Is the Hegel H-20 better than the Parasound A-21?
I tried asking a similar (but not the same) question in 2009. I do not have the answer, but have heard nice things about the Hegel. But I am very happy with the A21. I did get one email from a dealer that the A21 is too much analytical (detailed, airy) compared to the H-20. He said this quality is required for home theater and not 2-channel audio. I was perplexed, since I am looking for more details. Here is the link to my thread: Hegel Amplifiers |
The answer to your question is simple, the Hegel is a better sounding amplifier than the A 21, the A 21 is a fantastic amplifier for the price, the issue is resolution, the Hegel is a more dimensional amplifier with greater clarity and speed as it should be for almost three times the price. You are mistaking design talent with implementation, sure John Curl is a circuit design genius, but so is Brent Holder and Damien Martin, and Nelson Pass, many other talented equipment designers, all of these amplifiers are good and they all sound different. I was a Hegel dealer and I am a Parasound dealer, I will tell you there is a new amplifier on the market that I like better than the Hegel and it outperforms the Parasound and that amplifier is the new Aragoon 8008, which costs $4,400.00 which is considerable less than the $5,800.00 Hegel. The Hegel is still slightly more dynamic, but the Aragon has a stunning midrange quality which is warmer and more musical than the Hegel, which is more analytical, the Aragon has a similar tight punchy bass and is quite open in the top, this is the most amazing amplifier I have heard under $5k and it is a monster in terms of power delivery and build quality. We used it at the New York Audio Show to glowing accolades our system was one of the best at the show, and it was made up of all reasonably priced components. So to answer your question, don't just look at the design, the specs or the technology go out and listen. |
Audiooracle...is their a new MKII of the 8008? I read reviews on the 8008 ten years ago. That version was not considered warm, but neutral and analytical according to the reviews. I'll check it out. Bent Holter at Hegel appears to be taking Europe by storm in recent years. The word around Europe is that Hegel is the poor man's FM Acoustics. Regarding Demian Martin, co-founder of Spectral. I have been pissed off for twenty years when Keith Johnson took over as chief designer at Spectral, starting with the DMC-12 Pre and after. He's no Demian Martin. The Spectral DMC-10 that Demian designed in the late eighties was the best sounding Spectral Pre ever made. Warm, rich, lush, relaxed organic sound with excellent detail and dynamics. Smooth as silk. Keith Johnson changed the Spectral sound forever, for the worst. |
