Is the M2Tech Young/Hegel HD20 up to the level of an Anedio D1/2/Wyred4Sound DAC 2?
May 10, 2012 at 10:34 AM Thread Starter Post #1 of 5

voyager123

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In my country only a few DACs are avaible ,especially in the 1100 € price range, including the M2Tech young and the Hegel HD20.
I'm very curious if anyone compared these two to the medium priced ESS Sabre 9018 based Dacs.
 
May 11, 2012 at 2:47 PM Post #4 of 5
I've got a Hegel HD20 and have tried it against the Wyred4Sound DAC and the Audiolab MDAC, both using Sabre32. I felt it eclipsed both: warmer, smoother and more dance factor (PRAT). It sounds quite similar to the PS Audio PWD DAC actually. I've only tested it against the W4S DAC briefly, but that DAC didn't impress me much. I own the MDAC (which I easily prefer to the W4S due to filter settings etc), so I can compare those two more extensively. 
 
The MDAC wins on bass impact and control, maybe on detail retrieval too. The Hegel has a lot more PRAT, on a way different level there and it sounds more organic and natural. The HD20 sound is more pure and open too. Overall I prefer the HD20 to the MDAC, but they offer quite different presentations of music. Hegel gear is much warmer, musical and smoother. I prefer the Hegel HD20 over the MDAC, but the MDAC does many things really nicely too.
 
Hegel stuff isn't really known on these forums since they only recently entered the US market. Hopefully they'll get more reviews out soon. The HD20 is a superb DAC if you ask me. It would be really neat to see project86 review the HD11 or HD20 here someday.
 
As always though, I wouldn't trust forum opinions that much. Try to get a loaner HD20 from a dealer and try for yourself, preferably with a Sabre32 based loaner unit at the same time. No idea on the Young DAC, haven't heard it.
 
May 12, 2012 at 2:58 PM Post #5 of 5
Why didn't the Wyred4Sound impress you?
Don't you feel the HD20 too warm and lacking of detail?
I've the Essence One now, but it doesn't sound good enough to me, therefore i want to extend my budget, maybe I find a better sounding DAC at a reasonable price for it's performance.
Do you feel the HD20 is a big step up from the E1?
 

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