Hegel Music Systems

Hegel Music Systems Of Norway

Hegel’s new crop of integrated amps is flat out freakin’ ASTONISHING! The performance delivered by Hegel’s integrateds is excitingly better and more INVOLVING than any similarly priced electronics I’ve ever heard. The leading edge of musical transients is more clearly delineated with Hegel. There is musical ataraxy with Hegel that you just don’t get from “the other guys.” Bent Holter is the designer who gives Hegel a musical heart of gold.

While it isn’t fair to say I’ve heard EVERYTHING, I’ve had a taste of almost every REAL brand you can think of. We get solicited by “everybody” out there. There is virtually no major brand of electronics I’ve not had a test ride with over the last few years. When they knock on our door, I dutifully listen.

Owning a hi-fi shop is like being the GM of a baseball team. You have to be open to better players. And yep, sometimes you have to cut existing players because someone else has come along who is better- and will help the Audio Emporium TEAM more. The point is, I stay open minded. I listen to all comers. And I’m happy to tell you, Hegel is UNVANQUISHED!

Hegel’s epicurean performance is the result of paying attention to a plethora of details. In addition to using top notch parts, Hegel has some of its own secret sauce. Bent Holter has wisely denoted buzz words to his bag of tricks to separate Hegel from a world of pedestrian mediocrity.

Synchro Dac

All Hegel integrateds have the company’s superbly detailed SynchroDac design on board. The other guys are virtually all “asynchronous” and anodyne in comparison. The precision performance through a Hegel DAC gives you a leg up on the other guys right from the start!

Yet, even if you don’t use Hegel’s on board DAC, Hegel is STILL the way to go! The line stage/amp performance of Hegel is simply astonishing. Why?

Organic Sound

Hegel’s sound is more DYNAMIC & ALIVE than the other guys. After hearing Hegel’s open, airy … BREATHY spaciousness, the vast majority of the other guys are flat out mundane. The precision attacks of a great guitarist, pianist or drummer are better purveyed with Hegel.

Organic Sound is Bent’s term for his commitment to musical accuracy. Hegel’s “flavor” has been specifically dialed in with repeatable tests of live vs recorded instruments and voices. Bent sweats the details of getting transient attacks and overtones right, both in terms of speed and color.

When you listen to guitar through Hegel, say Rosanne Cash’s “Western Wall”, you can’t miss the guitar’s lifelike gorgeous timbre flying out of your speakers! Not only is the playing technique articulate and faithful, the overtones are ebullient and three dimensional. Add in Rosanne’s lovely singing voice and this track alone proves Hegel’s diaphanous character.

The other guys offer ersatz. The music is more dull=flat. It’s like the music just can’t get out of the speakers in comparison to Hegel. Hence the music carries a desultory signature in comparison to what Hegel can provide.

SoundEngine2

SoundEngine2 is Hegel’s patented feed forward, error canceling circuitry. Simply put, Bent has created his own cancellation network to improve dynamic range and eliminate distortion. When you listen to Hegel, you’ll be struck by the music’s clarity, sans distortion or artifacts. You’ve seen digital artifacts on TV pictures. SoundEngine2 insures audio artifacts are elided from your music. There is a distinct musical “calm” and lack of edgy distortion to Hegel’s musicality.

Immense Damping Factor

If you listen to almost any “well reputed” amp drive excellent speakers like the Wharfedale Lintons, you’ll be impressed. You’ll think, this is really nice.
If you flip over to any Hegel integrated, the sound will open up and BLOOM with colors and overtones you didn’t know were there. The bass depth and impact goes surprisingly, SHOCKINGLY deeper!
I experienced this when playing a highly lauded preamp/amp combo for $3000. I was very happy with it through Lintons. Then I tossed on the H-120 integrated for the same price, rated at a modest 75×2 and all I can tell you is- bass MOVED the foundation of the room, that I had no idea was on the disc! I had been listening through good separates for months, and didn’t even realize the Lintons are even better than I knew.
This is a very different comparison to say, a McIntosh preamp/amp that would run $16k. While we would expect that combo to sound great, the price is so disparate that the comparison is moot. However, when subbing in the H-120 at the SAME PRICE as the affordable separates combo – to hear this DRAMATIC improvement- was quite jaw dropping!
All Hegel integrateds run damping factor from 2000 to over 4000 units of measure. The other guys are happy to hit 200.

DualAmp

Hegel’s DualAmp technology means voltage and current gain stages are entirely different.
When they’re combined, as the others do, the sound is less clear and precise.

DualPower

Hegel’s DualPower design means Hegel uses multiple power supplies. Using a different supply for sensitive voltage stages, and a more massive supply for current output stages, provides pristine definition with a pitch black background for the music.

LineDriver

LineDriver technology removes noise from the analog signal AFTER the SynchroDAC has done its conversion. This post DAC line stage noise is unattended to by the other guys.

You don’t even need state of the art demo material to appreciate Hegel’s talent. I mentioned Rosanne Cash’s CD above. Try Willie Nelson’s “Stardust” from 1978. There is not a single sonic spectacular on this album. It’s all about vocal and instrumental beauty/color and ambiance. Of course when you DO throw on a system buster, Hegel is up to the task!