And the title for the most unimaginative styling goes to ...

drummerman

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... 'We wanted to create something beautiful ... beautiful in sound, looks and connectivity. It is the sum of what we have learned. A true one-step amplifier. Something you want to have on the top shelf'.

Yes, it's Hegel's Roest.

A most unimaginative unassuming and boring looking box. Somehow they managed to make it look even more boring than the usual stuff they make, probably virtue of the feet which look like they came from a 50pence parts bin. Even the headphone jack sticks out like a sore thumb. The screen printing of the company logo and volume and source look similarly cheap.

For something that doesn't have to be matched with other components and apparently belongs on a top shelf, Hegel have shown a remarkable lack of imagination. Talk about Scandinavian design flair ... :). They could learn a thing or two from some of the Chinese (or almost everybody else)

All imho of course.
 

chris_bates1974

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Just had a quick look, and I'd have to agree.

That said, there are lots of bits of kit that are pretty dull in look. An awful lot of speakers for instance, and I dare say some might pick a few items out of my kit list. Ideally for me, form and function should coexist.
 
drummerman said:
... 'We wanted to create something beautiful ... beautiful in sound, looks and connectivity. It is the sum of what we have learned. A true one-step amplifier. Something you want to have on the top shelf'.

Yes, it's Hegel's Roest.

A most unimaginative assuming and boring looking box. Somehow they managed to make it look even more boring than the usual stuff they make, probably virtue of the feet which look like they came from a 50pence parts bin. Even the headphone jack sticks out like a sore thumb. The screen printing of the company logo and volume and source look similarly cheap.

For something that doesn't have to be matched with other components and apparently belongs on a top shelf, Hegel have shown a remarkable lack of imagination. Talk about Scandinavian design flair ... :). They could learn a thing or two from some of the Chinese (or almost everybody else)

All imho of course.

Not yet seen it 'in the flesh' but I'd agree with you from photos. They need to take a few tips from Classe or SimAudio.
 

drummerman

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I think the front plate has a slight curve which is not easily visible on a photo.

I do like that. Might have to take some of it back.

Replace the feet with 'ski's' either side (ala ikea chair), relegate the jack to the side and engrave rather than screen print logos and voila ... . :)
 
drummerman said:
I think the front plate has a slight curve which is not easily visible on a photo.

I do like that. Might have to take some of it back.

Replace the feet with 'ski's' either side (ala ikea chair) and engrave rather than screen print logos and voila ... . :)

I guess that there is always the option to fit after-market feet to it but that's something you shouldn't have to do on an item of this price.
 

drummerman

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The venting slants also look ugly.

Two long slants or perforations either side on top would look better.

I have finished now, I think :)
 

Frank Harvey

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Drummerman's to be inciting some wrath shortly, I'm guessing... :)

Al ears said:
Not yet seen it 'in the flesh' but I'd agree with you from photos. They need to take a few tips from Classe or SimAudio.
Agreed. As a user of the Neo Ace at work (amazing sounding amp, by the way), it does have a nice, deeply recessed metal badge on the front. Although the Classé Delta and Sigma range are printed logos...
 

iamthegruffalo

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So, I understand what you are saying, but the sum of the parts is greater than the physiology here. I am the proud owner of a H160 and she sounds simply wonderful to me. I must admit that i like the un-fussy facia and the minimalistic display, this ascetically pleases me, but the sound, oh the sound.

I have owned many amps over the years, arcam, nad, Cyrus and roksan, to name a few, this lady is a keeper. I currently stream my music via Roon/tidal via the rear usb input and it is sublime. When I want to i can flip to cd via my audiolab or vinyl via my rp3 and musical fidelity phono amp, it matters not, nothing fails to impress.

So, one happy customer, next move Mytek Brooklyn dac, just improve my options when streaming.

All good here, but then, just because i wore black in the 80's, i never got called boring!
 
davidf said:
Drummerman's to be inciting some wrath shortly, I'm guessing... :)

Al ears said:
Not yet seen it 'in the flesh' but I'd agree with you from photos. They need to take a few tips from Classe or SimAudio.
Agreed. As a user of the Neo Ace at work (amazing sounding amp, by the way), it does have a nice, deeply recessed metal badge on the front. Although the Classé Delta and Sigma range are printed logos...

Yes the Ace is good looking.... says he that owns a Tom Evans Audio Linear A / Vibe.

Have you seen a Linear A?? :)
 

mond

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At least it has a display! I haven't even got a display on any of the 3 x components that make up my system; A black power amp sporting 0 buttons and a blue LED (why do they always have to be blue, I much preferred the red, orange and green of yesteryear) a Linn Renew streamer which is the gubbins of a nice looking streamer transplanted into a plain black box with a blue LED, and a remote controlled preamp which doesn't have as much as a button or a knob on it, it does have a LED that actually changes colour in relation to the volume that it is playing..... in my case the LED stays.... you guessed in blue!

My system certainly wouldn't win any prizes for looks :) Thank heavens it sounds good.
 

Infiniteloop

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I'm a product designer and actually I quite like it. If I'd had any say in it, I would have suggested removing the box around the Hegel logo and then printing both the logo and the volume and source labels in white on the white casing.

- Now that would be cool.*dirol*
 

macdiddy

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with Infiniteloop, I quite like the simple and clean design, it certainly looks better than the all-in-one Cyrus released a few years back which looked exactly like my Epson printer.

https://www.benderhifi.nl/hegel-roest.html

*music2*
 

Infiniteloop

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macdiddy said:
with Infiniteloop, I quite like the simple and clean design, it certainly looks better than the all-in-one Cyrus released a few years back which looked exactly like my Epson printer.

https://www.benderhifi.nl/hegel-roest.html

*music2*

That Cyrus thing was truly hideous. More at home on the deck of the Starship Enterprise of the original Star Trek series than in anyone's lounge.
 

drummerman

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I saw the 'black' or stealth version, whatever they called it at RS.

It looked good on the rack imho.

At least they tried to style it.

I am all for minimalism but Hegel's 'designs' border on being the the Hifi equivalent to a Hummer.

Still, I did say I liked the curved front panel. It's ONLY concession to style :)
 

Diamond Joe

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I really like Hegel's styling, I think I like very simple, plain designs (big fan of Rega turntables too) I'd happily have one of their amps on top of my rack. As for "that" Cyrus...*crazy*
 

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