How Much Hegel Power?

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Created: 01 January 2017 01 January 2017

To Doug Schneider,

I’m looking for an amp for my PSB Imagine T2 speakers to replace a NAD C 375BEE. Would the Hegel H80’s power be enough for the T2, or do I need the bigger H160?

Thanks,
Narek A.
Armenia

Hegel’s H80 and H160 are respectively rated to deliver 75Wpc and 150Wpc (both in 8 ohms). Since each 3dB increase in speaker volume requires a doubling of amplifier power, that means that the H160 won’t play the T2s all that much louder than the H80 can. Still, you might need that 3dB of headroom that the H160 can provide, since it could mean the difference between running out of power and clipping during musical peaks versus having enough juice to sail through it all cleanly. Of course, this will all come down to how loud you play the speakers, which will depend mostly on the size of your room (bigger rooms tend to need more power) and the SPLs you typically listen at. From what I read, your NAD C 375BEE is rated at 150Wpc into 8 ohms, so you can use that as a gauge for how much power you need. Since I don’t know your room size or listening preferences, I’ll leave it to you to decide if the H80 can meet your needs or if you’ll need to step up to the H160. . . . Doug Schneider