out to be. Sure if you have a dampening factor of 10, it’s gonna be loose. Over couple hundred is all academic.

Ok. So here's what I cannot figure out. The latest equipment reviewed is good quality, has respectable performance, but (for me) looks like absolute SH-T. There's very little visual appeal (eye candy). Nothing that grabs your heart and tugs hard at the wallet. Hi End equipment like Hegel, or Anthem or Rogue, Marantz, Prima Luna etc, etc, etc is seriously aesthetically challenged. Plain silver or plain black box after plain G-D boring box. There's nothing out there that looks as good as 70's vintage equipment. NOTHING! And yet there you guys are sitting around waxing paradoxically day after day. Just makes absolutely no sense. Wanna see beautiful. Pioneer SX3900, or SX1980 recievers, or SA9800 integrated amp, or Sansui G series G9000. How about the 60's Marantz 1900, or 80's 2600 receivers, or Technics SE-A3? What gives????

Jay is not worthy to be anything but a stock boy or camera operator

Hegel is waaay overpriced,

Damping factor in itself does mean nothing, besides, I thought I would listen the integrated amp, not three men telling subjective opinions. 👎