When the astounding new Hegel integrated amp arrived about the same time as a big box trade in, it presented the perfect time to drop the gloves and see where the dust would settle.
Hegel H-120: $3000 (75×2)
When the Hegel H-120 integrated amp ($3000, 75×2) arrived in mid January it blew my socks off! This amp is marvelously clean and detailed- yet doesn’t sound bright or irritating. Voices and overtones sound ALIVE and breathy. I was happily shocked at how GREAT it was.
I shouldn’t have been surprised as we’ve carried Hegel for many years. I’ve employed Hegel integrated amps in a variety of displays. Yet, when you run Hegel in a system you know REALLY well, and further, have a way to quickly COMPARE it to something else- that’s when you can definitively hear how much better the Hegel is.
Frankly, I had forgotten how much better Hegel is than competitors because I didn’t have my dems in systems where I could compare quickly. I have heard Hegel in these wonderful systems for years and literally taken them for granted. Shame on me.
I had ordered a few new CDs that arrived at the same time. What a perfect time to combine the energy of new music with a new amp- through speakers I knew like the back of my hand, the Wharfedale Lintons ($1200 per pair). It is extra enticing that the Lintons are inexpensive. To derive such a clear amplifier winner through modestly priced speakers is really exciting!
Landing at the same time was a highly touted Yamaguchi integrated on trade for about a grand. Many of the mags recommend this traded in model. I took the trouble to hook up the used integrated, where I could do an A-B vs the Hegel H-120.
Playing a great vocal-guitar song, The Whailin’ Jennys, singing Neil Young’s “Old Man”- it took less than 30 seconds per amp to appreciate how ALIVE and full of color the Hegel was. The bass felt an octave DEEPER and tighter. When I went back to the trade in, it was OK, but white bread in comparison.
Some of us LOVE our music! We want to hear the pick against the string on the guitar. We want to hear air around the vocals. And we want to distinctly discern the three voices of Ruth (soprano), Nicky (mezzo) and Heather (alto). You can taste the experience more fully through Hegel than through the other guys.
Hegel uses its SoundEngine2 circuitry to RESOLVE overtones without artifacts. It is a more CALM and relaxing musical ride. After hearing Hegel’s air, beauty and muscle, I said, let’s see how Hegel’s less expensive H-95 measures up.
Hegel H-95 Integrated Amp: $2000 (60×2)
Hegel’s H-95 integrated (also has built in SynchroDAC) is a conspicuously phenomenal product for only $2k. It has the same damping factor (2000) as H-120. Oh, the trade in has a damping factor of 184, TEN TIMES LESS!
Hegel consistently provides an open, resolving & DYNAMIC sound that you cannot get south of $2k. You can get gear that sounds louder- but not more realistic.
H-95 also uses SoundEngine2 cancellation circuitry. You will hear that both Hegel integrateds sound more ALIVE than the gear sold by the big names. Transients start and stop with precision. The music breathes more realistically with Hegel than the other guys. Once you hear it- you can’t miss it! Simple overtones on guitars and pianos are more dynamic, alive and spacious. The human voice sounds less IN THE BOX and convincing. H-120 and H-95 have the exact same flavor. H-120 does have a bigger kick and weightier performance, as it should for a grand more.
Listening to Hegel through the Lintons is a true synergy. Going to H-120 delivers the bigger mule KICK, which of course, we love. Yet playing H-95 with Lintons is a treat because Linton can attain a level of sophistication through Norway that it can’t get from the far east!