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

Showing 3 responses by dsper

dsper OP
657 posts
 
Hi,  Can anyone comment on McCormack amps with Thiels?
dsper OP
657 posts
 

Hi Unsound,

I have listened to Vandersteen 3A's with Conrad Johnson amplification and thought that they sounded very good, if a bit polite.

I felt the same way about the Pass X350 with the Thiel CS5.

So while I very much understand your comment about McCormack's with Thiels, I wonder if your "bit shouty" could be my desire for "more presence"?

Gosh this is hard when you cannot listen to an amp before purchasing it!

Dsper

dsper OP
657 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.

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