Hegel P30A Preamplifier

Hegel P30A Pre Amplifier

The Hegel P30A is our reference preamplifier. We have nicknamed it The Conductor because its job is to control the power amplifier with a signal that is as true to the music as possible. In our view, the preamplifier is the most critical component in a great sounding system, and it is also the hardest to get right. The very low amplitude signals coming from the source are easily corrupted, so an in-depth technical knowhow and clever engineering are needed to make sure the signal stays the same all the way through the preamplifier. With the P30A we have deployed all our skills in doing just that.

First, we use single pair FET transistors that have no higher order harmonic distortion. Within any batch of transistors, there will always be slight measurement variations. This might be within the bounds of what is considered normal deviations, but for sensitive electronics like this, that simply isn’t good enough. Therefore, Hegel’s founder and chief engineer Bent measures and carefully matches those transistors that have the exact same values. Having perfectly matched transistors is of paramount importance to the performance of the preamplifier, and it makes the Hegel P30A sound very smooth and natural, without compromising on the details. Furthermore, the internal layout is designed in a way that makes the signal paths within the preamplifier as short as possible. This reduces the possibility of distortion coming from electrical interference. To further reduce distortion, we also minimise the number of electrical components the signal passes through. In the P30A the music signal only passes through two transistors and an ultra-low noise volume attenuator. The P30A also uses Hegel’s patented SoundEngine2 technology. This actively monitors the music signal for corruptions and corrects for intermodulation distortion using a feed forward design. SoundEngine2 effectively removes distortion in real time as the signal is amplified.

All these steps make for a preamplifier that is very quiet and handles the sensitive low amplitude music signal as delicately as possible. Even so, distortion of the signal can still happen, but the P30A has one more feature that takes care of this. The P30A is fully balanced all the way through. This means you have two separate amplifiers, volume controls, and SoundEngine2 modules per channel. With this design, almost all leftover distortion is cancelled out, and what you are left with is a signal that is as close to the original source material as possible.

The P30A offers a wide array of inputs and outputs. It features 2 balanced (XLR) and 3 unbalanced (RCA) inputs and a fixed level Home Theatre input that allows you to integrate it into a Home Theatre system. This input can also be configured to act as a normal input. On the other end you have one balanced (XLR) and two unbalanced (RCA) variable outputs that are all active, allowing you to connect several devices at the same time. One of the unbalanced RCA outputs can even be configured to be a fixed volume output. The P30A also has a 3,5 mm IR-direct input and a 12V trigger output connector. When you add it all up you get a highly versatile, extremely quiet, and natural sounding preamplifier that can be the heart of any high-end audio system. You get the Hegel P30A – A truly brilliant conductor of all music.

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.