Anything close to Hegel H360 but smaller/lighter?

OP bought a Benchmark amp and DAC. Hope he gives hi impression once all dialed in. 

I'm not familiar with Totem speakers so I can't recommend anything! That said when I upgraded my Krell kav 300il I tried quite a few products and the H360 woke up speakers like no similar powered amps did. At the time I was using the salon 1's and the h360 was pure magic. Since buying the hegel 5 years ago I've bought and sold a half dozen full range speakers in the $20-30k(new retail) price and honestly unless you need a tube amp, the h360 is worth the asking price, it doesn't do full MQA though and there's only 1 fixed and 1 variable analog input to go with the plethora of digital inputs.

Jeff Rowland Model 125 and a Schiit pre amp.

i agree with @soix -- lyngdorf’s built in room correction is a major asset for most rooms... really improves the sound, and is easy to implement

that said, the little benchmark is a very nice amp, small and easy to carry, so in that respect it is very convenient for the op to transport back to brazil 

only concern may be that the totem’s metal dome tweeter and the benchmark’s very precise, extended treble and somewhat lean overall character may not synergize too well...

Congrats!  I’m sure it’ll sound great, and you can always add room correction later if desired.  

Thanks Soix , but I’ve already went with a Benchmark set-up

Enjoy it @thomastrouble !!!  The Benchmark gear seems easy to sell here.  I have heard both...

Thanks Soix….given that this has to go on a plane with me and it is very heavy I decided to go with a Ben h ark set-up. I’ll have to figure out a room correction set up with this but I think I have made a good choice given my limitations.

The room correction in the Lyngdorf is NOT a small improvement.  I heard their room correction once in a $$$ personal system and once at a show and in both cases the improvement of the room correction was huge.  If you’re looking to avoid disappointment and especially if you can’t listen to the amp beforehand I think it’s worth stretching for the Lyngdorf.  Best of luck. 

Thanks Fastfrieght, this is all being done in a rush as I’m limited for time before I fly home….very easy to get pointed to and jump from system to system but I think ive settled on the Benchmark amp and the Benchmark DAC to fit my needs but I much appreciate your input!

Have you spoken with Bill at GTT about this?  This I gelieve is Putzky's second iteration of class D amps.  The older Kaluga's rocked my Salon 2's, not easy to drive.  And the onboard DAC Tambaqui is world class.

Wester17, digging around on the Benchmark and you had mentioned the DAC 2 HGC and I headed off to look for that and found 3 possible options and would love some advice - I have a chance to buy these options and would love pointed in the right direction……

Option 1…..Benchmark DAC B D/A converter Remote, DAC -3 Silver DSD …( full description in case I’m missing something), same with following…

Option 2…..Benchmark DAC3 BDAC

Option 3 ….. Benchmark DAC 3 L DAC

Option 4…….Benchmark DAC 3 HDC DAC

so, I dont have a clue about the difference in the above - just looking for the best one for my system.

Thank you

Wester17, pardon my ignorance - I haven’t been around audio systems for a long time and when I set out on a quest for a small but good integrated I started noticing streaming capabilities and room correction systems built in and now I want these features - what exactly should I looking for as a streamer and a room correction system and can this be incorporated into the Benchmark setup?

Just a week ago I decided to buy the Martin Logan Forte and promised myself I’ll be content with that but I went down that rabbit hole again.
That Forte is arriving tomorrow - I haven’t got a clue about connectivity, but can this be used with the Benchmark for streaming and room correction, and if so, is there a better way to go. I don’t mind spending a little more and since this will hopefully be the last system I will buy I’m looking to make it the best it can be.

thank you

Great reply Wester!

tonight I’ll look into the Benchmark. To be honest, I was focused on something simple (all in one integrated, streamer and room correction, but if this is going to give me killer results then I’m open to dealing with a slightly more complicated solution.. So, I’m assuming this will drive the Totems .

Anyway, I’ll hop off ow and look into that Benchmark, thank you.

Others have suggested the Benchmark amp. Let me second those recommendations and add an exclamation mark! The Benchmark AHB2 is small and light weight, but delivers detail, resolution, and musicality that will best amplifiers that are much more expensive. I really like Hegel gear and had an H120 that I really loved, and which I thought would be my end-game solid state amp. A friend/audio mentor raved about his AHB2 and encouraged (actually “begged”) me to try the Benchmark on a 30-day trial. With great skepticism I reluctantly did so, and the difference was not subtle. It was dramatic. Within two weeks I put both my Hegel and my Pontus II up for sale. I can’t speak highly enough about the AHB2. It takes everything – detail, holographic imagery, soundstage, and musicality -- to a higher level. At least it did for me (using Harbeth SHLplus speakers).

