Again really good review Simon. I was fortunate enough to find a used version of the 590. I never thought it would be as musical as everyone claimed but it sure as heck it is. I would recommend these units to anybody not just a 590 but all of them up and down the line.
Spectacular review! You nailed all of the key points of this very special integrated amp. And spoke the words that I have in my head. And I’ve only lived with this for 24hours! Hegel is the real deal.
That’s tremendous to know. Thanks very much. It’s always good to be accurate as I often agonise over getting it right. In a good way if you know what I mean. Enjoy it!
Thanks Simon for the excellent review, this one is a major influence for my final decision on H120, which replace a 20 years old Denon 3805 receiver. The Hegel has 75w vs. Denon's 120w, but the Hegel sound a lot more powerful. The base is more weighty and punchier (my main complaint to the old system). Everything is cleaner, background is really dark, which helps the imaging, separation. I also upgrade the old KEF Q5 speaker to B&W 704 S2. The combination works well, the base is more punchy, vocals stand out a little more. The speakers are completely disappeared. I do notice the best performance begin to show at around 40 volume mark and above (depends on the source of course). I am completely satisfied. The REMOTE, however, is very poorly designed. It seem the designer put the look ahead of function. All buttons are the same small size. So the most useful keys, like the volume control, change input, and most importantly, ON/OFF, are not only hard to use, but in the case of ON/OFF, it is even hard to FIND. If you do it in the dark and believe you can find the right Off switch, you have a high chance to push the wrong one. Although the build quality is decent as the review suggested, it is THE WORST design in term of function, UI friendliness. I might just replace this remote with a universal one.
Thanks for your lovely comments. I find the remote decent tbh. Eco for on and off is one down one across in the dark. The same remote Hegel use for the H390. But if that’s an issue, no biggie, you can get a more traditional Hegel remote (the RC10) so you don’t need a universal one. www.hegel.com/products/xtras/114-rc8-2
@@13thnotehifireviews7 Thanks for the link of the RC10, looks a lot more sensible to me but still not there ... But, I may get one - IF I can find one in USA :)
@@13thnotehifireviews7 Really hard to find the RC10 remote in US, and I have to order from Canada. Don't know when it can swim over to Hawaii... After few weeks of using the original remote, I have to say it worse than awful. Practically useless in dark, button is too sensitive and very easy to miss click on something. Again, it is a design philosophy that put look ahead of function that should be called out. I assume I am not the only one strongly against it.
Something about your reviews feel very honest and straightforward. They are well produced - I imagine going ahead you will get a lot more subscribers. Keep it up!
Thank you. It’s as much for me about doing the production as enjoying the audio, otherwise I wouldn’t bother doing reviews. The way I look at it, HiFi is the means to an end for what it does - music faithfully reproduced. So that shouldn’t be complicated and techy as music is universal. I think this is what audiophile HiFi has to do essentially, to broaden its appeal as plenty of people would do it if they understood it better.
14-09-2022. Gracias por su excelente explicación de este Amplificador Integrado Hegel H120 y su igualitud al H190 sabiendo que este es mas potente ; pero con las mismas prestaciones y unos 1000 Euros mas de Precio, decirnos que ya con una potencia de 75W por canal en nuestras viviendas es suficiente para obtener ese SONIDO NATURAL Y TRANSPARENTE QUE NOS DARÁ EL ENCANTO AUDÍFOLO, Gracias una vez mas y ya COMPRARE EL HEGEL H120 sin dudas... ENHORABUENA Y FELICIDADES... Cliente Hegel Comprador Futuro... Saludos para todos.😀
Thanks Simon, excellent review and I love your unique way of presenting the basic facts while holding my interest. 🇨🇦🤙 The Hegel sound once heard is something special.
As usual very detailed and good review. The H120 specs are very similar to the Hegel Rost, although Hegel say improvements have been made to the DAC and preamp. I am very satisfied with my Rost...
Good review Simon. I've watched this a few times now and there's more there each time. I bought the H120 and run it with a Node 2i, Qutest and Dynaudio Emit M20s. Great detail, soundstage, presence and above all a joy to listen to. Hegel are certainly the amps to beat at the moment.
Thanks Adam, just been chatting to Michael at Dynaudio and he really liked it. It did take ages. That’s a good combo - I think you mentioned your system on Facebook. Enjoy. 😀👍
@@13thnotehifireviews7 yeah I commented on your recent Emit 20 video, as I think the 'budget' Dyns are pretty decent. I recently demo'd some Amphion Argon 3S and they were a smidge better... but they are £2k speakers.
@@adamhindle9215 If you like the Dynaudio sound,, Evoke 10s (which I own) are a significant upgrade on the Emits. They also punch massively above their weight just like the Hegel H120 and make you question why you would spend any more, again just like the H120.
Excellent to finally find some reviews of products that I own and that are on my upgrade shortlist. My PMCs are screaming for a new Integrated Streamer Amp and the Hegel H120, the Naim Uniti Atom and the NAD M10 are all on the list. Thank you Simon.
Thanks for the review. I cant wait to upgrade to the H120, from my Cambridge CX-A60. Shouldn't be too long now. Fingers crossed my Tannoy XT6F speakers work well with it.
Thankyou for doing this review. Whilst it’s some years after your review I’m looking at the Hegel H120 to become the engine of a new small room system I’m building & it’s great to hear your thoughts before I book flights to fly over the ocean to demo it 😂 Glad I found your channel - subbed Thanks for your efforts 👍🏻 from Tasmania Australia
Very good review. You described what is the Hegel house sound very well. My experience with Hegel amps is very low background noise, grain free high frequency and great speaker control even with the modestly powered models.
09-14-2022. Thank you for your excellent explanation of this Hegel H120 Integrated Amplifier and its equality with the H190, knowing that it is more powerful; but with the same features and about 1000 Euros more in price, tell us that with a power of 75W per channel in our homes it is enough to obtain that NATURAL AND TRANSPARENT SOUND THAT WILL GIVE US THE HEARING CHARM, Thank you once again and I WILL BUY THE HEGEL H120 without a doubt... CONGRATULATIONS AND CONGRATULATIONS... Hegel Client Future Buyer... Greetings to all.😀
My Magnepan LRS requires power. My Parasound hca 1500a amp does 315 watts with 4 Ohm and has a 60a current. Will the H120 be enough to drive them since it has less watts?
Hey, thank you for you detailed review! I wonder: The inside dac against the denafrips ares ll, which would probably sound better? And my frivolous idea is to combine the Spotify app on my tv via optical cable to the ares ll connected to my preamp... What do you think? I have to add: My loudspeakers are active, Backes & Müller. And my intention was to buy the Hegel h120 using the rca pre outs and Spotify direct from the Hegel H120.
Thank you for nice comments. I’m not sure about that Denafrips as I only comment on what I review and haven’t reviewed the Ares II. My feeling would be to get a streamer like the node 2i which handles better quality streaming services like tidal etc, but if you get the Hegel then you can use Spotify connect from it. That said Spotify have the new cd streaming service coming which will be perfect for the hegel which I’m sure will be upgraded in firmware to handle those streams. Enjoy your music!
Simon, thank you so much for the kind and prompt answer! Last thing if you are so kind: up to now I cannot find any information of users using the Hegels as a pre amp. Which comes as no surprise. Any thoughts about it? Would the potential of the Hegel H 120 be neglected? Thank you. Whether you find precious time or not I will stay tuned and subscribed to your channel! All the best!
Thanks I’ve decided to try only answering sq and comparisons questions of those who support my site even in small ways. See patreon and PayPal links on latest vids, as I can’t answer all.
Can’t go wrong with hegel i have the h190 with b&w 683 s2. Never has music sound this good, hegel controls the bass no matter how loud i play, the detailed sound is incrediable. But to benefit the hegel even more i might need to upgrade speakers to 702 s2 those speakers are in deed very intresting. What i really love with b&w is the incrediable midrange, with detailed Vocals, hegel is a good match, hegel really do get a tight and deep bass out of them without being boomy
Nice. An H190 or better still H390 will definitely work better with those PMC's! Know Cyrus gear very well indeed. Mind you have got the Cyrus XR range coming out soon!
H120 owner for 6 months. Paired with Harbeth 30.1, P3's and B&W 801. WARM TUBE sound, an excellent alternate to tube amplifies. Warmest SS I've heard, except for some early Krell. Detail is present, may not be to everyone's taste. Surprised how well it drove the larger speakers.
Interesting you think that. I didn’t think it’s tube like but an open sound with bags of detail I agree. I totally agree about how it drives speakers so well.
@@13thnotehifireviews7 Associated equipment I own is McIntosh SS, which is considered to be on the warm side vs other SS in the US market. I found the Hegel to be vastly warmer, heard the Primaluna tubes a month ago, the Hegel is just as warm and better in many ways.
I’ve held off on purchasing a HEGEL integrated amp for quite awhile now just because I’ve been waiting for the promised Roon Ready support. It’s taking forever and a day! Currently using a Bluesound NODE 2i with another integrated from another brand. Just pull the trigger on the HEGEL and use my Bluenode until they come through with the Roon Ready support?
It’s not massively a disadvantage I don’t think and definitely not a reason to withhold buying Hegel. They are primarily great amps and lots better than many. I’ve got the new Node atm, but remember Hegel does airplay which is lossless up to cd quality. Playing off your node into the digital inputs of a Hegel will be really all you probably need.
Mark and Simon. Pls help me out. When you connect echo dot via Bluetooth to NODE and NODE connected to Hegel h120, would I be able to ask Alexa to play music without the need to turn on Hegel Amp? Is H120 amp on standby, ready to wake up and play music on my speakers once NODE send in the signal? Thank you!
@@youyou-dv8fr I’m not a Hegel owner but the H120 does have a Sleep / Stand by function. It goes into sleep after 15 minutes of inactivity. I can only assume that a signal / audio stream from the Bluesound would wake it up, but I’m not certain. Maybe Simon knows!
@@marksturge9505 that's the job of trigger inputs normally. The node has a trigger out to turn on the amp as it wakes up but no trigger input on Hegel. The Hegel can be in stand by and the network will wake it up. you could pair an echo dot with some streaming services like the tidal app but I think you'd have to go straight to the Hegel. I think you can do it in roon, but have a look on their support pages 'you you'
Great review buddy. Would you say this amp would be well matched with brighter speakers. I’m looking for a warm side of neutral amp. I’ve got xt8f tannoys. Thank you for the review.
Nicely done Simon but before audiophiles the world over start to think Brits have conceded to the Scandinavians the amplifier territory, maybe it's also time to take a second look at the British bench. The question it seems is what British amp would I pit against the H120 on sound quality alone? Looking at your bench I can see Exposure, Rega, Leema, PMC, Chord and last but not least LFD. There's more that should be on this list I'm sure but this should be formidable enough. If I were the coach I think I'd give the LFD Mistral a tap to go into the ring with the H120. Should be fun to watch. Popcorns on me.
Thanks very much Bobby. The Hegel amps are terrific and also the Chinese, as much as people on SM channels always say buy British or American, they are extremely good too. Personally I like promoting hifi that is just good and value for money. I don’t think Leema or Exposure is as good as Hegel so far as the technology Hegel have developed and reading between the lines of what people like, what I’ve heard at shows, so why bother review?
My current system consists on an old Cyrus Pre, bi amped Cyrus Powers these must be at least 20 years old. A newer Stream XP2 QX. Speakers are Monitor Audio Silver 10. Would you say replacing the Cyrus kit with this Hegel is a significant enough upgrade. And how would the Hegel pair with my speakers. I’m never going to stretch to the high end modern Cyrus kit anyway, and the multi box setup is less practical than it was when I bought them.
This review was so well done. I'm not at all happy with my current amp and kept running into Hegel in my research. Also looking at the Burson Timekeeper 3i but think this h120 is probably better in the long run. Again, fantastic work you've done here. Subscribed to your channel!
