Hello scthom -
What speaker cable and interconnects are you using with the Hegel H160? Sources??
I’ve had my Forests for a similar length of time as you and have used half a dozen different amps with them over those years. Three of those amps make up the current "fleet". One is a Hegel H200 (200 wpc). I posted comments about Forests and power earlier in this thread. I could try to describe how the sound when driven by the 400 wpc Taranis differs from that with the Hegel (the Hegel is definitely warmer) but power is only a part of that story. One amp is Class A/B the other Class D. Excellent sound with the 20 wpc First Watt F7 underscores that there is something besides power at work shaping the sound.
All that as preamble to say, before you opt for more power - which might or might not get you where you want to go (depends in part on how the amp is voiced) - consider experimenting with the overall elevation and/or rake of the Forests. For a simple rake adjustment just remove the rear "balls" but leave the front one in place. I also found Paul Laudati’s Clear Day Double Shotgun speaker cable provided a big step change over what I’d been using (Morrow Audio SP4) in resolution and clarity while fleshing out the sound in a marked way. Currently using Cardas Parsec cabling.
I’m not trying to get into a dispute with owners who hold that more power is always the better option for the Forests. In general, I’d have to agree with that (the F7 being the exception to the rule, I suppose). Cleaner sound, deeper and better-controlled bass, improved image definition, greater clarity (the usual suspects) is what I heard moving away from 60-80 wpc tube amps to the current gear. But was the improvement simply a function of more watts or also the difference between tubes and SS? Worth noting I run all 3 amps (even the Hegel) with a 6SN7 tube pre-amp. Good luck in your pursuit.
What speaker cable and interconnects are you using with the Hegel H160? Sources??
I’ve had my Forests for a similar length of time as you and have used half a dozen different amps with them over those years. Three of those amps make up the current "fleet". One is a Hegel H200 (200 wpc). I posted comments about Forests and power earlier in this thread. I could try to describe how the sound when driven by the 400 wpc Taranis differs from that with the Hegel (the Hegel is definitely warmer) but power is only a part of that story. One amp is Class A/B the other Class D. Excellent sound with the 20 wpc First Watt F7 underscores that there is something besides power at work shaping the sound.
All that as preamble to say, before you opt for more power - which might or might not get you where you want to go (depends in part on how the amp is voiced) - consider experimenting with the overall elevation and/or rake of the Forests. For a simple rake adjustment just remove the rear "balls" but leave the front one in place. I also found Paul Laudati’s Clear Day Double Shotgun speaker cable provided a big step change over what I’d been using (Morrow Audio SP4) in resolution and clarity while fleshing out the sound in a marked way. Currently using Cardas Parsec cabling.
I’m not trying to get into a dispute with owners who hold that more power is always the better option for the Forests. In general, I’d have to agree with that (the F7 being the exception to the rule, I suppose). Cleaner sound, deeper and better-controlled bass, improved image definition, greater clarity (the usual suspects) is what I heard moving away from 60-80 wpc tube amps to the current gear. But was the improvement simply a function of more watts or also the difference between tubes and SS? Worth noting I run all 3 amps (even the Hegel) with a 6SN7 tube pre-amp. Good luck in your pursuit.