There are, however, a couple of caveats: First, the AHB2 is not an integrated amp, so you’ll need a preamp. Second, the AHB2 performs its best when paired with other Benchmark gear. In my case, I purchased a used Benchmark DAC2 HGC, which is both a DAC and a preamp, for $1k. That pairing was so good, I sold my Pontus II (which once again, I liked so much I easily concluded that it was my end-game DAC, but the DAC2 was even better when paired with the AHB2). These two products, paired together, are much smaller and lighter than almost all other integrated amps out there, while delivering a sound quality that is hard to beat.  I can’t encourage you strongly enough to give the AHB2 a try. You won’t regret it.

Hey guys , still digging….what is your opinion on the Naim Unity Atom compared with the Lyngdorf? Much much cheaper, size and weight fits the bill - would I be giving up a lot on SQ and will this pair well with the Totem 1s ?

T

Thanks for that guys !

just last week I sent a ton of older gear to The Music Room to sell for me on consignment (a lot of big stuff (Pass Labs 250.5 etc that I can never use again) and as part of the payment they are trying to find me a 3400. I know this might be overkill but I would rather have the peace of mind (and the added features) even though I’m paying a bit more than I need to, but who knows, I may move into a house someday and be able to crank things up if I want.

im far from an audiophile, just somebody who wants immediate gratification without all the learning and research involved and I’ll be content with an integrated these days.

The only integrated I had from maybe 15 years ago was a Naim Nait 5i and it was my first purchase into higher end audio and I was happy - am I going to see a big difference between that and the Lyngdorf ? Just curious before actually hearing the Lyngdorf. At the end of the day I don’t have choices and the luxury of building a whole system, so I’m just trying to do the best I can with what I already have in Brazil (Totems, nice CD player and a subwoofer) and a small and light integrated that I can fit inside my carryon.

I want to thank all you guys for all your help in making this (very rushed) decision!!!

Thomas, sent you a PM. 

Also on 2nd thinking this since you are in an apartment the 2170 would probably be plenty unless you want headbanging levels. You do lose the EQ and streaming functions of the 3400 but you normally see these used more than the 3400 for way under your budget. 

Thanks for that mofo, I’m on the lookout for a used one right now. A local store told me they had one for…….$8000! Way too steep.

I think it’s a good pick especially considering your in an apartment and probably can’t really crank it I’m assuming. The Lyngdorf 3400 will give you endless tweaking for lower volume listening. IME without the room correction engaged it sounds very good and clean. Not digital like a lot of class d. With the room correction and subs dialed in and subs engaged in my room it was totally transformed into something really special. Never heard a Hegel but have heard pretty good things. 
 

I thought about getting the 3400 myself. According to my dealer the very reason they came out with the 3400 was to handle lower efficiency speakers better than the 2170.

So, I’m about to pull the trigger on the Lyngdorf …..is this a “great” decision - it’s going to cost me much more than I wanted to spend but if I can’t do much better at that price or less I’ll be happy.

Aww Gryphon….. now no no no - this all started with me promising myself not to go down that rabbit hole and to be content with the $199 Martin Logan Unison - one week later I’m eying $7000 amps and here’s another option to temp me! I’m going to try to not research this one as I’ll be further down that rabbit hole. I’m feeling closer and closer to the Lingdorf and splashing out $7000 with a promise to myself that I’ll never be tempted again another couple of thumbs up on that from folks on here and I’m there.

Well, I can vouch for the h360 being a great amp.  I just love the way it drives my LRS and old Snells.  But putting it in a suitcase and shlepping it onto a plane?  I would not be into that.  Unless you are young, of above average strength, and have no back issues like me!  Just moving it in and out of my system is somewhat of a chore - but worth it.  Look into one of their lower tier models like the 190.  Still a great damping factor and I'm guessing will do the trick nicely. 

Good luck!

Belles Aria 
 

Belles also just came out with a Signature model of this amp.

