Difference BTW Hafler DH-200 and DH-220?


I've looked through the archives but couldn't find what I was looking for.

Specifically, I want to know if there are any appreciable differences between the DH-200 and DH-220? Which one is better and by how much?

Thanks in advance for your help!
gullahisland
I used to own both those amps -- the 200 is the predecessor of the 220. The 200 has sharp fins, and the 220 has rounded heat sink fins and sounds 8.14 percent better than the 200 (IMHO).
Actually I did not like the sound of the 200 in my system, even though it got good reviews (probably 3 decades ago). The 220 is a smoother, better sounding amp, for sure.
Thanks Plato. That's exactly what I was looking for - right down to the decimal! :-)
I built both of those amps from kits back in the early 1980's, and aside from the exterior difference in cosmetics, there were a few changes to the internal components. As I recall (and the memory dims after 20 years), the DH-220 had a slightly larger transformer, somewhat larger filter capacitors, and better quality bypass capacitors than the original DH-200. I am less certain about whether there was a quality upgrade to the MOSFET output transistors, although I vaguely remember reading in an article that this was the case. Based on my own recollection, Plato is correct that the DH-220 was a better sounding amp than its predecessor, but the differences aren't dramatic and will not be particularly noticeable in the lower-priced systems likely to be used with either of these amps.
If they are both stock and are in same condition, I would go with the newer 220, send it to John Hillig at Musical Concepts, at www.musicalconcepts.com and have him give it one of his mods. You can start with his basic mod or go for his top mod w/ Blackgate caps and you'll have you one nice-sounding amp. I had one of his mods on my DH 200 back in 1978 and it played wonderful music through my Vandersteen 2B's for many years to come. I eventually sold the whole system in 1985. Make sure you have him put an iec connector on the amp so that you can upgrade the power cord as well. John has been doing mods on these Haflers for many years and is very accommodating. Chances are you'll probably need to replace all the electrolytics anyway as they tend to dry out with age. Good luck and happy listening.