Hegel H120
A relatively affordable integrated amplifier is a small step up from Hegel's entry level amplifiers in terms of price, but it is a solid step up in features and performance. The significantly larger power supply creates a more dynamic sound and for combining with large loudspeakers presenting more challenging drive loads. The digital section is taken directly from its bigger siblings, and this is really the core of the H120. We see the typical user of the H120 as people who are into digital music streaming. For the money we claim that the H120 does that better than anything else.
StereoPlus Norway Review
The DAC is of the highest quality in the Hegel H120. The Hegel team take full control of the digital data stream, using technology developed from their absolute reference products, ensuring digital music delivery in its purest form. The result they have delivered to you is perfectly natural sound, without any artifacts that make you want to turn the volume down. The H120 has Apple Airplay, Spotify Connect, IP Control, Control4 and upnp streaming. More features are already in progress and will be offered at no cost, using the easy software update functionality. All inputs are configurable for volume bypass, so you can integrate in a home theater or with (for example) a Bluesound or Sonos. Whatever you want, you can do it with the H120.
The H120 uses the Hegel SoundEngine 2 amplifier platform allowing a damping factor higher than 2000 together with extremely low distortion levels. Details about the SoundEngine can be found on hegel.com. In many ways it works like a noise cancelling headphone. It compares the output of the amplifier with the input. It detects all the sound pollution (distortion), and plays this forward into the speaker output, but in reverse phase. Like 1 minus 1 equals 0. It cancels out all pollution in real time, leaving you with only the most natural sound. The SoundEngine technology has been developed over more than 30 years, from conception to where it is now. Millions of dollars were invested in initial development. It is what makes possible the sound performance for the money in the H120.
Hegel H120 Review by Hi-Fi Choice
Features
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2 x 75 W/8 Ω
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6 Digital Inputs
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SoundEngine 2
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Apple AirPlay
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IP Control
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UPnP Streaming
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Headphone Output
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Control4 Ready
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BlackFnish
H120 TECHNOLOGY
Specifications
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Power output: 2 x 75 W into 8 Ω
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Minimum load: 2 Ω
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Analog Inputs: 1 x balanced (XLR), 2 x unbalanced (RCA)
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Digital Inputs: 1 x coaxial (RCA), 3 x optical, 1 x USB, 1 x Network
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Line level Output: 1 x unbalanced variable (RCA)
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Frequency response: 5 Hz - 100 kHz
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Signal-to-noise ratio: More than 100 dB
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Crosstalk: Less than -100 dB
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Distortion: Less than 0.01% @ 50 W/8 Ω/1 kHz
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Intermodulation: Less than 0.01% (19 kHz + 20 kHz)
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Damping factor: More than 2000 (main power output stage)
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Dimensions incl feet: 10 cm x 43 cm x 31 cm (HxWxD), 12 kg shipping weight
