December 2025

Luxury Sound That Won't Break the Bank: Hegel H150 Streaming Amplifier Review
A great value for audiophiles and a smart buy for music lovers.
Review By Paul Schumann

   Last year, I was lucky enough to review the Hegel H400 Streamliner, an integrated amplifier with a built-in streamer. It was a well-designed piece of equipment that sounded great. When I was offered to review its smaller sibling, it was an easy yes for me. The H150 Streaming Amplifier is Hegel's newest integrated amplifier on loan here at Enjoy the Music.com. The very clever engineers nicknamed it "The Prodigy" because, while being an entry-level product, it is loaded with features normally found on more expensive units. 

Technical Bits
Hegel's

The H150 is rated at 75 Watts per channel stereo (Wpc, two channels) with a custom Class AB amplifier design featuring Hegel's patented SoundEngine 2 technology, ensuring a class-leading damping factor of a high 2000 and extremely stable operation down to very challenging 2-Ohm loads! The Hegel H150 supports an extensive range of streaming options, including Spotify Connect, Tidal Connect, Qobuz Connect, Google Cast, Apple AirPlay, and UPnP. Hegel's H150 gives you several ways to connect to external digital sources: two TosLink optical inputs (one TV-optimized), one S/PDIF coaxial input, a USB-B, and an Ethernet network port that accommodates everything from TVs, streamers, and game consoles to laptops, and network nodes.

A USB-A socket lets you connect a flash drive or powered hard disk (and even charge a phone or laptop), with library browsing handled by the Hegel Control app. A coaxial digital output can forward signals from the digital inputs to active speakers, a second system, or an external DAC in a DAC-loop mode, upgrading the digital stage without losing the H150's functionality.

On the analog side, the H150 has unbalanced analog RCA inputs and true electronically balanced XLR analog inputs. Most notably, it also has a high-quality moving magnet phono input. The amplifier also has a headphone output and a variable line level output, making it easy to add subwoofers or external power amps. I compliment Hegel for adding so many features to one of their entry-level products.

As I mentioned, when I reviewed the H400, I was unable to stream Qobuz directly through it, which was a little bit of a disappointment. Since Qobuz Connect was available, I could stream it directly through the H150 for my review. This interface worked flawlessly with my laptop. For some critical listening, I put on Respighi's Ancient Airs And Dances & Trittico Botticelliano [Telarc – CD-80309]. I don't own a physical copy of this recording, so I've been listening to it a lot on Qobuz. This music was a birthday gift from Respighi to his wife. To write this, Renaissance and early Baroque keyboard and lute pieces were arranged for the modern symphony orchestra. I've always found this to be a charming collection of music that puts me in a good headspace.

Listening to these pieces with the H150, I was able to enjoy the beautiful Telarc recording. The string sound of the Orchestre De Chambre De Lausanne was perfect in tone and balance. The dynamics flowed effortlessly from pppto fff. Respighi was a master orchestrator. With the H150, I was able to marvel at the beauty and intricacies of his arrangements. It was a wonderful experience, and I didn't want it to end.

I was eager to try out the Hegel H150 phono stage, as it's a special feature to include in a modern integrated amplifier. To put it through its paces, I listened to Andre Previn's interpretation of The Planets [Angel Records – S 36991]. Not too long ago, I bought Zubin Mehta's famous recording with the LA Symphony. While the sonics were amazing, I never warmed up to the performance. So I went ahead and pulled the trigger on Previn leading the LSO. While they do an admirable job on the big moments on "Mars" and "Jupiter", it's the quiet moments where they shine. On the opening of "Venus", the H150 brought out the inner glow of horns and woodwinds in one of Holst's finer moments.

On "Mercury", I was able to hear how Andre deftly handled the whiplash-inducing changes in dynamics on this piece. On "Saturn", I could feel in my gut the ominous growl of the double basses and bassoon, which sent a chill down my spine. Also, for the first time, I realized this piece was a funeral march. I could clearly hear the interplay between the celeste, harp, and strings on "Uranus". I was also stunned at parts where the woodwinds and strings were in perfect synchronicity. I usually don't get more than one rendition of a classical piece, but this version made me glad I did.

