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

@dayglow 

It's understood that no component in high-end audio, on matter the brand or it's price tag, will be universally liked by all, and Hegel products are no exception.  But what's all this strange, weird talk about "Snake Oil," and marketing, and such Lol!!!!?  The reality is, Hegel has (as you stated)  "Survived And Even Flourished,"  because they make great products that many, many audiophiles desire (including myself Lol!!!).  Just that simple.  Happy Holidays.  Happy listening.             

Hegel has survived even flourished due to a need in the industry to drive difficult speaker louds at an affordable cost. Most importantly the clever marketing has convinced some that it’s a better product/value than what is factual. This is the true definition of selling "Snake Oil" that so many value conscious Audiophiles fear!

@dayglow  That’s just uninformed silliness.  Hegel has garnered many glowing reviews and awards, and more significantly several reviewers bought the review samples to use in their reference system.  As a former long-time reviewer that just doesn’t happen unless a reviewer is genuinely thrilled with a product. Alon Wolf of Magico told me in person he holds Hegel amps in very high regard and actually uses them when voicing their speakers.  And I’ve heard Hegel electronics sound fantastic in a Joseph Audio demo, so to dismiss them as “snake oil” is fairly ridiculous in my book.  If you’ve heard them and don’t like them fine, but to trash them like you did is really just silly talk. 

@kennymacc ​@soix     I appreciate you taken time to respond. I did mention they have the ability to drive difficult loads which is why dealers carry them they probably have a very high profit margin compared to Bryston/Musical Fidelity or even Quad power amplifiers. IMO all 3 competing brands(can drive difficult speakers) deliver a more realistic SQ without the over the top vice grip/mechanical sounding control that impairs the strengths of many loudspeakers. The "Snake Oil" comment was directed at the marketing... 4000 damping factor, no nonsense aesthetics, the anonymity of who/where its manufactured. All this mysterious marketing hype is fine until you take the thin cover off the top and you have a replica of GNR’s The Spaghetti Incident album cover, build quality must be a cost cutting afterthought for Hegel. The "Bull in the China Shop" sound works well for Home Theater applications and maybe even some speakers but most Audiophiles/music lovers want refinement, a natural organic musical flow, and a cohesiveness of sound that Hegel amplifiers that I have heard do not excel at.

Hegel 600, price = 13k to 14k

Hmmm, doesn’t quite look a lot like 13k to 14k, eh?

Here’s a Michi Rotel, i use in a room from time to time, similar power category and features or more comparable to that hegel, let’s say, but, the price = 8 to 9k these days.  Nevertheless, it came with some of the late Ken Ishiwata’s influence wrt achieved fidelity levels.... in spite of the high power.

(One has to wonder some days about the press and the prose....wait for the "synergy" talk to commence any moment now...)

The thread got a confused start because......ya put anything, even a donkey in front of a kef blade and it will still sound good. I am sure the OP’s positive experience at the store was legit.

 The "Snake Oil" comment was directed at the marketing... 4000 damping factor, no nonsense aesthetics, the anonymity of who/where its manufactured. All this mysterious marketing hype is fine until you take the thin cover off the top and you have a replica of GNR’s Spaghetti Incident album cover, build quality must be a cost cutting afterthought for Hegel.