To Hans Wetzel,
I was wondering if you had a moment to help me make a decision. The used prices of a Devialet 200 and Hegel [Music Systems] H360 are somewhat converging, making them an option for somebody like me. Doug Schneider wrote that you had both a Devialet 200 and the H360, making you uniquely qualified to share your insights. I was wondering what your feeling is about these two after having lived with them for a while. I love the detail and precision of the H360, though it is a bit drier than I would like in a perfect world. I listened to the Devialet 200 a year ago, and, while I loved the detail, I remember it being a bit like a disembodied musical experience, maybe more cerebral than visceral. What’s your verdict?
Sonja J.
United States
That’s a tough call, Sonja. Objectively, the Devialet is the better amp. Its utter lack of distortion and super-low noise floor make it a state-of-the-art one-box solution. The Hegel’s more traditional architecture means that it falls a bit short of the Devialet in each of those respects. That said, I find the character of their sounds to be fairly similar, so I can appreciate your finding the Hegel a little “dry” and the Devialet more “cerebral.”
For me, I’ve kept the H360 and will likely continue to do so until Hegel replaces it. The Hegel’s flexibility makes it a useful tool for a reviewer, and more importantly, I think that the Hegel sound hits all the right spots for me. However, if I were to retire my laptop and give up the reviewing game forever, I would probably go with the Devialet -- the sound, the remote, the network control using Devialet’s AIR, all makes plenty of sense to me.
Since the above probably isn’t of all that much help to you, I’d highly suggest you read my review of the Devialet Expert 130 Pro, which will be published on SoundStage! Hi-FI soon. It might prove illuminating. . . . Hans Wetzel
