Hegel’s streaming integrated amplifiers, side by side. Here is the H190V between the H150 and the A200 and their specifications, showing what your money buys at each step.

The H190V is Hegel’s step into big-system territory while staying a single box, an updated version of the long-serving H190 that brings more power and more grip than the models beneath it, along with the streaming, DAC and phono capability that make a Hegel integrated a complete system. Its defining addition is a serious phono stage, derived from Hegel’s standalone V10 preamplifier, so it is a particularly strong choice for a listener who wants both streaming convenience and a genuinely good vinyl front end in one chassis. It needs only speakers to play, with a turntable an easy and rewarding addition.

Brief product overview

A streaming integrated amplifier, DAC, network player and phono stage delivering 150 watts per channel into 8 ohms from a Class A/B output stage, stable into 2-ohm loads, with a damping factor above 4000, one of the highest figures in its class, giving it a very firm grip on demanding speakers. Hegel’s SoundEngine and DualAmp technologies handle the amplification, and the in-house DAC offers synchronous upsampling and a low-jitter master clock. The moving-magnet phono stage is a scaled version of Hegel’s acclaimed V10 phono preamplifier, a real step above a token phono input. Streaming covers AirPlay, Roon Ready, Spotify Connect and UPnP, kept current by software updates. Connectivity includes balanced XLR and unbalanced RCA line inputs, the moving-magnet phono input, one coaxial, three optical, USB and network digital inputs, a fixed and a variable RCA pre-out, and a dedicated headphone amplifier. The chassis is Hegel’s minimalist steel-and-aluminium design, and it is made in Norway.

How it sounds

The H190V has Hegel’s clean, neutral, honest character delivered with real authority: 150 watts, 2-ohm stability and a damping factor over 4000 give it an iron grip on the bass and on difficult speakers, so it drives demanding loads with a composure and scale the smaller models cannot match. The DAC is smooth, precise and dynamic, and the V10-derived phono stage gives vinyl a detailed, expansive sound that does justice to a good turntable rather than treating phono as an afterthought. It is a complete, powerful, source-agnostic hub that handles streaming, digital and vinyl equally well, which is why the two systems below start from a complete digital core and add a turntable as a natural extension.

What we’d partner it with

The H190V has streaming, a DAC and a strong phono stage built in, so a complete system needs only speakers. We pair it with the Elac Solano 2.0 FS287.2, a 2.5-way floorstander with twin aluminium-sandwich woofers and Elac’s JET 6 AMT tweeter; it is a 4-ohm speaker that dips to 3.5 ohms and rewards an amplifier with real current, exactly what the H190V’s 150 watts and damping factor over 4000 provide, so it is driven with authority and scale. Good alternatives from brands we carry are floorstanders and stand-mounts from Focal, Dynaudio, KEF and Monitor Audio.

For digital sources, nothing more is needed: the H190V streams over your network via AirPlay, Roon, Spotify Connect and UPnP, and its digital inputs take a TV or CD transport. To add vinyl, the V10-derived moving-magnet phono stage means a turntable connects directly, no external phono stage required. We suggest the Rega Planar 6 fitted with the Nd5 cartridge, a moving-magnet design that plugs straight into the phono input; a Pro-Ject or another Rega deck partners equally well.

On cabling, use a well-made speaker cable of appropriate gauge for the run, terminated properly at the binding posts; AudioQuest and Chord are the cable brands we stock.

Who shouldn’t buy it

If your speakers are efficient and your room modest, the H150 offers Hegel’s latest platform and a phono stage in a more affordable package. If you want still more power and scale, the H400 is the next step up the range. And if you run a low-output moving-coil cartridge, note the phono stage is moving-magnet only, so an external step-up or moving-coil stage would be needed.

Setup notes: The H190V is a substantial full-width component and wants ventilation above and around it, through its perforated top. For streaming, a wired network connection is more robust than wi-fi where you can run one, and software updates arrive over the air, so keep it connected. Place the Elac Solano floorstanders clear of the rear wall, with a little toe-in; their 4-ohm load is well within the H190V’s abilities. To add vinyl, connect the turntable to the moving-magnet phono input and its ground to the phono earth post; the Rega Planar 6’s Nd5 is a moving-magnet cartridge, so no external phono stage is needed. The variable pre-out can feed a subwoofer, and the display can be dimmed or turned off.

Warranty & service: Hegel products carry a manufacturer’s warranty when bought from an authorised dealer; service is handled through the UK distributor.