![]() The overall impression these qualities fostered was one of a sound that was organic, effortless, and natural. Even more remarkable, the H30 was totally lacking in that sense you get from most solid-state amplifiers of timbres being overlaid with an electronic texture. What made the H30’s rendering of timbre special was that it had a warm, lush, and involving quality without a hint of overly romantic coloration, thickness, or grain. Through the H30 the instrument had a gorgeous bell-like purity that immediately vaulted the H30 in my mind into the upper echelons of power amplifiers in timbral reproduction. Take Roy Hargrove’s trumpet on the wonderful Jimmy Cobb Quartet SACD Jazz in the Key of Blue. In fact, certain instruments on familiar recordings were reproduced with startling clarity along with a delicious combination of liquidity and fine resolution. Instrumental textures were totally devoid of grain, hardness, and glare. The first thing that struck me about the H30 after dropping it into the system was its ultra-clean, even pristine, rendering of timbre. I’ll start by describing the H30 as a 350Wpc stereo amplifier and later comment on a pair of H30s bridged for mono operation. The H30’s designer, Bent Holter, is a semiconductor physicist who has applied his insight to develop audio circuits that take into account transistors’ internal workings. This new implementation of SoundEngine is coupled with a transistor-matching protocol that is unprecedented in my experience. The H30 is the ultimate expression of Hegel’s patented SoundEngine output-stage topology described in the technical sidebar. This somewhat self-effacing outward appearance gives no hint at the special technology inside. Although attractive and well built, the H30 is about as far from “audio jewelry” as you can get. The rear panel sports balanced and singled-ended inputs, separate inputs for monoblock use, a stereo/mono switch, and large binding posts. The heatsinks are contained within the chassis. The nearly square black chassis is adorned with only a gentle bulge in the front-panel’s mid-section, a large round power button, and the engraved Hegel logo. The H30 is a model of Scandinavian minimalism. ![]() This ability to nearly double the output power when the impedance is halved is indicative of a robust power supply, a generous number of output transistors, and substantial heatsinks. Not only is 350Wpc a hefty output power, the H30 meets the challenge of driving current-hungry loudspeakers by nearly doubling its 8-ohm-rated output power when driving 4 ohms (675Wpc into 4 ohms). Hegel markets the H30 primarily as a reference monoblock amplifier, but unless you need massive power, a single stereo unit will drive most loudspeakers more than adequately. In this bridged configuration the amplifier delivers a whopping 1100W into 8 ohms. The H30 is a 350Wpc stereo amplifier that can be bridged for mono operation. I asked for a pair of Hegel H30s for review. Although not inexpensive, the H30 would represent quite a value if it lived up to its quietly growing reputation. I was intrigued by the possibility that a world-class power amplifier that could be had for $15,000. And then I began hearing from seasoned industry veterans that the H30 was outstanding, even in the context of six-figure loudspeakers and the world’s finest sources. Hegel’s founder and designer, Bent Holter, seemed technically astute and musically sensitive based on a conversation I had with him at a show. Hegel also has an interesting technical story with its patented “SoundEngine” circuit and meticulous transistor-matching. The Norwegian company’s integrated amplifiers sounded good at shows and received highly positive reviews from our own Kirk Midtskog (in Issues 206 and 211), with the H200 earning a Product of the Year Award in 2011. The Hegel H30 power amplifier reviewed here is a case-in-point. So, how do I choose the roughly one product in 70 that makes it to my listening room? These are the components I’m going to live with for many months, not just for critical listening but for daily musical enjoyment. I’m fortunate to be able to choose from the roughly 700 high-end products introduced annually approximately ten or twelve components to review myself.
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