Thank you v much. I’m all about high production, making it something to watch and I buzz off that. Including music and creativity too as that’s what music that hifi is.😀
@@13thnotehifireviews7 Going to watch it as soon as I finish reading all the comments on this vid (obsessing about the 120 ATM 👍🏻) My Review on the Bluesound node was close to that but probably because it was a first real attempt at a YT vid. I'm proud of it though! Check it out if you have 14 mins hehe 😃
Mr Chibs watched a bit of it, late here and can’t sleep. Good job, nice camera work. I did one on the node 2021. I find presenting hardest but am trying to be more natural is my aim. I thought you are very natural. Keep eyes up and try and remember what you are going to say is what I try and do now. The golden sound tidal thing is bs for me. It’s all about Dacs and quality of chain not sample rate for me, as lots of other reviewers mirror. Eg cheap audio man recent video on his errors.
Thank you . The Hegel H120 is an amp that is definitely on my potential purchase list. Here in it can be for around $3600.00 Cdn - which is reasonable (I think). When I first heard the Hegel through a set of small Harbeths I was astounded. I am now leaning towards the Dynaudio Evoke 20s as a potential match to the Hegel. Having said this, I have never heard the Hegel/Dynaudio combination but I have heard the Dynaudios paired with the small Audiolab 6000 and I was very impressed. I can't help but think that the Hegel is a far superior choice but then there is the diminishing returns factor. I would definitely forgo using the Hegel DAC and perhaps choose the Denifrips Ares2 or a Schiit Bifrost. The Chord is no doubt a lovely DAC but just a wee bit pricey for the actual improvement over the other 2 . Anyways, I am rambling on but I do want to thank you for clearing up a few of the unanswered questions I previously had regarding the H120. Cheers, Charles
Thanks Charles. I like your choices. I really dig audiolab for vfm. Hegel’s punch far above my gear and I’m thinking of swapping out my Cyrus signature gear for an h390 for my reviews. I’d also look at the pmc twenty5 21i. They are a very good speaker with transmission line with an improvement on the twenty5 21 (non i version). I tried the Multibit in the Jotunheim but I think the RME DAC I reviewed is better although a price mismatch there. I think you’ll find the DAC in the H120 very good still, but whatever the amp is more than good enough to substantiate the price. Harbeth are down the road from me - literally 5 minute walk. Horrendous to deal with - arrogant owner - and whenever I listen to their speakers I’m a bit underwhelmed if I’m honest. The Dynaudio sound or PMC one, does tend to suit a more all rounder tastes for music. I’m hoping to try some 25 23i from PMC this weekend, as a potential upgrade myself.
@@13thnotehifireviews7 Simon, Interesting you should mention the PMCs. I just learned about them from Sean @ Zerofidelity (TH-cam) I am familiar with transmission line tech. I am really into near-field as well and Sean rates the PCMs quite high for that application. My first decent amps were Cyrus (back in the early 90s). Interesting comment re Harbeth - I truly appreciate your honesty. I am really smitten with the Dynaudio - I'll describe them as silk with precision and they can be purchased locally from a small company I like to support. The R2R Dac in the Bifrost2 is a considerably better DAC than they smaller version they cram into the Jotunheim or so I read. I truly love music. Played in a few local Rock Bands but discovered classical music in the early 70's. The new music doesn't do much for me but I do love movie soundtracks; in particular but not limited to - Hans Zimmer. Great fun chatting with someone from across the pond. My family is English and I am first generation Canadian (a fabulous country) The Vikings mostly play hockey for us Canadians. I guess they've grown out the pillage/plunder complex! Charles
Charles Clifton enjoyed reading your post. Canada looks like a fantastic country. I’m heavily into snooker which Canadians are into too. Highest break 125. Got a cue from cue maker John Parris who makes Ronnie Osullivans cues. I really love Zimmer’s ‘Hannibal’ score with Anthony Hopkins. Play that a lot!
The way to go these days for brilliant performance to budget ratio is Ladder Schumman Dac -> (blows Chord & Schiit out of the water) -> Hegel H120 --> Dynaudio Evoke 10. (Evoke 20's have a too boomy bass which also bleeds into and muddies the midrange).
Great information and very thorough! I have a pair of KEF LS50 Meta speakers ordered. I also recently bought a pair of REL T7i subwoofers. I've been doing research on integrated amps and have narrowed my choices to the H120 or H190. It seems that the H120 will be more than ample for my setup. Would you agree or should I consider the H190?
Thanks. I’d go for H190 as I’ve tried these kefs with my H390 and nad m10 and they really respond to the better amp. Ie Hegel. I preferred h120 to a musical fidelity mx5i . I’m going to ask for a mini dsp room correction device with my Hegel and kefs/pmcs which should be a killer combo
@@13thnotehifireviews7 So, I got the H190 set up a week ago and my KEF Metas arrived a bit over a week ago. So, the only thing I'm missing is the stands I have on order. The Metas are temporarily sitting on a wide table under the TV....so, not ideal placement. At least they're sitting on IsoAcoustics stands. I'm streaming through a Node 2i using Amazon HD and Qobuz. What I've noticed is the volume on the H190 has to be at least 30~35 to wake the Metas up. The Metas high mids all the way down through the hand-off to the pair of REL T7i subs is brilliant. After tuning the RELs, the hand-off becomes undetectable (pretty amazing actually). Prior to actually hearing the Metas, I've heard reviewers talk about high end treble roll-off. As I have been a drummer for many years, I have a keen ear for cymbal sounds. During my listening to many tracks, it seems the Metas struggle with prioritizing the sounds at frequencies a Hi-hat cymbal would produce (at least without DSP). As I also have the Hegel wired as HT bypass, and my HT receiver has tone controls, I experimented with increasing the treble gain. It did increase the high frequency output from the Metas, but the overall sound was naturally not as good as when it was running straight from the Hegel to the speakers without the HT receiver being in the loop. I know the Hegel isn't the issue, as I hooked up another pair of speakers and noticed more of the high frequency instrumentation. So, I'm struggling a bit here. Almost everything with the Metas is very good. The few options I've thought of are...1. Shop for different speakers. I fear I might regret this as I really like everything else about the Metas. 2. I'm not above the use of a DSP. Your video on the RME ADI-2DAC FS intrigued me, regarding its DSP functionality. 3. Give the Metas more time for my ears to get used to them. Decisions...decisions...
Hi Mark, thanks for sharing your thoughts. How about change the speaker cables , thinner gauge and maybe something with silver in it usually helps. I agree it is rolled off. I like it as they are a different character to my other speakers. But I agree they are good in lots of other areas. A good power cable on the Hegel can help too.
The rme uses 12volt dc power supply with outboard transformer then just hookup battery, rme offer a portable 12v battery power pack, I have powered class d amps with batteries as well, there is something special about battery power
Have found thar battery power gives a a blacker quieter background better focus and transparency, didn't think it would make a big difference to the sound the a rme a decent bit of kit, it was noticeable upgrade
Hi Simon, stumbled across this old review of the H120 and was wondering what your thoughts are on the quality of the onboard streamer. I've got the H120 and the Bluesound Node N130 and recently tried streaming direct to the Hegel from BubbleUpnp. I was quite surprised as I actually think it sounds slightly better than the Node. Was hoping to get your thoughts? Thank you and keep up the honest great reviews.
Hi Hayden, if I’m honest I don’t get involved in the minutiae of streamers transports - I still explain it but it’s mostly always subtle. Try what sounds best is my advice.
Hi I'm new to hifi. Great review. Hope this question is not to lame but does the Hegel have wifi capabilities? If I purchased it the unit it would be 20 feet from my router in a different room. Do I have to have a fixed ethernet cable hooked up to stream? Again I'm pretty new at this and still figuring things out.
Hi, great information and so detailed! Im kind of new in this world and have almost the same doubt I've seen in some people looking for the best/adecuate amp to a pair of Kef Ls50 Meta and a REL SUB. Was advised to go for the Musical fidelity M5si as a solid choice. Id love but can't reach at this moment the h190 because of my budget. For what you said it would be a better choice the h120 than the Musical Fdelity M5si (since I looked for MF mx5i and didn't find it) is that right? My other option is Lyngdorf TDAI1120 since it has room correction. Both the h120 and Lyngdorf have poor gain ( according to some reviews). which one should I go after?
@@13thnotehifireviews7 Hi, oh yes I read it of course. Just wanted to know if h120 has enough power and would be a good match with kefs, and in your point of view which of both the h120 or MF m5si would work better with the kefs? Thank u a lot
13th Note HiFi Reviews thanks! Another question , a bit silly since everyone hears things differently. I currently have the Rega Elex R and love it. I also tried the NAIM X3 and didn’t like it at all compared to my Rega. The NAIM was too tight , didn’t have good instrument separation and didn’t like the soundstage. Is the Hegel like the NAIM sound signature or more like my Rega? Thank you again and great channel!
It's hard to put sonic signatures on amps as designs differ to make some amps in a range sound very different. But those Rega amps are quite involved detail wise, so is the Hegel. Naim tends to be more about midrange but this is all very hard to say as again don't know which ones and they differ in the range. Some naim amps Ive heard are bland with detail, and too bass thick, others much more expensive are very expressive with detail. If you like transparency, not too much tonal bass fatness when music isn't there, lots of speed, dynamics, and power and control over music, this Hegel is it!
Great review! I like that you aren’t afraid to say how good products are (ADI-2, Hegel, etc.) compared to even more expensive gear. Sometimes manufacturers just get it right and it is indeed good value for money. I’m biased as I bought an H120 but I’ve found it to be exceptionally good. I have compared it against a Lyngdorf 2170 (which costs about 50% more) and the Hegel is more detailed and lively. Slightly smaller soundstage but better overall imho.
@@13thnotehifireviews7 I now have a Marantz PM8005 + NA8005. It is somewhat weak in terms of bass control for such tight acoustics. But in terms of power 70W, it is the same as Hegel 120. But they write about hegel that it has a dumping factor of 2000. Based on this, will there be a significant increase in sound quality?
I am looking everywhere for an amp and to pair with Focal Kanta 2. My budget is $6,000 but the catch is that it needs to fit on a console table that’s only 15 inches deep. I would love the h190 or any number of other top tier integrateds or separates. I just don’t have the space. Will the h120 give me the best out of the Kanta considering my predicament? Anyone know of better options that fit on my table? I could get a DMPA8 and stereo amps provided they fit.
With the USB being limited to 24 bit 96hz (on H95, H120 and H190) and other Inputs being bale to receive 24 bit 192 Hz: which inout is the best to use when connecting to PC and other digital sources?
@@13thnotehifireviews7 I think there are differences . I listened to system with a regular cheap cable and then. Cable with silver in the banana plugs and highly polished copper with fewer and much thicker strands inside and better isolation. I mwas just curious on what would have the potentional for the best quality and/or give the least amount of distortion/interference considering the back of my PC is stacked with various cables. I will try for myself and figure it out 😊
Hi Simon... nice to find your great organized review on Hegel Amp.. Im abiit skeptic on most people review between H120 and H190. Bottom point H120 is more musical.. H190 More muscle as its more on watts. Im planning to run my proac d20r with one of it.. I also noted that you prefer h190 compare to h120. Can you get more details on this. thks in advance.
Thanks very much Sugiarto. I think you will find it has lots of the benefits of extra power, damping factor, slew rate and so on. The ProAc’s are great speakers and I’d definetely go for the H190 or if you can afford it, the H390.
@@jamesstruble1 probably lots going on with integration and things being slowed down with covid-19 and all the home working atm, I'd imagine. They just released a new phono stage, so hopefully this will be part of that new suite of announcements.
Nice Thoughtful review informative and knowledgeable hope to see more reviews in the future. I'm thinking about mixing the Hegel 190 and Aria Focal 936 or the focal Aria 948 any thoughts I'll be mixing with a streamer so any thoughts or advice will be gratefully received thanks in advance
Thanks for nice comments. Hegel works with lots of speakers, in fact I've never heard anything bad, and so long as the speakers are not to toppy in high frequencies I'm sure you will be fine. I know there are lots of users on the Hegel Facebook group who might have the same models as yours and who can comment further. BW Simon
Excellent review Simon! I am considering the H120 for Dynaudio Evoke 20s and by the sounds of it should do the job nicely. One question, would there be a difference in quality streaming from tidal to H120 vs let's say a Bluesound node 2i ?
