Hegel H590 Integrated Amplifier 2x 301 Watts

H590 - Master and Commander

A MASTER at musicality. The COMMANDER of any set of loudspeakers. H590 is the name of Hegel’s ultimate integrated amplifier. The H590 includes user-friendly services such as Apple AirPlay, while at the same time embracing ultra-high-performance formats like DSD.

With SoundEngine 2 technology and Hegel’s finest amplifier implementation to date, the H590 really personifies our strive to bring High End to the people. The H590 uses the patented SoundEngine2 technology combined with very high power, low distortion amplifier design. The result is unmatched dynamic capabilities while still maintaining a smooth, natural sound with all the details of the music. You will experience a huge soundstage and only want to turn the volume up, up, up and up.

Key Features:
• 2 x 301 W/8 Ω, Dual Mono
• 7 Digital & 5 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

Award-Winning Reference Amplifier

The H590 is a reference amplifier throughout. The carefully designed balanced and unbalanced inputs, with hand-matched transistor pairs, ensure minimal distortion to the delicate signal from an analog source such as a phono stage. Via the preamplifier, with its dedicated high-quality power supplies and a unique volume attenuator, to the massive output stage where you will find 12 ultra-fast high-power output transistors… per channel. The H590 is a beast. Many people nowadays use digital music as their main source of listening, so great care has been put into the DA-Converter, where all signals will be kept in their original form throughout. If you play high-resolution or CD format, they will all be played in their native form for the best sound quality. Via the USB input, the H590 will also support high-end formats like DSD. The H590 includes MQA decoding and rendering technology, which enables you to play back MQA audio files and streams, delivering you the sound of the original master recording.

A Smart Streaming Amp

The H590 is also a dream for people who are into streaming. First of all, there is UPnP streaming and second, there is Hegel’s proprietary implementation of AirPlay. That means Apple Airplay user-friendliness combined with the high-performance Hegel sound. It does not stop there though, as the H590 is also software upgradable, and additional functionality will become available in the future. If you live in a smart home, the H590 can be a natural part of that too. With services like Control4 built in, and 2-way IP control for other smart home control systems, using the H590 can be as easy as switching on the lights. In short, while many high-performance audio systems are made “only” for the enthusiast himself, the H590 is designed to give joy to the entire family.

There is ease of use and there is security. Afraid that the kids will play too loud when you are away from home? No problem. Simply set a desired maximum volume level and lock it there. The H590 can even be used to provide better sound in your Home Theatre or to combine a Theater and a system for music listening. Do you enjoy your Sonos or Bluesound app and want to use those, but without losing the sound performance of the H590? No problem. Connect them, lock the volume on the input and you are in full control using only the Sonos app (example).

SoundEngine2 Technology

At the heart of the H590 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 H590.

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.

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