I just got my H120 for my Dali Opticon 6 speakers. Replacing an old NAD T747. The upgrade can be compared to adding a subwoofer. It’s like I’ve never utilized my speakers properly before. It’s not as bright as the NAD, but the Hegel truly brings forth the nuance and dynamics I didn’t know I missed on the bass.

Good to hear this H120 is more neutral than the H90 and H190. The H90 and H190 match well with nuetral to slightly cool sounding speakers from my experience. The warmer speakers I have had didn't pair particularly well.

I love my H160 driving Kanta No 2. Amazing what it can do and the simplicity factor has my wife happy 😀

Nice review Jay, Do you think Hegel integrated is an upgrade from Naim separates (282 + 250DR). I’m asking because I know you have experience with Naim. I love Naim, but you are always raving about Hegel. So that makes me curious. Anyway love your video’s

Great job Jay!!! Congrats. I currently run a Yamaha as801 with focal chora 826 and want to upgrade to Hegel but not sure if I should go with H95 or H120. What would be your recommendation? I know focal chora are easy to drive but eventually I would like to plug 2 pair os speakers.

Hi, I really like your Chanel and the way you present it. Im kind of new in this world and have almost the same doubt I've seen in a lot of people looking for the best/adecuate amp for Kefs Ls50 Meta (and a REL SUB). Was advised to go for the Musical fidelity M5si as a solid choice. On the other hand I really like Hegel but can't reach at this moment the h190 because of my budget. Do you think h120 would be a good choice, even above Musical Fdelity M5si. My other option is Lyngdorf TDAI1120 since it has room correction. Both the h120 and Lyngdorf have poor gain ( according to some reviews, but never tried them with the kefs). which one should I go after in your opinion? In case the h120 is the best choice should I get an external DAC to improve the sound quality? Or the built in is just fine.

Great review. This is a fantastic amp, I tried a few with my setup and it wasn’t close. I feed a Bluesound Node into it for Tidal. Awesome.

@Kah0ona

3 жыл бұрын

do you use the bluesound dac, or the Hegel dac? I'm contemplating getting an Hegel as well

@davidkaiser2233

3 жыл бұрын

@@Kah0ona Hegel DAC. It is fantastic.

@Kah0ona

3 жыл бұрын

@@davidkaiser2233 thanks!

@jimji2774

3 жыл бұрын

So why do you need a blue sound streamer with the Hagel. Isn't it an all in one box ?

@Kah0ona

3 жыл бұрын

@@jimji2774 That's true, but I like bluOS a lot, and the fact that TidalConnect is supported by the bluesound but not by the amp. Having said that, I had this bluesound before i had the amp, so i will experiment a bit with the built-in streamer.

Mature audiophiles eventually capitulate and look for an integrated solution (just amp and preamp though) and they are vinyl and red book people as well (we oldies have many CD’s-I recognize millennials are using streaming pretty exclusively-I woudl be to if I were starting out today) , Please offer an integrated solution Hegel WITHOUT a DAC or streamer hegel !

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?

Hi Jay. You briefly talk about connecting your Apple TV and integrating the Hegel H120 into a 5.1 setup. I am considering purchasing this integrated amp and currently run a 5.1 system through a Yamaha receiver. I would like the Hegel to power my towers, and the Yamaha receiver power the rest of the 5.1 setup. How would I do the wiring this way? (also, I have a smart TV but not Apple TV... is that an issue?)

how does the Hegel compare with the Rega Brio-3? i know the Hegel has 25W more juice. i find the Rega to sound like a class A amp. considering a HT 120. why haven't you done a review of the latest Brio BTW?

Jay-Im intrigued by your strong recommendation re hegel/Magic combo. I looking for an integrated solid state to drive my electrostatics (Quads), and dont want to spend $5500 or more on a Sanders,Bryston or Mac set up- electrostats need an amp that handles low and varying impedances ,and voltage (and of course the hi damping factor doesn’t really come into play with panels or many type I should think as they are light . I cant get these figures from Hegel (their are explicitly opaque re specs as they dont want to comparing their specs with spec whores like some Chifi products). Do you know anyone who has tried Hegel amps on electrostatic speakers ?

