I’ve owned a Bryston B60R Integrated Amp for over 20 years and it
has served me well. My 2.1 audio system is in a semi-dedicated
listening room that is on the small side (12’W x 11’L x 10’H)
and the equipment rack has limited space. I’d been thinking about
replacing the Bryston with an integrated amp that has an internal DAC
and streaming capability and have had my eye on the Hegel H90 for
some time. Recently, the price dropped from $2,000 to $1,400 because
Hegel is discontinuing it. Decided that it was now or never, so I
ordered one.
Received the unit after one week shipping time and installed it in my
system, replacing the B60R. The digital output of the Marantz CD6006
player was connected to the Hegel optical input with a Lifatec
Toslink cable. The output of an analog FM Tuner was connected to one
of the Hegel analog inputs. I ran the Hegel full time for 100 hours
to allow things to settle in before doing any critical listening.
At this point, I started listening to CD recordings that I’m very
familiar with. In comparison to the B60R, the H90 had more bass
impact but the bass on the B60R was fuller. In the critical midrange,
the H90 sounded more analytical with an edge that never went away.
Further up the frequency spectrum, the highs were much more prominent
in the H90 and seemed to lack the refinement of the B60R. Thinking
that what I was hearing might be associated with the outdated AK4396
DAC chip in the HegeI, I connected the CD6006 analog output to the
H90 analog input, thus bypassing the Hegel internal DAC.The sound quality was essentially unchanged.
Figuring that the H90 needed more run time, I turned attention to the
analog side and was taken back at how bad the tuner sounded. Bass was
MIA and there was audible distortion throughout. Knowing that the
tuner is sensitive to output loading, I looked for Hegel specs on
analog input impedance only to find that it’s not listed. Fired off
an E-mail to Hegel and learned that the analog input impedance is
very low (10Kohms). This impedance mismatch was a real deal-breaker
and arrangements were made for the H90’s return. Needless to say, I
was bummed!
Giving more thought to my experience, I realized that the H90-B60R
comparison was probably an unfair one. The Hegel H90 retails
(original MSRP) for $2,000 and includes an internal DAC and streamer,
while the analog-only B60R retails for $5,000. I guess that all the
positive H90 reviews had me expecting more. If nothing else, I
learned that the little Bryston B60R is an outstanding Integrated Amp.
NEWS FLASH: Hegel just announced the forthcoming.release of the H95, which
replaces the H90. In Hegel’s words….
“The
H95 uses the same DAC as the H120 and the H190, and this is a massive
step up from the H90. It is quite simply a completely different level
of D/A conversion. It is smoother, more precise and more dynamic. So,
while it is already an upgrade when using analog, it is a completely
different animal when it comes to digital.”
