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Vienna High-End 2026, Part One

Note: We will be adding to this regularly over the next few hours. Please keep checking back for more.

It’s no secret, but the Austria Center Vienna has replaced the MOC in Munich as the venue for the annual High-End show. While not without its teething troubles, the move has been mostly well received by consumers and the audio industry.

The crowd at the start of the first public day.

The space is larger and slightly harder to navigate. This means most of the corridors are wide enough to avoid bottlenecks and allow those who want to talk business to do so away from the music playing in the room. It also reduced noise pollution from nearby exhibitors. However, it also meant that several floors of near-identical white corridors made it easy to get a little lost. I stepped out of the elevators onto the wrong floor several times and didn’t notice for a few minutes. However, as I went to a Miele store across town instead of the Melia Hotel for DALI’s off-site launch, maybe I’m not the best judge of geography.

Regardless, Manufacturers will inevitably learn from this and introduce greater signage outside their rooms.

There also probably needs to be a larger central display welcoming visitors to the event. There was a large atrium just after guests entered the show, and inside that atrium was just a Burmester-equipped S-Class Mercedes. While a great show-opener, a ‘best of’ display with samples (or high-quality mock-ups) of some of the most high-profile products at the show would make it seem more ‘show-like ‘.

No number of preliminary visits to an event can accurately determine a room’s acoustic dynamics. While many were making good sound at the ACV, I think it’s best to suspend criticism of bad sound for this year. Once again, manufacturers learn what works and what doesn’t fairly quickly, so that free pass expires for next year, but there were a couple of systems I expected to be excellent and didn’t quite cut it. I know of at least one manufacturer who completely redesigned their room at the last minute to (successfully) improve the sound quality, and Goldmund traded places with Raidho on either side of the first floor because they preferred their respective rooms. This led people to call it ‘Goldmundilocks’, but the end result worked out well for both.

The number of main rooms was reduced slightly compared to Munich. There were many smaller rooms on the top floor of ACV, but these were largely used by companies fielding smaller systems than typically seen at the High-End shows of the past. This gave rise to several nearby satellite shows, including HiFiDeluxe, all situated a few hundred metres from the main event. While each has its own organiser, they might be wise to at least work together in the same venue, rather than having four rooms in one building, four rooms in another and so on. Even with the satellite shows, there were still some notable absences, including KEF and Rockport. We hope to see them back in some form next year.

Over the next couple of weeks, we’ll bring you the best we saw and heard at Vienna.

Bowers & Wilkins

Bowers & Wilkins returned to show-going with the announcement of its fifth generation of the brand’s flagship 800 Series. With one stand-mount, two centre channels, three floorstanders and the 801 D5 flagship in the line, this was a celebration of the company’s 60th anniversary as well as a mighty set of loudspeakers. Retaining many of the styling cues of previous models, the 800 Series bristle with new innovations, including a new Space Frame Bracing (that bolts directly to the rear of the now-enhanced Matrix inside the cabinet) to increase internal stiffness and reduce vibration and cabinet-borne resonance. This bracing also acts as a frame to hold the new crossover mounting plate. There are also improved tuned-mass plinths, revised aluminium top plates, and grilles and drive unit motors taken from the Signature version of the previous model. New finishes are also on show, with Dark Walnut, Light Walnut and Warm White joining the portfolio. Prices start at £10,000/€10,000/$12,000 for the 805 D5 stand-mount and rise to £43,000/€50,000/$65,000 for the 801 D5.

Cambridge Audio

The new Evo 300 from Cambridge Audio is the brand’s most advanced streaming amplifier. This is a bold statement from a company that has been making streaming amplifiers for some time, but the 300W per channel integrated amplifier (using Hypex NCOREx Class D amp modules at its core) makes a strong musical and performance-based case. Built around a balanced preamplifier stage with separate analogue volumes for each channel, the amp builds on the performance of the company’s current top streaming integrated, the Evo 150 SE. It also features an ESS Sabre ES9038Q2M DAC and the company’s one StreamMagic Gen 4 platform, and a 7.8 in screen. This £3,499/€3,999/$3,999 integrated amplifier offers much.

Dan D’Agostino Master Audio Systems

Not content with announcing the Momentum Z mono power amplifiers earlier in the year, Dan D’Agostino Master Audio Systems announced several new products that utilise the Z topology designed to improve the interface between preamp and power amplifier, by carefully addressing power supply, input stage, thermal design and system monitoring. The Relentless Z Preamplifier, Relentless 800Z mono power amplifiers, and Relentless Epic 1600Z mono power amplifiers all benefit from these Z circuit design developments.

