Hegel H590

 

 

The H590 is a reference amplifier throughout. From the carefully designed balanced and unbalanced inputs, with hand-matched transistor pairs, ensuring minimal distortion to the delicate signal from an analog source such as a phono stage. Via the preamplifier, with its dedicated high-quality power supplies and a unique volume attenuator, to the massive output stage where you will find 12 ultra-fast high power output transistors… per channel. The H590 is a beast. Many people nowadays use digital music as their main source of listening, so great care has been put into the DA-Converter, where all signals will be kept in their original form throughout. If you play high resolution or CD-format, they will all be played in their native form for best sound quality. Via the USB input, the H590 will also support high-end formats like DSD. The H590 includes MQA decoding and rendering technology, which enables you to play back MQA audio files and streams, delivering you the sound of the original master recording.

The H590 is also a dream for people who are into streaming. First of all, there is UPnP streaming and second, there is Hegel’s proprietary implementation of AirPlay. That means Apple Airplay user-friendliness combined with the high-performance Hegel sound. It does not stop there though, as the H590 is also software upgradable, and additional functionality will become available in the future. If you live in a smart home, the H590 can be a natural part of that too. With services like Control4 built in, and 2-way IP control for other smart home control systems, using the H590 can be as easy as switching on the lights. In short, while many high-performance audio systems are made “only” for the enthusiast himself, the H590 is designed to give joy to the entire family.

There is ease of use and there is security. Afraid that the kids will play too loud when you are away from home? No problem. Simply set a desired maximum volume level and lock it there. The H590 can even be used to provide better sound in your Home Theater or to combine a Theater and a system for music listening. Do you enjoy your Sonos or Bluesound app and want to use those, but without losing the sound performance of the H590? No problem. Connect them, lock the volume on the input and you are in full control using only the Sonos app (example).

Technical Specifications

Power output: 2 x 301 W into 8 Ω, Dual Mono

Minimum load: 2 Ω

Analog Inputs: 2 x balanced (XLR), 3 x unbalanced (RCA)

Digital Outputs: 1 x coaxial (BNC)

Digital Inputs: 1 x coaxial (BNC), 1 x coaxial (RCA), 3 x optical, 1 x USB, 1 x Network

Line level Output: 1 x unbalanced fixed (RCA), 1 x unbalanced variable (RCA)

MQA supported inputs: USB

Frequency response: 5 Hz - 180 kHz

Signal-to-noise ratio: More than 100 dB

Crosstalk: Less than -100 dB

Distortion: Less than 0.005% @ 50 W/8 Ω/1 kHz

Intermodulation: Less than 0.01% (19 kHz + 20 kHz)

Damping factor: More than 4000 (main power output stage)

Dimensions incl feet: 17,1 cm x 43 cm x 44,5 cm (HxWxD), 22 kg unit weight

Dimensions (US): 6.74' x 16.93' x 17.52' (HxWxD), 48.51 lbs unit weight

 

Hegel's H590 is hugely powerful, but the vast power reserves are allied to total composure and the most sensitive signal handling that's the key to bringing out the smallest, most subtle, dynamic details to give music so much presence and emotional impact. Sure, your speakers will probably sound better than they've ever sounded before, but this is incredible quality control rather than sheer brute force. £9,000 is a tidy sum for an integrated amplifier, but if I was told it was double this figure I wouldn't have questioned it.

 

Hi-Fi Choice (UK)