HEGEL H160 HEGEL H160 REVIEWS INTEGRATED AMPLIFIER/DAC £2,350 INTEGRATED AMPLIFIER/DAC £2,350 REVIEWS

quality that some muscly transistor sound. And given this isn’t happening, designs can. it seems to confirm the H160 is After a lengthy run in, I spin London addressing distortion in different Grammar’s Strong on CD and hear a ways from the received wisdom. really assured performance. Bass has Accessing a rip of Jim James’ State filled out a little and the midband Of The Art using the Ethernet network feels more relaxed and fluid. There is connection, I control the system via something about Hegel’s patented AirPlay from an iPhone. The track SoundEngine signal processing that starts very quietly with understated feels like your music gets a gentle dry piano and Jim’s mournful voice, and clean, taking out a tiny amount of the H160 renders this stripped-out digital haze in an almost analogue delivery beautifully in the church-like, or valve-like way. Hannah Reid’s reverential acoustic. The H160 even voice is delivered with a silky yet highly present quality and is gently I’m impressed by its brought forward out of the plane of the main soundstage. ability to deliver a Where I felt that the H80’s DAC might have occasionally aimed for highly coherent, detail as an end in itself, here the quality soundscape H160 probably strikes a more confident balance between explicit teases out the slightly clunky piano detail, depth of image and natural pedals adding to the music’s timing/rhythmic abilities. And it mysterious vibe. As the track achieves this balance effortlessly progressively builds, it shifts up in a totally unflustered way. through the gears, effortlessly Swapping inputs, I feed the H160 expressing the hypnotic and a HDCD of Doug Macleod’s Black propulsive heart of the song. In full Nights via the coaxial input. This is flow and at some volume, the H160 one of the best-recorded albums of does a sterling job of layering what recent years and the H160 lays out becomes a highly intense piece of a transparent, wide and compelling music. Crystal clear triangles ring DETAILS On the digital front it boasts three already promising. Playing the This flexible soundstage. Doug’s time-keeping foot through deep, funky bass riffs and optical inputs, one digital coaxial, a catchily titled Minipops 67 – Source integrated stomps and percussive guitar licks deliberately overloaded vocals press PRODUCT amplifier has a underline the amp’s fast, tight bass Hegel H160 single USB input and an Ethernet port Field Mix, the H160’s representation modest design forward and away from a distant ORIGIN to hook it up to your home network of the razor-edged percussion, abilities. This is in excellent contrast drum kit. This is a track that can trip Northern Norway to access stored music files and haunting synths and brooding bass to the H160’s supreme lightness of up weaker DACs, but not the H160. TYPE enable control via AirPlay. lines instantly grab your attention. touch around the shimmering drum The DAC feels extremely well Integrated amplifier Seen like this, the H160 is The sound is highly transparent with brushing and his rich, expressive integrated with the amplifier sections, with DAC unashamedly a product of the 21st many layers of subtle, free flowing vocals. Even though the H160 packs getting that tricky balance between WEIGHT 19kg Century, inviting prospective owners detail. The H160 has a similar house a claimed 150W, I’ve heard fuller, portraying vital low-level micro lights to it as a digital hub that will enable sound to its baby brother, but it feels more weighty renditions of this track details and getting the broad DIMENSIONS (WxHxD) you to just plug-and-play a host of more grown up, more self confident from rival equipment, but there is brushstrokes of pace, rhythm and Chris Ward discovers if Hegel’s latest 430 x 120 x 410mm digital sources alongside an analogue of its abilities. Bass is forceful, but something about the topology of timing just right. The addition of FEATURES source or two. Digital processing lean and the amplifier’s claimed high Hegel’s sound processing circuits and AirPlay and extra digital inputs all l Claimed power amplifier/DAC from Norway can brighten output: 2x 150W maxes out at 24-bit/192kHz for damping factor exerts a grip on my amplification that gets right to the in a single understated black box into 8ohms optical and coaxial inputs with the reference Cadence speakers that heart of expressing the emotion of underlines that this is a modern up those long winter nights l Digital inputs: ‘non-asynchronous’ USB input firmly shows them who’s boss. But it an artist’s performance. Imagine all product that is aiming to balance coaxial; 3x optical; USB; Ethernet topping out at 24-bit/96kHz. AirPlay exerts this control without ever your favourite tracks had the smallest quality and convenience. Indeed, l Analogue inputs: is currently limited to CD quality – creating a sterile, engineered sound amount of reverb removed and this Hegel prides itself on working with candinavia is rightly hinting at some greater muscularity. 2x RCAs (1x labelled 16-bit/44.1kHz. is something like the Hegel house modest audio files and sources and fixed level for celebrated for its broody The H160 looks and feels that little home theatre); Hegel has selected the AKM4396 TV detective shows, natty bit more beefy and appetising. balanced XLR chipset for DAC duties in the H160. CONNECTIONS S l AKM4396 knitwear, unforgiving The same understated design ethos This bodes well as it’s a technical 24-bit/192kHz DAC weather and gorgeous design as its sibling remains, with a blue-lit choice I have appreciated before. 1 Fixed and variable DISTRIBUTOR 1 2 line-level outputs aesthetic, but is also becoming known LED display flanked by twin rotary Hegel Music Control can be via AirPlay or the for hi-fi excellence. Norwegian controls that smoothly change source Systems purposeful metal remote. As handsets 2 Loudspeaker manufacturer Hegel is part of a wave input and volume. It gains a headphone TELEPHONE go, this fully metal affair is as sturdy binding posts 0047 22605660 of Nordic names grabbing our output stage and boasts a slightly as they come and it still retains a deep 3 Non-asynchronous attention, and this is its latest different mix of input options. It only WEBSITE coldness from Norway even after digital input www.hegel.com integrated amplifier, the H160. has one dedicated analogue RCA weeks of use! 4 Optical and coaxial Back in issue 391 we reviewed the input alongside another fixed-level digital inputs

