Good review Ron. I had a sub and it does improve the 120 experience, and I really enjoy it. But then I've not heard the range above. Interestingly, the person I got my 120 from was parting with it for the 390! Perhaps an upgrade path in a few years and a trade in to dampen the bite of the expense. Keep the reviews flowing.

After your review I bought a 1 year old Hegel H390. It is everything you said it was in the time domain, and it has enough mass to actually bend space-time. Ask a friend for help if you have to lift one!

@MasterofPlay7

Жыл бұрын

do you get the 3d imaging? how's the instrument positioning?

Thanks for the sincere comment. That was what we encountered too after watching your previous old video on the H390. But, in your humble opinion how about H190?

Thank you for your honest opinion of the H 120. I think you are now a tube guy after your most recent reviews. You cannot go back now after hearing them. I do agree about the synergy. Speakers cannot be too forward or bright, they need to be neutral or slighly warm because the detail is so apparent.

Well, I just upgraded my H90 to a H190. I think it’s quite yummy and a big improvement, but still has that crisp and fast Hegel sound. Just a lot more of it. And yes, I’ve used a Rel T7/x with both and consider it a necessity.

@kevirose

10 ай бұрын

I have it paired with KLH Model 5 speakers.

Thanks for the honesty Ron! I've been thinking about how to upgrade my current integrated and Hegel has been on my radar. Guess I can't cheap out on what I use to power my Focal 826s.

@rhonda837

4 ай бұрын

h190 pairs good with focal.

Hi Ron, from your review I could have thought you are describing a typical class D amp if I wouldn't know it is Hegel. Did I get it right? Is the sound of H120 reminds a class D amp? Or it sounds like AB, but with not enough weight in the bass and with a thin midrange? Thanks a lot.

love the poster in the background!

I love the H120 but I find it a bit fatiguing. Wonderful for live recordings. Had it for about 12 months but will likely change it for the Marantz Model 30.

Thanks for the review. I was thinking of getting a second hand 120 for half the new price but looks like it’s not for me. I’ve plenty of other amps!

I have the H120 for one year now and it replace a Sima PW 3000 ... night and day . Paired with Totem Rainmaker and I am very please with that , for now . I will upgrade to Totem Forest when I can get a good deal . But you talk about a H120 at $3600 cad to a H390 at $8000 cad ... there is no comparaison to make here , the difference in price is to high , you can't . maybe with the H190 but not the H390 ;) Great review !

I have had h190 before its very good amplifier, h390 now and it makes my b&w 702 s2 play music i never heard before, hegel makes outstanding amplifiers, i dont think their is a problem to pair bright speakers with h190 and h390, just choise speakers after your taste

i have an h80 what speaker do you recommend that have synergy with nthe hegek h80?

Hello Ron nice to see you again 🙂👍

Is this mostly referring to the built in dac? What if you paired it with a warmer dac?

Many thanks for the warning.

Hi, how are you? If I use the Eversolo a6 with H95 and RCA out, and XLR in the ADAM s2a speaker, is that possible?

Would Dynaudio Contour 20i's be a good match with a H20?

Can you provide a short list of "warm" sounding speakers around the 5-10k price range?

honest, logical dude... from 5, 30... it is down to bare facts... this applies to many other amps, spkrs too...of course.. esp,,, YOUR room, and the RECORDING QUALITY .. note also that many so called remasters, are disasters and yet another way to make dough...

Tbnt. The H120 sounds like the same type of voicing as the Yamaha AS-2100 I used to own. Just not enough richness in the midrange and lows for this guy. Thanks for this video Ron. Great work as usual.

@erikmartin63

Жыл бұрын

Which amp did you change to and find satisfying? I currently own the AS-1200

@elbebe1000

Жыл бұрын

@@erikmartin63 The AS-1200 sounded thin with my Buchard S400 speakers. Also today I auditioned the Hegel 120 and I lost details in highs. The best for my speakers is The Simaudio Moon 340i X but is $5K. I will check on Musical Fidelity Mi 6 next week.

@Firebottleman

11 ай бұрын

I bought a Black Ice Audio Fusion F22 integrated, and haven't looked back. I love it with KT-88 tubes. Sorry for the late reply@@erikmartin63

I use Carver TFM35. No complaints.

