Hegel HD11 DAC

The assortment of mid-range DACs on the market is rather poor - this is affected by the orientation of manufacturers towards the young Internet generation of listeners. As for the uncompromising elite models, then they are not worth talking about. In the era of network technologies and computer formats, the prospects for physical media are not optimistic, and very few dare to spend a great sum of money on new CD transport and DAC.

It's nice that for the update the Norwegian company Hegel chose a model that occupies a middle position in the DAC lineup - this gives hope for a good sound at a not too high price.

The recently released HD11 converter is rightfully considered the successor to the HD10 model. At least they look very similar - the same small aluminum case with a front panel width of 21 cm and the same set of input interfaces: two coaxial, optical and USB. But, in fact, the similarity ends on this, since HD11 uses the new, much more advanced chipset from Asahi Kasei Microsystems instead of Analog Devices. Due to this, the resolution of the signal received via the TosLink optical input has been increased from 24/96 to 24/192, and via USB - from 16/48 to 24/96. A special matching circuit developed for the high-end HD20 model reduces jitter when using a cable with RCA connectors. At this point, they somehow do not pay attention when developing a technique for CD-Audio, but for high-resolution formats, its level may turn out to be too high. That is why HD11 instruction recommends you to give priority to the COAX input as guaranteeing the highest possible sound quality.

As for USB, the "Type B" interface is used here, designed to connect a computer. In this case, HD11 is defined as an external sound card according to the Plug & Play principle, i.e. whether it is Windows, Linux or MAC OS, drivers are not needed for operating system.

Another difference between HD11 and HD10 is the presence of a remote control with which you can select the desired input and set the volume level. It is also possible to control CD players and Hegel amplifiers, as well as software players WMP, Foobar, etc. with a standard interface without installing any drivers.

Hegel engineers prefer balanced circuitry, so for signal conversion we chose AK4399EQ, a stereo delta/sigma DAC with a built-in digital filter and balanced outputs for each channel. After them, the analog signal is purified from RF interference, amplified by line cascades of its own design and fed to the XLR connectors. RCA outputs are auxiliary, obtained by summing the balanced signal.

I start with the most complex material - violin pieces performed by a symphony orchestra. But immediately you pay attention not to the sound of the violin, but to the lower case. I once said that the DAC in the system determines not only the purity of the upper range, but also the structure of the bass. Of course, the last word here is for acoustics, but if the lower register is not correctly formed in the source, then even the subwoofer will not be able to improve its intelligibility and depth. HD11 has a lower operating range limit of 0 Hertz, which, at first, I didn't take seriously. So, the bass turned out to be so powerful and energetic that firstly it was perceived even as hypertrophied. In fact, you need to get used to it for a little, and the tonal balance seems absolutely adequate. An orchestra is really an orchestra, it plays in a hall where all the infra-low components are heard. Now, let's talk about the violin - the hardest instrument for a digital source. Due to the high harmonic resolution, it sounds natural, with characteristic roughness, or, as they say, rosin. Only in the uppermost octave some mechanicality is felt, perhaps a part of the overtones becomes less noticeable. But in terms of refinement and smoothness of reproduction, HD11 will not yield to much more expensive converters.

When playing a FLAC file via USB using a laptop with an autonomous power supply, dramatic sound degradation did not occur. And what is characteristic, the volume level has remained the same, which is very rare in modern devices. The dynamics is slightly tightened, the sound stage is slightly simplified, but the general character - bass, legible, dynamic - remained the same.

Hegel HD11 DAC photo