To check out the CD player, I listened to Leonard Bernstein conducting his first two symphonies, the Jeremiah Symphony and The Age of Anxiety [Sony Classical – SMK 60697]. I like both pieces, but "The Age of Anxiety" is just a cut above. Bernstein wrote it as the specter of nuclear war became a reality in 1949. While officially a symphony, it's almost a concerto with such a prominent piano part. It opens with two clarinets, one playing a mournful melody and the other a countermelody. The sound of these two woodwinds playing alone in a cavernous symphony hall was utterly mesmerizing. With the H150, I heard every breath, every depressed key, and closing valve as they reverberated in that massive space.

Then, after a few measures, they were joined by a harp and the rest of the woodwinds. Then I heard something new. Behind the woodwinds, a timpani was rumbling at ppp, barely audible. When the piano joined in, it too sounded lost in the cavernous hall, yet I could still hear Philippe Entremont's piano bench creak as he played. It was an entrancing beginning of an amazing piece, and I appreciated how the H150 brought out all the nuances.

Another feature I explored was the built-in headphone amplifier. I got out my trusty Grado SR225e headphones and dropped Leith Ross's I Can See The Future [Republic Records – 602478514036] on the turntable. This is their newest album, and I highly recommend it. Leith is one of those singer-songwriters who keep my musical life interesting with their genuine from-the-heart music. Listening to this well-recorded album with my Grados, I was able to experience Leith's sweet, breathy voice intimately. The song "What Are You Thinking About?" is a simple jazz trio. On it, Henry Solomon's close-miked solo sax sounded as if it were recorded from a jazz album from the early sixties. While listening to "Grieving (Reprise)", the echo in the guitar was haunting. I was quite impressed with the H150's headphone amp performance.

How did the Hegel H150 sound overall? Very much like H400, which is a real compliment. Like its bigger sibling, it is a very neutral-sounding integrated. The bass was strong, the mids neither forward nor recessed, and the highs refined. Also, like the H400, it was extremely quiet, even when listening to it with the super-sensitive Voxativ Hagen² Tower I reviewed in October. I know that those reading Enjoy the Music.com will love the immersive soundscape, which was quite impressive! When I listened to The Planets, the full LSO was spread out before me with hall spacials immersing me.

I want to congratulate Hegel for what they have accomplished by creating the H150. It has great style, elegance, and functionality. They loaded it with many great features. It has a true high-end sound. Yet it is priced to fit in the budget of many beginner audiophiles. All of these features combined make the Hegel H150 "Prodogy" the value I have reviewed.

Specifications
Type: Streaming Integrated Amplifier
Power Output: 75 Watts @ 8 Ohms per channel
Frequency Response: 5Hz to 100kHz
Signal-To-Noise Ratio: More than 100dB
Crosstalk: Less than -100dB
Distortion: Less than 0.01% @ 50W 8 Ohms 1kHz
Intermodulation: Less than 0.01% (19kHz + 20kHz)
Damping factor: More than 2000 (main power output stage)
Analog Inputs: Balanced XLR and Unbalanced RCA
Phono Input: Unbalanced RCA for Moving Magnet (MM)
Digital Outputs: Coaxial S/PDIF – 24-bit/192kHz
Digital Inputs: Coaxial RCA (S/PDIF 24-bit/192kHz), two TosLink optical (24-bit/96kHz),
      USB B- (24-bit/192kHz), USB A 2.0 - USB Drives, and Network (24-bit/192kHz)
Line Level Outputs: Unbalanced variable RCA
Streaming: Spotify Connect (lossless), Tidal Connect, Qobuz Connect, Apple AirPlay,
      Google Cast, airable Internet Radio and Podcast, UPnP (Roon Ready pending certification)
Streaming formats: MP3, WAV, FLAC, ALAC, AIFF, AAC, PCM, Ogg
Dimensions: 17" x 13.8" x 3.93" (WxDxH)
Weight: 21.4 lbs.
Price: $3600

Company Information
Hegel Music Systems AS
PO Box 2, Torshov
NO-0412 Oslo
Norway

Voice: +47 22-60-56-60
Fax: +47 22-69-91-56
E-mail: info@hegel.com 
Website: Hegel.com