The Hegel h190 is the sweet spot for me given the price to performance ratio offered in their lineup

@1mctous

Жыл бұрын

Hegel just announced price drops effective Monday 15 May. They are passing on economies of scale.

@aceofspades6667

Жыл бұрын

@@1mctous I don’t think my point on h190 will change. Ives seen the h190 go used around the 1.8k to 2k mark which is fantastic value.

@1mctous

Жыл бұрын

@@aceofspades6667 I've posted this because most of Hegel's prices are about to drop 10% or so. If the H390 was just out of reach, a $400 lower price would matter.

@aceofspades6667

Жыл бұрын

@@1mctous good point

@funcionyforma

Жыл бұрын

​@@1mctoushi, can you share where do you find this info?

Check out a Rogue Audio Sphinx V3 for half the price. It's got all of the negatives in this review covered. You'll be glad you did.

I have the H160 and it's awesome. Simple as that ...

Just for fun did you listen to the Hegel H-80 in the past? Comparisons?

Thanks Is it warm

This is secretly just an advert for the H390 😂 - Great video!

@Newrecordday2013

Жыл бұрын

You got me.

That 120H is a very nice sweet spot.

Would be glad to get your review on CAMBRIDGE CX 81..the blue collars hifi gear..

I was leaning towards the H390 until I came across direct A/B comparison of H390 vs Goldnote IS-1000 on KZread. To my ears, the Goldnote bested the Hegel in every way. Now I just need to figure out how to do a similar comparison in my room.

@Ragnarok20854

5 ай бұрын

KZread? 😂 Go to listen urself!

Hi Ron, Congrats for opening our Eyes and Ears...against common perception..

How are we supposed to know to watch this video about this amp, without the name of it in the title..? This amp has been on my upgrade list for a little while now, actually. So what do you recommend instead, around this price?

Did you try it with room correction ?

It is actually an OLED screen. No doubt the 390 is a lot better but it's also very expensive for most people and also delivers much more power than needed by the majority. The H120 looks fantastic in white. * It's good info about the sound characteristics. I wonder how it would match the upcoming Q Acoustics 5050

Hegel H190, Maggies and a Rel T7/x does it and then some.

As much as I love my Parasound 2125v2 amp (150 wpc, 35 amps peak/channel), I want to upgrade to hear anything better that's

I have a moon. Love the sound. I was looking at the 190. The only reason I did not get it was the useless two year warranty. Hegel has little faith in there products. Moon give you 10. That being said the hegel 190 is more neutral then the moon 340. But has a more grunt in the low push. With the current price drop I may get one.

@franknelissen8041

5 ай бұрын

@jasonme3557 So, did you get a H190? I’m curious about your Moon amp? Does it have good amounts of current (for driving Magnepan LRS+ etc)?

I have this streaming amp paired with Revel Performa 106 M3 (standmounter). It sounds like you're describing another amp (after at least 200 listening hours), but this maybe be due to the kind of music I hear. Acoustic, voices, jazz, chamber music, usually at moderate levels. It sounds right, excellent timber (voices, pianos, acoustic guitars, a cello, a violin, just sound like it's live and intimate in your room, never bright; Leonard Cohen, Tom Waits or Joni Mitchel are playing next to you, you feel their presence, the same goes for Keith Jarret's piano playing). Metal, Hip-Hop, Electronic music? definitely no. For the kind of music I've described, it sounds balanced, not bright at all. However, I can hear a difference when using the internal streamer or a different source. I use a Rega Apollo Cd Player that sounds fantastic with this amp. Lively, yes, good timber and detail, yes, never bright, both using the RCA input or the Coaxial (so, with the H120 internal DAC). I also have an external streaming combo - ifi zen stream with the ifi zen dac signature v2, feeding the H120 via balanced out. I prefer it to the internal streamer of the H120, which is a tad brighter and leaner to my taste, when using Roon. I'd happily live with it but the external streaming combo is slightly better. Lastly, Roon integration is excellent and Airplay implementation is top notch (although it worked better with Airplay 1 than with the current Airplay 2). The new TV feature, that allows you to activate the amp and its volume control with your TV (via Optical input) or Apple TV remote is also handy, although not a deal breaker for me. Is the H390 a better amp? I hope so, given its price tag, but I wouldn't pair a 6000 USD amp with my 2000 USD bookshelves, for listening in a moderately sized living room, at low to moderate listening levels. It's all relative to you're looking for and the intended use of the gear. Anyway, thanks for the honest review.

