Hegel P30A

Hegel P30A

The Hegel P30A preamplifier replaces the P30 reference pre-amplifier that has been on the market since 2011.

For several years Hegel have known that the P30 was living on borrowed time because the extremely good transistors they used were being discontinued.

This was a problem because they were so good that finding something that could even come close proved to be very hard.

So, for years Hegel have been looking for replacements that could not only match, but also improve upon the performance of their pre-amplifier.

They have been testing and listening and testing again, and finally are able to launch their new reference pre-amplifier.

With a new design and vastly upgraded sound qualities, the P30A sets a new bar for what Hegel pre-amplifiers can achieve.

Hegel have given the P30A and the H30A the nicknames “The Conductor” and “The Orchestra”.

They of course work best together, but both can also be great individual upgrades to existing systems.

Speaking of upgradability, the H30A is designed as a mono power amplifier and performs best when used as such.

Hegel do however realise that some do not need that much power, and some want to try one before going for the full package.

That is why the H30A can also be used as in stereo mode.

The P30A is a fully balanced preamplifier with an attention to detail that is really something else.

With a host of unbalanced and balanced analogue inputs and outputs it will satisfy the needs of even the most dedicated stereo listener.

The Hegel P30A is The Conductor

With poise and control it conveys all the details, the grandeur, the feeling, and the complexity of any piece of music.

With precise timing and expert understanding of both the score and the musicians,

The Conductor brings forth the music just as it was intended to sound.

It handles low key jazz, stadium rock and everything in between.

Nothing added, and nothing subtracted, the P30A is the best conductor you will ever meet.

The Hegel P30A is their reference preamplifier

They have nicknamed it The Conductor because its job is to control the power amplifier with a signal that is as true to the music as possible.

In their view, the preamplifier is the most critical component in a great sounding system, and it is also the hardest to get right.

The very low amplitude signals coming from the source are easily corrupted, so an in-depth technical know how and clever engineering are needed to make sure the signal stays the same all the way through the preamplifier.

With the P30A they have deployed all their skills in doing just that.

First, they use single pair FET transistors that have no higher order harmonic distortion.

Within any batch of transistors, there will always be slight measurement variations.

This might be within the bounds of what is considered normal deviations, but for sensitive electronics like this, that simply isn’t good enough.

Therefore, Hegel’s founder and chief engineer Bent measures and carefully matches those transistors that have the exact same values.

Having perfectly matched transistors is of paramount importance to the performance of the preamplifier, and it makes the Hegel P30A sound very smooth and natural, without compromising on the details.

Furthermore, the internal layout is designed in a way that makes the signal paths within the preamplifier as short as possible.

This reduces the possibility of distortion coming from electrical interference.

To further reduce distortion, they also minimise the number of electrical components the signal passes through.

In the P30A the music signal only passes through two transistors and an ultra-low noise volume attenuator.

The P30A also uses Hegels patented Sound Engine technology.

This actively monitors the music signal for corruptions and corrects for intermodulation distortion using a feed forward design.

Sound Engine effectively removes distortion in real time as the signal is amplified.

All these steps make for a preamplifier that is very quiet and handles the sensitive low amplitude music signal as delicately as possible.

Even so, distortion of the signal can still happen, but the P30A has one more feature that takes care of this.

The Hegel P30A is fully balanced all the way through

This means you have two separate amplifiers, volume controls, and sound engine modules per channel.

With this design, almost all leftover distortion is cancelled out, and what you are left with is a signal that is as close to the original source material as possible.

The P30A offers a wide array of inputs and outputs.

It features 2 balanced (XLR) and 3 unbalanced (RCA) inputs and a fixed level Home Theatre input that allows you to integrate it into a Home Theatre system.

This input can also be configured to act as a normal input.

On the other end you have one balanced (XLR) and two unbalanced (RCA) variable outputs that are all active, allowing you to connect several devices at the same time.

One of the unbalanced RCA outputs can even be configured to be a fixed volume output.

The P30A also has a 3,5 mm IR-direct input and a 12V trigger output connector.

When you add it all up you get a highly versatile, extremely quiet, and natural sounding preamplifier that can be the heart of any high-end audio system.

You get the Hegel P30A A truly brilliant conductor of all music.

Specifications Hegel P30A

Remote control Volume, source, and mute

Inputs 2 x XLR balanced, 3 x RCA unbalanced and Home Theatre inputs

Outputs 1 x XLR balanced and 2 x RCA unbalanced outputs

Other connections 3,5mm IR-direct jack, 3,5 mm jack 12V trigger output

Signal to noise ratio More than 130 dB balanced mode

Crosstalk Less than -100 dB

Distortion Less than 0.005 %

Intermodulation Less than 0.01% (19kHz+20kHz)

Finish Black

Dimensions 9,6 cm x 43 cm x 30 cm (HxWxD),

Weight 7,2 kg