Hegel H390 Integrated Amplifier 2x 250 Watts

H390 - The Rebel

The H390 is the rebel of Hegel's integrated amplifier range. By offering much of the performance of their Reference products, albeit at a lower price, the H390 is a rebel that in one integrated product offers the same as others do in two or three. The Hegel H390 provides world-class sound, jaw-dropping power and comes packed with convenient services.

Key Features:
• 2 x 250 W/8 Ω
• 6 Digital & 3 Analogue Inputs
• Balanced & Unbalanced Analogue Inputs
• SoundEngine 2 Technology
• DualAmp Technology
• DualPower Technology
• Bit-Perfect DAC
• Apple AirPlay
• Spotify Connect
• Roon Ready
• Control4 Ready
• UPnP Streaming
• Headphone Output
• Software Upgradeable

A Rebellion Against the Established

Nicknaming the H390 "Robin Hood" is a bit bold, you may think. After all, it isn't pocket money and we are not giving it away to the poor. But it is a rebellion against the established. It is a rebellion because it offers extraordinary resolution and musical quality, typically found only in the most esoteric products, but at a reasonable price.

It is a rebellion against the establishment of "forcing" consumers into a user interface defined by the amplifier/streamer manufacturer. The H390 is very much at the tip of the spear in Hegel's pursuit of making mainstream sources sound their very best. Meaning the H390 is not just for the Audiophile. It is a product for the entire family to enjoy.

Then there is digital. If not using a turntable, you are probably using digital connections. Hegel designs both the analog and digital sections from, the ground up and in-house. The digital section in the H390 is unique in that regardless of the signal type or input, the music signal remains unchanged and untampered with in the H390. We call it a "bit perfect" DA-Converter. This is digital in its purest form. For those interested in deep tech, we even design digital clocks that will follow the sampling frequency in the music and "down-clock" when receiving a low-resolution file. For the non-techie, the result is a far more natural and "analog" sound as well as an unbelievable soundstage and realism.

A World of Connectivity

The H390 has Apple Airplay and UPnP streaming. We offer free updates with services like Spotify Connect, IP Control, and Control4. It supports most audio formats like DSD and MQA. All inputs are configurable for volume bypass, so you can integrate in a home theater or with a Bluesound or Sonos. Almost whatever you want, you can do it with the H390.

The H390 is a complete product. Great care has been taken in every step of the design. From carefully selecting and matching components to using the best measurement equipment in the world, in combination with our own ears. Real people gave us input on how they would want to use a stereo system. You can connect virtually anything you like. We call it Robin Hood because it takes strengths from our reference products and offers at a lower price.

SoundEngine2 Technology

At the heart of the H390 is Hegel's patented SoundEngine 2 amplifier section. The SoundEngine 2 allows a damping factor higher than 2000 together with extremely low distortion levels and, in many ways, works like a noise-cancelling headphone. A computer inside will sample what comes into the amplifier and compares it to what comes out. The computer subtracts the difference (distortion) and then add it into the music but in reverse phase. The result being that, without any time delay, the SoundEngine cancels out almost all errors made by the amplifier. Leaving you with the most musical and natural sound you ever have experienced.

The SoundEngine technology has been developed over more than 30 years, from conception to where it is now. Millions of dollars were invested in initial development. It is what makes possible the sound performance for the money in the H390.

DualAmp Technology

In normal audio amplifiers, the voltage gain stages and current gain stages are combined in the same amplifier module.

DualAmp Technology from Hegel separates the voltage gain stage and the current gain stage into two completely different stages. First, the music signal goes to the voltage gain stage, amplifying only the voltage level of the music signal. By doing only voltage gain in this first stage, we can use amplifier building blocks that are specially designed to do voltage amplification. After the separate voltage gain stage, we have the current gain stage, doing only current gain and nothing else.

The Hegel DualAmp technology gives lower total distortion and a higher dynamic range than normal audio amplifiers. The Hegel DualAmp technology is developed in-house by Hegel and is only found in Hegel products.

DualPower Technology

Hegel integrated amplifiers, power amplifiers, and sources are using completely separate DualPower power supplies for the input and voltage gain stages, and for the current output stages of the audio amplifier. The custom-designed Hegel power transformers have got separate DualPower windings feeding independent high-speed rectifiers and high capacity power supply capacitors.

By using the DualPower power supply technology Hegel amplifiers will prevent disturbances from the high currents flowing in the loudspeakers entering the sensitive input gain stages and voltage gain stages. The Hegel DualPower technology gives lower total distortion and a higher dynamic range than normal audio amplifiers. The Hegel DualPower technology is developed in-house by Hegel and is only found in Hegel products.

The Hegel Concept