@losriosprofundos2113

Жыл бұрын

I have the same speakers and love them. I’ve been considering pairing them with a Hegel.

@vitorgoncalves6289

Жыл бұрын

@@losriosprofundos2113 I love the timber, tonal balance and the big sound (for a standmount). They look good too. I find the pairing with the H120 excellent because the amp has plenty of power for the speakers (I rarely set the volume above 40-45) and is mostly neutral (I respect other opinions, but this is how it sounds to me), thus allowing the speakers to do the job and sound right. I had a H95 before and also liked it very much. The sound signature is the same, but the bit of extra power and larger power supply, as well as the Roon Ready status of the H120 made me pull the trigger on the upgrade (my dealer offered me a decent deal). I should say that my impressions are driven by the kind of music I listen to: jazz, chamber music, acoustic, voices, indie pop/rock. Anyway, I like the pairing but I'm sure that the Revels would also pair well with many other brands. There's so much offer these days that it's hard to make a choice. All the best.

@losriosprofundos2113

Жыл бұрын

@@vitorgoncalves6289 I’m enjoying them with a Rogue Sphinx 3 and Pontus 2.

@vitorgoncalves6289

Жыл бұрын

@@losriosprofundos2113 The Rogue Sphinx 3 was high on my list before buying the Hegel. If you have a Pontus 2, you're likely to use the external DAC, so, I'm not sure the H120 would be the best option, unless you'd be looking for a one box streaming amp. The H390 is supposed to be a much better amp and has a DAC loop feature that allows you to use the internal streamer with an external DAC. However, it costs twice as much as the H120 and may be an overkill with the Revels. I'd try and demo it before making that move because the Rogue is also supposed to be a really good amp.

@losriosprofundos2113

Жыл бұрын

@@vitorgoncalves6289 How does the bass sound with the Hegel?

Ok, smarty pants. What about the H190, hmmm? It’s the sweet spot for me. And my Rel T7/x sub comes in handy when it comes to that bass slam.

@Newrecordday2013

10 ай бұрын

You lost me at smart.

The better comparison would've been the h190, of course it's difficult to have the same level of performance of something that's half the price of the h390.

Exelent product for audiophiles , I am listening to music rather than audio...

When is the Tyr review coming? We're all sitting here waiting impatiently for it to finally come out. 😆

Every time I have heard a Hegel integrated I was thinking how grey it sounded. Smooth yes, detail good and bass fine but overall no color.

Tarun thinks the Hagel amps make a great pairing with Amphion speakers --- which only serves to make the point that canceling emphasis with carefully negative-matched partner equipment isn't always the one-size-fits-all solution that it sometimes seems. If the amp and the speakers are similarly voiced, that can actually sound *better*. The devil's in the details.

I got a chance to listen a Hegel and I was disappointed. Disappointed because it was way too smooth. It took away too much “sparkle” off the top. The Hegel soften the sound a little too much. It was pair with SF Sonetto V speakers. These are the same ones I have.

Of course the 390 is better, it’s nearly 3 times the price. Terrible comparison 😆

Despite warning about pairing this with certain types of speakers, you failed to specify which speakers would be a good fit. I’d love to hear your thoughts on the H190 to see which side of the aisle that model falls on!

@Newrecordday2013

Жыл бұрын

I enjoyed the amp with the XLS encore from GR as well as the Spatial Audio Sapphires. Another decent pairing is the Mofi Point Source 10s.

@MisterTwister222

Жыл бұрын

KEF seems to be featured with Hegel prominently in the ad copy.

@YitbosSwede

Жыл бұрын

Dynaudio uses them in their showings. My H190 and Special 40's are a very nice match.

@corfreaky

Жыл бұрын

I have some focal BE 1027s and I just picked up KLH model 5s so I hope this is a good or pairing

I own an Hegel H120 and it is overdamping my speakers - therefore loosing bass and musicality .. anyone had same experience with?

Watching You at 1.25 times speed feels more realistic to my brain! ;)

@Newrecordday2013

6 ай бұрын

Ok, I’ve always been curious about that.

h190 has good bass.

Does Sarah know ? If so do they hang out yet ?