But, perhaps even more significantly, there has been an entire refresh of D’Agostino’s more attainably priced Progression series. The new Progression Neo preamp and both stereo and mono power amplifiers have a bold new styling – one that still carries much of the D’Agostino classic cues into a very ‘now’ look – but draws it’s circuitry from the higher-end Momentum and Relentless range. With a preamp featuring a JFET input stage (like the Relentless) and power amplifiers with output concepts developed for the Momentum Z mono amps, these were delivering an extremely impressive sound through a pair of Wilson Alexia Vs in Audio Reference’s outstanding demonstration space. Fed by dCS and VPI, these amps had ‘grip’ by the bucketload. Prices are still to be confirmed.

DALI

An all-in-one is not the first thing to consider as one of the stars of a high-end show, but stay with me. DALI’s new VEGA system includes BluOS and its own, in-house DSP. The VEGA features four soft-dome tweeters with 25mm membranes and neodymium magnets and four 110mm mid-bass drivers placed back-to-back with an ABR system. The hefty system is designed to be used on a table or a wall, and can be vertically or horizontally mounted (or even moved from one position to the other using a special rotator mount). With presets for playlists and radio stations – all accessed through the BluOS ecosystem – it’s designed as an easy way to get good sound into other parts of the home than just the man cave. The price is €3,000, and is expected to be around £2,600 and $4,500 when launched in September.

Gryphon

Designed to replace the mighty Mephisto, Gryphon’s new €59,800 Hyperion power amplifier is a bold project from a bold high-end brand. Dressed in the company’s typical ‘none more black’ livery, this truly dual mono 126kg, 180W Class A amplifier runs hot, requires two 20A power inputs, and can pack a 720W Class A punch into two-ohm speaker loads. And playing LPs in a full Gryphon system, it sounds like it lives up to the reputation of the amplifier it replaces!

Ideon

Greek digital experts Ideon have been busy of late. Not content with developing the remarkable Axiom digital system in time for AXPONA this year, the company just announced the Nous, a complete high-end streaming and playback system. Available with or without a line-level preamplifier, the Nous differs from conventional streamer-based products by being designed as a purpose-built audiophile environment where streaming, digital processing, clock management, DAC conversion, analogue amplification, and power regulation all act as one. Its performance is said to be closer to that of the Absolute DAC from the brand. The fully balanced Nous costs $32,000 with preamp, and $29,900 as streamer alone.

Moon

It would have been easier for Moon to take the popular 371 integrated streaming amplifier from the Compass range and split it into two separate components. Instead, Moon listened to its better angels and went with a vastly more flexible and powerful pairing. With all the inputs and outputs you could ever need and a highly flexible MM/MC stage, the £5,950/$6,500 491 uses the more sophisticated volume control and hybrid linear/switch mode power found on the brand’s higher-end devices. Meanwhile, the £4,450/$5,000 power amplifier uses even more of the hybrid power supplies to deliver its 150W per channel. This can be driven in bridged or bi-amp mode.

While we’ve said we won’t be discussing sound too much at this show as it’s new to everyone, this system – coupled with Dynaudio’s Contour Legacy loudspeakers and Nordost Heimdall 2 cables – was a true star, with plenty of drive and energy.

Wadax

2024’s Wadax Studio Player was always intended to be a part of a Studio Collection. That Collection was joined by the Studio Clock, Studio PSU and Akasa cabling system last year. At Vienna, the Wadax Studio Collection is completed by the addition of a Studio Transport and Studio DAC. As the name suggests, this includes a dedicated CD/SACD transport and a dual-mono DAC, taking full advantage of the low-noise, high-speed architecture of the Studio Player (and leveraging technologies from the mighty Atlantis by Wadax), while adding greater connectivity and flexibility to the Wadax Studio ecosystem. The DAC also marks Wadax’s first headphone-related product. Prices for the new models are set at $42,950 for the Transport and $39,500 for the DAC.

Karan Acoustics Master Collection POWERb MONO

Karan Acoustics’ range comprises entirely of Master Collection products today. There’s a preamplifier, phono stage, stereo and mono power amplifiers. These all stay in the entirely uncompromising, cost-no-object ’a’ range or the slightly trimmed down ‘b’ form. In this case, ‘trimmed down’ means a one-box preamp and phono stage and slightly smaller stereo and mono amps. Until now, we tested every product in the range except for the Karan Acoustics Master Collection POWERb MONO amps. This review brings a sense of closure to the review cycle.

