HEGEL HEGEL IN-DEPTH H120 £2,200 H120 £2,200 IN-DEPTH

DETAILS PRODUCT Hegel H120 ORIGIN Norway TYPE Integrated amplifier/DAC WEIGHT 12kg DIMENSIONS (WxHxD) 430 x 100 x 310mm FEATURES l Quoted power output: 2x 75W (8ohm) l Digital inputs: 1x coaxial; 3x optical; 1x USB-B; 1x Ethernet port l Analogue inputs: 1x stereo balanced XLRs; 2x stereo RCAs l 6.35mm headphone output DISTRIBUTOR Hegel Music Systems AS TELEPHONE 07917 685759 WEBSITE hegel.com

Röst revisited Hegel’s talented Röst network amp/DAC may have been shown the door, but – says David Vivian – its new H120 is even better

t strikes me that the one the new H120’s mission to showcase Hegel’s methodology, essentially CONNECTIONS integrated amplifier Hegel its philosophy and tech in a real-world grounded in a quest to dump chose to christen with a context hasn’t changed, just evolved. distortion, has been maturing for I 1 Variable stereo noun rather than a number The price stays the same, likewise 30-plus years. In 1988 founder RCA output Bent Holter – then a student at the was developed as a messenger; a the Class AB configuration rated 2 2x stereo product tasked with articulating the at 2x 75W power output and the Technical University in Trondheim, RCA inputs Norway – wrote a thesis on the company’s take on performance and minimalist industrial aesthetic. 3 Balanced XLR functionality, but shrewdly priced for original design of the transistor used stereo input broad consumer consideration. In any in amplifiers. To cut a long story Power and deftly 4 Digital coaxial input event, there’s no denying that the short, the thesis became the basis for 5 3x digital Röst (named after a Norwegian delivered dynamics the fledgling company’s patented optical inputs island, but literally meaning ‘voice’) SoundEngine tech (see overleaf), – reviewed HFC 418 – swiftly became go hand in hand with which in turn established a solid 6 USB-B port Hegel’s celebrity amp – on message impeccable control foundation for Hegel’s growth and and affordable, while being a diversification into digital. 1994 saw relatable brand ambassador. Nothing is changed for the sake of it; the company’s first DAC, followed two Why the company has decided to Hegel just isn’t that kind of company. years later by a CD player. Over the 1 2 3 4 5 6 revert to a numeric nomenclature for Which isn’t to say the Röst – a next 10 years the brand continued to its successor is explained by Anders network and streaming-enabled blossom and add new products and Ertzeid, Hegel’s VP of sales and integrated amp/DAC – wasn’t ripe unique technical solutions to its marketing, overleaf, but it’s clear that for a thorough digital upgrade. portfolio. But just as the financial

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IN SIGHT Q&A 1 AKM 4490-based 1 DAC board Anders Ertzeid 2 SoundEngine 2 Sales & marketing, Hegel modules