Thanks very much. Streaming to the Hegel is over airplay which is lossless and up to max cd quality. I think the node 2i is worth of for the flexibility of having hires and it’s just a touch better as a streamer than the Hegel. If you are interested and in the U.K. contact me on the website email for a further chat as I will be able to help you get a good deal on the h120.
The H120 doesn't, no, and I don't think they all do. TBH you really don't need them as sound is that good. I sometimes change my DAC filters to suit recording and on some DAC's you have tone controls so no real biggie that the Hegel doesn't.
Have you compared the H120 with the H95? Seems like the main differences are build quality, H95 has a plastic front panel and dials with a small plastic remote, the h120 is all metal and with a much nicer metal remote control. Do you think the extra 15wpc makes much off a difference to overall sound quality? Also i have read that out of the H95, H120 and H190 the H120 is more neutral/ slightly brighter sounding and the H95, H190 are more warmer sounding amplifiers.
haven't compared, but I don't think 15wpc is something to be worried about especially you said you were using KEF LS50. I doubt the differences described between amps in the range. The H120 has a similar sonic signature to the H390, and possibly you could say the H390 has higher treble to the H120
Greetings. I recently purchased LS50 Metas and am between the H95 and H120 for amplification. Did you end up picking ether if these up? How did it work out? Thank you in advance for your time.
09-14-2022. Thank you for your excellent explanation of this Hegel H120 Integrated Amplifier and its similarity to the H190 knowing that it is more powerful; but with the same features and about 1000 Euros(Spain) more in price, tell us that with a power of 75W per channel in our homes it is enough to obtain that NATURAL AND TRANSPARENT SOUND THAT WILL GIVE US THE HEARING CHARM, Thank you once again and I WILL BUY THE HEGEL H120 without a doubt... CONGRATULATIONS AND CONGRATULATIONS... Hegel Client Future Buyer... Greetings to all.
Hey Simon. I would love to see you compare the Hegel H120 to the H190. Another reviewer stated the H190 is a bit more charismatic and fun sounding in comparison to the other Hegel family of amplifiers. Also the H190 is on sale in the us for 3400 right now which is a great price. I’m currently cross shopping the H190 with the Kinki pre/power combo and kinki integrated. It’s for my bedroom so I’m looking for a more fun sound with lifted treble and a bigger bass quantity vs quality as I won’t be using a sub.
I’m going to see hegel in Oslo in November so I’d expect to try them. Personally go for the kinki I reviewed instead of the 190 as it’s more on par with the h390 sound quality.
Hi, Appreciate your advice I have a pair of HiFi Speaker Power rated at 15 W min - 130W. Would like to know, if were to use an Amplifier with a higher Power rating than the Speaker would it damage my mentioned rated speaker i.e Ad Amplifier with rated Power of 2 x 150 W into 8 ohms Amp Which would best the best suitable and matching Amplifier WATTS to drive my speakers with the below-shown Amplifier power rating 2 x 150 W into 8 ohms 2 x 75 W into 8 ohm 2 x 60 W into 8 ohms Thanks in advance
vpm m essentially so long as you don’t drive your speakers really hard you can put more power in than max speaker rating. In fact it’s better for musical dynamics . You do more damage with inadequate power.
Lovely review, read my mind on the dac question too ha. New c388 vs used h120? To provide some perspective, I tested a nad c388 and arcam sa20 and preferred the c388 open/clarity/detail of the nad but I enjoyed the Bass and aggressiveness of the arcam, although it sacrificed a bit of the rest to get it. I haven't had a chance to listen to the h120 but I was wondering if you can help Me decide what I should regarding new nad c388 vs used h120. Both about the same price.
Hi window maker, thanks very much. I haven’t any experience of that NAD. The most common thing I get asked is to make choices on things I’ve never heard so I can never say. The NAD looks like a class D type design which does tend to get a little edgy with treble “on some designs”. Not all, so conceivably the NAD could be great/*better*. But the Hegel is a hybrid type design but not class D. You should always make choices on which you like and what performs best with speakers you’ll use. The Arcam Sound has always been one a bit smoother and more tonal mass, as you say with bass, so given you are choosing between the others I’d say you like detail first. On that basis, if I’m trying to be helpful to your question, my prediction (and it’s only a prediction), the Hegel will best the NAD with its design. That’s because all the class D amps I try are edgy or semblances of edginess and the Hegel isn’t like that at all. Also with reputation of Hegel atm. If you do decide on Hegel contact them direct because they conceivably could have show units - possibly. Only an idea, not for definite.
@@13thnotehifireviews7 thank you so much for your reply, it helps warrant an audition at the very least. I'll be pairing them with kef r700's. Keep doing your thing. You're great and I've subbed.
@@TheWidowMaker. I have had experience with both of these amps, but it was with B&W 703s2 , The NAD C388 is 150 wpc so it played better at louder volumes with more control but was weak on bass, The Arcam sa20 was great with bass especially at low volume but when turned up louder it because uncomfortable to listen to, everything became quite harsh and silibant, the Arcam sa20 is only 90wpc and the 703s2 require lots of power so maybe that was the issue, it would be interesting to see if the newer SA 30 improves on this with extra power. I would say if your planning on using KEF R7's they would definitely need more than 90wpc. Also both of these amps have reliability issues unfortunately...
Hello Simon, I only just heard that Hegel is releasing the H95. Perhaps I'll be lucky enough to hear your assessment of this latest Hegel. I understand they have replaced the DAC as a primary improvement and based on the limited reviews (as of now), I understand the new DAC to be a favourable improvement. My primary interest in the H95, aside from sonic quality, is the price point and it's streaming capability. I am 100% ignorant about streaming so I read your article at the 13thNOTE. Excellent article but I still have a ways to go so that I have a clear idea of what to buy, which app etc etc. The bottom line is I will eventually stream because of the potential for music exploration (my passion) and I will do so from a IPad. I say that because I cannot see myself sitting at my computer, selecting a song and then running over to my sofa to place myself in that coveted sweet spot. In any case, thanks for writing that in-depth article/explanation. I love your low-key, informative and very British way of presentation. I'll explore your website further. (very well constructed)
Thank you so much. Means a lot. Streaming is all pretty easy when you do it a while. I’m doing it less often now and will maybe keep on doing reviews - I said I’d stop, but they have to be honest and so I can be a truthful authority (which makes getting products difficult) because otherwise I see no point.
I have not heard the H120 or H95, but I did compare the previous models Röst and H90 before buying the cheaper. I would say they sounded very similar, with more oomph and a slight extra fullness, as expected, from the more powerful model. I expect the new models to have a similar relationship. So consider the size of your room, any other functions you might need from the H120, and the amount of spare cash you have to spend on small diminishing returns when making your choice.
@@christopherbrown842 Thank you Christopher. Yes, the diminishing returns aspect (for me) must be considered to the point wherein I actually have to challenge myself to be sure I am not so enamoured with a product that I loose sight of pragmatism relevant to return on investment. The power differential betwee the H95 and H120 is not dramatic but the latter should offer an elevated listening experience but at the lower volumes I listen to -- will I hear it? As well, the H120 offers XLR connectivity and for myself, that's important but then again, will it produce such a difference as to make the extra investment worthwhile. Thanks for your reply.
@@charlesclifton5896 Yeah, it is easy to feel the pull of extra specs on the heartstrings :-) . And considering how long amps last, it may be bad psychology not to go for the best one can afford. As always, the best thing is if you can compare the two amps at home, or at least in a shop - unless those XLRs are a dealbreaker. Personally I mainly use iTunes with an ethernet cable to the router. I can add that with my Monitor Audio Silver 300 mk1 speakers (sorry - don't know their sensitivity) in a ca. 3 x 6.5 m living room (with adjoining hall at the far end), normal close listening levels go from 50 to 55 on the dial, 80 is party loud (not that I party hard these days), and 99 is still bearable and without much distortion. Last weekend I tried my H90 in a friend's much, much larger living room (10 x 7 m, high ceiling and opening on to a kitchen) with XTC 99.36 mk1 speakers (again, no sensitivity rating). We mainly playing back from Tidal with 60 on the dial. He is considering upgrading the speakers, neither of us felt more power would improve the speakers, or that it was needed for the sake of sheer volume. 60 watts can go a surprisingly long way. But, it must be said, total sound quality from this setup was nowhere near the Beyerdynamic Amiron wireless headphones (ca. 600 USD/Euros/GBP) which we used as a reference.
@@christopherbrown842 Thank you Christopher. The XLRs on the H120 certainly would be nice but not essential. I'm beginning to think that the H95 would meet my needs and if the DAC is not to my liking then I could use an external DAC but I'll have to hear the Hegel first at home in order to determine that potential need. I am still trying to wrap my head around the streaming concept. I want the benefit just for musical exploration alone but I don't want it to be an over complicated affair. I want to control the entire streaming process from an I-Pad through the Hegel. I like the Tidal offering and so would like to be able to stream the highest quality resolution possible. I will soon up-grade my internet and use an ethernet cable to the Hegel and/or alternate streaming device. I am 70 years and have been around audio since the mid 60s but being a bit of an intellectual nerd I demand that I understand every nuance of any component or improvement I add to my current system. I currently use an Adcom GFA5500 designed by Nelson Pass. It's a wonderful power amp but I think it's getting tired - hence my interest in the Hegel. Thanks for your comments - much appreciated.
Thanks for the very good and comprehensive review, I wonder if you can recomend the h120 to match my new wharfedale evo 4.4? or other amp to get the best out of them Thank you
Thank you once again for an excellent review. I am wondering how well the Mohican CD player sounds with the H120. I have Rost and even though its a huge price variance, I am considering purchasing the Mohican.
Thank you very much Alan. The Mohican is awesome with it and quite a bit better than my Qutest and innuos zenith combo. I *remember* the chord Hugo tt2 sounding as good as the Mohican which considering the Mohican is a CD player with a dac, is a good feat. I said in my Mohican review this, whilst I’d need to do a to b to be sure. The Mohican is a really nice tonal sound against the chord. I’m thinking of an h390 to try, so as to replace my Cyrus gear, which is getting old and it can be unreliable when it gets older.
Thank you very much for this review. The content is great, even the music is great. I'm not sure if I'm allowed to give any even small advice for the future, but the difference between volume of speech and the music of this video is a little to big to my taste. But for sure it's not a big deal. Thank you again for this review.
I am tempted but with no balance control it is a bit useless to me. I sit off centre and the hearing in my left ear is about 10% less than the right ear. I realise too many of these amps decide to omit tone controls but no balance control is silly. I’m using a Cyrus 8 QX DAC with the psxr power supply at the moment. I suppose while I’m using Apple Music I could always use the balance control in the iPads settings, but if I wanted to use a different streaming service the amp would be useless to me.
I’d say go for the better Hegel like the 190 or 390 for a more marked improvement over Cyrus, if you defo want Hegel. I had all the Cyrus signature gear so know that brand well. Then get a streaming service / streamer with balance controls
I think you are saying this is the amp to beat at the price. However I still don't think I get from your review, a full picture of the signature of this amplifier. Like microdetail level, bass-treble balance, or lean or rich leaning. I have read these facets from other reviews. You have skimmed over those qualities though, as though they are understood. I read it's a bright but not trebly-bright amp, that has profound bass and bass-control. I think I have understood that it's neutral, and not cold or warm leaning. … However it would have been nice in a 25 minute review, to have covered the basic. Rather than gloss over, declaring it a budget and performance everyone should audition amplifier.
