Усилители мощности стерео — Hegel C53

Hegel, the Oslo-based Norwegian electronics brand, makes the C53 as the three-channel member of the C5 line, which is aimed at custom installation, home cinema and multi-channel music systems. The series has three members sharing one chassis, with the C54 offering four channels and the C55 five. The C53 lists at USD 7,200.

Key specs that matter

Hegel rates each channel at 150 W into 8 ohm, 300 W into 4 ohm and 600 W into 2 ohm, measured at 1 kHz and 1 percent THD on 100, 120 or 230 V mains, and 2 ohm is the lowest permitted load. Frequency response covers 5 Hz to 100 kHz. THD stays below 0.01 percent at 100 W into 8 ohm, intermodulation with 19 kHz and 20 kHz tones is also under 0.01 percent, signal to noise ratio tops 100 dB, crosstalk is better than -100 dB and the damping factor exceeds 2,000. Each channel has its own balanced XLR and unbalanced RCA input, three of each in total. A 3.5 mm trigger input responds to 5 to 12 V, and a trigger output supplies 11.9 V. The case is 48.2 cm wide, 13.2 cm high and 52 cm deep including the handles but not the feet. Net weight is 28.5 kg, rising to 34 kg packed.

Engineering and use context

The channels are class AB and use SoundEngine2, Hegel's patented error correction, which allows the output stages to run at low bias and therefore produce less heat than a conventional class AB design. That is what makes installation in a closed 19 inch rack practical, and Hegel recommends leaving 1U of free space above and below the unit. The 3U chassis has integrated front rack ears, and adjustable rear mounting ears can be fitted or removed, while supplied feet allow free-standing use on a shelf. Gain can be set to 23 dB or 29 dB and phase to 0 or 180 degrees separately for each channel, so channels with different jobs can be matched to the preamplifier or processor feeding them. The trigger output can be daisy-chained to switch further C5 amplifiers or other components on together with the first.

Pairing

A typical role is driving the front left, centre and right speakers of a cinema system from an AV processor, or powering one speaker per channel in a three-way active setup behind an external crossover. The low minimum load covers demanding low-impedance loads, and balanced inputs suit long cable runs inside an equipment rack.

Alternatives

The Hegel C54 uses the same 3U chassis and per-channel ratings but adds a fourth channel for USD 8,300.