That closure feels deeper in this review. Sadly, Milan Karan, chief designer and the man behind Karan Acoustics, died in 2024 at the age of just 58. Some time before his passing, Karan expressed a desire for the Master Collection to be his swansong. However, I don’t think anyone expected it to be his valediction. He considered these amplifiers to be the best products he knew how to make. The company continues in the capable hands of the Karan family. International recognition of Milan Karan’s crowning amplifier achievement has only increased with his passing.

One of the cleverest parts of the Master Collection range is that there is a lot of shared design. This means there are no great changes in technology – or tonal shifts – as you move between ‘a’ and ‘b’. The POWERb MONO uses the same differential circuit design found across all four amplifiers in the line-up. They all implement the very best Sanken bipolar output devices, the power supplies and their accompanying audio infrastructure have been extensively reworked. The same applies to the input (driver) stages with both high-grade Audyn and superior, proprietary Karan Acoustics capacitors being used throughout.

Quality components

The component list of greats also includes Vishay and Roederstein resistors as well as Cardas Audio’s highest quality chassis wire. That, however, is not all. As with all Karan mono amplifiers, each ‘polarity half’ of each audio channel (ie. amplifier) has its own independent mains transformer and accompanying power supply. Which also means you need two mains cables for each amplifier.

For the POWERa amplifiers, Karan worked with its suppliers. The companies developing completely new, much larger, more powerful, and mechanically quieter toroidal transformers. This led to a proportionally enlarged bank of power supply reservoir capacitors of equally high-grade specifications. In the process, this provides the circuits with an even greater reserve of power and current that is always ultra-quickly available. The POWERb STEREO and MONO follow suit, with only slightly reduced power delivery and capacity. Although ‘reduced’ is inaccurate for an amplifier boasting twin 2,100VA toroidal transformers and a custom 180,000µF reservoir capacitance bank. As before, speaker terminals and RCA inputs originate from WBT, while Neutrik provides the XLR input interface.

Remarkable

This amplifier’s power output is remarkable. It delivers a robust 1,200W into an eight-ohm load, with peaks reaching 1.5kW. It can even provide up to an impressive 3.6kW into a two-ohm load. Like its larger POWERa MONO counterpart, it requires two power cables per chassis. This arrangement enables the amplifiers to transmit the signal’s full bandwidth and dynamic headroom into any loudspeaker load. Meanwhile, this also allows for excellent transient speed and extremely quiet circuit operation.

Similar to the other POWER models in the range, the Karan Acoustics Master Collection POWERb MONO features an advanced mains (line) conditioner. This conditioner addresses and eliminates unwanted DC-related by-products from our electricity supply. The amplifier includes a switch on the back panel that allows you to choose whether to hear the sound with or without the conditioner/DC filter, regardless of whether the amplifier is powered on and playing music. While there are few aspects of audio that are as contentious as the line conditioner/DC filter market, I would still like to see this offered as a separate, universal product within the Karan Acoustics product range.

Circuit resonance damping

The chassis also functions as an effective circuit resonance-damping system. Increasing the mass is the most obvious solution for achieving superior overall damping. However, the issue arises that using too much of the wrong type of metal can do more harm than good. Additionally, employing a large lump of aluminium to mass-load the amplifier may create its own source of resonance. To address both concerns, Karan Acoustics designed the main chassis as a single-piece unibody made from a solid CNC-machined block of high-grade aluminium. This serves as a heatsink for the output devices while establishing a highly non-resonant environment for the entire amplifier. This design also contributes to lowering the amplifier’s noise floor. Continuing with the impressive specifications, all 81kg (per amplifier) sits on three Critical Mass Systems CS² 1.5 supporting feet. It has proper wooden crates for shipping, too.

Externally, there is little to differentiate POWERa and POWERb designs. This MONO amplifier is slightly shorter than its bigger brother, weighs just over 20kg lighter and it has ‘POWERb’ instead of ‘POWERa’ on the rear panel.