How will it go with the B&W 702 S2 speakers for a listener very fond of 90's rock music ?? Or Musical fidelity m6si a better option with the speakers mentioned ?

Looking to upgrade my Cambridge CXA60 with the H120. My Tannoy XT6f speakers will be very happy. 😁

Hi jay, Looking to upgrade my naim uniti atom to something more suitable for monitor audio gold 100 at 4 ohm 86 db .. would the 120 work or would I need more power

Hello Jay, i like your reviews very much! I own a Hegel H190 with Elac FS-407 loudspeakers. I’m looking for good phonostage for my project turntable with Ortofon Quintet Bronze Cartridge. Can you recommend which phonostage matches well with my set? And can you tell which loaudspeakercable cable goes well with Hegel? Greetings Hans from the Netherlands

@Jayiyagi

4 жыл бұрын

I would suggest trying a mm tube phonostage from either project or yaqin. I personally use colour copper cables at the moment with my elac and hegel set up

I read that several had greatly appreciated your explanations and comments. I totally agree. Besides, I had the same interest in Hegel as you. I just sold my 25 year old tube amp (it had new KT88 Gold Lion tubes, though ...), another amp that I no longer needed (Sugden Optima 140) and my old turntable (Rega Planar 2 ). I'm ready for the new world, that of streaming, dacs ... and DSD ... So, I think I would choose the Denafrips Ares 2 with the Hegel H120 (or H190 ???). I have Focal 826Vs and a Sony SACD reader which will only serve me for transport. Is there a weak link in my system? If I choose the H190, could I use it in parallel with my Astell & Kern Kann Alpha which reads DSD with optical output? Congratulations again for your site. I plan to subscribe to your channel. Well done!

@xcvbxcvb2179

Жыл бұрын

Does the Sony SACD player really send out DSD via toslink??

Superb presentation.

pairing with elac vela fs 407: musical fidelity m5si/m6si or hegel 120/190 ? listen to a lot of rock metal and r'nb music. tnx

In your opinion will it be good pairing with Totem Rainmaker ?

Does it shutdown after prolonged listening at not so loud volume like the H95?

what is the output power on the front headphone jack?

Hi Jay, gr8 review of the hegel amp. I have a H80 unit hooked up to a pair of KEF R300s & they seem to be a good match from what i can tell. Would the H120 or 160 be noticeably better than the H80? I own Dynaudio S40s as well driven by a Primare i35 class D amp.

@Jayiyagi

4 жыл бұрын

I believe so. I can hear a noticeable improvement in overall sound from h90 to h120 and even bigger jump from h90 to h190. Kefs are a great match with hegels. This is what they often use at shows

@2010aloy

4 жыл бұрын

@@Jayiyagi I did check with Hegel & read up just about everything that was ever written or said about them before making the purchase. Auditioning is not always an option so gotta make a blind purchase which is quite a gamble. Thank you Jay & keep up the good work.

Hi Jay, is the H120 the right Amp for my Dynaudio Heritage Special or is more power with the H190 required? Best wishes, Marco

@MN-lt6cn

3 жыл бұрын

@Car Guy daddyo But you can‘t compare the 40s with the Heritage

Jay there’s any difference vs the Hegel rost???

Can this drive kef ls50 meta easily?

Yet another great review. How is Hegel coming on Roon connectivity?

Hey Jay. Would the H120 be enough for Wharfedale Reva 3 speakers. 88db sensitivity. Or do I need the H190? Thanks!!!

