2. amps-preamps
  3. 123060-2029

Hegel Amps with Thiels

Hi,

Has anyone listened to this combination?

I am home auditioning a Hegel H20 with Thiel CS5's, which dip down to one ohm, and am pleasantly surprised.

The H20 is rated at 200 watts into 8 ohms but does not double down into 4 ohms.

To my ears, the bass is just as good as a ML 533 or a Pass x350, which I recently auditioned. The H20 is also quite smooth with a lot of detail. Warmer than the ML but cooler than the Pass.

I think that Hegel may be on to something with their patented and laser trimmed SoundEngine modules design, which I am not sure I fully understand.

Dsper

dsper
cal3713's avatar
cal3713
1,421 posts
 
I heard Hegel (not sure what model) paired with CS 3.7s at RMAF a number of years back and really loved the room.  I've since sold my Thiels, but am still convinced the two can create a great match.
skfy57
4 posts
 
I agreed with unsound as the choice of amp for Thiel cs 5i . I have been pairing it with many amps in the past until i went back to read the original review of cs5 from stereophile . the amp used at the time was krell 250. I never regret to  follow their choice. I was happy for many many years!!!!
dsper OP
662 posts
 
Well for what it is worth, I am deciding that the Hegel H20 amp just does not cut it for me with the Thiel CS5's.

The bass is great and there is a lot of detail, however, I am not hearing quite the separation of instruments in the mix that I want. Also, there is an occasional edgy treble note that was not present with the Pass X350. 

Still ranking the Pass first even though I think that it is a bit polite. It provided a lot of detail, nuance, and texture.

Still have not tried a Krell. So so far, I am at Krell?, Pass, or maybe McCormack and am not sure about any of this.

jafant's avatar
jafant
19,380 posts
 
Agreed,

natural timbre and separation of instruments(air and decay) are imperative!
Keep searching. Keep me posted.

Happy Listening!
More to discover