You can't make it too 'wine connoisseur'!. The idea is to give a flavour - no pun intended - and lots of that is down to subjectivities. What is micro detail to you isn't to someone else. Once I've given the overall impression it really is for you to go out and see whether you like and want it, as a review is for a shortlist. I don't get too pretentious in my SQ descriptions as I want to make HiFi more inclusive to new people as well. So sorry I can't accept your criticisms. I think I did say it is very good bass-treble balance and neutral. BW Simon
@@13thnotehifireviews7 14-09-2022. Gracias por su excelente explicación de este Amplificador Integrado Hegel H120 y su similitud al H190 sabiendo que este es mas potente ; pero con las mismas prestaciones y unos 1000 Euros mas de Precio, decirnos que ya con una potencia de 75W por canal en nuestras viviendas es suficiente para obtener ese SONIDO NATURAL Y TRANSPARENTE QUE NOS DARÁ EL ENCANTO AUDÍFOLO, Gracias una vez mas y ya COMPRARE EL HEGEL H120 sin dudas... ENHORABUENA Y FELICIDADES... Cliente Hegel Comprador Futuro... Saludos para todos.
@@13thnotehifireviews7 09-14-2022. Thank you for your excellent explanation of this Hegel H120 Integrated Amplifier and its similarity to the H190 knowing that it is more powerful; but with the same features and about 1000 Euros more in price, tell us that with a power of 75W per channel in our homes it is enough to obtain that NATURAL AND TRANSPARENT SOUND THAT WILL GIVE US THE HEARING CHARM, Thank you once again and I WILL BUY THE HEGEL H120 without a doubt... CONGRATULATIONS AND CONGRATULATIONS... Hegel Client Future Buyer... Greetings to all.
@@puebloygenteandaressaberll9631 1st heard the Hegal H120 with Orphidion Argon 1 speakers - Vinyl source at the Bristol Hi Fi Show this February. Impressed with the sound 🎶🙂
What is the price difference i paid, $2800 for the h190, the h120 was $2500, there was no point of getting h120 with little gap, h190 was the far better value here, But since then the h190 went up to $3295, still worth the extra in my opinion, h190 has bettter bass controll and plays louder than h120, if you have demanding speakers the difference Will be bigger between the two, i would try both if i was you with your speakers
For someone with electrostats, would expect the damping factor advantage of Hegel to be less relevant, and I cant get Hegel to tell me what the max current and voltage this amp puts out...
According to Hegel's website (www.hegel.com/products/integrated/h120), the H120 has Apple Airplay connectivity, so I'm guessing that it will stream wirelessly even if you can't see any external antennas.
Thank you, Simon. I currently stream my music files from a MacBook Air wirelessly, via an Airport Express, to my amp using AirPlay. The Internet is not involved. Given that I’d like to keep my present strictly local wireless setup but upgrade the Airport Express + amplifier combination to a better quality standalone streaming amp, what type of equipment should I be looking for?
Hi Heron, you don’t need anything. You just hook the Hegel up to the router via an Ethernet cable and then from the MacBook you use your AirPlay icon in compatible software to send music over the network to the Hegel. I don’t think airport express are needed anymore, correct me if I’m wrong. I use a MacBook Pro. If you aren’t playing music via streaming services (you called it the internet) then you will be just playing files on your Mac or over your network on an NAS drive no doubt, so I’m sure you’ll find the software to do that (with compatible airplay icon) if you aren’t using Apple Music app on Mac. In the Hegel a little tick comes up when you select network and music plays to the Hegel very easily. Hope helps.
Thanks for your informative reply. Sorry to pester you about this, but is there no way around having the Hegel permanently connected to my router? My listening room is a long way away from the router, with a 3-foot-thick stone wall in between, and I don’t want to have to run Ethernet cables all around the house.
hi Simon ,really good review,shame i cant afford the Hegel,broke the bank buying the rme dac,which i use on 12v battery big improvement worth ago,still considering the d11 you reviewed,but waiting on the DAyens memuetto check it out
Thanks for a great review! I just got myself some PMC twenty5.23 on discount. Here in sweden I can get a new Hegel H90 + RME adi-2 dac for less than the price of a new Hegel H120. What do you think would be the most sound for the money?
Thank you very much. Personally I’d spend on the amp rather than dac as these PMC’s (I own) need drive. I’m trying out twenty5 23i atm. Go for an h120 or preferably h190. Bw Simon
Is it 3K BP in the UK?! Also just curious but do you buy all the gear used or new? What do you do wirh gear you have reviewed? Is there a way you could include your complete reference setup in the description section so we can easily refer to it? Really enjoy your video reviews and hope you get the subscribers you merit!
Michael Mityok hi Michael, I think it’s £2200 in U.K. $3k usd. The gear I have is my Cyrus gear and PMCs and innuos plus Chord dac - Qutest. But lots of it is loaned for reviews obviously and comes and goes. You are right I’ll amend the description tomorrow to include all the gear I use and will try and remember to do that. Thanks for your nice comments about my reviews and subs. If ever you want to suggest stuff to review, I’m all ears. I’m gonna do a video on the McGurk effect next and how we apply (or not) visual tricks to audio.
@@13thnotehifireviews7 Funny you should ask as I am struggling to decide whether power conditioners are truly useful or not. There are very few comprehensive reviews that do a/b testing of a particular conditioner. Do they limit dynamics or not? Do they remove "haze" or not? Etcetera. Pick a conditioner under 2K preferably, rotate it through your reference system, and let us know what you think.
I did that one Michael. See my Isotek Aquarius v Sirius appraisal on my website. I used an Aquarius with the H120. I did an a to b in the article and mentioned pitfalls of the Sirius with its output. Aquarius is terrific and doesn’t limit dynamics. Sirius does a bit, but you’d probably use it in systems where you might not notice. Aquarius on the other hand improves sound. Maybe not as much as a different amp at same price but to my mind, these are ‘finishing off’ components to the system. Hope it helps www.13thnote.net/2019/10/18/isotek-aquarius-sirius-comparisons/
I haven't heard the M10 but I know the class D tech in it, having reviewed a similar product. It powers speakers very well. However if you want the best neutral well driven sound, H120 every day of the week I'd expect (again being I cant definitively say not having heard the M10 but I use my experience to think what I probably would hear on listening). If you add a streamer like a Node 2i then absolutely a case for H120. It's a case of whether a one box is needed or not, or how important is sound quality.Personally I'd expect myself going for the H120 adding a streaming box. It depends too on whether you are buying either as an audiophile, or not, interested in the small differences, making one better to you or not. If not an audiophile I think the NAD is probably better, if an audiophile Id expect it to be the Hegel. Hope helps.
Its diagrammatic and shows all the cables and inputs. I literally found within ten seconds of seeing your message in quicker time of you typing it, a pdf vector manual on the Hegel website. A vector means you can blow it up hundreds of times and the letters keep their resolution. So I don’t think your grumble has any foundation. Sorry. 🤔😐
I would have rates this video 10/10 but there's that many ads it actually destroys the essence of the video to a point I'd rate this now add 2/10,, yes enough to put me off watching anything else, shame really
Thanks very much. I get a few of these comments but from my point of view people watch and get the info free , so I have to turn on ads and then Google decide frequency etc. I get paid small sums a month. Also you can’t turn ads off in 2021 but why would I anyway If people don’t pay me because everything online is free ? Would you pay me to see them add less? I could set up a video on another site where you pay £1 per video. Would appreciate your further feedback please.
@@13thnotehifireviews7 yes I understand what your saying and you have a valid point 100%, but most other reviews on TH-cam have on average 3 ads, and yes I get that you want to make money on your videos to help with your channel, but given the choices of me and possibly others using there data plans to cover watching ads then technically yes I'm paying Google, I'm not picking a fight as I said I really enjoyed the video but you have to be realistic if people have a choice of watching a review one has 10 adds or one with 2 adds most would click the the ones that keeps them interested, those the one with the least ads gets more views on a regular basis= making more money, last point you said would I pay you £1 for every video? No I'd pay Google the £8 to watch ad free as that would work out cheaper, why not do what most do and use links at say amazon to help with the funding , or PayPal buy me a coffee.......and so on, anyway wish you well with the channel and sorry if I p*ssed you off, but feedback is I think something even you would take ...
@@451greenwood thanks for your reply, but tbh as I say I don’t choose the number of ads. Google does that. They changed the policy this year so I can’t make the video add less. The TH-cam subscription costs about £12 per month here in the U.K., to remove the ads, not just 8 as a single fee. I suspect that rate is similar everywhere. So if I ask people to pay a pound or dollar on another platform to watch a video that is fair. Otherwise they aren’t really thinking about it from my point of view even if I could take ads off. I do do PayPal as per link on latest videos.
I love this review and many of your others. Just a note about using the phrase "every man" so much ... would feel more inclusive to women audiophiles if you said "every person" or something like that. No big deal but wanted to (politely) mention - especially as guys are so prevalent in this niche of the internet.
Thank you very much and very Good call! As the album from one of my favourite electronic artists called ultramarine goes, ‘every man and woman is a star’
@@13thnotehifireviews7 And thanks to your review and site, I bought a Hegel H390 yesterday ! I really am grateful and you just caught my general frustration with audio reviews :)
The honest and straightforward nature of your reviews really is a credit to the channel
Thank you David. Those are definitely aims. Bw simon
Again really good review Simon. I was fortunate enough to find a used version of the 590. I never thought it would be as musical as everyone claimed but it sure as heck it is. I would recommend these units to anybody not just a 590 but all of them up and down the line.
Spectacular review! You nailed all of the key points of this very special integrated amp. And spoke the words that I have in my head. And I’ve only lived with this for 24hours! Hegel is the real deal.
That’s tremendous to know. Thanks very much. It’s always good to be accurate as I often agonise over getting it right. In a good way if you know what I mean. Enjoy it!
Thanks Simon for the excellent review, this one is a major influence for my final decision on H120, which replace a 20 years old Denon 3805 receiver. The Hegel has 75w vs. Denon's 120w, but the Hegel sound a lot more powerful. The base is more weighty and punchier (my main complaint to the old system). Everything is cleaner, background is really dark, which helps the imaging, separation. I also upgrade the old KEF Q5 speaker to B&W 704 S2. The combination works well, the base is more punchy, vocals stand out a little more. The speakers are completely disappeared. I do notice the best performance begin to show at around 40 volume mark and above (depends on the source of course). I am completely satisfied.
The REMOTE, however, is very poorly designed. It seem the designer put the look ahead of function. All buttons are the same small size. So the most useful keys, like the volume control, change input, and most importantly, ON/OFF, are not only hard to use, but in the case of ON/OFF, it is even hard to FIND. If you do it in the dark and believe you can find the right Off switch, you have a high chance to push the wrong one. Although the build quality is decent as the review suggested, it is THE WORST design in term of function, UI friendliness. I might just replace this remote with a universal one.
Thanks for your lovely comments. I find the remote decent tbh. Eco for on and off is one down one across in the dark. The same remote Hegel use for the H390. But if that’s an issue, no biggie, you can get a more traditional Hegel remote (the RC10) so you don’t need a universal one. www.hegel.com/products/xtras/114-rc8-2
@@13thnotehifireviews7 Thanks for the link of the RC10, looks a lot more sensible to me but still not there ... But, I may get one - IF I can find one in USA :)
There is a group of people too who developed an app to control volume, check out Facebook
@@13thnotehifireviews7 Really hard to find the RC10 remote in US, and I have to order from Canada. Don't know when it can swim over to Hawaii... After few weeks of using the original remote, I have to say it worse than awful. Practically useless in dark, button is too sensitive and very easy to miss click on something. Again, it is a design philosophy that put look ahead of function that should be called out. I assume I am not the only one strongly against it.
Raphael Hukai remotes are small things in the scheme of things particularly given how it performs
Very good review. Very thoughtful and cover so many angles that the audience will be thinking about. Thanks!
Something about your reviews feel very honest and straightforward. They are well produced - I imagine going ahead you will get a lot more subscribers. Keep it up!
Thank you. It’s as much for me about doing the production as enjoying the audio, otherwise I wouldn’t bother doing reviews. The way I look at it, HiFi is the means to an end for what it does - music faithfully reproduced. So that shouldn’t be complicated and techy as music is universal. I think this is what audiophile HiFi has to do essentially, to broaden its appeal as plenty of people would do it if they understood it better.