Do well

The Karan Acoustics Master Collection POWERb MONO has several shoes to fill. As part of the ‘b’ Series, it should be resolving enough to deal with Karan’s matching LINEb preamplifier (tested in Issue 191) and shine with the company’s LINEa two-box flagship preamplifier (tested in Issue 181). It needs to stand slightly above the POWERb STEREO (tested in Issue 223). It also needs to reach, yet not exceed the levels of the mighty POWERa MONO (tested in Issue 203). And above all this, it needs to stand on its own as a very high-grade power amplifier. This demand is for those who might not have caught the Karan bug, or are upgrading from Karan’s previous KA line. So, it needs to be better than the likes of the KA-M1200 (tested back in Issue 50) and on a par with the likes of Constellation, Gryphon, and Vitus.

If that sounds like a big ask, you haven’t been keeping up with Karan’s Master Collection. These are the sort of power amplifiers that answer questions before they are asked. It gives effortless power with way more in the tank. Also, given the almost limitless power of the POWERa MONO, the POWERb MONO is not far behind, the POWERa MONO’s reserves in the tank are more than enough for all except the most challenging of loudspeakers. In fact, there’s a good case to make that the POWERa MONO is gilding the lily in the majority of systems today.

More than just power

The Karan sound is one of effortlessness in more than just power delivery. Every Karan amplifier has a sound that is as easy on the ear as it is detailed and informative. It’s supremely dynamic and is possessed of stentorian bass that controls your loudspeakers with absolute authority. However, that precision and power does not come at the expense of a roller-coaster ride through music. The Karan Acoustics Master Collection POWERb MONO never bombards the listener with sound.

It’s presentation is as refined as it is effortless. The high-frequency energy and zing is there, but only when called for. The rest of the playing time, the amplifier simply swings. There’s nothing out of place, in spatial, dynamic and detail terms. The amp’s sense of rhythm is good for a large power amplifier; not ‘pacey’ and ‘lithe’ in the way British ‘PRaT’ obsessed designs excel, more of a sense of complete musical control.

Karan’s POWERb MONO’s main characteristic is to play the music it’s fed without favouritism. That sounds over-simplistic, but it’s at the heart of what this amplifier delivers. I went back and looked at my notes and reviews of other Karan power amplifiers, and this is a strong family trait. You get the whole story; whatever signal is sent to the amplifier is reproduced with as little as possible between preamplifier and loudspeakers.

Straight wire with gain

This has long been a goal of power amplifiers – Peter Walker of Quad coined the phrase ‘a straight wire with gain’ to describe the ultimate in amplifier performance – but we are still far from achieving that aim. The Karan amps get closer than most, especially if you prioritise detail, dynamics, soundstaging and sheer control over the loudspeakers as important considerations. And yet, beyond this, the Karan amplifiers have a sense of refined musicality to their performance, which makes you focus on the ‘end’ (the music itself) rather than ‘the means whereby’ (the equipment).

I’ve found with Karan equipment that despite the call to use numerous musical examples to highlight what the amplifier can do, everything is encapsulated in a single recording. This is a sign of true quality, as all the aspects of an amplifier are presented evenly and equally at the outset. While further listening only reinforces that initial opinion, the strength of its balance of sonic properties is telling from the outset.

Everything, everywhere, all at once

In fairness, Karan Acoustics is not alone in this ‘Everything, Everywhere, All At Once’ approach (great movie, by the way!). However, most amps that have such an even spread of qualities come with a considerably more lofty price tag.

The track that showcased what the Karan Acoustics Master Collection POWERb MONO does so well was perhaps the simplest. It was The Unthanks (and Niopha Keegan) singing ‘Bread and Roses’ [Diversions Vol 5 – Live and Unaccompanied, Rabble Rouser]. You get a sense of a small hall with a low ceiling, the intimacy of the recording, and the pitch-perfect articulation of their voices. You also get the energy and passion of their voices, and the gentle, respectful interaction between singers and audience. Then, there is the dynamic range of a capella singing. Finally, you get a sensational coherence across the range and the feeling of being there in the place thanks to powerful solidity and speaker control.

Not a foot wrong

Accepting that those Critical Mass Systems feet take a few days to transform the sound, the Karan Acoustics Master Collection POWERb MONO doesn’t put a foot wrong. Yes, arguably balanced outperforms single-ended input, but that’s more to do with XLRs taking full advantage of the circuit design. In fairness, single-ended is no slouch, so if your preamp is single-ended only, don’t count these amps out just yet. In fact, my only gripe is about the name; Karan Acoustics Master Collection POWERb MONO is a real mouthful. If your biggest criticism is the length of the name, you know the amp is good.

