« The Most Significant Products of 2013 »
— SoundStage.
At the higher end is Hegel Music Systems’ new H80 integrated amplifier-DAC ($2000). I was introduced to the Norwegian company last fall, via their H300 integrated amplifier-DAC ($5500). I was so bowled over by its sound and flexibility that I wound up purchasing the brute. The H80 looks to offer a high proportion of the H300’s connectivity and sound but only about one-third the power: 75Wpc into 8 ohms, which should be enough for most loudspeakers in most rooms of average size, and for all but the deafest audiophiles. The H80 includes the same AKM digital chipset used in all of Hegel’s most recent digital products, including my H300 and their reference DAC, the HD25 ($2500). Inputs include pairs of optical and coaxial digital connections, asynchronous USB, and three analog: two RCA, one XLR. That a company with Hegel’s engineering prowess is able and willing to build a full-featured component at this price is commendable. The argument for buying separates looks less and less convincing.