Late to the party but wanted to know more about Hegel -- great review, super informative, thanks
14-09-2022. Gracias por su excelente explicación de este Amplificador Integrado Hegel H120 y su igualitud al H190 sabiendo que este es mas potente ; pero con las mismas prestaciones y unos 1000 Euros mas de Precio, decirnos que ya con una potencia de 75W por canal en nuestras viviendas es suficiente para obtener ese SONIDO NATURAL Y TRANSPARENTE QUE NOS DARÁ EL ENCANTO AUDÍFOLO, Gracias una vez mas y ya COMPRARE EL HEGEL H120 sin dudas... ENHORABUENA Y FELICIDADES... Cliente Hegel Comprador Futuro... Saludos para todos.😀
Thanks Simon, excellent review and I love your unique way of presenting the basic facts
while holding my interest. 🇨🇦🤙 The Hegel sound once heard is something special.
Thanks for vote of confidence. Hifi has to be not too overly techie as the music end game is why we do this. Or it should!
As usual very detailed and good review. The H120 specs are very similar to the Hegel Rost, although Hegel say improvements have been made to the DAC and preamp. I am very satisfied with my Rost...
Good review! I have Hegel and you're totally honest.
Cheers, thank you.
Good review Simon. I've watched this a few times now and there's more there each time. I bought the H120 and run it with a Node 2i, Qutest and Dynaudio Emit M20s. Great detail, soundstage, presence and above all a joy to listen to. Hegel are certainly the amps to beat at the moment.
Thanks Adam, just been chatting to Michael at Dynaudio and he really liked it. It did take ages. That’s a good combo - I think you mentioned your system on Facebook. Enjoy. 😀👍
These speakers have definitely made me what to dry evoke/special 40 or contour floor-standers for a review. Hopefully. Fingers crossed.
@@13thnotehifireviews7 yeah I commented on your recent Emit 20 video, as I think the 'budget' Dyns are pretty decent. I recently demo'd some Amphion Argon 3S and they were a smidge better... but they are £2k speakers.
@@adamhindle9215 If you like the Dynaudio sound,, Evoke 10s (which I own) are a significant upgrade on the Emits. They also punch massively above their weight just like the Hegel H120 and make you question why you would spend any more, again just like the H120.
Excellent to finally find some reviews of products that I own and that are on my upgrade shortlist. My PMCs are screaming for a new Integrated Streamer Amp and the Hegel H120, the Naim Uniti Atom and the NAD M10 are all on the list. Thank you Simon.
Thanks very much
Thanks for the review. I cant wait to upgrade to the H120, from my Cambridge CX-A60. Shouldn't be too long now. Fingers crossed my Tannoy XT6F speakers work well with it.
Thanks for your comments. I bet it will work well, those tannoys are really good. I had some older dc6t se speakers.
Thankyou for doing this review. Whilst it’s some years after your review I’m looking at the Hegel H120 to become the engine of a new small room system I’m building & it’s great to hear your thoughts before I book flights to fly over the ocean to demo it 😂
Glad I found your channel - subbed
Thanks for your efforts
👍🏻 from Tasmania Australia
Great review Simon!!!!
Thank you very much.
Very good review. You described what is the Hegel house sound very well. My experience with Hegel amps is very low background noise, grain free high frequency and great speaker control even with the modestly powered models.
Thanks very much!
09-14-2022. Thank you for your excellent explanation of this Hegel H120 Integrated Amplifier and its equality with the H190, knowing that it is more powerful; but with the same features and about 1000 Euros more in price, tell us that with a power of 75W per channel in our homes it is enough to obtain that NATURAL AND TRANSPARENT SOUND THAT WILL GIVE US THE HEARING CHARM, Thank you once again and I WILL BUY THE HEGEL H120 without a doubt... CONGRATULATIONS AND CONGRATULATIONS... Hegel Client Future Buyer... Greetings to all.😀
Great job, I’m glad I discovered this channel!
Cheers 😀
My Magnepan LRS requires power. My Parasound hca 1500a amp does 315 watts with 4 Ohm and has a 60a current.
Will the H120 be enough to drive them since it has less watts?
Yes
Hey, thank you for you detailed review! I wonder: The inside dac against the denafrips ares ll, which would probably sound better?
And my frivolous idea is to combine the Spotify app on my tv via optical cable to the ares ll connected to my preamp...
What do you think? I have to add: My loudspeakers are active, Backes & Müller. And my intention was to buy the Hegel h120 using the rca pre outs and Spotify direct from the Hegel H120.
Thank you for nice comments. I’m not sure about that Denafrips as I only comment on what I review and haven’t reviewed the Ares II. My feeling would be to get a streamer like the node 2i which handles better quality streaming services like tidal etc, but if you get the Hegel then you can use Spotify connect from it. That said Spotify have the new cd streaming service coming which will be perfect for the hegel which I’m sure will be upgraded in firmware to handle those streams. Enjoy your music!
Simon, thank you so much for the kind and prompt answer! Last thing if you are so kind: up to now I cannot find any information of users using the Hegels as a pre amp. Which comes as no surprise. Any thoughts about it? Would the potential of the Hegel H 120 be neglected? Thank you. Whether you find precious time or not I will stay tuned and subscribed to your channel! All the best!
Thanks I’ve decided to try only answering sq and comparisons questions of those who support my site even in small ways. See patreon and PayPal links on latest vids, as I can’t answer all.
Can’t go wrong with hegel i have the h190 with b&w 683 s2. Never has music sound this good, hegel controls the bass no matter how loud i play, the detailed sound is incrediable. But to benefit the hegel even more i might need to upgrade speakers to 702 s2 those speakers are in deed very intresting. What i really love with b&w is the incrediable midrange, with detailed Vocals, hegel is a good match, hegel really do get a tight and deep bass out of them without being boomy
Nice one. I’m trying hegels with the new pmc twenty5 23i atm. Love pmc.
Very nice review, thanks for that. I'm intregued by the Hegel. I also own a Cyrus / PMC combination, still happy with that.
Hi Gerben, Thanks for nice comments. What PMC / Cyrus combo do you have. BW simon
@@13thnotehifireviews7 PMC twenty-five.22 with cyrus 8vs and PSX. Chord cables.
Nice. An H190 or better still H390 will definitely work better with those PMC's! Know Cyrus gear very well indeed. Mind you have got the Cyrus XR range coming out soon!
@@13thnotehifireviews7 now I want one 😂
Thanks very much for this review. Just continuing to look for a replacement for my Audiolab 8300A and this looks like a reasonable option Cheers
H120 owner for 6 months. Paired with Harbeth 30.1, P3's and B&W 801. WARM TUBE sound, an excellent alternate to tube amplifies. Warmest SS I've heard, except for some early Krell. Detail is present, may not be to everyone's taste. Surprised how well it drove the larger speakers.
Interesting you think that. I didn’t think it’s tube like but an open sound with bags of detail I agree. I totally agree about how it drives speakers so well.
@@13thnotehifireviews7 Associated equipment I own is McIntosh SS, which is considered to be on the warm side vs other SS in the US market. I found the Hegel to be vastly warmer, heard the Primaluna tubes a month ago, the Hegel is just as warm and better in many ways.
I’ve held off on purchasing a HEGEL integrated amp for quite awhile now just because I’ve been waiting for the promised Roon Ready support. It’s taking forever and a day! Currently using a Bluesound NODE 2i with another integrated from another brand. Just pull the trigger on the HEGEL and use my Bluenode until they come through with the Roon Ready support?
It’s not massively a disadvantage I don’t think and definitely not a reason to withhold buying Hegel. They are primarily great amps and lots better than many. I’ve got the new Node atm, but remember Hegel does airplay which is lossless up to cd quality. Playing off your node into the digital inputs of a Hegel will be really all you probably need.
Mark and Simon. Pls help me out. When you connect echo dot via Bluetooth to NODE and NODE connected to Hegel h120, would I be able to ask Alexa to play music without the need to turn on Hegel Amp? Is H120 amp on standby, ready to wake up and play music on my speakers once NODE send in the signal? Thank you!
@@youyou-dv8fr I’m not a Hegel owner but the H120 does have a Sleep / Stand by function. It goes into sleep after 15 minutes of inactivity. I can only assume that a signal / audio stream from the Bluesound would wake it up, but I’m not certain. Maybe Simon knows!
@@marksturge9505 that's the job of trigger inputs normally. The node has a trigger out to turn on the amp as it wakes up but no trigger input on Hegel. The Hegel can be in stand by and the network will wake it up. you could pair an echo dot with some streaming services like the tidal app but I think you'd have to go straight to the Hegel. I think you can do it in roon, but have a look on their support pages 'you you'
@@marksturge9505 thank you for your time, Mark!
Great review buddy. Would you say this amp would be well matched with brighter speakers. I’m looking for a warm side of neutral amp. I’ve got xt8f tannoys. Thank you for the review.
If I were to use it in a hometheater setup, does it have a trigger input?
Can you do review of QUEST QA amplifiers from Australia
Nicely done Simon but before audiophiles the world over start to think Brits have conceded to the Scandinavians the amplifier territory, maybe it's also time to take a second look at the British bench.
The question it seems is what British amp would I pit against the H120 on sound quality alone? Looking at your bench I can see Exposure, Rega, Leema, PMC, Chord and last but not least LFD.
There's more that should be on this list I'm sure but this should be formidable enough. If I were the coach I think I'd give the LFD Mistral a tap to go into the ring with the H120. Should be fun to watch. Popcorns on me.
Thanks very much Bobby. The Hegel amps are terrific and also the Chinese, as much as people on SM channels always say buy British or American, they are extremely good too. Personally I like promoting hifi that is just good and value for money. I don’t think Leema or Exposure is as good as Hegel so far as the technology Hegel have developed and reading between the lines of what people like, what I’ve heard at shows, so why bother review?
My current system consists on an old Cyrus Pre, bi amped Cyrus Powers these must be at least 20 years old. A newer Stream XP2 QX. Speakers are Monitor Audio Silver 10. Would you say replacing the Cyrus kit with this Hegel is a significant enough upgrade. And how would the Hegel pair with my speakers. I’m never going to stretch to the high end modern Cyrus kit anyway, and the multi box setup is less practical than it was when I bought them.
I’m giving advice on Patreon now.
This review was so well done. I'm not at all happy with my current amp and kept running into Hegel in my research. Also looking at the Burson Timekeeper 3i but think this h120 is probably better in the long run. Again, fantastic work you've done here. Subscribed to your channel!
Thank you v much. I’m all about high production, making it something to watch and I buzz off that. Including music and creativity too as that’s what music that hifi is.😀
@@13thnotehifireviews7 I can relate! I just started making YT vids and can see I have a lot to learn. You set a great example sir!
Watch my Genelec one. It took about 130 hours
@@13thnotehifireviews7 Going to watch it as soon as I finish reading all the comments on this vid (obsessing about the 120 ATM 👍🏻) My Review on the Bluesound node was close to that but probably because it was a first real attempt at a YT vid. I'm proud of it though! Check it out if you have 14 mins hehe 😃
Mr Chibs watched a bit of it, late here and can’t sleep. Good job, nice camera work. I did one on the node 2021. I find presenting hardest but am trying to be more natural is my aim. I thought you are very natural. Keep eyes up and try and remember what you are going to say is what I try and do now. The golden sound tidal thing is bs for me. It’s all about Dacs and quality of chain not sample rate for me, as lots of other reviewers mirror. Eg cheap audio man recent video on his errors.
Hi Simon,
Thorough and entertaining review. I absolutely enjoyed it!
How does it compare to Naim supernait 3?