3 4x ultra-fast output transistors

4 Main toroidal transformer

2 5 Soft start/standby 5 transformer

DV: Why isn’t the H120 simply called Röst V2 and what are the advantages of the new model? AE: Primarily because the name Röst 4 3 does not sound as good as intended. crash of 2008 began to bite and saw But even that lot doesn’t tell the Eschewing the asynchronous It sounds a bit like either a barbecue competitors tighten their belts, the whole story. The H120 does Apple upsampling used by most CD players or an old car. It is also difficult to fit in now established player from Oslo AirPlay, Spotify Connect, IP Control, these days, Hegel’s proprietary the line. H120 is much more relevant. elected to do the opposite and hired Control4 and UPnP streaming from HOW IT ‘synchronised upsampling’ aims to The biggest upgrade is the digital fresh engineering talent to design a DNLA or a NAS drive. It can access COMPARES avoid the trap of converting jitter section and the quality of streaming. new generation of D/A converters, music streaming services such as error into amplitude error and the Priced at £1,990 the You also get new functions like the latest iterations of which feature Tidal and internet radio, and Roon resulting compromised sound quality. Spotify Connect. Later on we are Moon Nēo 240i by SOUND THINKING in all of Hegel’s integrated amps. compatibility is almost ready to go. Simaudio (HFC The so-called SynchroDAC and hoping to add functionality like Roon In the Hegel hierarchy, the H120 For enhanced flexibility, input settings 430), has great MasterClock work together to push Hegel explains that a story is told from person to person. range in the original music, resulting in a much cleaner end point and upgraded streaming slots in between the entry-level H90 are configurable for volume and design and build down jitter and conversion errors, Details change. Things are both added and lost along the signal with a larger dynamic range and lower distortion. performance as free updates. (HFC 427) and ‘next level’ H190, just functionality with any device you care with plenty of reducing distortion and achieving way. When a music signal passes through an audio A dynamic, multi-stage, feed-forward system, an sophistication as the Röst did. It has a strategically to link up – a home cinema setup for what Hegel contends is the “highest amplifier, a similar effect takes place. As the signal is analogue computer compares input and output at each There’s now a clearly delineated under the lid. At passed from stage to stage within the chassis, it will amplification stage and if it finds what it determines to hierarchy of Hegel amplifiers, but breathed-on version of the Röst’s example. If a Sonos or Bluesound 50W per channel, possible dynamic range”. The DAC inevitably be changed by every single amplifier stage. be audible distortion the SoundEngine circuit adds an presumably the H120 is more than analogue output stage, but its DAC streamer is part of your kit, simply it isn’t quite as maxes out at 24-bit/192kHz PCM via By the time it finally reaches the loudspeaker, the signal inverted version to the signal to cancel its contribution. and digital electronics come from the connect it to the digital output and powerful as the UPnP and although DSD files can be is different from the one that originated at the source. The result, Hegel says, is wider dynamic range and lower just an H90 with more power? Yes, the difference between the H90 you’re in business. Also new, the H120 Hegel on paper played, they are down sampled before Hegel claims that its SoundEngine 2 local error cancelling distortion – not only less steady-state harmonic and and H120 is much more than just will wake up from standby in a LAN but its DAC sending them onto the converter. system prevents distortion in the audio amplifier circuit intermodulation distortion, but reductions in the dynamic The H120 does the supports more stages by preserving the original details and the dynamic distortion that arises from complex musical signals. power. First of all, the digital and setup. So when the unit is in standby hi-res formats (up network section is completely big picture/fine detail mode, you can select it in Spotify or to 32-bit/384kHz Sound quality different than the H90’s and at a thing better than any AirPlay etc. and be good to go. and DSD256). Both As a long-term user and fan of Hegel’s and wardrobe makeover. Nothing with the subtlest resolution of detail. different level entirely. The DAC To prevent high-current demands are formidable entry-level H90 integrated (albeit sounds shinier or more glamorous Power and deftly delivered dynamics implementation is balanced and performers and not amp close to its price from the output stage impinging on with a few reservations about the than it should and, by the same go hand in hand as well, and all with with a better analogue section. The the sensitive input and gain stages, dissimilar sonically, built-in DAC) I’m intrigued to see token, a great musical performance impeccable control, especially in the their balance of streaming section is also a lot more more powerful and expensive H190 the H120’s beefy power supply attributes so finely what advantages the pricier H120 is neither hyped nor hindered as it lower bass frequencies. powerful and will gradually become and are described as “reference class”. employs two toroidal transformers. tuned, their ability brings to the table. Cueing