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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
dbphd
1,058 posts
 
I've been using a Proceed Amp 2 to drive my LS50s with an Oppo 95 as source. I substituted a used Parasound A23 to check it out in this simple setup. The LS50s sound very good with either amp, but I think I prefer the sound with the Amp 2, a bit more presence and a bit less warmth. I think a used Amp 2 is just a few hundred dollars more than an A23, but they are older amps and don't have the neat audio trigger of the A23, a nice feature given neither an Oppo 95 nor 105 supplies a 12 v trigger for the Amp 2.

db
courant
118 posts
 
I've had nice results pairing the LS50s with an Ayre AX-7e. I listen mainly to jazz and classical. If you like the "ayre sound" and are able to run your sources balanced, it's another option to consider.
jpbas1
43 posts
 
I've owned several of the integrated amplifiers above; LFD; Naim; and Hegel H80 but never paired them with the LS50's. They've all been enjoyable when paired to my Penaudio Cenyas but will be able to finally pair my Hegel H160 and LS50's coming later this week.

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