HEGEL LAUNCHES THEIR H600  REFERENCE POWERHOUSE INTEGRATED AMPLIFIER

The Hegel H600 is the Norwegian HiFi brand’s new reference integrated amplifier.

Hegel launched the previous reference H590 five years ago, finally, after three years of development, Hegel are ready to present H600, the H590’s heir.

Hegel H600 Amplifier

AXPONA 2023

We were treated to a pre-launch listen to the H600 back in the spring at AXPONA 2023, with Hegel’s Anders Ertzeid, Bill Leigh (Hegel’s UK distributor) and the recently released Hegel Viking CD player…but of course, we were sworn to secrecy until now.

The Hegel H600 Amplifier in the AXPONA 2023 system with Clarisys speakers and the Hegel Viking CD players

Hegel’s Anders at AXPONA 2023

HEGEL H600 AMPLIFIER

The Hegel H600 Amplifier has a host of new features, a new chassis design, a new DAC, an improved amplifier section, and a superior streaming engine…and Hegel tells us “we also added a couple of watts more…”

Hegel H600 Amplifier…Hegel’s new reference integrated

POWERHOUSE REFERENCE INTEGRATED AMP

H600 is Hegel’s reference integrated amplifier. With its 303 watts in 8 ohms, a damping factor of 4000, and 2 ohms drive capability, this “powerhouse” of an amplifier can “drive any speaker with confidence and ease” says Anders.

Front and back at AXPONA

Anders continues: “The amplifier is a dual mono design, bringing it as close as possible to the performance of two mono amps in a single box. It also boasts a state-of-the-art preamplifier with the extremely precise volume attenuator found in our reference P30A amplifier. All electronic circuitry is designed in-house, and we only use the best-quality components. This gives us unprecedented control over the amplification process. When we combine this with our SoundEngine2 correction technology, we are left with an audio signal that is as close to the original recording as possible. The result is an immensely wide and deep soundstage with incredible dynamic range and tremendous bass control. This amplifier reveals all the details and nuances in the music. All you have to do is connect a pair of really good speakers of your choice.”

DAC

The H600’s D/A Converter is a bit-perfect design, offering pure audio fidelity without any resampling or upsampling. The DAC has a large, dedicated power supply and it is shielded by a thick steel plate so there is no interference from other electronics inside the amplifier.

Hegel H600 Amplifier is a home hub

CHASSIS

The chassis is made of aluminium for better audio performance. It includes a solid bottom chassis and top cover with vents milled in two layers for added rigidity and airflow. Big aluminium feet with an anti-scratch design are designed to ensure stability and reduced vibrations, while high-quality RCA connectors and optimized positioning of the analogue and digital connectors have been used to provide less noise and better channel separation. The large control knobs are equipped with touch control, also have a tactile feel.

STREAMING OPTIONS

Andres tells us: “At Hegel, we believe that great audio should not come at the expense of ease of use. That is why the H600 features a comprehensive list of streaming options. It supports UPnP streaming, Spotify Connect, Airplay 2, Tidal Connect, and Roon Ready (pending). This is however only the beginning. This highly advanced streaming engine will ensure the amplifier is always up to date with the latest options for you to stream your music”.

Hegel H600 Amplifier

HEGEL H600 FLEXIBILITY

The Hegel H600 has been designed to be customizable to ensure it suits any environment. All digital inputs except USB have signal sense. This means that any device connected to these inputs can wake the amplifier and set it to the right input. In addition, the volume can be limited so that it suits your max volume preference. With the remote-control feature, you can program the amplifier to be commanded by common TV remotes, eliminating the need for using two remotes and making it easier for all members of the household to get great TV sound. Most inputs can also be set as a fixed high-level Home Theatre input, making it easy to combine the H600 with surround receivers or multi-room devices. As with streaming, more features will be available in the future. These firmware updates are of course always free, says Hegel, and the amplifier will install them automatically when they are launched, ensuring your H600 is always up to date.

On the rack at AXPONA

CONNECTIONS

The amplifier features a large array of analogue and digital connections to accommodate various audio sources. There are two pairs of True Balanced XLR inputs and two pairs of RCA inputs. On the digital front, it features a LAN network port, an USB 32/384 input (supporting DSD256/DoP), three optical inputs, a coaxial input, and a BNC true 75-ohm input. For analog outputs, it offers a pair of RCA fixed-level outputs and a pair of RCA variable-level outputs. Additionally, it provides a BNC fixed-level true 75-ohm digital output.

Hegel H600 Amplifier rear panel

HEGEL H600 AMPLIFIER TECH SPECS

Power output: 2*303W in 8 ohms, Dual Mono

Minimum load: 2 ohms

Analog inputs: 2*Balanced (XLR), 2*Unbalanced (RCA)

Digital outputs: 1*Coaxial (BNC) S/PDIF – 24/192

Digital inputs: 1*Coaxial (BNC) S/PDIF – 24/192, DSD64(DoP), MQA 8x, 1*Coaxial (RCA) S/PDIF – 24/192, DSD64(DoP), MQA 8x, 3*Optical S/PDIF – 24/96, MQA 8x, 1*USB – 32/384, DSD256(DoP), MQA 8x, 1*Network – 24/192, DSD64, MQA 8x

Line level outputs: 1*Unbalanced fixed(RCA), 1*Unbalanced variable(RCA)

Streaming: AirPlay 2, Spotify Connect, Roon Ready (pending), Tidal Connect, UPnP

Streaming formats: MP3, WAV, FLAC, ALAC, AIFF, DSF, DFF, AAC, PCM, MQA, Ogg

Frequency response: 5Hz-100kHz

Signal-to-noise ratio: More than 100dB

Crosstalk: Less than -100dB

Distortion: Less than 0.005% @ 50W 8 Ohms 1kHz

Intermodulation: Less than 0.01% (19kHz + 20kHz)

Damping factor: More than 4000 (main power output stage)

Dimensions/weight: 17,1cm x 43cm x 44,5cm (HxWxD), 22kg

Dimensions/weight US: 6,74” x 16,93” x 17,52” (HxWxD), 48,51 lbs

HEGEL H600 AMPLIFIER PRICE AND AVAILABILITY

The UK retail price for the Hegel H600 Amplifier is £10,500

Products will begin shipping in September

HiFi PiG Says: A worthy reference integrated from Hegel, we are looking forward to hearing it again!