Hegel H20

HEGEL H20 POWER AMPLIFIER MINT IN BOX

PURCHASED DIRECTLY FROM HEGEL AMERICA A YEAR AGO AND USED FOR A WEEK FOR AMPLIFIER SHOOTOUT COMPARISON.  I AGREED WITH HEGEL NOT TO RESELL THE AMPLIFIER FOR ONE YEAR - ONLY 50 HOURS OF USE!

ONE OF THE BEST AMPLIFIERS, TUBE OR SOLID STATE AND RECOMMENDED BY AUDIOPHILE REVIEWERS AND AUDIO LOVERS ALIKE.

SOUNDSTAGE REVIEW

The Hegel H20 is a 200Wpc, fully balanced, solid-state amplifier ($5750 USD). It came securely double-boxed, and wrapped in an oversize plastic bag to keep its finish safe.

The H20 rarely got more than lukewarm during use, and that was only after prolonged listening sessions during which I drove it hard.

The H20 is not just another amplifier, cooked from the common recipe," he said. "It incorporates specific technology, where the SoundEngine is the most important. The SoundEngine holds a US patent and does two specific things: 1) It reduces all types of distortion. Distortion blurs the soundstage and hides the details. It can even make amps sound harsh and unpleasant. 2) It increases damping factor. Damping factor describes the amplifier’s ability to start and stop bass drivers in loudspeakers. Good damping factor equals well defined and rhythmic bass. The H20’s damping factor is about ten times the industry average."

The H20’s upper-frequency performance was quite revealing -- as if I were listening through a window that had been thrown open. As I sat by the sash, I could hear all the sounds from my neighborhood. All of the detail and air was obvious, but it never sounded etched or bright. Transient response was quite fast and lifelike. The strumming of guitar strings or the popping of chords on an upright bass, for instance, sounded realistic. Voices sounded tonally natural and nonfatiguing throughout the review period. Both micro- and macrodynamics were delivered realistically scaled. The H20’s handlings of bass depth and dynamic range were truly awe-inspiring. The lower frequencies appeared to have more extension and power than I’m used to hearing, while music with wide dynamic range was impactful and grabbed my attention. The H20 had a solid grip on the woofers of my Meadowlark Heron i’s, and gave me some of the better bass performance I’ve heard from these speakers. Performers were rendered with a great sense of presence and liveliness. The H20 reproduced a wide, spacious soundstage with good height and depth, and images were solid and three-dimensional.

Compared to some of the other amplifiers I had on hand, the Hegel H20 was not only one of the better-sounding models but also the least expensive. The Mactone MH-300B, a 30Wpc tube amplifier ($10,000), has a very nice midrange with the ability to flesh out the performers on a wide, deep soundstage. The H20 was every bit as good, and in many respects bettered the Mactone in those parameters, which it’s known to be strong in. Not only that, the H20 had noticeably more extension at the frequency extremes, and enough power to make dynamics sound natural and realistic. I felt that the Hegel’s build quality was much higher, too.

Next, I compared the Hegel H20 to the XLH M-2000 600W monoblocks ($25,000/pair). This comparison was sonically the closest of the three because of the M-2000s’ sheer power. Amazingly, I found that the H20 gave up nothing to the XLHs in terms of power and control, especially in light of the Meadowlarks’ 92dB sensitivity and 6-ohm impedance. The Hegel and XLHs were comparable in bass power and extension, but the H20 had an uncanny ability to reveal pitch definition at the lower registers. And the Hegel sounded faster, with more liquidity in the midrange. Wow!

Technical Details

Output power: More than 200W + 200W in 8 ohms
Inputs: RCA unbalanced and XLR balanced
Speaker outputs: Two pairs of heavy duty gold plated terminals
Input Impedance: Balanced 10kohm, unbalanced 50kohm
Frequency response: Less than +/- 0.2 dB deviation 20Hz-20kHz
Phase response: Less than 2 degrees deviation 20Hz- 20kHz
Signal to noise ratio: More than 100dB
Crosstalk: Less than -100dB
Distortion: Less than 0.006 % at 100W i 8 ohm
Intermodulation: Less than 0.01 % (19kHz + 20kHz)
Damping factor: More than 1000
Power Supply: 1000VA dual mono, 90 000uF capacitors
Output stage: 20 pcs 15A 200W high speed, Ultra low distortion bipolar transistors
Power consumption: 60W in standby switched on
Dimensions/weight: 12cm x 43cm x 37cm (HxWxD), weight 25kg
Dimensions/weight US: 4.7" x 17" x 15" (HxBxD), weight 55 lbs