Hegel’s streaming integrated amplifiers, side by side. Here is the entry H95 alongside the H120 and H200 and their specifications, showing what your money buys at each step.

The H95 is Hegel’s entry integrated amplifier, and a complete music system in a single box: it amplifies, it converts digital, and it streams over the network, so it needs only a pair of speakers to play. Hegel is a Norwegian company with a particular philosophy, to add nothing to the recording and take nothing away, and the H95 pursues that with a modest power rating that its engineering makes go a long way. It is not a powerful amplifier on paper, and it is not built around vinyl. It is a streaming amplifier for the listener who wants Hegel’s clean, honest sound with the fewest boxes, and who can add a turntable later.

Brief product overview

A streaming integrated amplifier, DAC and network player delivering 60 watts per channel into 8 ohms from a Class A/B output stage, with a damping factor above 2000, around twenty times the industry average, which is why 60 watts drives demanding speakers with such control. The digital section is the key to the H95: an in-house DAC, the same as in the more expensive H120 and H190, fed by coaxial, three optical, USB and network inputs, with built-in AirPlay, Spotify Connect and UPnP streaming, and over-the-air software updates. Hegel’s SoundEngine2 technology reduces distortion to near-immeasurable levels. There are two RCA line inputs and a variable RCA pre-out for a subwoofer or processor, plus a headphone output. There is no built-in phono stage. The chassis is Hegel’s spare, minimalist design with an OLED display, and the amplifier is made in Norway.

How it sounds

The H95 sounds like Hegel intends all its amplifiers to sound: clean, neutral and honest, recreating the recording without adding a character of its own. The high damping factor gives it a firm grip on the bass and on the speakers, so it sounds more powerful and controlled than 60 watts suggests and drives speakers that ought to be beyond its rating with confidence. The in-house DAC, lifted from dearer models, is the standout, giving digital sources a smooth, precise and dynamic sound well above its price. It is a source-first amplifier, best understood as a streaming system that happens to have analogue inputs, which is why the two systems below start from digital and add vinyl as an extension.

What we’d partner it with

The H95 has streaming and a DAC built in, so a complete system needs only speakers. We pair it with the Amphion Argon 1, a compact Finnish two-way stand-mount whose neutral, transparent voice suits Hegel’s honest character, and whose 8-ohm load and modest sensitivity the H95’s well-controlled 60 watts drive comfortably in a small-to-medium room. Good alternatives from brands we carry are stand-mounts and small floorstanders from Dynaudio, Focal, KEF and Wharfedale, all of which suit the H95’s clean presentation.

For digital sources, nothing more is needed: the H95 streams over your network via AirPlay, Spotify Connect or UPnP, and its digital inputs take a TV, a CD transport or a computer. To add vinyl, the H95 has no phono stage, so a turntable connects through an added phono stage into one of its line inputs, an extension to the core system rather than part of it. We suggest the Pro-Ject Debut EVO 2, supplied with a moving-magnet cartridge, with a phono stage such as a Pro-Ject or Rega unit; 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 want more power and outputs for larger or more demanding speakers, the H120 and H190 step up the range with the same DAC and more muscle. If vinyl is central to your system rather than an addition, an amplifier with a built-in phono stage, or a system built around a turntable, will suit you better, since the H95 leaves phono to an external stage. And if you want tone controls or a warmer, more coloured sound, that is not what Hegel makes; the H95 is deliberately neutral.

Setup notes: The H95 sits easily on a rack and runs cool. 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 Amphion Argon 1 on solid stands clear of walls, with a little toe-in, for the best imaging. To add vinyl, remember the H95 has no phono stage, so connect the turntable through a separate phono stage into one of the RCA line inputs. The variable pre-out can feed a subwoofer if you want more bass extension.

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