Hegel’s upper streaming integrated amplifiers, side by side. Here is the H400 between the H200 and the flagship H600 and their specifications, showing what your money buys at each step.

The H200 is Hegel’s connected integrated amplifier, the streaming, DAC-equipped counterpart to the fully analogue A200, and the company calls it The Connected for good reason: it is built to be the single hub of a modern system, handling streaming, digital, vinyl and analogue sources from one chassis, then driving the speakers with real authority. It shares its 150-watt platform and its V10-derived phono stage with the A200, but where the A200 keeps the signal path purely analogue, the H200 adds the network streaming, DAC and USB playback that let it stand as a complete system needing only a pair of speakers.

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 and Hegel’s SoundEngine2 distortion cancellation. The digital section brings network streaming with AirPlay, Roon Ready, Spotify Connect and UPnP, a built-in DAC, USB-drive playback, and a coaxial digital output that enables Hegel’s DAC Loop, allowing an external DAC to be added later while keeping the H200’s streaming and switching. Connectivity includes a balanced XLR and two unbalanced RCA line inputs, a moving-magnet phono input derived from the MM section of Hegel’s standalone V10 phono preamplifier, coaxial, optical, USB-B, USB-A and network digital inputs, a fixed and a variable line output, and a headphone amplifier. The chassis is Hegel’s minimalist steel-and-aluminium design, and it is made in Norway.

How it sounds

The H200 has Hegel’s clean, neutral, honest character delivered with authority: 150 watts, 2-ohm stability and a damping factor over 4000 give it a firm grip on the bass and on demanding speakers, so it drives difficult loads with composure and scale. The built-in DAC is smooth, precise and dynamic, and the V10-derived phono stage gives vinyl a detailed, low-noise, musical presentation, so streaming, digital and records all get a serious front end. It is a genuine one-box system that plays everything well, with the DAC Loop leaving room to upgrade the digital conversion later without replacing the amplifier. It is the connected route to the Hegel sound, which is why the systems below start from a complete digital core and add a turntable as an extension.

What we’d partner it with

The H200 has streaming, a DAC and a phono stage built in, so a complete system needs only speakers. For speakers, we suggest the Sonus faber Lumina V, the flagship of Sonus faber’s Lumina range, a three-way floorstander with the DAD tweeter and a warm, natural Italian voice; it is a 4-ohm speaker of high sensitivity that the H200’s 150 watts drive with ease and grace. Good alternatives from brands we carry are floorstanders and stand-mounts from Focal, Dynaudio, KEF and Wharfedale.

For digital sources, nothing more is needed: the H200 streams over your network via AirPlay, Roon, Spotify Connect and UPnP, its digital inputs take a TV or CD transport, and it plays from a USB drive. To add vinyl, the V10-derived moving-magnet phono stage means a turntable connects directly, no external phono stage required. We suggest the Pro-Ject The Classic EVO fitted with a moving-magnet cartridge, so it plugs straight in; a Rega or another Pro-Ject 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 you already own a streamer and DAC you like, or you build your system around separate sources, the fully analogue A200 is the same amplifier without the digital section, and gains a second balanced input in its place. If you want a more affordable connected Hegel, the H150 and H190V step down the range with streaming and a phono stage built in. 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 H200 is a full-width component and wants ventilation above and around it. 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 Sonus faber Lumina V clear of the rear wall, though its down-firing port makes it forgiving of placement; its 4-ohm load is well within the H200’s abilities. To add vinyl, connect the turntable to the moving-magnet phono input and its ground to the phono earth post. If you add an external DAC later, the coaxial DAC-loop output lets you keep the H200’s streaming and input switching. The variable pre-out can feed a subwoofer.

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