Hegel H-390 Integrated Amp Has Landed!
250×2, $6000 (5.71h, 16.93w, 17.32d, 44 lbs)
Hegel integrated amps provide some of the best musical values in our biz. They are built wonderfully for audio performance- though they are not feature laden. This entry is to sing the praises of this new, almost top of the line, magnificent integrated amp.
Hegel makes the H-590 integrated amp. It runs $11k and has 300×2. I’m not that good at math, but I’m thinking the H-390 at 250×2 at just over half the price is a pretty good value. H-390 is a dual mono design- serious business to be sure. Hegel chooses among the best sonic parts in our biz in lieu of spending money on “features.”
What is different about Hegel from the other guys starts in the power amp. Hegel has a proprietary circuit it calls Sound Engine 2. If you’d like to get a thorough description of the way it works, owner/designer Bent Holter gives a 30 minute on line dissertation. I’ll warn you to bring your pillow. I took one for the team and watched it. You don’t have to. In short, SE2 is all about distortion cancellation techniques.
Hegel integrateds have HUGE damping factor. Hegels measure at 4000 while the other guys measure about 200-500. What this means to your music is that Hegel has better grip on a stand up bass fiddle or the lower register of a piano. Kick drums punch instead of mush. Hegel also has astounding QUIETUDE. Yep, Hegel sounds so dynamic and free of distortion that you can hear silence between the notes. There is a musical CALM with Hegel that’s tough to put into words. When we say that amps of comparable power sound different from each other, Hegel is exhibit A of an amp that stands above the fray.
I can promise you this- the more revealing your speakers, the more clearly you’ll hear the strength of Hegel. Hegel amps quite simply, start, and stop your speakers better than the other guys.
If you have gorgeous speakers with ribbon tweeters (GoldenEar or Magnepan anyone?) I adjure you to audition Hegel. If your speakers are more than a little hungry, you’ll also do well to consider Hegel.
H-390 does streaming straight in with an Ethernet cable. Don’t even think about wi-fi fellas. Hegel will punch you in the nose for that thought. Hegel is ready to shake hands with Roon and a myriad of streaming services. It does, OF COURSE, decode MQA. Gotta have it. A good many of our customers can run H-390 with a pair of speakers and call it a day!
H-390 uses the latest version of Hegel’s own Bit Perfect DAC. Hegel has created its own clocking system and is the ideal handshake for any source you have running digi out.
Inputs:
One set XLRs
Two sets RCAs
Three Optical
One Coax
One BNC
One USB-B
Outputs:
One set RCA out variable
One set RCA out fixed