Thank you . The Hegel H120 is an amp that is definitely on my potential purchase list. Here in
it can be for around $3600.00 Cdn - which is reasonable (I think). When I first heard the Hegel
through a set of small Harbeths I was astounded. I am now leaning towards the Dynaudio Evoke 20s as a
potential match to the Hegel. Having said this, I have never heard the Hegel/Dynaudio combination but I
have heard the Dynaudios paired with the small Audiolab 6000 and I was very impressed. I can't help but
think that the Hegel is a far superior choice but then there is the diminishing returns factor. I would definitely
forgo using the Hegel DAC and perhaps choose the Denifrips Ares2 or a Schiit Bifrost. The Chord is no doubt
a lovely DAC but just a wee bit pricey for the actual improvement over the other 2 . Anyways, I am rambling
on but I do want to thank you for clearing up a few of the unanswered questions I previously had regarding the H120.
Cheers, Charles
Thanks Charles. I like your choices. I really dig audiolab for vfm. Hegel’s punch far above my gear and I’m thinking of swapping out my Cyrus signature gear for an h390 for my reviews. I’d also look at the pmc twenty5 21i. They are a very good speaker with transmission line with an improvement on the twenty5 21 (non i version). I tried the Multibit in the Jotunheim but I think the RME DAC I reviewed is better although a price mismatch there. I think you’ll find the DAC in the H120 very good still, but whatever the amp is more than good enough to substantiate the price. Harbeth are down the road from me - literally 5 minute walk. Horrendous to deal with - arrogant owner - and whenever I listen to their speakers I’m a bit underwhelmed if I’m honest. The Dynaudio sound or PMC one, does tend to suit a more all rounder tastes for music. I’m hoping to try some 25 23i from PMC this weekend, as a potential upgrade myself.
@@13thnotehifireviews7 Simon, Interesting you should mention the
PMCs. I just learned about them from Sean @ Zerofidelity (TH-cam)
I am familiar with transmission line tech. I am really into near-field as
well and Sean rates the PCMs quite high for that application. My first
decent amps were Cyrus (back in the early 90s). Interesting comment
re Harbeth - I truly appreciate your honesty. I am really smitten with the
Dynaudio - I'll describe them as silk with precision and they can be purchased locally from a small company I like to support. The R2R
Dac in the Bifrost2 is a considerably better DAC than they smaller version they cram into the Jotunheim or so I read. I truly love music.
Played in a few local Rock Bands but discovered classical music in the early 70's. The new music doesn't do much for me but I do love movie
soundtracks; in particular but not limited to - Hans Zimmer. Great fun
chatting with someone from across the pond. My family is English and
I am first generation Canadian (a fabulous country) The Vikings mostly play hockey for us Canadians. I guess they've grown out the pillage/plunder complex!
Charles
Charles Clifton enjoyed reading your post. Canada looks like a fantastic country. I’m heavily into snooker which Canadians are into too. Highest break 125. Got a cue from cue maker John Parris who makes Ronnie Osullivans cues. I really love Zimmer’s ‘Hannibal’ score with Anthony Hopkins. Play that a lot!
@@morespinach9832 With what I've since learned, I would agree. The Hegel is definitely
the way to go. Thanks for your comment.
The way to go these days for brilliant performance to budget ratio is Ladder Schumman Dac -> (blows Chord & Schiit out of the water) -> Hegel H120 --> Dynaudio Evoke 10. (Evoke 20's have a too boomy bass which also bleeds into and muddies the midrange).
Great information and very thorough! I have a pair of KEF LS50 Meta speakers ordered. I also recently bought a pair of REL T7i subwoofers. I've been doing research on integrated amps and have narrowed my choices to the H120 or H190. It seems that the H120 will be more than ample for my setup. Would you agree or should I consider the H190?
Thanks. I’d go for H190 as I’ve tried these kefs with my H390 and nad m10 and they really respond to the better amp. Ie Hegel. I preferred h120 to a musical fidelity mx5i . I’m going to ask for a mini dsp room correction device with my Hegel and kefs/pmcs which should be a killer combo
@@13thnotehifireviews7 I ordered a H190 today! I appreciate your feedback, but when my wife finds out what I spent, she might not like either of us.
Love it. I’ll watch out for her. 😂😃😃
@@13thnotehifireviews7 So, I got the H190 set up a week ago and my KEF Metas arrived a bit over a week ago. So, the only thing I'm missing is the stands I have on order. The Metas are temporarily sitting on a wide table under the TV....so, not ideal placement. At least they're sitting on IsoAcoustics stands. I'm streaming through a Node 2i using Amazon HD and Qobuz. What I've noticed is the volume on the H190 has to be at least 30~35 to wake the Metas up. The Metas high mids all the way down through the hand-off to the pair of REL T7i subs is brilliant. After tuning the RELs, the hand-off becomes undetectable (pretty amazing actually). Prior to actually hearing the Metas, I've heard reviewers talk about high end treble roll-off. As I have been a drummer for many years, I have a keen ear for cymbal sounds. During my listening to many tracks, it seems the Metas struggle with prioritizing the sounds at frequencies a Hi-hat cymbal would produce (at least without DSP). As I also have the Hegel wired as HT bypass, and my HT receiver has tone controls, I experimented with increasing the treble gain. It did increase the high frequency output from the Metas, but the overall sound was naturally not as good as when it was running straight from the Hegel to the speakers without the HT receiver being in the loop. I know the Hegel isn't the issue, as I hooked up another pair of speakers and noticed more of the high frequency instrumentation. So, I'm struggling a bit here. Almost everything with the Metas is very good. The few options I've thought of are...1. Shop for different speakers. I fear I might regret this as I really like everything else about the Metas. 2. I'm not above the use of a DSP. Your video on the RME ADI-2DAC FS intrigued me, regarding its DSP functionality. 3. Give the Metas more time for my ears to get used to them. Decisions...decisions...
Hi Mark, thanks for sharing your thoughts. How about change the speaker cables , thinner gauge and maybe something with silver in it usually helps. I agree it is rolled off. I like it as they are a different character to my other speakers. But I agree they are good in lots of other areas. A good power cable on the Hegel can help too.
The rme uses 12volt dc power supply with outboard transformer then just hookup battery, rme offer a portable 12v battery power pack, I have powered class d amps with batteries as well, there is something special about battery power
I’ve never found that personally but maybe I haven’t tried the right gear just yet. Good call to give it a go on the RME.
Have found thar battery power gives a a blacker quieter background better focus and transparency, didn't think it would make a big difference to the sound the a rme a decent bit of kit, it was noticeable upgrade
Hi Simon, stumbled across this old review of the H120 and was wondering what your thoughts are on the quality of the onboard streamer. I've got the H120 and the Bluesound Node N130 and recently tried streaming direct to the Hegel from BubbleUpnp. I was quite surprised as I actually think it sounds slightly better than the Node. Was hoping to get your thoughts? Thank you and keep up the honest great reviews.
Hi Hayden, if I’m honest I don’t get involved in the minutiae of streamers transports - I still explain it but it’s mostly always subtle. Try what sounds best is my advice.
Hi I'm new to hifi. Great review. Hope this question is not to lame but does the Hegel have wifi capabilities? If I purchased it the unit it would be 20 feet from my router in a different room. Do I have to have a fixed ethernet cable hooked up to stream? Again I'm pretty new at this and still figuring things out.
I can help if you donate via PayPal or patreon. Link latest vids.
Hi Simon, wonderful review. How would this compare with Exposure 2510 ?
Thanks you, I don’t comment on what I haven’t reviewed 😃
how would this compare to a Rega ElexR? have the Brio now. maybe an older Hegel w/o the DAC ect? have a Ares. superb.
Hi, great information and so detailed! Im kind of new in this world and have almost the same doubt I've seen in some people looking for the best/adecuate amp to a pair of Kef Ls50 Meta and a REL SUB. Was advised to go for the Musical fidelity M5si as a solid choice. Id love but can't reach at this moment the h190 because of my budget. For what you said it would be a better choice the h120 than the Musical Fdelity M5si (since I looked for MF mx5i and didn't find it) is that right? My other option is Lyngdorf TDAI1120 since it has room correction. Both the h120 and Lyngdorf have poor gain ( according to some reviews). which one should I go after?
Thanks, I don’t answer what I don’t try but am trying subs soon so watch this space 😀 the M5si review is on my website too.
@@13thnotehifireviews7 Hi, oh yes I read it of course. Just wanted to know if h120 has enough power and would be a good match with kefs, and in your point of view which of both the h120 or MF m5si would work better with the kefs? Thank u a lot
Please subscribe to patreon or donate for advice.
With the high damping factor does it have good decay of notes or does it kind of ‘ strangle ‘ instruments a bit too much ? If that makes sense.
excellent decay. I'm gonna be comparing it to a Musical Fidelity MS5i this week I hope
13th Note HiFi Reviews thanks! Another question , a bit silly since everyone hears things differently. I currently have the Rega Elex R and love it. I also tried the NAIM X3 and didn’t like it at all compared to my Rega. The NAIM was too tight , didn’t have good instrument separation and didn’t like the soundstage. Is the Hegel like the NAIM sound signature or more like my Rega? Thank you again and great channel!
It's hard to put sonic signatures on amps as designs differ to make some amps in a range sound very different. But those Rega amps are quite involved detail wise, so is the Hegel. Naim tends to be more about midrange but this is all very hard to say as again don't know which ones and they differ in the range. Some naim amps Ive heard are bland with detail, and too bass thick, others much more expensive are very expressive with detail. If you like transparency, not too much tonal bass fatness when music isn't there, lots of speed, dynamics, and power and control over music, this Hegel is it!
Great review! I like that you aren’t afraid to say how good products are (ADI-2, Hegel, etc.) compared to even more expensive gear. Sometimes manufacturers just get it right and it is indeed good value for money. I’m biased as I bought an H120 but I’ve found it to be exceptionally good. I have compared it against a Lyngdorf 2170 (which costs about 50% more) and the Hegel is more detailed and lively. Slightly smaller soundstage but better overall imho.
Thanks very much Alex.
Hegel 190 V OR Atoll 300 to buy ???
Hello! I have a Kef R700. Will h120 be enough? There is no money for a more expensive amplifier.
It will run them well I think.
@@13thnotehifireviews7 🤝
If you want a bit more grunt and soundstage musical fidelity are good with higher power output. To Hegel more analogue natural qualities.
@@13thnotehifireviews7 I now have a Marantz PM8005 + NA8005. It is somewhat weak in terms of bass control for such tight acoustics. But in terms of power 70W, it is the same as Hegel 120. But they write about hegel that it has a dumping factor of 2000. Based on this, will there be a significant increase in sound quality?
I am looking everywhere for an amp and to pair with Focal Kanta 2. My budget is $6,000 but the catch is that it needs to fit on a console table that’s only 15 inches deep. I would love the h190 or any number of other top tier integrateds or separates. I just don’t have the space. Will the h120 give me the best out of the Kanta considering my predicament? Anyone know of better options that fit on my table? I could get a DMPA8 and stereo amps provided they fit.
With the USB being limited to 24 bit 96hz (on H95, H120 and H190) and other Inputs being bale to receive 24 bit 192 Hz: which inout is the best to use when connecting to PC and other digital sources?
The one that you hear it best…(if there can be differences that are discernible in any given HiFi set up)
@@13thnotehifireviews7 I think there are differences . I listened to system with a regular cheap cable and then. Cable with silver in the banana plugs and highly polished copper with fewer and much thicker strands inside and better isolation.
I mwas just curious on what would have the potentional for the best quality and/or give the least amount of distortion/interference considering the back of my PC is stacked with various cables.
I will try for myself and figure it out 😊
heyqt it really is one of those to try yourself me thinks 😀
Hi Simon... nice to find your great organized review on Hegel Amp..
Im abiit skeptic on most people review between H120 and H190.
Bottom point H120 is more musical.. H190 More muscle as its more on watts.
Im planning to run my proac d20r with one of it.. I also noted that you prefer h190 compare to h120. Can you get more details on this. thks in advance.
Thanks very much Sugiarto. I think you will find it has lots of the benefits of extra power, damping factor, slew rate and so on. The ProAc’s are great speakers and I’d definetely go for the H190 or if you can afford it, the H390.
