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Hegel H95 Review (Streaming Amplifier)

naviivan

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Yey! The standard excuse has arrived. It took long this time though, 122 posts... :)
was going to be post #7 but got distracted by checking for any h95 going cheap on ebay.
Why not imagine a happy future with a Purifi power amp, and say a Camridge Audio CXN v2 streamer/preamp? More power, far better specs and less money. And some blue blooded audio bona fides with Cambridge Audio, if that matters. Personally, I'd go looking for even less expensive pre/DAC but that's just me being an audio cheapskate. Instead I'd buy a musical instrument preamp/DAC with many in/8 or more out, or maybe something like a miniDSP SHD with Dirac.
too many boxes. sounds complicated.
what appeals to me with the hegel products is min. box count that family members can stream music to via airplay or watch movies on TV without needing me to switch dac inputs, turn on amp, turn on pre make sure right input is selected.
 

Everett T

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without needing me to switch dac inputs, turn on amp, turn on pre make sure right input is selected.
Universal remote with macros and some type of triggers, problem solved.
 

beefkabob

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Ain't no reason to watch any of these boobhead videos on RubeTube.
 

MaxBuck

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was going to be post #7 but got distracted by checking for any h95 going cheap on ebay.

too many boxes. sounds complicated.
what appeals to me with the hegel products is min. box count that family members can stream music to via airplay or watch movies on TV without needing me to switch dac inputs, turn on amp, turn on pre make sure right input is selected.
Having a single box is certainly convenient, but each segment is inevitably suboptimal.
 

sam_adams

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When I jointed Microsoft, we had a key competitor. I changed my home page in the browser to be their site! That way, every time I started it I would see if they had announced anything. If they had, I would immediately download, test and benchmark what they had. As a result, I was way ahead of everyone else in having that knowledge. And made sure to keep our product group accountable to match and beat them.

clippy.jpg
 

restorer-john

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Having a single box is certainly convenient, but each segment is inevitably suboptimal.

It doesn't have to be. I'm just not sure any manufacturer these days would throw the resources and engineering to make a truly state of the art single box unit.
 

MaxBuck

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It doesn't have to be. I'm just not sure any manufacturer these days would throw the resources and engineering to make a truly state of the art single box unit.
I'm unaware of any integrated amplifiers that match the objective performance of well-selected pre, phono stage and power amp combos. And if there were, they'd likely be very expensive indeed. I mean, the Lyngdorf TDAI-3400 is probably about as good as integrateds get, and it's over $7k US.
 

BDWoody

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I'm unaware of any integrated amplifiers that match the objective performance of well-selected pre, phono stage and power amp combos. And if there were, they'd likely be very expensive indeed. I mean, the Lyngdorf TDAI-3400 is probably about as good as integrateds get, and it's over $7k US.

Maybe Devialet.
 

BDWoody

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Uh oh now you did it.

But, yeah, my (silly priced) Devialet 400 has all those features.

And, so far, I haven't had it go into self-preservation mode, even in stupid loud mode.

It's very French.

Mine has been very well behaved after its return visit to its homeland following 'the incident.' No plans to get rid of it.
 

Bruce Morgen

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Well, it could be a useful feature for tape aficionados but as it wasn’t labelled as such I’d assume it was just mistake.

A "Tape Record" output needs to be fixed in output level. A "Preamp" output provides an output that tracks with the volume control, e.g. for a subwoofer's low-level input(s) or when using the product to drive an external power amp.
 

Ken1951

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I would love to go back in time, retrieve my Kenwood KA-7002 Integrated (which blew away it's specs at a McIntosh clinic), hook up an inexpensive DAC from the top-end of the list along with an inexpensive streamer, and a pair of the small KEFs this Hegel thing is supposed to be so fab driving and do a DBT with the Hegel folks and all the pundits praising it and see if any of them could tell the difference.
 

BDWoody

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Did you end up getting the upgrade?

Mine has also been well-behaved.

Although I have to polish it weekly because of cat prints.

I decided against the upgrade at the time, since the world shut down and my income dropped to <0, but may change my mind on that now that things are getting sorted. My cats would also be very sad if I had to send it away. Definitely a favorite of theirs as well.
 

JRS

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was going to be post #7 but got distracted by checking for any h95 going cheap on ebay.

too many boxes. sounds complicated.
what appeals to me with the hegel products is min. box count that family members can stream music to via airplay or watch movies on TV without needing me to switch dac inputs, turn on amp, turn on pre make sure right input is selected.
Doesn't need to be, pair it with Cambridge Audio Azur 851W stereo amp--it does 200W into 8, 350W into 4 and has a connector to the streamer that does everything for you--a 2 box integrated amp (and still has another output for a sub if you are ever so inclined. I suspect between air play, Chromecast, Roon, Tidal and Spotify connect there are plenty of choices and switching is no more difficult than a smart TV, your entire family would have it down in 10 minutes. Plus it looks tons better. Anyhow, just trying to broaden your horizons--if you're dropping 2k, you deserve something far more capable than the Hegel. Anyhow, just food for thought.
 

watchnerd

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Hegel’s comments on Facebook are not helping them. Making comments like, If somebody would prefer this to a Hegel H95 when it comes to sound quality, please be my guest. They are probably the same people that would prefer a Budweiser over a Budvar, comes across as elitist and derogatory.

It's also not beer snobby enough not to get called out by beer geeks.

Budvar isn't even that great.

Pilsner Urquell, baby.
 

Bruce Morgen

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I'd buy a musical instrument preamp/DAC

That's what I did -- a Behringer "U-Phoria" from online music retailer "Zzounds." Then I bought a Topping E30 when they were on sale at Drop. I could hear a difference between the two, but it was extremely subtle -- despite the Topping having considerably better SINAD -- and I was hard put to label one as significantly "better" than the other. I now use both -- the Topping sans any EQ for speaker listening and the Behringer EQed specifically for my modest, easy-to-drive Yamaha headphones. The good thing is that both units were very reasonably priced to say the least, so the whole adventure was an audio cheapskate's delight. :cool:
 

DACs_Lover

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I wish Amir had access to hyper amp / preamp from D'agostino. I want to see the products measured. :)
 
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