@Miguelissimmo

4 жыл бұрын

the H190 is a better amp of course, but I think the H120 can drive your speakers like a charm .. with its 2000+ damping factor, it has enough guts :)

Will this amp run in 4 ohms ? I can’t find any spec online said it will run in 4 ohms

Top review Jay, I wonder what the Hegel H120 or H190 would perform like setup with the ATC SCM11's or SCM19's. I was impressed with your review on the ATC SCM11's and I own both the models. Do you think the Hegels would bring out the lower mids in either of those speakers? I currently have the SCM19's hooked up to one Roksan Caspian Power Amp @85WPC and the audiolab M-DAC. It was only when I disconnected my MJ Acoustics Ref150 Subwoofer had I realised how bright those speakers were, espcially the SCM19's!

@Jayiyagi

4 жыл бұрын

For lower mids to come forward, you would need something entirely different like the Mcintosh Ma352 comes to mind.

Am considering purchasing the Hegel H120 to pair with my PMC Twenty 21's. Have you heard PMC speakers? Naim amplification seems to be a popular suggestion, but I think I'd prefer a more relaxing presentation. The PMC's have a tendency to be a little bright with Rega amplification so I'm looking for an amp with a neutral to warm balance. Sounds like the Hegel may be a very good match.

@uhugvjkbkjh

4 жыл бұрын

Not sure about that. Consider other Scandinavian brands like Electrocompaniet, Abrahamsen and maybe Copland

@Jayiyagi

4 жыл бұрын

Pmc is great with naim but if you prefer a little laid back top end, I would suggest you try the H120 and if you want even more relaxed, the h90 or even the more preferable h190

Whats ur thoughts advice for tanooy arden legacy hegel rost

I'm looking 3 months into your future, Jay. I see you preferring the new PS Audio Stellar Strata integrated amp better! 😋 I'd be curious to know if you still feel that way.

@thekittencult

3 жыл бұрын

@cablebrain haha. Would love a comparison of those two. I am currently going back and forth on purchasing one of them to power a pair of Focal 8ohm 90db stand-mount. Hegel has a ridiculously high damping factor while the Strata has more wattage but a relatively low damping factor. PS audio has great customer service. Hegel is on the other side of the planet. PS audio will give me $900 towards the Strata for an old Pioneer elite trade-in, making it just $100 more than the Hegel (better resale value?). I run L/R powered subs, PS audio is balanced making it a bit more tricky. PS Audio is balanced giving me possibly of balanced gear in the future. I could go on and on... Any thoughts would be appreciated.

Hey, will this be able to drive Special 40, and Emit 20 with ease. Also considering Rega Elicit R.

@threecats8219

3 жыл бұрын

SP40 and Emits are not a difficult load. Dynaudio engineer speakers with a flat impedance response, and that speaker choice doesn't go under 5ohms. The reviews of the H120 say it grips far more expensive, and much more difficult load speakers. To put it into perspective, my Chord Electronics TT2 will drive my SP40 from the single-ended 7W RCA output. (Meaning not using an amplifier. Using only the TT2 to drive SP40 speakers. TT2 does have a good current though. It grips bass with the SP40 like a vice.) The H120 will find those speakers a breeze. (For reference, you heard him say the H120 goes down to 2ohm load.)

Question for you Hegel guys: if you had to choose between Hegel h120 vs Hegel h160, l know the h160 is not in production anymore but...

@petethegreekre

3 жыл бұрын

I'd like to know that too! Found a couple of used ones for the same price as the 120.

@calaf_725

3 жыл бұрын

I would choose the H160 only if i really needed the extra power. Other than that the Rost is already a better amp and H120 is better than Rost IMHO. If you are looking at the second hand market a Rost would be the better buy.

Elac Vela FS 407 on the background.... interesting.

i have h80 and its 75 watts why higher model like h120 only75 watts? sound confusing

Hello Jay, many thanks for your review. Last month I’ve bought a brand new H120 and I can confirm exactly what you are saying. It sounds amazing!

@hclandscapes

3 жыл бұрын

Whats speakers are you using with this amplifier?

@pierangelobolis440

3 жыл бұрын

@@hclandscapes I’ve two sets of speakers that I change as I want. The first is a pair of Dynaudio Evoke 20 (brand new) the second is a pair of JM Lab Focal Electra 926 (15 yeats old). Different sound, but very interesting both.