@@13thnotehifireviews7
Thanks for the reply.... Will consider your suggestion
Is this Roon ready?
no, as was answered in the film James
I am hoping they will get the code written soon, they keep promising that they will
@@jamesstruble1 probably lots going on with integration and things being slowed down with covid-19 and all the home working atm, I'd imagine. They just released a new phono stage, so hopefully this will be part of that new suite of announcements.
Hi
Would this be better than my Naim atom?
Nice Thoughtful review informative and knowledgeable hope to see more reviews in the future. I'm thinking about mixing the Hegel 190 and Aria Focal 936 or the focal Aria 948 any thoughts I'll be mixing with a streamer so any thoughts or advice will be gratefully received thanks in advance
Thanks for nice comments. Hegel works with lots of speakers, in fact I've never heard anything bad, and so long as the speakers are not to toppy in high frequencies I'm sure you will be fine. I know there are lots of users on the Hegel Facebook group who might have the same models as yours and who can comment further. BW Simon
@@13thnotehifireviews7 thanks for the reply I'm grateful regards
Excellent review Simon!
I am considering the H120 for Dynaudio Evoke 20s and by the sounds of it should do the job nicely.
One question, would there be a difference in quality streaming from tidal to H120 vs let's say a Bluesound node 2i ?
Thanks very much. Streaming to the Hegel is over airplay which is lossless and up to max cd quality. I think the node 2i is worth of for the flexibility of having hires and it’s just a touch better as a streamer than the Hegel. If you are interested and in the U.K. contact me on the website email for a further chat as I will be able to help you get a good deal on the h120.
Thanks for your reply Simon.
Do you think H120 will do a good job with the Dynaudio Evoke 20s given they shine with high current and power?
magoo47 very probably, but always Make sure you try before you buy. 😊
Nice review. Maybe a silly question but...do Hegel amps have tone controls?
The H120 doesn't, no, and I don't think they all do. TBH you really don't need them as sound is that good. I sometimes change my DAC filters to suit recording and on some DAC's you have tone controls so no real biggie that the Hegel doesn't.
Great review.
Glad you think so!
Have you compared the H120 with the H95?
Seems like the main differences are build quality, H95 has a plastic front panel and dials with a small plastic remote, the h120 is all metal and with a much nicer metal remote control.
Do you think the extra 15wpc makes much off a difference to overall sound quality?
Also i have read that out of the H95, H120 and H190
the H120 is more neutral/ slightly brighter sounding and the H95, H190 are more warmer sounding amplifiers.
haven't compared, but I don't think 15wpc is something to be worried about especially you said you were using KEF LS50.
I doubt the differences described between amps in the range. The H120 has a similar sonic signature to the H390, and possibly you could say the H390 has higher treble to the H120
Greetings. I recently purchased LS50 Metas and am between the H95 and H120 for amplification. Did you end up picking ether if these up? How did it work out? Thank you in advance for your time.
09-14-2022. Thank you for your excellent explanation of this Hegel H120 Integrated Amplifier and its similarity to the H190 knowing that it is more powerful; but with the same features and about 1000 Euros(Spain) more in price, tell us that with a power of 75W per channel in our homes it is enough to obtain that NATURAL AND TRANSPARENT SOUND THAT WILL GIVE US THE HEARING CHARM, Thank you once again and I WILL BUY THE HEGEL H120 without a doubt... CONGRATULATIONS AND CONGRATULATIONS... Hegel Client Future Buyer... Greetings to all.
Hey Simon. I would love to see you compare the Hegel H120 to the H190. Another reviewer stated the H190 is a bit more charismatic and fun sounding in comparison to the other Hegel family of amplifiers. Also the H190 is on sale in the us for 3400 right now which is a great price. I’m currently cross shopping the H190 with the Kinki pre/power combo and kinki integrated. It’s for my bedroom so I’m looking for a more fun sound with lifted treble and a bigger bass quantity vs quality as I won’t be using a sub.
I’m going to see hegel in Oslo in November so I’d expect to try them. Personally go for the kinki I reviewed instead of the 190 as it’s more on par with the h390 sound quality.
@@13thnotehifireviews7 Thanks Simon. The Kinki does seem like a great value. Their pre/power combo looks interesting as well. It's a tough decision.
Hi, Appreciate your advice
I have a pair of HiFi Speaker Power rated at 15 W min - 130W.
Would like to know, if were to use an Amplifier with a higher Power rating than the Speaker would it damage my mentioned rated speaker i.e Ad Amplifier with rated Power of 2 x 150 W into 8 ohms Amp
Which would best the best suitable and matching Amplifier WATTS to drive my speakers with the below-shown Amplifier power rating
2 x 150 W into 8 ohms
2 x 75 W into 8 ohm
2 x 60 W into 8 ohms
Thanks in advance
PS: both Amp & speaker rated at 8 Ohms
More power is ok, lots online re this
yes correct- both amp and speaker to be at 8 ohms
@@13thnotehifireviews7 the many online comments are too confusing and contradicting
vpm m essentially so long as you don’t drive your speakers really hard you can put more power in than max speaker rating. In fact it’s better for musical dynamics . You do more damage with inadequate power.
I have a H80, if I changed for a H120 what improvements can I expect?
Never tried h80.
Lovely review, read my mind on the dac question too ha.
New c388 vs used h120?
To provide some perspective, I tested a nad c388 and arcam sa20 and preferred the c388 open/clarity/detail of the nad but I enjoyed the Bass and aggressiveness of the arcam, although it sacrificed a bit of the rest to get it.
I haven't had a chance to listen to the h120 but I was wondering if you can help Me decide what I should regarding new nad c388 vs used h120. Both about the same price.
Hi window maker, thanks very much. I haven’t any experience of that NAD. The most common thing I get asked is to make choices on things I’ve never heard so I can never say. The NAD looks like a class D type design which does tend to get a little edgy with treble “on some designs”. Not all, so conceivably the NAD could be great/*better*. But the Hegel is a hybrid type design but not class D. You should always make choices on which you like and what performs best with speakers you’ll use. The Arcam Sound has always been one a bit smoother and more tonal mass, as you say with bass, so given you are choosing between the others I’d say you like detail first. On that basis, if I’m trying to be helpful to your question, my prediction (and it’s only a prediction), the Hegel will best the NAD with its design. That’s because all the class D amps I try are edgy or semblances of edginess and the Hegel isn’t like that at all. Also with reputation of Hegel atm. If you do decide on Hegel contact them direct because they conceivably could have show units - possibly. Only an idea, not for definite.
@@13thnotehifireviews7 thank you so much for your reply, it helps warrant an audition at the very least. I'll be pairing them with kef r700's. Keep doing your thing. You're great and I've subbed.
@@TheWidowMaker. I have had experience with both of these amps, but it was with B&W 703s2 ,
The NAD C388 is 150 wpc so it played better at louder volumes with more control but was weak on bass,
The Arcam sa20 was great with bass especially at low volume but when turned up louder it because uncomfortable to listen to, everything became quite harsh and silibant, the Arcam sa20 is only 90wpc and the 703s2 require lots of power so maybe that was the issue, it would be interesting to see if the newer SA 30 improves on this with extra power.
I would say if your planning on using KEF R7's they would definitely need more than 90wpc.
Also both of these amps have reliability issues unfortunately...
@@TheWidowMaker. you Will have better bass control with hegel, i got h190 for my b&w 683 s2, h190 absolute shits all over nad c388
Hello Simon,
I only just heard that Hegel is releasing the H95. Perhaps I'll be lucky enough to hear your
assessment of this latest Hegel. I understand they have replaced the DAC as a primary
improvement and based on the limited reviews (as of now), I understand the new DAC
to be a favourable improvement. My primary interest in the H95, aside from sonic quality,
is the price point and it's streaming capability. I am 100% ignorant about streaming so I
read your article at the 13thNOTE. Excellent article but I still have a ways to go so that
I have a clear idea of what to buy, which app etc etc. The bottom line is I will eventually
stream because of the potential for music exploration (my passion) and I will do so from a
IPad. I say that because I cannot see myself sitting at my computer, selecting a song and
then running over to my sofa to place myself in that coveted sweet spot. In any case,
thanks for writing that in-depth article/explanation. I love your low-key, informative and
very British way of presentation. I'll explore your website further. (very well constructed)
Thank you so much. Means a lot. Streaming is all pretty easy when you do it a while. I’m doing it less often now and will maybe keep on doing reviews - I said I’d stop, but they have to be honest and so I can be a truthful authority (which makes getting products difficult) because otherwise I see no point.
I have not heard the H120 or H95, but I did compare the previous models Röst and H90 before buying the cheaper. I would say they sounded very similar, with more oomph and a slight extra fullness, as expected, from the more powerful model. I expect the new models to have a similar relationship. So consider the size of your room, any other functions you might need from the H120, and the amount of spare cash you have to spend on small diminishing returns when making your choice.
@@christopherbrown842 Thank you Christopher. Yes, the diminishing returns aspect (for me) must be
considered to the point wherein I actually have to challenge myself to be sure I am not so
enamoured with a product that I loose sight of pragmatism relevant to return on investment.
The power differential betwee the H95 and H120 is not dramatic but the latter should
offer an elevated listening experience but at the lower volumes I listen to -- will I hear it? As well,
the H120 offers XLR connectivity and for myself, that's important but then again, will it produce
such a difference as to make the extra investment worthwhile. Thanks for your reply.
@@charlesclifton5896 Yeah, it is easy to feel the pull of extra specs on the heartstrings :-) . And considering how long amps last, it may be bad psychology not to go for the best one can afford. As always, the best thing is if you can compare the two amps at home, or at least in a shop - unless those XLRs are a dealbreaker. Personally I mainly use iTunes with an ethernet cable to the router.
I can add that with my Monitor Audio Silver 300 mk1 speakers (sorry - don't know their sensitivity) in a ca. 3 x 6.5 m living room (with adjoining hall at the far end), normal close listening levels go from 50 to 55 on the dial, 80 is party loud (not that I party hard these days), and 99 is still bearable and without much distortion.
Last weekend I tried my H90 in a friend's much, much larger living room (10 x 7 m, high ceiling and opening on to a kitchen) with XTC 99.36 mk1 speakers (again, no sensitivity rating). We mainly playing back from Tidal with 60 on the dial. He is considering upgrading the speakers, neither of us felt more power would improve the speakers, or that it was needed for the sake of sheer volume. 60 watts can go a surprisingly long way. But, it must be said, total sound quality from this setup was nowhere near the Beyerdynamic Amiron wireless headphones (ca. 600 USD/Euros/GBP) which we used as a reference.
@@christopherbrown842 Thank you Christopher. The XLRs on the H120 certainly would be nice but not essential.
I'm beginning to think that the H95 would meet my needs and if the DAC is not to my liking then I could use an
external DAC but I'll have to hear the Hegel first at home in order to determine that potential need. I am still
trying to wrap my head around the streaming concept. I want the benefit just for musical exploration alone but
I don't want it to be an over complicated affair. I want to control the entire streaming process from an I-Pad through
the Hegel. I like the Tidal offering and so would like to be able to stream the highest quality resolution possible.
I will soon up-grade my internet and use an ethernet cable to the Hegel and/or alternate streaming device. I am 70
years and have been around audio since the mid 60s but being a bit of an intellectual nerd I demand that I understand
every nuance of any component or improvement I add to my current system. I currently use an Adcom GFA5500 designed by Nelson Pass. It's a wonderful power amp but I think it's getting tired - hence my interest in the Hegel.
Thanks for your comments - much appreciated.
Thanks for the very good and comprehensive review,
I wonder if you can recomend the h120 to match my new wharfedale evo 4.4? or other amp to get the best out of them
Thank you
Thank you very much. Never tried those 4.4's so can't say unfortunately. BW simon
Thank you once again for an excellent review. I am wondering how well the Mohican CD player sounds with the H120. I have Rost and even though its a huge price variance, I am considering purchasing the Mohican.
