Where Every Note Begins

It is a reference preamplifier nicknamed The Conductor because its job is to control the power amplifier with a signal that is as true to the music as possible. The preamplifier is considered the most critical component in a great sounding system, and it is also the hardest to get right. The very low amplitude signals coming from the source are easily corrupted, so in-depth technical know-how and clever engineering are needed to make sure the signal stays the same all the way through the preamplifier.

Engineering Without Compromise

It uses single pair FET transistors that have no higher order harmonic distortion. Within any batch of transistors, there will always be slight measurement variations. Hegel's founder and chief engineer Bent measures and carefully matches those transistors that have the exact same values. Having perfectly matched transistors is of paramount importance to the performance of the preamplifier, and it makes the sound very smooth and natural, without compromising on the details.

The internal layout is designed to make the signal paths within the preamplifier as short as possible. This reduces the possibility of distortion coming from electrical interference. To further reduce distortion, the number of electrical components the signal passes through is minimized. The music signal only passes through two transistors and an ultra-low noise volume attenuator.

It also uses Hegel's patented SoundEngine technology. This actively monitors the music signal for corruptions and corrects for intermodulation distortion using a feed forward design. SoundEngine effectively removes distortion in real time as the signal is amplified.

Dual Design for Perfect Harmony

These steps make for a preamplifier that is very quiet and handles the sensitive low amplitude music signal as delicately as possible. Even so, distortion of the signal can still happen, but it has one more feature that takes care of this. It is fully balanced all the way through. This means there are two separate amplifiers, volume controls, and SoundEngine modules per channel.

With this design, almost all leftover distortion is canceled out, and what is left is a signal that is as close to the original source material as possible.

The Heart of a High-End System

It offers a wide array of inputs and outputs. It features 2 balanced (XLR) and 3 unbalanced (RCA) inputs and a fixed level Home Theatre input that allows integration into a Home Theatre system. This input can also be configured to act as a normal input.

On the other end, there is one balanced (XLR) and two unbalanced (RCA) variable outputs that are all active, allowing connection to several devices at the same time. One of the unbalanced RCA outputs can even be configured to be a fixed volume output.

It also has a 3,5 mm IR-direct input and a 12V trigger output connector. The result is a highly versatile, extremely quiet, and natural sounding preamplifier that can be the heart of any high-end audio system.