"Blown away by KEF/Hegel combo!!!!"


The other day, I visited my local Magnolia Home Theater at Best Buy.  At the far  end of a large room, was a very simplified audio system, which consisted of only one component and a pair of speakers.  The speakers were KEF Blade One Meta, and the lone component was the newer Hegel H600 integrated amp.  I have owned a Hegel H590 integrated for several years now (I us an outboard DAC with it), which drives an incredible pair of Revel Salon 2 speakers, with phenomenal effect, so I was fully aware of how wonderful Hegel products are capable of sounding.  But now, I got the chance to hear the H600 (as an all-in-one using it’s internal DAC) with a pair of the world-class, IMHO, KEF Blade One Meta speakers, and I was extremely excited about it.  The source was Roon/Tidal.  As I sat there and the music of  my choosing began to play, all I can tell you is that this was one of the most incredible sounding audio systems I’ve ever heard, and I've heard quite a few in my day!!!!  The sound was super dynamic, wonderfully detailed and transparent, the bass was phenomenal, the soundstage was tall and wide with much depth and separation and coherency, beautifully natural, smooth, lush and full sounding, and it was also easy on the ears, and not in any way bright sounding.  For me, it was pure heaven!!!  I could’ve sat there all day long and listened to that incredible system.  I was absolutely blown away by that simple (but expensive) audio system!!!!  Happy listening.                    

kennymacc

The KEF Blade Meta is a nice sounding speaker, it would have sounded better with something like a Rotel Michi, Schiit Tyr, etc though...

Hegel’s a bit dry and fatigue inducing.., i wouldn’t do a blade like that... 

The sound was super dynamic, wonderfully detailed and transparent, the bass was phenomenal, the soundstage was tall and wide with much depth and separation and coherency, beautifully natural, smooth, lush and full sounding, and it was also easy on the ears, and not in any way bright sounding.  

There is a Hegel dealer near me, relative, 5 hours away.  He told me flat out the Hegel is the unit to buy, with his access as a dealer to numerous other brand names.  I have never heard Hegel, but the reviews and comments are so positive.

 

I do have to say the read on the sterophile review of the salon 1 that jbl did is a good read.jbl is flush with cash and research at that time early 2000. Thier r and d facility was hard to match by any company  the engineer had cost no object money to produce the salon 1 and the sound lab that was involved. I took my saloon 1 and put a satori high end be tweeter and made it a pseudo salon 2. Bought them used 3.5 k several years ago and drive them with michi m8, hegel h 30a,mcintosh 1.25 and it handles it all. Next to my tekton another bang for buck setup. So plus several 1 for salon made by jbl the legend. Enjoy the music.

@deep_333 

  • Hegel, dry and fatiguing?   Didn't sound dry and fatiguing to my ears. I absolutely loved the sound that was being produced by the Hegel H600 through the KEF speakers.  If that's what dry and fatiguing is supposed to sound like, I'll take it Lol!!!  Happy listening. 

Hegel produces super integrated amps!  Glad you found that combo. Especially at a Magnolia. I love my 390!