up Joni reaches the loudspeaker – in this bit perfect with updates. Then there Hegel’s signature colour scheme The larger supplies the output stage to play without Mitchell’s original rendition of A Case case Spendor’s splendid A7 Conclusion are several individual upgrades in the might be a stormy dark grey, but like and has separate secondary windings favour or prejudice Of You and relying on the respective floorstander (HFC 440). The versatile talent that was the Röst analogue section of the amplifier, the Röst the H120 is available in white for each channel feeding separate so sorted that the amps’ on-board decoding, the It’s a partnership that appears to might appear to have left the building, such as the quality of local power sonic outcome rectifier blocks and filter capacitors. clear a path for musical expression supplies. Small things on their own, and is pretty much indistinguishable is just right. outcome is predictably unkind to but it hasn’t really. Its star quality from its predecessor. Let’s face it, This is normal Hegel practice and the H90, which – while sounding of a very high calibre that makes lives on in the H120, upgraded and but very important for the overall apart from vertical bulk, all Hegel hardly unique. Much more radical is pleasantly smooth and warm – lacks listening a captivating rather than buffed for the digital delights of a performance of the amp. integrated amps look the same: left the company’s SoundEngine topology, the H120’s transparency, temporal casual experience. This seems to be a new decade. It might sit in the lowly knob selects source, white-on-black now in second-generation guise and precision and dynamic expression, consistent characteristic whatever the part of Hegel’s amplifier range, but Are there identifiable sonic OLED screen in the middle, right Hegel claims it teams very low making the track sound ever so input. Stream any track from Eels’ the H120 delivers as much excellence qualities that run through the Hegel range, irrespective of knob adjusts volume and, to the right distortion with a very high damping slightly, muggy. The new amp more quirky Daisies Of The Galaxy and it as many will ever need l price and power? of that, a 6.35mm headphone socket. factor. More on this in the opposite accurately captures the pure and has a wonderfully pure and present Since the goal is always ultra-low It doesn’t get much simpler than that boxout, but put simply it works a bit sonorous quality of a young Mitchell’s quality that bypasses the less than noise and ultra-low distortion, there is and yet the ‘Scandi chic’ look is like a noise-cancelling headphone voice and renders the accompanying gleaming production values. This is a family sound at Hegel. They are not distinctive and very cool (especially in comparing the output of the amplifier steel-string guitars with greater bite not an audiophile-standard recording voiced by ear or tuned to a certain white). The supplied remote (black) with the input and plays forward any and harmonic complexity. Using by any means, yet Mark Oliver Everett’s OUR VERDICT SOUND QUALITY LIKE: Terrific sound sound. They should be natural and is appropriately chunky, too, unlike detected distortion to the speaker Chord Electronics’ Hugo 2 DAC mood-drenched songs swim by in an quality and across-the- simply add as little of themselves as the H90’s lightweight plastic number. output in reverse phase, cancelling (HFC 428) evens things up to a large unerringly fluent, tuneful and board competence; possible. We see loudspeakers as an design and build The rear-panel socketry is similarly said distortion in real time. degree, both amps sounding much enjoyable fashion. VALUE FOR MONEY ‘instrument’ with a character, while DISLIKE: No native neat and comprises a three-pole IEC The H120 is also said to have a more alike, clearly hailing from the Mike Stern and Jeff Lorber’s latest DSD or MQA support amplifiers and sources should simply slightly quieter headphone output jazz fusion vehicle, Eleven, under the BUILD QUALITY power inlet, one coaxial and three house of Hegel and able to make the WE SAY: Another be neutral and stable. There are optical inputs, a USB-B port for than the Röst. But the dramatic most of the Chord’s estimable sonic H120’s command sounds huge, fast, highly desirable Hegel definitely sonic quality differences that ticks all the boxes connection to a computer, a pair of improvement, or so it claims, is purely charms, though again the H120 natural and unforced, rhythmically FEATURES in revealing more detail as you move and then some balanced XLRs, two pairs of unbalanced digital. The new amp uses the same sounds the more refined and lucid and surefooted. The Hegel up the range, but through them all RCA line-level inputs, an Ethernet DAC as the H190, which is claimed energised of the two. does the big picture/fine detail thing they are defined by a very neutral, port, a pair of variable unbalanced to represent a massive step up from The H120 isn’t one of those amps better than any amplifier I can think OVERALL organic and natural sound with RCA line-level output jacks, and a the Röst, resulting in a smoother, that gives material the sonic equivalent of remotely close to its price. Solidity, great dynamics. single pair of speaker terminals. more precise and dynamic sound. of a Strictly Come Dancing spray tan scale and authority sit comfortably

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