@hclandscapes

3 жыл бұрын

@@pierangelobolis440 im trying to decide if its worth upgrading my h90 to the h120? Have you listened to both?

@pierangelobolis440

3 жыл бұрын

@@hclandscapes Yes, there are some main differences between the two equipments. H120 is more advanced in the design than the H90. It belongs to the new generation of Hegel’s. Double transformers to split power to standby services vs audio power signal, a more accurate DAC and firstly more power (75 vs 60 W). The overall design is surely better and It sounds better. I compared them at home with my speakers. Such new capabilities have been incorporated into the newest H95 which is definitely replacing the H90. Consider also to switch to the H190 if you need more power. The best to switch to H390 where you can find native MQA chip as full decoder. In any case the regular DAC is the best in class.

@hclandscapes

3 жыл бұрын

@@pierangelobolis440 did you compare the H120 and H95?

Hegels smashing it

Jay one the Hegel 120 or the sansui au717 sound wise……thanks already

A lot or most cases?

Funny you say the H120 is slightly “cooler” sounding that the H90 etc. I recently purchased the H90 and while it’s incredible value for money I just wasn’t taken with the internal dac section, so I swapped it for the H120. I’m finding the H120 has an improved dac section especially in voices midrange compared to the H90. But I feel the H120 sounds meatier and warmer than the H90.

@MickVee

4 жыл бұрын

Thank you for that observation. Coming from 3 decades of very decent AV receivers, I recently purchased a Hegel H90 going back to 2 channel. All I can say is wow! Given that, Adrian recommended the H120 if I could pull off the extra dollars. Now I’m considering getting the H120 and moving the H90 to the bedroom. BTW, I’m running Martin Logan Vista and Dynamo 800x subwoofer and the system has never sounded better. Thanks for the great review Jay. May see you soon for the H120. (Still need to sell my Anthem AVR)

@johnwhite2576

3 жыл бұрын

Mickey Vee What anthem avr do you have ?

@MickVee

3 жыл бұрын

@@johnwhite2576 I have the Anthem MRX520

Would be interesting a comparison to Willsenton R8

@Jayiyagi

4 жыл бұрын

Watch the r8 review and then the hegel. Comparison done ! 😉

@vittoriomartinidonati65

4 жыл бұрын

The Next Best Thing Studio would be better to hear from you,especially the dac and streamer price and range you need to get to get quality comparable to Hegel (by the way I ordered Willsenton R8 following y advice) in any case thanks for your great reviews, very interesting, your mistakes in English are hilarious, plse don’t fix them they really are part of your charme

@Jayiyagi

4 жыл бұрын

@@vittoriomartinidonati65 haha thank you. I would say the node 2i is a good starting point for a streamer and innuos zen mini mk3 even better

Denon PMA110/ Yamaha AS1200/ HegelH120/JBLSA750??????????

I got the hegel h190 yesterday, i am going to try It at home a while, just had the denon pma2500 ne, its going to be either of those 2 for b&w 683 s2, i think the hegel will take the cake, my speakers is going to be maximized in quality with either, and that is what i wanted To do for my b&w to see how good they could really be with good eletronics, but if i am going to give the hegel or denon jutice i need to upgrade speakers as well, b&w 700 series would pretty Much suit me there when i can afford, but for now i will have good enough sound for another couple of years, the sound is much better with the denon amp than my old nad c375bee

@janisfedorovskis8192

4 жыл бұрын

Very interested on your opinion. Im between the H120 and 2500ne. Love that H120 has a streamer and less footprint. But I have some really good deals on the Denon.

@hclandscapes

3 жыл бұрын

@@janisfedorovskis8192 i demoed a denon pma 1600ne and was hugely disappointed with it, i would take the h120 any day of the week

@janisfedorovskis8192

3 жыл бұрын

@@hclandscapes thanks. i eventually went w the H120 without listening to 2500NE, figured out that can go too wrong with a Hegel.