Good enough that I’d say the Karan Acoustics Master Collection POWERb MONO is among the high-end’s best balancing acts. It perfectly balances sheer power output and the quality of that power. If you don’t need the pile-driving power of the POWERa MONO, and love that refined effortlessness that these amplifiers bring, it’s hard to find something better this side of six figures.

Karan Acoustics’ Master Collection range is a true testament to the late Milan Karan’s skills as an amplifier designer. Whether the last designs from his drawing board are the last models Karan Acoustics make is a moot point. ‘What have you done for me lately?’ drives the pace of most product life cycles. But the Karan Acoustics Master Collection POWERb MONO is built for the long game; nothing is going to outperform this any time soon.

Technical specifications

Type: Mono solid-state power amplifiers
Power output: 1.2kW into 8Ω, 2.1kW into 4Ω, 3.6kW into 2Ω
Peak power output: 1.5kW at 8Ω
Inputs: 1 balanced (XLR) and 1 unbalanced (RCA)
Input impedance: 30kΩ (balanced/unbalanced)
Input sensitivity: 2.0V/RMS (for max output)
Frequency Response: 20Hz-20kHz ±0dB, DC-300kHz, -3dB
Gain: +36dB
Distortion THD/IMD: 0.03%
Signal to noise ratio: >120dB unweighted
Dimensions (W×H×D): 50.4 × 29.2 × 52.1cm per amplifier
Weight: 81kg per amplifier
Price: £69,995, €66,900, $77,000 per pair (UK price incl. VAT)

Manufacturer

Karan Acoustics

karanacoustics.com

UK distributor

Audiofreaks

audiofreaks.co.uk

+(0)208 948 4153

More about Karan Acoustics

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Hegel D50

Hegel is no stranger to this magazine. The company garners great respect for its digital expertise. DACs have played a central role in many of Hegel’s products over the years, whether in CD players, amplifiers, or standalone DACs. The built-in DAC in many Hegel amplifiers often outperforms the DACs in other digital sources from its many peers and rivals. Therefore, when a company with this extensive history launches a new flagship DAC like the Hegel D50, it’s worth taking note.

Features

The Hegel D50 is a versatile and adaptable unit, albeit not overloaded with inputs. If you require a DAC with a back panel resembling a server farm’s patch board, then you might need to look elsewhere. However, it is as well-equipped as most will need. The available digital inputs are more than sufficient for most needs: one each of AES/EBU, BNC, RCA coaxial, and USB, plus a pair of Toslink/EIAJ optical inputs, feeding either balanced or unbalanced analogue outputs. The D50 also offers several user-configurable features, including input sensing, automatic standby, and display dimming. The familiar, minimalist Hegel remote control can operate functions and navigate menus, but a manual option is available via three discreetly hidden buttons beneath the front display.

It’s clear from the outset that Hegel intends the D50 to showcase everything it has learned about digital technology, and in doing so, it stands on the shoulders of the commendable products that came before it. However, the Hegel D50 also introduces some new and intriguing features of its own, which distinguish it. This review followed quickly after the workup for issue 244, the Audio Essentials issue. One of the emerging themes of system setup is the importance of paying proper attention to reducing and managing electromagnetic noise.

Noise annoys

Hegel has taken extensive measures in this regard within the D50, designing the internal power management to contain and reduce internally generated EM noise. All the power supplies are analogue—no switch-mode supplies here—using two separate low-noise toroidal transformers, carefully positioned and shielded to keep the noisy digital and standby functions apart from the sensitive digital and analogue components. However, Hegel also tackles noise entering the system from external sources, especially the mains power, which also offers interesting side benefits for the rest of the system.

The incoming mains power is filtered to remove electromagnetic interference (EMI), and, interestingly, this filtering can also affect other equipment connected to the same power circuit. When the unit arrived, the UK distributor and I set up the D50 on my MusicWorks rack, but we had not yet connected it. We played a CD track, and only then did we plug the D50 into my Nordost QB6 power block. Playing the same track again, there was a noticeable improvement in spaciousness and dynamic expression—precisely the kind of effect I’ve heard and associate with a reduction in mains-borne EM noise.

Improves before switch on

Remarkably, here we have a DAC that improves your system’s sound even before you switch it on, let alone use it to decode your music. In its quest to reduce EM noise, Hegel has also focused carefully on circuit board design and layout. The board for the single ESS 9039Q2M Sabre DAC chip is positioned above the other electronics, reducing noise and interference, shortening signal paths, and allowing it to be placed as close as possible to the master clock.