Sorry guys, I should have mentioned I’ve been looking at the Lyngdorf “3400” - this would surely drive the Totems…would this be overkill? I could probably find a used one on here for around $5000 - could I do better for $5000? I’ll be listening mainly on Tidal. There are some tracks that I can’t live without that aren’t on Tidal that I’ll be listening to on a Bryston BCD1

Reading reviews of the Lyngdorf - size and weight works for me but I’m seeing this priced from $5000 to over $7000 ?

Even at $5000 it’s not what I wanted to pay unless I was also willing to plonk more cash down for options with speakers but unfortunately can’t be bringing more speakers to Brazil with me and I’m not such a big listener as I used to be, just looking for the best sound I can get with an integrated and the Totems that I’m stuck with. If I’m hearing great things about a particular integrated then I’ll probably go to $5000 and be happy in the knowledge that I can’t do better given my set-up.

Thanks guys - wow, such good people on this site - thanks to all of you!

The Lyngdorf got me excited (never heard of these, but then again it’s been over a decade since I was in the scene). However, Mofojos comment has me concerned now. The tiny size of the Lyndorf really fits the bill but I’m trying to get as close as possible to what the Hegel 360 would give me but others have said the Hegel would be overkill for my set-up.
This is all good stuff I’m reading including the replies that burst my bubble just when I think I have it all sorted out. Love to hear more comments on whether the Lyngdorf isn’t up to par for the Totems. Another question from a clueless person - if I had the Lyndorf side by side with the Hegel would there be a noticeable difference in SQ? And if so, how much. I’ve just read so much good things about the Hegel it’s hard to relegate myself to anything less SQ wise.

My 2170 seemed to run out of gas before getting some Dynaudio Contours to the levels I was looking for. Not sure the 1120 would be enough for those Totems. 

@mofojo raises a very good point

the lyngdorf tdai 1120 would be enough for totems and a self powered subwoofer in an apartment

and that unit has excellent and easy to use room correction (very big impact on sound quality, especially subwoofer integration), and best of all, the unit is light and compact.. size of a shoebox, will fit in luggage easily, maybe even a carry on!

https://www.soundstagehifi.com/index.php/equipment-reviews/1575-lyngdorf-audio-tdai-1120-streaming-integrated-amplifier-dac

Lyngdorf tdia 3400 may be a good option. Room correction and lots of customization to get you an awesome sound in your apartment without needing to crank things up. Perfect blending with subs as well. 

JSS - brilliant reply - thank you!!

That really puts things in perspective!!!

@thomastrouble

you said you are in an apartment, with totem 1’s with powered sub support below, medium loudness listening

i think your focus on the hegel h360 driving this setup as the keystone to good sound is entirely misplaced

a hegel 120 or 190 will be more than enough... second gen sound engine circuit, superior damping factor, even lower distortion, even more refined treble, plenty of current delivery for the totems (i used to have them) - not to mention an updated dac in the current gen hegel integrateds

you get the h360, it will run at 10% of its capacity, you will hear zero difference...

The Hegel size and weight is not unusual for an integrated amp. With the exception of Devialet offerings, trying to find something with similar performance in a smaller/lighter package probably doesn’t exist.

More importantly, make sure that the component’s voltage and frequency are a match for Brazil, otherwise you’d need a transformer which may affect sound quality.

Thanks JJSS….I’ll have to research how much SQ I have to give up on these compared to the 360

Thanks mapman appreciated but I’m really trying to get the best possible sound out of a small package - stuck on the Hegel 360 until I find if there is anything better but smaller

Check out the little Fosi integrated amps on Amazon. Size of a pack of cigarettes and sound very good. So inexpensive and returnable so nothing to lose to try.  I have one driving a pair of kef ls50s.  Impressive!

Rbstenho… yes, I can understand your item getting scrutiny but honestly, I cram my carry-on with all my heavy items to keep my checked bag under weight and often need help lifting it to the overhead bins. TSA really don’t care about the weight of the carryon, as long as it fits the “size” requirements. My carry on always has my items that I don’t want broken or stolen, so, the Hegel along with these items will be a struggle. Only one time at the other end was my bag flagged because I had a big iMac computer in there. Customs asked me about it and I told them I have bad eyesight and can’t use a laptop and they ushered me on through!

The issue is never with TSA, it’s the other end where the main concern is bringing stuff into the country to sell, usually multiple identical items which I would never do, and honestly, if I had an audio amp that cost less than the max value allowed and was not brand new they really are ok with that, especially as it would be a personal item and I am relocating to the country.

