Интегральные усилители — Hegel H120

The H120 is a streaming integrated amplifier from Hegel, the Norwegian electronics company based in Oslo. It arrived in late 2019 as the replacement for the Rost network amplifier, taking over its analogue amplifier section and pairing it with the digital board of the larger H190. It sold in Britain for GBP 2,200. In 2025 Hegel succeeded it with the H150, and the H120 now appears among the company's discontinued products.

Key specs that matter

Hegel rates the H120 at 75 W per channel into 8 ohm and specifies a minimum load of 2 ohm. The damping factor is above 2,000, frequency response runs from 5 Hz to 100 kHz, signal to noise ratio exceeds 100 dB and crosstalk stays below -100 dB. Analogue connections are one balanced XLR input, two unbalanced RCA inputs and one variable RCA output. On the digital side there is one coaxial input at up to 24 bit and 192 kHz, three optical inputs and a USB input at up to 24 bit and 96 kHz, plus an Ethernet port that accepts files up to 24 bit and 192 kHz over UPnP. Headphones plug into a 6.35 mm jack on the fascia. The chassis measures 10 x 43 x 35 cm and weighs 12 kg.

Engineering and use context

Its power stage relies on SoundEngine2, Hegel's patented feed-forward system that compares the amplifier output with its input and cancels the detected distortion by injecting a signal of reverse phase. DualAmp splits the current and voltage stages from the gain stage, and the design also draws on the DualPower and LineDriver circuits named by Hegel. The converter uses SynchroDAC, a balanced conversion scheme aimed at lower jitter and fewer conversion errors. Network functions cover Apple AirPlay 2, Spotify Connect and UPnP, with a Roon Ready upgrade offered later, while IP control and Control4 support allow integration into home automation. There is no Wi-Fi or Bluetooth, so the network link must be wired. The front panel carries two knobs, a central display and a power button placed underneath, and a metal remote handset comes in the box.

Pairing

Its low minimum load rating lets the H120 drive speakers with low impedance dips, and a powered subwoofer or an extra power amplifier connects to the variable RCA output. A turntable has to go through an outboard phono preamplifier, because the H120 lacks a phono input, and a computer or network drive can serve as the digital source through USB or Ethernet.

Alternatives

The Hegel H190v is the next integrated model up in the range, rated at twice the output into 8 ohm.