Simon Price
Hegel have a reputation for producing class leading ‘type’ integrated amplifiers and a lot is down to the Sound Engine amplification technology they use – see here for an explanation from Hegel’s Bent Holter. A new boy to the game, what do I think? Since trying their Mohican CD Player, which I have recollections of sounding ‘up there’ with a Chord Hugo TT2 DAC, I gave the Hegel H120 a go. This is the newest integrated from the Hegel range and in this review I find out how it performs against some competing amps, what it does, and crucially, how does it sound.
If you are in the market for a *sounding amp* over a *pretty boy* amp, then the H120 more than hacks it against amps like the Naim Uniti Atom, on paper specs and considering the quality of amplification on tap.
Please let me know what your experiences of Hegel products are. For more information on Hegel visit their Facebook page here as they have regular group discussions about their products and audio in general.
Hegel H120 Specifications
- Power output: 2 x 75 W into 8 Ω
- Minimum load: 2 Ω
- Analogue Inputs: 1 x balanced (XLR), 2 x unbalanced (RCA)
- Digital Inputs: 1 x coaxial (RCA), 3 x optical, 1 x USB, 1 x Network
- Line level Output: 1 x unbalanced variable (RCA)
- Frequency response: 5 Hz – 100 kHz
- Signal-to-noise ratio: More than 100 dB
- Crosstalk: Less than -100 dB
- Distortion: Less than 0.01% @ 50 W/8 Ω/1 kHz
- Intermodulation: Less than 0.01% (19 kHz + 20 kHz)
- Damping factor: More than 2000 (main power output stage)
- Dimensions incl feet: 10 cm x 43 cm x 31 cm (HxWxD), 12 kg shipping weight
- Dimensions (US): 3.93″ x 16.93″ x 12.20″ (HxWxD), 26.5 lbs shipping weight
Some Information from Hegel
- Hegel Best Practise Guide – Streaming from Network Storage to Hegel
- Using Bubble UPnP on Hegel – see here
Test Systems Used
- Hegel Mohican CD Player
- Chord Qutest DAC
- RME ADI-2 DAC FS DAC
- Cyrus DAC XP Signature Pre Amp with PSX-R Power Supply
- Cyrus Mono X200 Signature Power Amps
- Speakers : Neat Iota Alpha, PMC twenty5 23, Definitive Technology Demand D11
- IsoTek Aquarius Power Conditioner
Really enjoyed your review, Hegal makes fantastic gear across the spectrum ie your review of the Mohican confirms my faith in CD as still having so much to offer music lovers. Hegal make great DACs and I would love you to review their HD 30 – to see how it sounds against the Chord Hugo2 TT and rhe Bartók!
Hi Colin, thanks very much for your comments, very kind. I have a great relationship with Hegel so hopefully I can do more things in the future with them. I really want to try their H390, selfishly I’ll admit, as personally it may be the next amp I go for to replace my aging Cyrus gear which I think it will probably outperform. Bw Simon
I bought the H390 3 weeks ago. Rather amazing. Firm, tight bass even at moderate volume, great soundstage and great clarity. Get it, you won’t regret it.
Very good call, I’m thinking of swapping my Cyrus gear for an h390