The law is once you are granted permanent residency you have a six month period to bring everything you want from the US in a shipping container one time only, but I’m outside that timeframe now, besides, I’m not interested in bringing a ton of stuff with me. They also brought a new law in where you have the right to bring “musical instruments” inside the plane if they can fit in the overheads - this pissed a lot of regular passengers off, but it is what it is.

Anyway, I guess my objective is to find the smallest and lightest amp that is equal to or better than the Hegel 360 for running these bookshelf speakers and a sub, and used would be better than bringing a brand new amp through that I might get grilled for.

So, as somebody else pointed out that these other amps were great amps they would not be capable of driving the Totem “The One” speakers

I have the big Hegel integrated and am very happy with it (excellent DAC).  You could look at an entry level unit like the Hegel 190 that will be smaller/lighter. Should have enough juice for stand mounted speakers.  Or you could look at something in the Class D category.  I believe some of the NAD integrated amps are less than 15lbs.

This is from TSA: Carry-on bags must weigh less than 35 pounds. Any Hegel will eight more than 35 pounds. Also, I went thru the Denver tsa check in after attending the RMAF and when my bag went thru the scanner, sirens went off and tsa officials ran over to my bag and to me. I just an anti-static gun at the show and the scanner thought it was a gun. Even after going thru my bag, since it put out X amount of volts, I was not allowed to carry it on.

I have had multiple Hegel integrated amps and the smaller amps (smaller than the h300), don’t have the damping factor as the bigger amps do. The h300 would be a good pick. I sold my hegels in the end and went with separates because my new speakers needed more power. BTW: I also had multiple pairs of totem mani II’s and the best they sounded were with the 1000 watt McIntosh monoblocks. All totems need good power, not just watts

You can carry on any gear that fits in the rectangular box they show you.

Heavy to lift up to the overhead though!

I had an old Sansui 8 receiver.

The Mola Mola Kula w onboard Tambaqui of course!

Hey Rbstenho, wow, I need replies like this that won’t leave me disappointed after getting home - you are talking about Totem “The One@ bookshelf speakers though - yes? This is great to know and while the other suggestions here might be great sounding they will need to pair well with the Totems anc I thank everybody for their input here.

However, there is no problem bringing it through the scanners - perfectly legal to walk through the scanners - the TSA are only there to look for dangerous materials and it’s none of their business what electronics I have in my carry-on, I’ve had DJ mixers etc many times back and forth for work and if anything the odd security guy might enjoy chatting or admiring the gear, and yes, to put that in checked bags is asking for it to get destroyed…or even stolen - I’ve had that happen before.

well so far it still seems to be the Hegel, but I’m still listening.

Thanks guys

h160 or 190

No amps mentioned on these posts will drive your Totems. I’ve owned both of these products and the Hegel will be the only amp listed on this thread that can drive them. I also own the sprout 100 and it won’t come close to driving the totems. 

Totems demand a lot of power to sound their best. I had a 250 watt McIntosh integrated driving my totems and they sounded great in a 12x12 room.

Ignore the power ratings from totem, you need a good couple hundred watt amp at least to drive them.

The sprout 100 is a very good sounding piece but you need to pair it with more efficient speakers.

1 more thing, I would never put an audio piece of equipment in my luggage and check in. The guys just throw those pieces around and you will end up with a broken piece. Plus, you will never get it thru the X-ray scanners if you try to walk it in.

Given your speakers (I own Totem Sky floor standers), the H360, now H390, has more power than you’d need. The less costly H120 would be more than adequate and provide a very similar, neutral and highly resolving sound. 

Check out the Peachtree Nova 500 integrated. Great amplifier and dac. I have the Gan400 with the PreDac. I started with the Nova 150 and the 300. I chose to do separates otherwise the Nova 500 would have been my choice. 

Hgeifman re customs - I’ve never had an issue. Any time Ive got pulled over with gear (usually personal studio gear) I simply tell them it’s used and for personal use. I think you run into problems if you have more than one similar item like three iPhones or whatever - they are more interested in the fact that you might be bringing them to  sell them in Brazil where all electronics are prohibitively expensive. So, as far as the amp goes, it will probably be bought used off here and for my personal use if they ask.

Is there a decent integrated with class D power amplifier?