Hegel h95 or Advance A10 Classic

[spillane]

Evening all,
Trying to help my brother out regarding what to buy – a hegel h95 or the advance a10 classic.

Any thoughts or opinions are utterly welcomed. He tends to stream music and occasionaly play some lps
Best regards

 

[Al ears]

Evening all,
Trying to help my brother out regarding what to buy – a hegel h95 or the advance a10 classic.

Any thoughts or opinions are utterly welcomed. He tends to stream music and occasionaly play some lps
Best regards

What turntable does he have as the Hegel doesn't have a phono stage as far as I recall, the A10 does

 

[spillane]

A technics sl-1200mk2, however i do believe he’s thinking ’bout moving on from that piece.

 

[Al ears]

A technics sl-1200mk2, however i do believe he’s thinking ’bout moving on from that piece.

Ok, unless he gets a turntable with a built in phono preamp then he will have to budget for an external unit if you go with the Hegel, which would be my choice as I have not heard the Advance Paris

 

[Oxfordian]

I have the Hegel H95, it was by far the best Amp I auditioned, I run my Rega Planar 3 through Rega’s own phono preamp and the set up works really well.

The Hegel has been in my system for 6 months now and I have to say I’m very happy with it.

 

[Al ears]

I have the Hegel H95, it was by far the best Amp I auditioned, I run my Rega Planar 3 through Rega’s own phono preamp and the set up works really well.

The Hegel has been in my system for 6 months now and I have to say I’m very happy with it.

Which Rega preamp, it's not in your signature?

 

[Oxfordian]

Which Rega preamp, it's not in your signature?

Yes I should add it really, and I got my wires crossed it’s the latest Rega Fono phono stage, not sure if it’s a true pre-amp although it does amplify the TT signal.

 

[Al ears]

Yes I should add it really, and I got my wires crossed it’s the latest Rega Fono phono stage, not sure if it’s a true pre-amp although it does amplify the TT signal.

It does indeed, the Fono isn't bad.

 

[dkontos]

I have the Hegel H95, it was by far the best Amp I auditioned, I run my Rega Planar 3 through Rega’s own phono preamp and the set up works really well.

The Hegel has been in my system for 6 months now and I have to say I’m very happy with it.

Which other amp did you audition with the Hegel H95 ?

 

[Oxfordian]

Which other amp did you audition with the Hegel H95 ?

Quad Artera, Rega Brio, Audiolab 6000A, Hegel H95 and 120 - to be honest I couldn’t tell the difference between the two Hegel’s so went with the 95.

The Quad won on looks but I didn’t like the sound, the Brio was too energetic - it was a party animal but missed a few notes on the way, but the Hegels were just divine, as soon as they were connected I fell in love with the sound and am still happy six months later.

All the amps were trying to drive ATC SMC 7’s.

 

[spillane]

I have the Hegel H95, it was by far the best Amp I auditioned, I run my Rega Planar 3 through Rega’s own phono preamp and the set up works really well.

The Hegel has been in my system for 6 months now and I have to say I’m very happy with it.

thanks a bunch!

 

[MUSICRAFT]

OP - Roksan Audio’s new Attessa Streaming amplifier is also worth bearing in mind. The Attessa Streaming amplifier also has as in built phono stage.

 

[RoA]

Quad Artera, Rega Brio, Audiolab 6000A, Hegel H95 and 120 - to be honest I couldn’t tell the difference between the two Hegel’s so went with the 95.

The Quad won on looks but I didn’t like the sound, the Brio was too energetic - it was a party animal but missed a few notes on the way, but the Hegels were just divine, as soon as they were connected I fell in love with the sound and am still happy six months later.

All the amps were trying to drive ATC SMC 7’s.

Agree, Hegels have a superbly balanced sound, as does the Audiolab.

Unfortunately for some new to the game, the more showroom orientated sound of others may be more attractive, initially at least but they can become weary.

 

[robdmarsh]

Anybody know anything about Advance? I've never heard of them. The hybrid solid state/ tube integrated looks intriguing and I must admit pretty cool.

 

[robdmarsh]

Quad Artera, Rega Brio, Audiolab 6000A, Hegel H95 and 120 - to be honest I couldn’t tell the difference between the two Hegel’s so went with the 95.

The Quad won on looks but I didn’t like the sound, the Brio was too energetic - it was a party animal but missed a few notes on the way, but the Hegels were just divine, as soon as they were connected I fell in love with the sound and am still happy six months later.