@hclandscapes

3 жыл бұрын

@@janisfedorovskis8192 good choice, then Denon pma-1600ne was a huge amplifier and the pma-2500ne is even bigger, i think it weights 25kg. I have no idea why needs to be this big. Like you say the Hegel has a smaller footprint the same power output plus the added damping factor of 2000 so maybe its more powerful? I also love the fact it never gets hot too, my H120 runs really cool even when pushed.

@janisfedorovskis8192

3 жыл бұрын

@@hclandscapes Im with you 100%. the H120 is as small as the Denon PMA 800NE (which I had for 3 days and returned). Plus i got the white one and it has my wife acceptance as well :))

How would this Hegel sound with a pair of Klipsch Heresy's?

You should go with Exposure 2510 or 3510, you'd be surprised...

Where are they made please.

@CaptainCrunch823

4 жыл бұрын

Designed in Oslo manufactured in China based on my understanding.

Nice review Jay. I would definitely consider Hegel products and my only wish is that they made versions without the DAC for less money. I am probably in the minority in that I would rather have a standalone DAC and streamer for flexibility in the future as DAC's continue to get better for the money. I also already have a good DAC & streamer and would love if Hegel a lower priced H120 version with only the preamp & amp. Since they don't, I'll probably be going for something like the Kinki Studio EX-M1+ integrated or Schiit Freya+ and Aegir/Vidar.

@soundstagenetwork

4 жыл бұрын

Very interesting comment!

@Jayiyagi

4 жыл бұрын

I would have to agree ! They do offer separates that you can look at. Also good performers from what I have heard from others

@HoomanR17

4 жыл бұрын

@@Jayiyagi Jay you had reviewed the Kinki.. how does that compare with the Hegels?

@Jayiyagi

4 жыл бұрын

@@HoomanR17 never did a direct comparison because I did not have the kinki on hand to a/b it so take it with grain of salt. But from what I recall, the kinki was more neutral, slightly cooler and leaner sounding.

@HoomanR17

4 жыл бұрын

@@Jayiyagi thanks Jay for going deep into your memory bank.. realize its not easy without having both in hand.. Much appreciate your response. `

Hegel the best🎸😎🎸

Thanks for the review. Appreciate it. However, for those considering buying, careful about Hegel. My experience has been nightmarish. Hegel may be the most hyped and overrated amplifier. I bought a brand new H190 for USD 4000 and was shocked at how underwhelming it was compared to even my Marantz PM 6006 which cost a thirteenth of the Hegel ! There was no base, no body, no weight, no fullness to the sound. For a 150 watt per channel amplifier it sounded shockingly underwhelming and under powered for the price. To make sure there are no 'weak links' in the chain, I spent an additional 6000 USD on accompanying equipment - Audioquest Niagra power conditioner, KEF LS 50 Meta speakers, 10 AWG OFC pure copper speaker cables, Audioquest banana plugs, Audioquest NRG Z3 power cable - all brand new (I don't buy used stuff ever) - to give the Hegel the best possible partnering equipment -but even with all this it sounded worse than a 300 USD amplifier. Even my SVS Soundbase amplifier at 500 USD sounded so much punchier, fuller and better. I tried the Hegel with 4 different speakers - KEF LS 50 Meta, Elac Debut F5, Wharfedale Diamond 10.2, Mission LX-2 - the last 3 of which I have been using for several years and that all sounded fantastic with my other amplifiers - and most importantly that are broken in. For streamer I used the ifi Zen Stream, Bluesound Node 2021 and H190's internal streamer - all with CAT 7 ethernet cable as well as wireless (for the ifi Zen Dac and Bluesound - just to compare). ALL digital and analog interconnects were Audioquest. The Hegel at half of it's full volume was hardly powerful enough with a stated power of 150 watts per channel ! Consider this - I never need to turn the 45 watts per channel Marantz PM 6006 up more than one fourth of it's full volume - and it produces beautiful warm, full, punchy sound - a joy to listen to - and the Marantz cost 1/13th - yes - one thirteenth of the Hegel H190. I can't believe the experience. I could not wait to return the Hegel and get my money back! It definitely seemed like a quality control issue since it is just not possible that this brand is so raved by all with this kind of sound - but - at this price such quality control issues is unacceptable and I do not trust the Hegel brand after this experience. This is because I have read people having the same issue with the Hegel H 190 even with multiple replacement new units. Please note - before you talk about room dimensions, power line and all the other variables - whatever I stated above is with all of these factors the same and just changing and comparing the amplifiers - so with everything the same there is no excuse of a 4000 dollar amp sounding the way it did and a 300 dollar amp being way better than it in all respects. I have seen reports of the exact same issue online.