Is it supposed to be pronounced “hee-gul” or “hay-gul”?

@Newrecordday2013

Жыл бұрын

Not entirely sure but I don’t worry about those kinds of details.

@brokkur7629

Жыл бұрын

The designer is Norwegian, so both "e"s would be as in "echo", "estimate" and so on. Emphasis on the first syllable. Not that it matters...

@hificonspiracy

Жыл бұрын

Actually, the "H" and "G" are silent so its "Euul" or something....😛

@neilgelowitz4737

Жыл бұрын

I think these things are important. Just like how people prefer having their own names pronounced correctly. As a Canadian dealer, I can tell you it is "hay-gul" or "hay-gel" as opposed to "hee". If you watch videos by Bent or Anders, you'll see they pronounce it this way.

@brokkur7629

Жыл бұрын

@@hificonspiracy Nope, not in Norwegian! In French, maybe... H and G are clearly pronounced. :) No silent letters in my native language (of course there are exceptions).

Sorry but I really miss wi fi and Amazon music Unlimited supporta.....

It's a what's the point product? The only point is to A) Sell you a more expensive Hegel product or B) Sell you an over priced compact sedan that can be bested by any other manufacturer at a lower price point.

Okay so comparing the output with the input and then correcting the difference doesn't work very well or it's been done with poor engineering design.

@frankgeeraerts6243

Жыл бұрын

Yes you understand and I agree !

@jimdavis5230

Жыл бұрын

@@frankgeeraerts6243 This amplifier uses digital techniques to compare the output with the input to correct the differences. However, there is a much simpler system to achieve the same thing called global negative feedback.

@frankgeeraerts6243

Жыл бұрын

@@jimdavis5230 YES !!!!!!!!!!! it's almost funny .......

@jimdavis5230

Жыл бұрын

@@frankgeeraerts6243 I am of the impression that New Record Day has very little knowledge of electronic engineering. Many other audio reviewers are just the same. I design and build power and pre amplifiers and I know down to component level why the sound the way they sound.

@Newrecordday2013

Жыл бұрын

Correct, my strong suit is not in electrical designs, amps, dacs etc. I do have a better understanding of speakers, crossovers and do perform my own measurements with those. Either way, I remember Anders saying the sound engine is actually analog… not sure how true that is but that’s what he said in a video we did a while back. Thanks!

i don't want an integrated and i wish they made a cheaper power amp their cheapest power amp is giga-giga spendy

Paired with Maggies, Hegel is the hottest girl on the block.

Hi Ron, great review as always. Have to disagree on the remote, it's not what you think and I wish Hegel would have put more thought into it's design. I have the H190 and have never wanted for more, EXCEPT, the remote. Very cold in hand especially on cold days. Ok, I can live with that but the buttons are way to easy to push accidently. Even a light brush against the buttons and you can keep changing different settings. The worst of it is, you can look right down the side of the buttons into the circuit board. One spill from any drink and it's game over. Unfortunatelly Hegel didn't put enough thought into these issues. I ended up buying their $40 plastic remote that addresses all these issues. My gripe is amps that cost what these do should have a remote that wasn't designed in 10 minutes. The H190 is an incredible sounding amp. Interestingly, this is one if not the only review that seems very negative.

@seanpburke

Жыл бұрын

That’s funny, I adore the remote although I use it less now that they released the TV control update.

New girlfriend is a sack of hammers.

Hegel in general has a synthetic sound. Not natural at all. All the way through the h590. They also don’t convey emotion very well. Otherwise, they are great in all the other audiophile attributes.

@andreasmoller9798

Жыл бұрын

Their is massive difference once you jump up to h390, campared to smaller models, h190 is where the fun begins at with hegel amps

So is a bright amp.

@vitorgoncalves6289

Жыл бұрын

No it's not. I have one and it sounds neutral and natural, not bright at all.

I think the word is “bright.” Bright is a trait that Hegel is known for. Thank you for actually putting this review out. Nothing wrong with that, a lot of people like it. I’m not one of them.

The girl metaphor was so cringy 🤦

I would steer clear of anything hegel makes unless it's over 5k. Mostly all the benefits/pros of these amps are all fluff. Clearly for 2 grand they give you technical garbage

Sarah ..,lol that's my wife's name looool