Hegel H30A Power Amplifier

Hegel H30A Power Amplifier

The Hegel H30A is our reference power amplifier. We have nicknamed it The Orchestra because that is what it is. The H30A’s job is to take command of any music on any speakers and make it sound as good as possible without ever breaking a sweat, and we can think of no more challenging music than a large orchestral piece. The H30A is an absolute powerhouse of an amplifier. In its mono state it delivers a truly astounding 1100 watts in 8 ohms, and it is completely stable even with 1-ohm loads.

To achieve this, we have applied all our skill and knowledge in amplifier design and combined that with the best electronics. The H30A power supply uses 2 separate 1000 VA toroidal transformers for fast response and minimized transformer hum. With a power bank of 270,000 μF capacitors, the H30A can handle even the most challenging piece of music at any volume, it always has enough power in reserve. On the output stage we use 56 pieces 15A 200W high speed, ultra-low distortion bipolar transistors. With so much power ready at any given time, things like speaker sensitivity and variation in loads no longer come into play. With the H30A you can confidently drive any speaker you like.

Power is however nothing without the details to match. In a large power amplifier like this, the input stage is especially vulnerable to electrical interference distorting the music signal. One troublesome type of distortion is higher order harmonic distortion. It is a type of distortion that is far removed from the original music frequencies and can often make the amplifier sound harsh and unmusical.

In the Hegel H30A input stage we eliminate this by using single pair FET transistors. These are carefully hand matched transistors that have the exact same values, and therefore they have no higher order harmonic distortion. Other types of distortion we cancel out with our patented SoundEngine2 technology. This actively monitors the music signal for corruptions and corrects for distortion using a feed forward design. SoundEngine2 effectively removes distortion in real time as the signal is amplified. These measures make the H30A sound very smooth and natural, without compromising on the details.

The H30A is designed as a mono power amplifier, but it can also be used as a stereo power amplifier. It has both balanced (XLR) and unbalanced (RCA) inputs and a 12V trigger input. For the best possible connection, the H30A features high quality, gold-plated speaker binding posts. Usually, when going from one amplifier to a more powerful one, you experience more of everything. More bass, more details, more involvement – everything is just more. With the H30A we have reached a whole new level of differences. Because the H30A is so immensely powerful and detailed, the concept of “more” simply becomes irrelevant. In the H30A the bass is tremendously deep, but never dominating.

The high frequencies are exceptionally detailed, but never fatiguing. And the articulation of vocals in the midrange is just sublime. At this level, what you experience is simply total control. The Hegel H30A is an amplifier that can drive virtually all known loudspeakers with authority and ease. It never sounds forced, only relaxed and musical. The H30A is the spearhead of our amplifier technology. It is the large orchestra that brings life to any music in any venue.

Ideally matched with the Hegel P30A pre amplifier.

About Hegel

The story begins in 1988. Bent Holter, a student at the Technical University in Trondheim (NTNU) decided to do a thesis under the original design of the transistor used in amplifiers, that would cure the problems of traditional hi-fi systems. Enemy number one was distortion. Holter somehow could not accept the fact that when we supply a simple signal to an amplifier, the output reproduces that signal plus something else; distortion produced by the electronics.

Fighting distortion usually means deterioration of other parameters, including damping factor. Holter decided to break free from classic schematics and developed a project that became the basis of what we know today as SoundEngine Technology. And where does the name of the company come from? Well, during his spare time Bent played in a rock-metal band called The Hegel Band. When they needed amplifiers for concerts, he suggested building them himself. His ideas took on real shape, but it took lots of money to refine the technology. Help came from Telenor – one of the biggest players in the telecommunications industry.

The early 90s were a period of initial prosperity for the brand. First, they ensured the patented solution known today as SoundEngine. Later a DAC was developed (1994) and the first CD Player came (1996). Over the next eight years, the company has steadily improved its product range and generated more profit year on year. When the financial crisis came, most companies immediately took a defensive strategy which meant cutting costs. Hegel played differently. He hired new engineers to design devices. Sometime later, brand new D/A converters were born.

Today Hegel is one of the best-established brands on the Hi-Fi market. We produce integrated, pre and power amplifiers as well as CD players and some of the most modern and sophisticated D/A converters. SoundEngine Technology was just a start. Today there are six more original technical solutions in Hegel’s portfolio. The company has dealers in 54 countries and its products are sold all over the world. Awards and press reviews speak for themselves.