Hegel H-120 Integrated Amp ($3000, 75×2)
(4h, 17.25w, 11.75d, 28 lbs of DYNAMITE!)
Hegel’s new integrated will flat out BLOW YOU AWAY for its price point! H-120 is soooo stinkin’ good that I don’t know exactly how to describe it. But try, I will.
First of all, I want to make clear that I think the new H-120 achieves a new plateau for its price point. To my ears, H-120 is the least expensive integrated that sends you sailing into the BIG TIME of esoteric audio electronics performance. H-120 will make almost any speaker sound significantly more detailed and refined. It’s such a fine amp that it will tell you- your speakers are better than you knew. Given its top notch on board SynchroDAC, it will do the same for your modest CD player or streamer, which should be a Bluesound Node 2i- $550.
Hegel’s muscle far out runs its wattage rating. Rest assured H-120 will drive the vast majority of speakers out there. It has an amazing ability to START and STOP your speakers, with a damping factor of over 2000!
Hegel uses its own, patented cancellation network, dubbed SoundEngine 2, to keep your signal crystal clear and free of distortion. Hegel has a particularly natural, open sound. Instruments, voices and overtones sound scrumptiously real with Hegel. There is also a relaxed manner to Hegel’s performance. It is due to SE2’s elimination of distortion based artifacts.
H-120 uses Hegel’s renowned SynchroDAC. It is synchronous, not asynchronous, like all the other guys use! Hegel’s SynchroDAC provides dynamics and detail in spades.
- Digital inputs include USB-B, 3 OPTs and 1 Coax.
- Analog inputs include two sets RCAs, and one set XLRs!
- Hegel has one set of analog outputs. It will most likely be used in the variable position- subwoofer anyone? But it can be locked in a fixed position- HT pass through. Nah, don’t go there.
If you haven’t heard a Hegel, please visit for a real treat.
Hegel H-90 Integrated Amp ($2000, 60×2)
Don’t forget about H-90! H-120, above, is brand new and deserves every bit of attention it will get. Yet if $3k isn’t in your price range and $2k IS, please consider H-90!
There are surely LOTS of you who own a main stream brand of receiver or amp who can stretch a bit to get the sophistication of Hegel. I promise you that your SOURCE (via Hegel’s SynchroDAC) and SPEAKERS will benefit substantially from what Hegel can bring to your party!
Wharfedale Evo 4.4 Speakers $2000 Per Pair
(42.4h, 10w, 13.6d, 59 lbs, 89 dB SPL, Walnut, Black Ash or White)
Just in are the new Wharfedale Evo 4.4 tower speakers. There are a number of very interesting design choices with the 4.4!
The tweeter is Wharfedale’s LARGE RIBBON design. It is 2.16”w and 3.15” tall! That is a conspicuously large ribbon diaphragm when you compare it to the other guys. We’ve heard this tweeter on the 4.1 shelf model and confirm it is still tremendously smooth and detailed- NO BITE!
When employed in Evo 4.4 it sounds even more open and airy. I’m sure that is due to- its dome midrange driver!
Wharfedale employs a two inch, silk dome midrange driver below the ribbon tweeter. There is a chamber behind this mid driver with absorbing mineral fiber. The implementation of the dome mid provides massive dispersion and frees the tweeter from working as hard as competitors ask their tweeters to work.
Wharfedale uses TWO 6.5 inch, cast frame Kevlar woofers to carry the bass load. This big dog weighs in at almost sixty pounds and delivers potent bass response.
Wharfedale ports the cabinet through the bottom slot. It can exit as the 4.4 comes with sturdy steel outriggers- an upcharge accessory from most companies.
The finish is an elegant, CONTOURED, real wood veneer- quite gorgeous in walnut in particular. The impedance never drops below 4 ohms and is rated at 4. It’s an easy load for any respectable amplifier.
Evo 4.4 is smoother than brighter. It images wonderfully. The bass is nicely balanced- it’s not over kill. It will reward you for having a muscular amp, instead of a garden variety potted plant.
Wharfedale made an additional generous decision. Evo 4.4 comes with exquisitely finished
outrigger feet. These are no flimsy tip toes either. These outriggers are regularly a $300-400 upcharge from other companies. There is a sonic benefit to nailing all the weight down securely.
While you don’t see your tower rock when the drivers are pumping, outriggers will make your speakers sound less muddy in the bass and image more precisely .
Vanessa-Mae: Violinist & Skier!
Vanessa-Mae is a name we classical violin fans know and love. This precocious talent recorded both the Tchaikovsky and LVB concertos by age 13. Not bad!
Her avocation? NORDIC SKIING.
In 2014 at age 36 Vanessa competed in the Olympics for Thailand, in NORDIC SKIING. That sounds like a pretty risky HOBBY for a world class violinist.