Additionally, the D50 features three master clocks: one for the S/PDIF feed and two for USB — one for 44.1 kHz and another for 48 kHz sample rates — strategically positioned to minimise noise and optimise timing data. There is also further innovation in how incoming digital signals are processed, enabling better handling of both weak and strong signals, free from jitter and time delays. It reads like a masterclass in tackling the menace of EM noise.

The distributor also brought a partnering Hegel H400 amplifier, which features its own excellent internal DAC and streamer, making it a one-box streaming system. However, an interesting feature of recent Hegel amps is that they can bypass the internal DAC via a ‘DAC loop’ function to a BNC digital output. Using this to feed the D50, then taking the analogue output from the D50 back into the H400’s inputs, resulted in a significant improvement in the H400’s performance, making the D50 a viable upgrade option for any H400 user. I spent part of this review with the system configured this way, but my Accuphase CD player and amplifier did most of the work, connected via an optical cable to the D50.

Space, finally in front of my ears

Musically, the first impression is of a clear, spacious, highly resolved, and detailed presentation. That’s a good start, and it just continues from there. Michael Torke’s suite Miami Grands [Ecstatic Records] is scored for ten pianos. That’s not a typo. The music is at times dense, lyrical, and, above all, beautiful, and often reminds you that the piano is a percussion instrument. The D50 provides a substantial performance space (you wouldn’t fit ten pianos in a salon) with a clear sense of the acoustic environment. It’s possible to discern, if not all ten, then certainly quite a few of the instruments at any given time, to the extent that different instruments’ timbres and even performers’ playing techniques are noticeable.

There is also space between and around the instruments, making their contributions easy to distinguish at will. ‘South Beach, midnight’ is rhythmically assertive, with interleaved and interwoven threads, and the potential to sound like a complete mess in inexperienced hands. Here, it is simply and undeniably compelling and captivating. ‘Everglades, under the stars’ twinkles softly but percussively, with a clear attack on the notes, tightly timed edges, and a well-developed note envelope. The colours and timbres of the individual instruments contribute to the diverse landscape the piece evokes. There is skill in how the D50 resolves and presents complex, layered, and nuanced music without dissecting or deconstructing it. It makes experiencing it naturally easier, closer to how we do at a live performance; no strain, no subconscious struggle to suspend disbelief.

A third of a millennium

Backtracking a third of a millennium for a spot of Purcell, ‘When I am Laid in Earth’ from Dido and Aeneas [English Chamber Orch/Leppard, Warner Classics apex], there’s tension right from the opening bass line in the strings, the better to melt into pathos as the contralto sings; her fluid phrasing, subtle inflections and emphases are utterly impeccable but if the system doesn’t deliver, that pathos quickly dissolves into schmaltz. Not here. Yet again, this is a riveting and very affecting performance.

From the sublime to, well, a different kind of sublime: Sting, live, performing ‘Roxanne’ from All This Time [A&M]. Once again, there is a strong sense of the spatial arrangement, not only of the band and soloists but also of the audience. When they start clapping in time as the groove kicks in, it becomes a clear part of the event, not just something absorbed into the overall rhythm and percussion.

The tabla on ‘Peshwari’ from Andy Sheppard’s Learning to Wave [Provocateur] is tactile, textured, and melodious, contrasting beautifully with Sheppard’s lilting, lyrical saxophone phrases and John Parricelli’s gentle guitar counter-melodies. It’s a genuine performance, and the musicianship and skill are unexpectedly more apparent when they don’t call attention to themselves. None of this detail is flaunted; it’s not cynically designed to impress in a quick, ten-minute A/B demo. It simply exists within the music.

Robust

A digital signal is inherently robust, but converting it to an analogue signal, especially for music, presents challenges due to the noisy electromagnetic environment in which it often operates. Much depends on the quality of the analogue components, the power supplies, and the internal housekeeping. Hegel has gone to great lengths to protect and maintain that process, resulting in crystal-clear precision.

Sometimes a product provides all the information you could want, but, like a photorealistic portrait, you may feel you’re appreciating the talent and skill yet missing the art. The market is full of products that offer ‘transparency’ and all sorts of hyper-detailed presentations, but the Hegel pulls off that trick of presenting detail in the service of the music. The Hegel D50 offers steady competence and natural musicality that could embarrass some much more expensive rivals.