Hegel h200 low level listening

Don - listened to a couple of things tonight at (for me) very low levels. First, Diana Krall (SACD) "The Girl in the Other Room"; next, Crowded House (redbook CD) "Time on Earth". SPL (C weighted & Slow response) in the mid to upper 60s. I think it sounds OK. Much better clarity than I would have expected. Bass in particular is nicely articulated. Not my favorite way to listen, however. Don't know what your music tastes or expectations are. Things definitely sound better to me at a little higher volume for what I'd still consider "low level listening"...say low 70 db range while listening to the Crowded House CD. I'm thinking the answer to this sort of question might be very speaker dependent. OK. Good luck.

Thank you. I don't listen too low and prefer to listen at higher levels as yourself. We have similar taste in music. I just get a little grief from my wife occasionally and wanted to make sure something like a channel didn't drop out at very low levels.

My dealer is close friends with another dealer within the state and I'm pretty sure he's going to be able to get the amp for me. The guy dropped one off for a week this past Spring and I went to hear it when the store was closed on a Friday night. I had a great time and absolutely loved the sound through the same speakers I own (Harbeth C7es3). My dealer is a great guy and has been trying very hard to get me set up. He's a big fan of Ayre and loaned me the AX7 but that amp just didn't do it for me. I'm used to sitting 14 feet from my speakers with a room filled with music and the Ayre just couldn't pull it off. It couldn't even get a grip on these speakers.

If you've ever read any of my posts on the Hegel, you'll know I can't stand the casework. It's taken me a long time to tell myself that's not important. I've listened to integrateds that are amazingly well engineered with 5mm thick aluminum casework and not one of them made my toes tap like the Hegel. I can always put up my old poster of Farrah Fawcett in front of it.

Hey Don - good luck with whatever you end up getting. That's too funny about the Hegel casework...personally, it doesn't bother me. FF poster is dating you...on the other hand, I might suggest Christie Brinkley from back in the day.

The only knock I can offer on the Hegel as well as ANY integrated amplifier that lacks tape (line level) output jacks is that i insist on this feature. i don't think it is too much to ask and yet the Pass INT's lack these outputs as well as a host of others. Hegel (IMO) needs to add another couple of buttons/switches to the design
but the casework doesn't bother me at all- as long as it's solidly built.

I thin this amp is fantastic at all levels. Have not heard anything i like more at this price range.