Pre/Power Amplifiers

Viking Power

Hegel makes no special claims for the prodigious output of its H600, in fact the only specification is a humorously precise '303W/8ohm'. In practice, however, the H600, like its H590 predecessor, resides in the top drawer of the world's most powerful integrated amplifiers. Its 315W/8ohm and 600W/4ohm output is very close to Musical Fidelity's latest Nu-Vista 800.2 [HFN Aug '23] which achieves 325W/8ohm and 575W/4ohm. Both amplifiers have big PSUs, tight regulation and 'relaxed' protection, achieving maximum dynamic peaks of 2.3kW (48.0A) and 2.2kW (46.9A), respectively, into 1ohm. McIntosh's MA9500 [HFN Jul '22] delivers 420W/8ohm but fares less well into low impedances (1.03kW/1ohm) in much the same way as Rotel's Michi X5 [HFN Jul '21] pumps out 446W/8ohm and 770W/4ohm but falls away to 590W/1ohm under dynamic conditions. Historically, only Krell's S-550i amplifier [HFN Jul '13] was marginally beefier at 2x336W/8ohm and 2.4kW/1ohm (49.4A). Judged by these standards the H600 looks to be more tolerant of insensitive and very harsh loudspeaker loads than almost any contemporary pretender to the crown of 'world's lustiest integrated'. We will keep watching, and testing... PM