Hegel H150 (aka Prodigy) Streaming Amplifier

While the H150 is a full-width amplifier designed to match standard hi-fi components, its depth of just 35 cm makes it easy to place on or into most shelves and media cabinets. Available in both black and white, the H150‘s clean, understated design complements any interior. Its robust construction includes a thick, precision-milled aluminum front panel and control knobs, with a steel top cover perforated with heat vents, adding to its compact, modern look. A central OLED display provides clear readouts from a distance and can be dimmed or turned off entirely to suit your environment.

The H150‘s 2x 75 W power rating might seem humble, but do not be fooled. This is no ordinary amplifier. The H150 features a custom class AB amplifier design with Hegel’s patented SoundEngine 2 technology, ensuring a class-leading damping factor of 2000 and stable operation down to 2-ohm loads. SoundEngine 2 preserves musical detail and dynamics with stunning clarity, offering an engaging and lifelike listening experience. The H150 is powered by a large, ultra-low-noise toroidal transformer and high-speed capacitors, supplying instantaneous current, giving the H150 the grip and punch to control all but the most demanding loudspeakers with ease. Inside the H150 is a competent, custom-designed, four-layered digital-to-analog converter (DAC). Inspired by the acclaimed Viking CD player, it leverages our latest digital advancements to extract rich, detailed sound from both connected digital sources and the internal streaming section.

Out of the box, the H150 supports an extensive range of streaming options: Spotify Connect, Tidal Connect, Qobuz Connect, Google Cast™ Apple AirPlay, and UPnP are all built-in, offering seamless access to your favorite services. The list is ever expanding, and automatic firmware updates keep you at the cutting edge as new services appear. The H150 is a modern performer that effortlessly stays ahead of the curve.

The H150 lets you easily connect your external digital sources. Two optical inputs (one TV-optimized), one coaxial input, a USB-B, and a network port accommodate everything from TVs, streamers, and game consoles to laptops and network nodes. A USB-A socket lets you connect a flash drive or powered hard disk (and even charge a phone or laptop), with library browsing handled by the Hegel Control app. A coaxial digital output can forward signals from the digital inputs to active speakers, a second system, or an external DAC in a DAC-loop mode, upgrading the digital stage without losing the H150’s functionality. It’s a level of flexibility that’s rare in amplifiers at this level.

The H150 isn’t just great with digital sources. Nothing is left to chance on the analog side either. The H150 has an unbalanced analog RCA input and a true electronically balanced XLR analog input. Most notably, the H150 has a high-quality Moving Magnet phono input that will complement any good MM-based turntable with details and dynamics that are usually reserved for dedicated phono preamps. The amplifier also has a good headphone output and a variable line level output, making it easy to add subwoofers or external power amps.