Hegel H95 Review (Streaming Amplifier)

[Riva]

Ahhh thank you. Honestly, the graphs are less important to me than the sound, but I do like great value for the $$$, which is why I consider the class D offerings. I’m just not sure if I want to do that, then do all the DAC and preamp research. Because I also want my stack to look good. So I’ll need to balance aesthetics and performance. An integrated amp might just simplify all that.

So this is probably TMI, but if I decide to go down the rabbit hole, I’ll look at Appolon or Vera, then try to find good preamps or DACs that fit my aesthetic tastes.

Otherwise I’ll Hegel h390 over the M33 because of the sound reviews, feels more my speed.

 

[voodooless]

You may also look at Topping LA90 Discrete. You can bridge them, and there are some matching Topping DACs to make a nice stack.

 

[Riva]

Honestly man it's not worth it. You dont have to be a master objectivist and be a solely about flawless measurements. Just look in the review index, anything that has a -100 db sinad or near that will probably out perform that junk amp. It's way too over priced.

Master Audio Review Index

www.audiosciencereview.com

If that doesn't work, click on the advanced search.

Device Type: Amplifier or integrated

Sinad 95-120db

22 results are available.

Pick whatever you want and check the review. I tried to apply those filters for you, I do not know if it will transfer.

What do you currently use?

Oh thanks for this. Great. Also a great question about what I have now. I’m listening to a marantz AV 8802a running separates (2x marantz 8 channel amps for Atmos) with SVS ultra towers and def tech built ins. I know, I know!

Be patient, I’m building.

I’m going to replace the speakers but the SVS’s are decently reviewed as part of a home theater setup. Now I’m going to focus on a two channel setup and I want something that’s markedly better, but not crazy.

I also have a desktop setup that I’m going to upgrade. It’s all top end Schiit gear, with audio engine speakers I’m replacing with some Kef R3 metas. I will upgrade the amps there as well.

 

[Riva]

You may also look at Topping LA90 Discrete. You can bridge them, and there are some matching Topping DACs to make a nice stack.

Oh this is great! Thank you for this. I’ll check em out.

 

[ENG]

I have had Hegel H80, H190 and H390 before becomming a member of ASR. I sold them, not because I could hear any fault with them, but because they were way to expensive considering the high price and measured mediocrity. I bought two NAD C298 and had a lot of money left over. I couldn't be more happy.

 

[steve59]

If you come to an audio science forum, at least make some effort to understand what it is about. Otherwise your just here to troll.

I'm here to understand. When I read somebody make a blanket statement about a brand from a single measurement one of their budget products make that reads like trolling.

 

[TonyJZX]

I'm here to understand. When I read somebody make a blanket statement about a brand from a single measurement one of their budget products make that reads like trolling.

mate, $2,000 is a not a budget product... in the same way a Mercedes C300 isnt a budget product.... sure its one of their cheaper lines but surely you expect superior engineering too at this price?

you should expect excellence for $2,000 and the fact you think its fine says more about you and their particular clientele than the product itself

further you reduce these findings to "blanket statement about a brand from a single measurement" says a lot about what you want to blinker yourself what with overwhelming evidence that you ignore... there are manufactures in China with a fraction of the budget of Hegel who listen and make changes according to requests here. And that's on a $100 device. Surely a $2,000 device deserves better?

FURTHER and even worse in my book, the manufacturer sees and acknowledges 'irregularities' and throw it back on the tester as "operator error" and makes no attempt to rectify said product

the evidence to me that this hobby is filled with absolute loons is that a thread like this is done and dusted and yet they keep coming back with responses like "yeah but... yuo guys are wrong"

its entertaining and it allows people to show their asses for what they are

 

[steve59]

I don't disagree about $2k not being a budget product, but try to find a $2k int with dac from some other brands like Krell, Mark Levinson, Ayre, etc. Hegel's marketing strategy "as I understand it" is to offer the same level of quality as those brands while cutting corners on the fancy faceplate to cut cost. I'm just the messenger if there's an all out war on all the 'audiophile brands' then my apologies, I'll try to catch up.

As to saying you guys are wrong? I never said that. What I said and am asking is about sinad measurement from a $2k product being applied to their other products that cost 3 and 6 times as much money? I wouldn't expect a $200 sony avr to represent an $1100 sony avr because of one specific measurement the cheaper unit had. This is a fair question and changing my words to keep arguing serves nobody.

 

[steve59]

I tell everybody the more money being spent the more important the system as a whole becomes and I wouldn't recommending anything without a home audition.

 

[voodooless]

I don't disagree about $2k not being a budget product, but try to find a $2k int with dac from some other brands like Krell, Mark Levinson, Ayre, etc.

What makes you think those companies create objectively good products? Overall, non of them offer anything resembling good performance for the money those products cost. Those brands thrive on stories, not on objective performance metrics.

As to saying you guys are wrong? I never said that. What I said and am asking is about sinad measurement from a $2k product being applied to their other products that cost 3 and 6 times as much money? I wouldn't expect a $200 sony avr to represent an $1100 sony avr because of one specific measurement the cheaper unit had. This is a fair question and changing my words to keep arguing serves nobody.

That is not the way the comparison was made. The tested device performs basically up to Hegel specs, so I expect the more expensive unit to do that as well, and third-party measurements seem to confirm as much. If you look at that, there is nothing special to see, nothing worth $6k.

 

[Koeitje]

I'm here to understand. When I read somebody make a blanket statement about a brand from a single measurement one of their budget products make that reads like trolling.

If they can't make a good product for $2000, they can't make a good product at all. The only way you can make a $2000 product perform like this is either due to sheer incompetence or just not caring because people will buy it anyway.