manufacturer’s H80 integrated amp RCA input designed for home theatre Sound quality 5 Balanced and DAC and were left suitably applications (which can be Connecting up a quality HDCD XLR inputs

impressed. Now it’s the turn of the reconfigured to be a regular RCA transport, MacBook Pro, external 6 Analogue H80’s bigger brother, which promises input if required). It also retains the DAC and home router, I set about RCA inputs to improve upon the fine work of its H80’s quality balanced analogue XLR warming the H160 through with 6 5 4 3 sibling. The H160 is a little bit deeper input for those with balanced Aphex Twin’s Syro on CD. Even before and taller and considerably heavier, analogue sources. being fully run in the sound quality is

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Q&A IN SIGHT Anders Ertzeid Sales manager, 1 Capacitor bank Hegel Music Systems 1 2 SoundEngine module

4 3 Toroidal transformer with separate windings for preamplifier and DAC

4 AKM4396 DAC chip

CW: What are the main differences between the H80 and H160? 2 AE: Apart from the increase in power 3 and using a superior DAC, we wanted to see how we could improve the preamplifier even further. We ended up with significant improvement in both local power supplies and how the transformer was connected. This has resulted in the H160 being more gutsy with even less noise. getting them to sound as good as If you’re seeking a quality hi-fi Why does Hegel advocate using possible. Even playing rudimentary experience and have limited space, or non-asynchronous USB? MP3 files via iTunes I’m really are under extreme partner pressure to The H160’s USB receiver is the same impressed by the H160’s ability to create a minimalist living room yet ‘adaptive’ technology as the H80. We consistently deliver a highly coherent, still retain quality music playing, this actually prefer this approach to the quality soundscape. is the kind of product you should be more usual asynchronous USB turning to. This amplifier belongs to a technologies, which we believe Conclusion new breed that could be as confident create more jitter. And greater jitter The H160 is a proposition that with AV duties as music. Place this would require far more re-clocking to smartly has a foot in two camps. amplifier/DAC combo in a modern, address this problem. Firstly, it is clearly aiming to be a understated living room under a slick

4K screen, plumb in a home network The DAC seems well integrated to high-quality audiophile component the amp. Is this harder than it looks? that achieves superior audio results with hidden NAS drive, Blu-ray and Yes, very! And noise is the big issue by seamlessly integrating and games consoles and flank it with here. Noise pollution comes from optimising preamp, DAC, headphone some capable stereo speakers, and outside components like computers HOW IT amp and power amp duties in a single you will have an elegant setup that COMPARES and Ethernet components, but noise box, with some network and AirPlay will just work brilliantly. can also radiate from large power Peachtree’s Nova 220SE functions added to help usability. In this respect the H160 could supplies used for the power amp. The sets out a similar audio But it also appeals to a new audience be described as a bridge product layout of the amp is critical here. proposition to optimise that doesn’t want the clutter and between pure audiophile needs and DAC, integrated amp complexity of too many ugly, separate more of a minimalist lifestyle product. Why does Hegel spend such a lot of and some streaming components, but does want a quality Each time I sample a Hegel product it duties in a sleek box time and energy reducing distortion with an intriguing blend output across music and AV sources appears the next one raises its game, and noise in their designs? of valve and Class D and all at the swipe of an iPad. And it with ever-greater assurance. I have Basically, distortion and noise are the amplification. Both the straddles these two audiences well. few doubts that the next release that only two ways to colour recorded Cyrus Lyric 05 and With DAC technology moving at comes along will be even stronger, sound. Distortion is the addition of Cyrus 8 DAC-Qx Mk2 such a pace and high-resolution music but this one will successfully deal extra sounds that can change the strike a similar balance sources still finding their feet, it is with almost any challenge l appearance of a performance. At between style, usability easy to view any in-built DAC as a best, it can make it difficult to and performance legacy waiting to happen. But a recognise a particular artist’s around this price as well as bringing together well-integrated DAC is something technique and at worst it can sound a wealth of technical like someone is playing the guitar that Hegel seems to do well. capabilities within a I would still like to see the inclusion OUR VERDICT with gloves on. Add high-frequency single understated box. SOUND QUALITY LIKE: Impressive distortion and your music will sound Each one of these of some digital filter options to tweak transparency and grip; harsh or brittle. competitors probably the sound for different music genres, extensive digital VALUE FOR MONEY connectivity Noise on the other hand covers offers more and the DAC only displays the bare functionality, but the DISLIKE: Lack of up small details so you cannot hear minimum of info about your digital digital filters and anything with lower amplitude than Hegel should edge it sources. Many audiophiles will BUILD QUALITY display info when it comes to the the noise itself. Noise reduces the probably not be swayed from buying WE SAY: Self-assured strongest musical integrated amp that sense of space, and air in music and a separate DAC and integrated FEATURES abilities. Also, given handles everything you removes the ‘black’ between the you may be buying a amplifier with this budget to spend, throw at it with aplomb singers. Worst of all, noise can also product like this with but I would urge discerning listeners cover up distortion, making for a your eyes as well as your to compare and contrast this OVERALL warm and fluffy sound that has little ears, your choice could impressive single-box solution. It be even more personal. to do with the actual performance. should be a decent contender.

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