Thank you very much Alan. The Mohican is awesome with it and quite a bit better than my Qutest and innuos zenith combo. I *remember* the chord Hugo tt2 sounding as good as the Mohican which considering the Mohican is a CD player with a dac, is a good feat. I said in my Mohican review this, whilst I’d need to do a to b to be sure. The Mohican is a really nice tonal sound against the chord. I’m thinking of an h390 to try, so as to replace my Cyrus gear, which is getting old and it can be unreliable when it gets older.
Thank you very much for this review. The content is great, even the music is great. I'm not sure if I'm allowed to give any even small advice for the future, but the difference between volume of speech and the music of this video is a little to big to my taste. But for sure it's not a big deal. Thank you again for this review.
I am tempted but with no balance control it is a bit useless to me. I sit off centre and the hearing in my left ear is about 10% less than the right ear. I realise too many of these amps decide to omit tone controls but no balance control is silly. I’m using a Cyrus 8 QX DAC with the psxr power supply at the moment.
I suppose while I’m using Apple Music I could always use the balance control in the iPads settings, but if I wanted to use a different streaming service the amp would be useless to me.
I’d say go for the better Hegel like the 190 or 390 for a more marked improvement over Cyrus, if you defo want Hegel. I had all the Cyrus signature gear so know that brand well. Then get a streaming service / streamer with balance controls
I think you are saying this is the amp to beat at the price. However I still don't think I get from your review, a full picture of the signature of this amplifier. Like microdetail level, bass-treble balance, or lean or rich leaning. I have read these facets from other reviews. You have skimmed over those qualities though, as though they are understood. I read it's a bright but not trebly-bright amp, that has profound bass and bass-control. I think I have understood that it's neutral, and not cold or warm leaning. … However it would have been nice in a 25 minute review, to have covered the basic. Rather than gloss over, declaring it a budget and performance everyone should audition amplifier.
You can't make it too 'wine connoisseur'!. The idea is to give a flavour - no pun intended - and lots of that is down to subjectivities. What is micro detail to you isn't to someone else. Once I've given the overall impression it really is for you to go out and see whether you like and want it, as a review is for a shortlist. I don't get too pretentious in my SQ descriptions as I want to make HiFi more inclusive to new people as well. So sorry I can't accept your criticisms. I think I did say it is very good bass-treble balance and neutral. BW Simon
@@13thnotehifireviews7 14-09-2022. Gracias por su excelente explicación de este Amplificador Integrado Hegel H120 y su similitud al H190 sabiendo que este es mas potente ; pero con las mismas prestaciones y unos 1000 Euros mas de Precio, decirnos que ya con una potencia de 75W por canal en nuestras viviendas es suficiente para obtener ese SONIDO NATURAL Y TRANSPARENTE QUE NOS DARÁ EL ENCANTO AUDÍFOLO, Gracias una vez mas y ya COMPRARE EL HEGEL H120 sin dudas... ENHORABUENA Y FELICIDADES... Cliente Hegel Comprador Futuro... Saludos para todos.
@@13thnotehifireviews7 09-14-2022. Thank you for your excellent explanation of this Hegel H120 Integrated Amplifier and its similarity to the H190 knowing that it is more powerful; but with the same features and about 1000 Euros more in price, tell us that with a power of 75W per channel in our homes it is enough to obtain that NATURAL AND TRANSPARENT SOUND THAT WILL GIVE US THE HEARING CHARM, Thank you once again and I WILL BUY THE HEGEL H120 without a doubt... CONGRATULATIONS AND CONGRATULATIONS... Hegel Client Future Buyer... Greetings to all.
@@puebloygenteandaressaberll9631 1st heard the Hegal H120 with Orphidion Argon 1 speakers - Vinyl source at the Bristol Hi Fi Show this February. Impressed with the sound 🎶🙂
Nice review, I’m a Naim man myself but have to say their manuals that come with their gear is pretty dim and cheap considering the cost of Naim kit.
Is H190 worth the premium over this?
What is the price difference i paid, $2800 for the h190, the h120 was $2500, there was no point of getting h120 with little gap, h190 was the far better value here, But since then the h190 went up to $3295, still worth the extra in my opinion, h190 has bettter bass controll and plays louder than h120, if you have demanding speakers the difference Will be bigger between the two, i would try both if i was you with your speakers
For someone with electrostats, would expect the damping factor advantage of Hegel to be less relevant, and I cant get Hegel to tell me what the max current and voltage this amp puts out...
Forget all that, just loan one and try. You can try my one of near.
According to Hegel's website (www.hegel.com/products/integrated/h120), the H120 has Apple Airplay connectivity, so I'm guessing that it will stream wirelessly even if you can't see any external antennas.
No it streams via Ethernet . Airplay doesn’t necessarily mean air streaming - it’s the Apple streaming protocol
Ah - OK - thanks for the information!
Thank you, Simon. I currently stream my music files from a MacBook Air wirelessly, via an Airport Express, to my amp using AirPlay. The Internet is not involved. Given that I’d like to keep my present strictly local wireless setup but upgrade the Airport Express + amplifier combination to a better quality standalone streaming amp, what type of equipment should I be looking for?
Hi Heron, you don’t need anything. You just hook the Hegel up to the router via an Ethernet cable and then from the MacBook you use your AirPlay icon in compatible software to send music over the network to the Hegel. I don’t think airport express are needed anymore, correct me if I’m wrong. I use a MacBook Pro. If you aren’t playing music via streaming services (you called it the internet) then you will be just playing files on your Mac or over your network on an NAS drive no doubt, so I’m sure you’ll find the software to do that (with compatible airplay icon) if you aren’t using Apple Music app on Mac. In the Hegel a little tick comes up when you select network and music plays to the Hegel very easily. Hope helps.
Thanks for your informative reply. Sorry to pester you about this, but is there no way around having the Hegel permanently connected to my router? My listening room is a long way away from the router, with a 3-foot-thick stone wall in between, and I don’t want to have to run Ethernet cables all around the house.
Hi, thank you for your review, let recommend you, comparing the DAC now, after a month of use of the Hegel. For me it did change big time...
SzsYstas
hi Simon ,really good review,shame i cant afford the Hegel,broke the bank buying the rme dac,which i use on 12v battery big improvement worth ago,still considering the d11 you reviewed,but waiting on the DAyens memuetto check it out
Thanks very much for your comment, means a lot.
Dave G how do you propose that considering power input / internal transformer.
Thanks for a great review! I just got myself some PMC twenty5.23 on discount. Here in sweden I can get a new Hegel H90 + RME adi-2 dac for less than the price of a new Hegel H120. What do you think would be the most sound for the money?
Thank you very much. Personally I’d spend on the amp rather than dac as these PMC’s (I own) need drive. I’m trying out twenty5 23i atm. Go for an h120 or preferably h190. Bw Simon
@@13thnotehifireviews7 Thanks for your reply!
Is it 3K BP in the UK?! Also just curious but do you buy all the gear used or new? What do you do wirh gear you have reviewed? Is there a way you could include your complete reference setup in the description section so we can easily refer to it? Really enjoy your video reviews and hope you get the subscribers you merit!
Michael Mityok hi Michael, I think it’s £2200 in U.K. $3k usd. The gear I have is my Cyrus gear and PMCs and innuos plus Chord dac - Qutest. But lots of it is loaned for reviews obviously and comes and goes. You are right I’ll amend the description tomorrow to include all the gear I use and will try and remember to do that. Thanks for your nice comments about my reviews and subs. If ever you want to suggest stuff to review, I’m all ears. I’m gonna do a video on the McGurk effect next and how we apply (or not) visual tricks to audio.
@@13thnotehifireviews7 Funny you should ask as I am struggling to decide whether power conditioners are truly useful or not. There are very few comprehensive reviews that do a/b testing of a particular conditioner. Do they limit dynamics or not? Do they remove "haze" or not? Etcetera. Pick a conditioner under 2K preferably, rotate it through your reference system, and let us know what you think.
I did that one Michael. See my Isotek Aquarius v Sirius appraisal on my website. I used an Aquarius with the H120. I did an a to b in the article and mentioned pitfalls of the Sirius with its output. Aquarius is terrific and doesn’t limit dynamics. Sirius does a bit, but you’d probably use it in systems where you might not notice. Aquarius on the other hand improves sound. Maybe not as much as a different amp at same price but to my mind, these are ‘finishing off’ components to the system. Hope it helps www.13thnote.net/2019/10/18/isotek-aquarius-sirius-comparisons/
@@13thnotehifireviews7 got it, will check it out!
interesting, is anybody here who replaced Mark Levinson 383 to Hegel?
❤❤
Im between Hegel H120 and NAD M10 🤔
I haven't heard the M10 but I know the class D tech in it, having reviewed a similar product. It powers speakers very well. However if you want the best neutral well driven sound, H120 every day of the week I'd expect (again being I cant definitively say not having heard the M10 but I use my experience to think what I probably would hear on listening). If you add a streamer like a Node 2i then absolutely a case for H120. It's a case of whether a one box is needed or not, or how important is sound quality.Personally I'd expect myself going for the H120 adding a streaming box. It depends too on whether you are buying either as an audiophile, or not, interested in the small differences, making one better to you or not. If not an audiophile I think the NAD is probably better, if an audiophile Id expect it to be the Hegel. Hope helps.
Interesting review praise for the amp but not much love for the DAC...
It’s good as a package.
No the manual is NOT awesome. One is totally unable to read the names of the inputs, had to do a search to find a photo of the backside
Its diagrammatic and shows all the cables and inputs. I literally found within ten seconds of seeing your message in quicker time of you typing it, a pdf vector manual on the Hegel website. A vector means you can blow it up hundreds of times and the letters keep their resolution. So I don’t think your grumble has any foundation. Sorry. 🤔😐
I would have rates this video 10/10 but there's that many ads it actually destroys the essence of the video to a point I'd rate this now add 2/10,, yes enough to put me off watching anything else, shame really
Thanks very much. I get a few of these comments but from my point of view people watch and get the info free , so I have to turn on ads and then Google decide frequency etc. I get paid small sums a month. Also you can’t turn ads off in 2021 but why would I anyway If people don’t pay me because everything online is free ? Would you pay me to see them add less? I could set up a video on another site where you pay £1 per video. Would appreciate your further feedback please.
@@13thnotehifireviews7 yes I understand what your saying and you have a valid point 100%, but most other reviews on TH-cam have on average 3 ads, and yes I get that you want to make money on your videos to help with your channel, but given the choices of me and possibly others using there data plans to cover watching ads then technically yes I'm paying Google,
I'm not picking a fight as I said I really enjoyed the video but you have to be realistic if people have a choice of watching a review one has 10 adds or one with 2 adds most would click the the ones that keeps them interested, those the one with the least ads gets more views on a regular basis= making more money, last point you said would I pay you £1 for every video? No I'd pay Google the £8 to watch ad free as that would work out cheaper, why not do what most do and use links at say amazon to help with the funding , or PayPal buy me a coffee.......and so on, anyway wish you well with the channel and sorry if I p*ssed you off, but feedback is I think something even you would take ...
@@451greenwood thanks for your reply, but tbh as I say I don’t choose the number of ads. Google does that. They changed the policy this year so I can’t make the video add less. The TH-cam subscription costs about £12 per month here in the U.K., to remove the ads, not just 8 as a single fee. I suspect that rate is similar everywhere. So if I ask people to pay a pound or dollar on another platform to watch a video that is fair. Otherwise they aren’t really thinking about it from my point of view even if I could take ads off. I do do PayPal as per link on latest videos.
I love this review and many of your others. Just a note about using the phrase "every man" so much ... would feel more inclusive to women audiophiles if you said "every person" or something like that. No big deal but wanted to (politely) mention - especially as guys are so prevalent in this niche of the internet.
Thank you very much and very Good call! As the album from one of my favourite electronic artists called ultramarine goes, ‘every man and woman is a star’
@@13thnotehifireviews7 And thanks to your review and site, I bought a Hegel H390 yesterday ! I really am grateful and you just caught my general frustration with audio reviews :)