@arturarcon5392

2 жыл бұрын

It seem to read science fiction story . Difficult to believe .

@hclandscapes

Жыл бұрын

Hard to believe your story 🤔as nothing you say makes sense . I wonder if you have actually listened to this amplifier?? 😀

@rw80

3 ай бұрын

LS50’s and complaint about lack of bass….

Magnepan speakers don’t look very well build or designed. Just my opinion.

@johnwhite2576

3 жыл бұрын

Paulo Montero Paulo- youd be shocked /dismayed opening up many cone designed speakers re build quality and parts (e.g. Klipsch) ! However, I will concede one can expect longer lifespan from some of the more exotic cone drivers (Revel, Focal etc) than admittedly delicate panels (Quad,Maggies). Do listen to maggies (or quads or Martin LOgans). The panel sound is unique and unbeatable in terms of agility and soundstage (only open baffles come close) IF you are drawn to that sound and have room the place them a few feet out from wall and only have to satisfy one listener, you will not care about price, build etc. If you are NOT mesmerized by that sound (or you are exclusively a rock, orchestral or electronic music fan) would agree to look elsewhere. Plenty fo options. But do listen to to panels first.

@mrchinaski4125

3 жыл бұрын

Wrong

Hello Jay, very nice reviews you have, please help with an advice : do you recomend Hegel 95 or 120 for Bower & Wilkins speakers? thank you

@hclandscapes

3 жыл бұрын

Hi doesn't seem like this guy likes to answer many questions on his videos unfortunately. So i will try to help, what speakers do you have? Im going through the same process right now with my kef ls50's. At the end of the day i think the H95 will do a nice job its just that the H120 will do everything better and probably get the most out of your speakers. The other thing to consider is build quality, the h95 has a plastic face plate and dials with a flimsy plastic remote, the H120 is an all metal front design with aluminium dials and a really solid aluminium hand remote, when i Compared the h90 and H120 i was pretty disssapointed with all these cheaper materials as the h90 and h95 are still pretty expensive units. So at the end of the day it comes down to what you want and what you will be happy with. If you want the very best from your speakers and don't mind paying extra for this then go for the h120, or if your happy to save money with some sacrifices to build quality and a slight drop in sound performance then go for the cheaper H95. Hope this helps.

@cornel1965

3 жыл бұрын

@@hclandscapes thank you. I saw that this guy don’t like dialogues, only monologues. I have Bower and Wilkins floor speaker from 600 series. Someone advised me to use an amplifier much warmer , a hybrid one , with tubes at preamp. There are a lot of reviews about Hegel amplifiers but I don’t know if is good for BW speakers. Thank you for your previous advice. Take care and stay healthy

@hclandscapes

3 жыл бұрын

@@cornel1965 i have kef ls50's and with the hegel it makes them speakers sound perfect. To me i think the hegel has a warm tone to it and never sounds harsh or shrill sounding, i have demoed a couple of different amplifiers now and none have close close to this beautiful smooth sound that hegel produces. I think the H120 would do a great job but if you can try it out first just to make sure

@cornel1965

3 жыл бұрын

@@hclandscapes ok I will give him a chance :), thank you

@hclandscapes

3 жыл бұрын

@@cornel1965 what amplifiers have you tried so far? Also what's your budget