I want to make sure we don't lose the plot here. So much attention is put on the DAC output but there is a real, undisputed problem with the amplifier. Here is how it performs using analog input:
Here is how it performs when you switch the analog input to digital, with nothing else changed:
We lose 8 dB of performance in the form of raised noise floor due to using the internal DAC.
In other words, if the amplifier used precisely as they intend, either with analog input or digital, the digital input takes a major toll on performance in noise department which is far more audible than distortion. This of course impacts streaming to the amplifier just as well.
Company has confirmed the amplifier measurements so what we have is the final word.
I showed the reason for above in my IMD measurements, showing the high noise floor:
So the DAC measurements were definitely investigative and proved the high noise floor of the internal DAC.
For an integrated amplifier and streamer, this is unacceptable. I, and I am sure many others consider digital input to be "cleaner" due to analog path being very short internally, and gains optimized. Yet we have the opposite here.
The job was not hard. All the DAC had to do was be 10 dB better than the amp. Then it would have 0.5 dB impact on its SINAD.
Conclusions
Measuring Hegel H95 as intended, i.e. with analog or digital input producing just 5 watts, produces far more noise with digital input than analog. This is a bad thing in even mass market products. It is really, really bad in the case of a premium product.
I hope Hegel looks at sources of this performance loss with digital input and remedies it. Had it not shown this problem, it would have gotten an acceptable review from me.