Hegel and Amphion Team Up For Yet More Awards at the Belfast Audio Show 2024 - Best VFM and Highly Commended

 Hegel were demonstrating their new streamer / DAC / pre-amp / power amp all-in-one H400 model, a recent £6k replacement for the highly regarded H390 model. The H400 uses the streaming and DAC elements of the £10.5k H600 version but with a less powerful power amp section.  Styling wise it will be difficult to separate H400 from H390 as Hegel continue their traditional house design language.

As is often the case, the Hegel was paired with Amphion speakers - in this case the largest of the standmount models in the Argon range, the 3S, here mounted on a very substantial pair of Custom Design FS-206 stands. Speaker cables were the entry level from Audiomica and power leads and distribution block were all domestic standard stuff. System price around £8.5k and, as such, the lowest cost on demo at this show.

I spent a long time in this room. This was one of the rooms that occupied the largest part of my listening time. Its something that's hard to describe, but both of these systems allow you to just sit back and take in the music (if I find myself sitting forward, it tends to be because I'm listening to the system, not the music - body language is an interesting topic!). First, its worth mentioning how the 3S speakers managed to convincingly fill a pretty large room, for such a relatively diminutive speaker - although they clearly don't do the very lowest and heaviest bass, this combo never felt underwhelming in that area, even with stuff like Kiasmos or Ghost Rider.  The Bill Frisell version of Heard It On The Grapevine seems a very straightforward track, but its actually not that easy for a system to convey the sense of dynamics when he attacks the instrument - no problem here. Hans Theessink's Slow Train also came across with a pleasing sense of rhythm and emotion. Its almost easier to describe what this system doesn't do - no shoutiness, no nasty edges, no dullness, just the music.

I really enjoyed this system - it was very close to taking the sound of the show award, but in terms of VFM at this show, an easy winner. One box, one pair of speakers, years of musical pleasure - simple.