All the amps were trying to drive ATC SMC 7’s.

Hi Oxfordian. I'm Oxford based too. We're quite spoilt in actually having bricks and mortar hifi retailers in the city, aren't we? Audio T, Sevenoaks, Richer Sounds and Oxford Audio Consultants. That last one is for people with deep pockets. I was once in there on a quiet day and the guy offered to give me a demo of a system he had set up for an Arab client in the upstairs demo room. It sounded bloody awful Quite funny really!

 

[TrevC]

Here's a review you might be interested in. https://www.audiosciencereview.com/...s/hegel-h95-review-streaming-amplifier.28435/

 

[davidf]

Here's a review you might be interested in. https://www.audiosciencereview.com/...s/hegel-h95-review-streaming-amplifier.28435/

You’d only be interested in that review if you were a devout follower of the forum and its puppet master.

 

[RoA]

My reply to Amir's review;

H95 owner here (as well as an Arcam SA20 and Audiolab 6000A, swapped between in my second system).

Having also used and owned a couple of cheap and cheerful 'Class D' cinese made products which are well reviewed here plus recent active systems (Kef LS50 Wireless 2 Meta and Bowers & Wilkins Formation Duo's ... both sold now) I can tell you that subjectively I far prefer any of my current above amplifiers in the first paragraph to any of the latter.

Maybe Amir got a faulty product? I don't know but the Hegel sounds fantastic (and far more autorative/powerful than stated power would let to believe).

Totally recommended but listen before dismissing. Build is good too.

 

[TrevC]

You’d only be interested in that review if you were a devout follower of the forum and its puppet master.

It's that nasty science stuff. Who needs that when you have golden ears?
In fact it's the sort of testing that tells you how good a product really is.

 

[TrevC]

Agree, Hegels have a superbly balanced sound, as does the Audiolab.

Unfortunately for some new to the game, the more showroom orientated sound of others may be more attractive, initially at least but they can become weary.

How can an amplifier be engineered for a showroom sound? Complete nonsense.

 

[RoA]

How can an amplifier be engineered for a showroom sound? Complete nonsense.

Of course amplifiers can be made to sound a certain way. I only have to look as far as the Arcam.

Showroom (characterful) sound; Arcam, certain Rega, Naim just to mention a few.

Neutral: Hegel, Audiolab, Bryston etc.

If you believe all amplifiers sound the same the above doesn't apply to you.

 

[TrevC]

Of course amplifiers can be made to sound a certain way. I only have to look as far as the Arcam.

Ah, but then we are talking about the placebo effect generated in your imagination by the word Arcam. They are not something that can be engineered into an amplifier that has to have a flat response.

 

[RoA]

Ah, but then we are talking about the placebo effect generated in your imagination by the word Arcam. They are not something that can be engineered into an amplifier that has to have a flat response.

OK :sleep:

 

[TrevC]

Does a Behringer amp sound as good as a Classe? Apparently it does!

Matrix HiFi --> Blind testing high end full equipments

 

[davidf]

It's that nasty science stuff. Who needs that when you have golden ears?
In fact it's the sort of testing that tells you how good a product really is.

It may tell you how low the distortion is, and how near to accurate it is, but it doesn’t tell you whether you’d actually like the sound of the product. Many amplifiers use certain distortions to create a ‘house sound’, which of course, to the disciples of ASR, is the work of the devil - it doesn’t matter what it sounds like. Stating that a £200 product IS better than a £1000 product because it’s distortion is 0.001% less isn’t the way to choose your own personal system. The specifications of a Tesla are better than a (insert petrol based supercar here), but it doesn’t mean that the Tesla is a preferable drive for everyone.

If you’re after the lowest possible distortions, the lowest SN ratios, the highest power outputs, etc etc for the lowest price, ASR is the forum for you. Most people like to listen to what they’re buying, seeing as they’re paying for the product and they will be listening to it. The fact is, there are a huge number of happy Hegel owners, and there will continue to be, despite what any forum says about their measurements. Also, making assumptions about a brand based on its entry level product just smacks of some sort of smear campaign, especially when “new” members join up to slate the company and the specific product in question. I don’t know why they think a sensible person wouldn’t notice them. But it all fuels the forum’s narrative.

As a young teenager at school, I used to draw the system I was going to buy in my maths book (because of the squares), which was based around being affordable, but incorporating the most power I could get, the lowest distortion figures, the widest frequency range etc etc. Then I grew up.