 

[Dennis_FL]

Ahhh thank you. Honestly, the graphs are less important to me than the sound, but I do like great value for the $$$, which is why I consider the class D offerings. I’m just not sure if I want to do that, then do all the DAC and preamp research. Because I also want my stack to look good. So I’ll need to balance aesthetics and performance. An integrated amp might just simplify all that.

So this is probably TMI, but if I decide to go down the rabbit hole, I’ll look at Appolon or Vera, then try to find good preamps or DACs that fit my aesthetic tastes.

Otherwise I’ll Hegel h390 over the M33 because of the sound reviews, feels more my speed.

The Purify amps are on sale now…..

 

[steve59]

If they can't make a good product for $2000, they can't make a good product at all. The only way you can make a $2000 product perform like this is either due to sheer incompetence or just not caring because people will buy it anyway.

They made it to spec and you say it measured as advertised. OK I'm starting to catch on. I honestly came on this thread to talk to a member about the h390 he asked about and honestly have nothing to say about the h95 except it isn't the h390 and they likely share no internal parts. If the h95 is a poor effort then by all means burn them all, I just don't judge the camaro by prius specs. I'm out

 

[MacCali]

The Purify amps are on sale now…..

Should post it up in the deals section

 

[MacCali]

Oh thanks for this. Great. Also a great question about what I have now. I’m listening to a marantz AV 8802a running separates (2x marantz 8 channel amps for Atmos) with SVS ultra towers and def tech built ins. I know, I know!

Be patient, I’m building.

I’m going to replace the speakers but the SVS’s are decently reviewed as part of a home theater setup. Now I’m going to focus on a two channel setup and I want something that’s markedly better, but not crazy.

I also have a desktop setup that I’m going to upgrade. It’s all top end Schiit gear, with audio engine speakers I’m replacing with some Kef R3 metas. I will upgrade the amps there as well.

I know most people on here want to kill me, but so far I have enjoyed a few class D amps.

I just currently bought the NAD M23 after demoing the M33. It doesn’t have some of the things I don’t fancy in class D sonics. So far there’s been about 4-5 which I can say I truly enjoy. But they’re getting there.

I would assume the buckeye isn’t a long shot. It’s the same unit as M23 but different implementation. Price wise it’s extremely good and you can probably give it a run and save a ton.

Now we are rhyming

 

[Purité Audio]

I compared Benchmark, Phison A/B March’s Hypex and Purifi models I really couldn’t tell any difference, but it is difficult to compare power amps because of the unplugging/plugging, I stopped worrying about it, the active speakers we sell are amongst the finest measuring and they use various class-D modules, as long as the amp can properly drive the loudspeaker.
Keith

 

[MacCali]

I compared Benchmark, Phison A/B March’s Hypex and Purifi models I really couldn’t tell any difference, but it is difficult to compare power amps because of the unplugging/plugging, I stopped worrying about it, the active speakers we sell are amongst the finest measuring and they use various class-D modules, as long as the amp can properly drive the loudspeaker.
Keith

Yea that’s the strange odd thing that surprised me, I heard the benchmark amp twice and I did not like how it sounds. Yet, as stated, I prefer A/B. The second time I heard it the unit was run in bridged mono and I thought maybe some noise/distortion will tilt it into my taste and that was not the case.

Before the onslaught begins, I am not implying it was bad. I actually was highly anticipating listening to that amp. I just would not buy that.

The irony in all of this is the M23 is either identical or a hair worse measurements wise, but I really like it. The m33 is no where near the 23 or bench, but I did enjoy listening to that too.

I’m also not sure if class A is creating any of this bias, since for one most my amps are biased into class A for the first few watts.

But I will say, and I have mentioned this before. The HCA line by parasound, all of which are part of the same family. To my ears have, and unchanged accompanying equipment[dac/pre], all sound different. Not by much, but you can tell the balance is shifting.

IE, the 1000 sounds super lush and warm/dark/musical whatever tickles your fancy.

The 1200 MK2 the warmth toned down

The 1500 even less. *My sweet spot

I’ve heard the 2200 and 3500 which to my memory sound similar, heard them both far apart, and were not as warm as the 1500 and to a sound I did not enjoy as much as the 1500. I was fairly disappointed

My expertise in audio is no where near as good as some of you, being that I just passed 2 years into this hobby. But I have invested a foolish amount of money and time into different things just to learn.

I’ve traveled across the country twice to purchase things that can no longer be bought. In addition traveled just hear things I can never own or were curious about.

All because I love audio and I just want to get experience to learn.

And no I do not think I have golden ears

 

[Purité Audio]

No just an over active imagination, honestly stop reading the advertising copy and learn to understand what the measurements actually mean.
Keith

 

[Koeitje]

They made it to spec and you say it measured as advertised. OK I'm starting to catch on. I honestly came on this thread to talk to a member about the h390 he asked about and honestly have nothing to say about the h95 except it isn't the h390 and they likely share no internal parts. If the h95 is a poor effort then by all means burn them all, I just don't judge the camaro by prius specs. I'm out

Well, lets just say I cannot get excited by the H390 specs either. Seems like a awful lot of distortion for $6000. I hope it is at least 3 times better than advertised.

 

[MacCali]

No just an over active imagination, honestly stop reading the advertising copy and learn to understand what the measurements actually mean.
Keith

I don’t read advertisements though. I understand your point and it does hold some level of validity.

But again, I always ask the same question. Do all amps actually sound the same?

I have the same perception in regards with dacs, but I can accept dacs will vary by implementation but even with those I am able to hear subtle differences. Probably the same with amps

I really wish I had help to do an honest double blind test to see if it’s my imagination or if I am actually hearing these differences.