Disc Players

Outside of those front panel control buttons, using the Viking is fuss-free, and reminiscent of a simpler era of hi-fi. Hegel's manual is blissfully short, with only a single page covering user features, which boils down to play, pause, stop, skip and forward/rewind. There's no shuffle function, which feels like a missed trick, nor are their numerical keys on the handset to access a specific track number, but neither is there anything else to worry about. You'll be up and running with the Viking in seconds.

Rolling In The Deep
If this CD player does actually turn out to be Hegel's last (unsurprisingly, it hasn't made that claim), the manufacturer will have gone out on something of a high. From the off the Viking earns quiet admiration thanks to the smooth, fast loading of discs and the responsiveness of its remote, and then from the first bars of music it captures your attention. It has an articulate and composed nature, sounding supple and fluid in the low octaves, delicate and musical in the midrange, and smooth up top. And while it lacks a little sparkle and bite, even when used with my reasonably energetic-sounding Primare PRE35/A35.2 pre/power [HFN Dec '19], this politeness is joined by exemplary soundstaging.

That last point in particular is worth stressing. Fed AC/DC's 2020 album Power Up [Sony Music/Columbia 19439744632], the way the Viking unfurled the production – and created an image with expressive depth – was striking. The opening track 'Realize' jumped out of the speakers in a crash of cymbals, drums and electric guitar, which is what I was expecting, but then settled into a groove where singer Brian Johnson was palpably ahead of his four bandmates, but not thrust forward unduly. The gang of backing vocals seemed to arrive from far behind, while the soundstage width gave Phil Rudd's drumkit a looming presence, cymbal on the left, hi-hat on the right, all easy to discern.

Meaty Treat
This AC/DC album sounded great, with clean, full guitar tones and clear percussion, but a more evocative demonstration of the Viking's nuanced sound came from Lyn Stanley's Live At Studio A [AT Music ATM3109]. Playing the CD layer of this SACD release, I was greeted again by a three-dimensional soundstage. Yet this time there was a far greater precision to the placement of instruments – particularly the way the varied percussion flitted around – and heaps more texture.

Perhaps most notable, on Stanley's jazzy take on Bobby Troup's 'Route 66', was the upright bass. The notes were thick, meaty and detailed, the impact of finger on string coming through. Equally, the Viking was happy to let treble details ring out and fade away, and captured the deliberately sassy inflections of Lyn's singing with ease. As the title of the album makes clear, this is a live recording, and the atmosphere and ambience was palpable.

Dark Star
The Viking's sound is one of succinct rhythms, masterful organisation and excellent balance, so that whatever is playing appears as it should. Kylie Minogue's disco-throwback album Fever [Parlophone 7243 535804 2 1] passed through Hegel's DAC and analogue stages without alarm, leaving its confection of synths, upbeat backing tracks and singalong choruses sounding both vibrant and immediate. Meanwhile, the darker compositions of This Stupid World by American indie stalwarts Yo La Tengo [Matador OLE 1929CD], with its often dissonant chords and raw production, also benefitted from the Viking's unfiltered performance. When Ira Kaplan sings 'I see my arms flail, I see the night alone' on the track 'Sinatra Drive Breakdown', the mood darkened… brilliantly.

That said, there's still that smooth, refined character to this player's overall sound that might not be to everyone's tastes. This does ensure lengthy listening sessions are free from fatigue, though, and the absence of treble attack isn't overplayed. Therefore, while the large, complex orchestrations of Thomas Newman's soundtrack to the James Bond film Spectre [Decca 4759509] are mellifluous, there's still plenty of separation between the myriad instruments, violins soaring above cello and brass, and the dynamic bursts of 'Backfire' and 'Snow Plane' free from constraint.

Piano Magic
Capping off what is an all-round performance that suits the Viking's not inexpensive price tag is a convincing midrange delivery. This player brought real insight to the breathy details of Lana Del Rey's singing, and the piano and acoustic guitar accompaniments, on Chemtrails Over The Country Club [Interscope/Polydor 3549781].

Its lifelike rendition of instruments means that even on tracks where there's little else to be heard – no dramatic swings in tempo, or rhythmic accompaniment – you'll still want to listen closely. At times, Michael Giacchino's sparse, almost funereal theme for The Batman [Water Tower Music WTM40831] consists of just a repetitive, low octave piano refrain and the occasional bell. Through Hegel's Viking, it sounded superheroic.

Hi-Fi News Verdict
While it's a surprise that Hegel has launched a new CD spinner, the sonic characteristics of the Viking shouldn't shock any brand regulars. Like its Mohican predecessor, this embellishment-free player has a refined, smooth nature that makes listening a pleasure and reminds us just how good the CD format can sound. Build quality and aesthetics also charm, but a power button on the remote wouldn't hurt!