Someone PMed me to compare them, so I took my Hegel H20 on a head to head against the F7. Here was my message to him:
The Hegel is by far the more exciting amp. Typically amps portray sound in two ways. One, they focus on what's there- emphasise the bass, emphasise the treble- you get the drift. The Hegel does this, bringing the sound into the room with you. Want to headbang to some mind-shattering EDM? The Hegel is tight-rope taut, explosive, like the best House dance club. It's incredible as a rock-out, balls to the wall, fun amp. But just like any good club, the Hegel comes with a bit of a hangover. There's always the nagging feeling that... eh? Is this a bit bright?
The F7 is more balanced. The bass sits side by side with the other frequencies like good friends on a camping trip. The bass is not recessed and weak, mind- it's just not a mind**** like the Hegel. The sound on the F7 is also more laid-back. The combination of that is that you always feel you are magically whisked away to where the music had originated, rather than the music being in the room with you, tickling your toes as you lie by the fireplace. (This, 'whisked away', btw, is the second way that amps protray sound in my book). The F7 also portrays the best type of laidback, bringing an effortless type of laidback that is very musical and never soft. Somehow the whole combination works great, and it never ever sounds lean. For example, on wind instruments and cymbals the Hegel sometimes sounds like an overaged foie-gras- vivid and splashy. The F7 on the other hand is like a textured chicken drumstick- you'll hear the harmonic bones, and you'll also taste the beautiful meat around the core. Both come together. The F7 comes across as detail combined with body and tone.
The two both have great flow, but they do it very differently. The Hegel sounds like an overzealous teen, a rebel without a cause, raring to go-go-go. On the other hand the F7 is like a fine, matured wine. It sits back, relaxes, and seems to say, don't believe I have enough power? Just watch me bust it all out without breaking a single drop of sweat! Indeed, it *never* breaks a sweat especially compared to the 100-or-nothing Hegel, but that's either a boon or a bane depending on your preferences. Both also have great soundstages, though the Hegel is always a bit edgier with instruments, whereas the F7 is always trying to sound as natural as it can. In fact, the Hegel can sound black and white in comparison- music-less parts of the soundstage turn pitch black while mixing with vivid white be-musiced ones, whereas the F7 is like a hundred shades of grey. You can see the whole stage consistently being recreated all around you; ever-present, ever nuanced, so nothing ever 'disappears' when you know there should be at least some subtle sonic cues there. The downshot? Less vividness.
In summary, if you prefer something a bit less bright, something more natural, go for the F7 and don't look back. It is simply incredible in this. And I want to make sure I make this point properly- it is not a sound that you'll sit back and think, 'man, that's really lacking in punch'. Like I said, it's really balanced. You won't find anything lacking, but if that knockout sensation is the only thing you cared about, then that's impossible to come from any balanced-sounding amp. If you primarily listened to EDM, bass, and want to always be rocking out to exciting stuff, though? Get the Hegel.
All this was with my Chord Dave as dac and preamp.
