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Hegel H80 for KEF LS50? Or other amp?

Hello all,

I am seriously considering the Hegel H80 based on the reviews I've seen and the recommendations of a few people who have heard it. My only concern is that my speakers are KEF LS50s, which drop to 3.2 ohms at their minimal impedance (although overall they are not an extremely difficult load) and have a sensitivity of 85db. The Hegel is claimed to sound more powerful than its claimed 75 wpc and to have a powerful bottom end. However, there is no specification into 4 ohms, and I'm worried that it will not have the dynamics or the bass that a more powerful integrated might have (for example, the Krell S300i is on sale for $1800 new and doubles down into 4 ohms - very tempting).

If any of you have experience with the Hegel into 4 ohm speakers, I'd love to hear about it. And if you have another recommendation for the KEF LS50s, I'd appreciate your input. I LOVE the speakers, but I just haven't found the right integrated yet. My listening room is about 14 x 16 feet, and I listen at moderate levels to a wide range of music.

Thanks so much!
Scott
smrex13
bertram37
5 posts
 
Scott, thanks for the great suggestions! I will try out the balanced inputs. I'll also explore the Oppo futher as this makes a lot of sense, given that it can play DSD files, USB disc drives, etc. I have a couple of balanced DACs that I have that I might bring to the office to play around with as well - a Cambridge Audio DacMagic and a Bryston BDA-1.

I'm on the hunt for good speaker stands as well. My ear height is 3'10" to the ground from my office chair, so I need a taller than typical stand. I have Skylan stands with my Harbeths at my house, which are fantastic; however, I don't think they make stands above 29/30". Sound Anchors are my present number one choice as they make stands above 30" and am considering placing an order tomorrow.
smrex13 OP
423 posts
 
Betram, did you get the Sound Anchors? I'm looking into speaker stands for the KEF now as well, and I'm interested in your thoughts.

Thanks,
Scott
bertram37
5 posts
 
I have the Skylan stands for my Harbeth Compact 7's. They are a great match. Skylan also makes a real nice looking stand for the LS50 that is I think 28" and appears to be reasonably priced. With my height and chair height, I likely will order the Sound Anchors today or within the next few days, since I need a stand that can go to 34 to 36" in height. The model that I like is the Sound Anchor ADJ1, wich is an adjustable stand. If I buy this I can adjust the height to the higher height at my office and if I ever decide to bring the LS50s home, I can lower the height to ear level with my home seating. The ADJ1 is expensive, though. Sound Anchors also has a single post stand that is much cheaper and a 4 post stand that is more expensive than the ADJ1.
thegoodarcher
70 posts
 
Hegel H80 can drive the LS with ease, its an excellent value for money amp - and yes with balance input the input gain is higher, my brother has it feeding the Harbeth M30 to good effect.
zek4u
44 posts
 
Will be comparing a Hegel H80 to my Croft separates shortly. Also internal Dac versus Benchmark Dac2 HGC balanced. I'll report back. Went back back to Harbeth P3esrs. Just the kind sound I like. I'm in heaven with the NOS tubes I got for Crofts. Just don't know if the Hegel will compare with the midrange and effortless beautiful sounds I'm getting right now. We will see. Adam
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