Hegel H400 vs Hegel H600 Detailed Comparison

Hegel H400 vs Hegel H600

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Hegel H400

Integrated Amplifier | 250 watts RMS into 8-ohms

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Hegel H600

Integrated Amplifier | 303 watts RMS into 8-ohms

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Hegel H400

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Hegel H600

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Hegel H400

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Hegel H600

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Hegel H400 vs Hegel H600 Integrated Amplifier Comparison

In this review, we will be comparing H400 and H600, two Integrated Amplifiers by Hegel. Let's have a brief look at the main features of Hegel H400 and Hegel H600 first before getting into our more detailed comparison.

Key Specs	Hegel H400	Hegel H600
Brand	Hegel Norway · founded 1988	Hegel Norway · founded 1988
Power	250 watts x 2 channels into 8 ohms in a dual mono configuration, rated at 1 kHz and 1% THD	303 watts x 2 channels into 8 ohms in a dual mono configuration, rated at 1 kHz and 1% THD
Amplifier class	Class A/B	Class A/B
Damping factor	4000	4000
Built-in DAC	Yes	Yes
Phono input	No	No
Headphone output	No	No
Bluetooth	No	No
App control	Yes	Yes
Weight	20.00kg / 44lbs	22.00kg / 48.4lbs
Dimensions (H x W x D)	5-7/8" x 16-15/16" x 17-5/16" 150 x 430 x 440 mm	6-3/4" x 16-15/16" x 17-1/2" 171 x 430 x 445 mm

What size room are the Hegel H400 and Hegel H600 Amplifiers good for?

The size of the room in which you are planning to use these amplifiers is an important decision factor. Here we have compared their suitability to various sizes of environments considering their max power parameters:

Listening Environment	Hegel H400	Hegel H600
Near-field	Are you nuts?	Are you nuts?
Small Room	Bad	Bad
Mid-size Room	Poor	Poor
Large Room	Good	Good
Very Large Room	Good	Good

H400 and H600 are members of Hegel's H series of speakers. Below you can find the loudspeakers from this series.

Hegel H Series History

Model	Watts RMS (8-ohms)	Minimum Impedance	Built-in DAC
Hegel H200	150 watts	2-ohms	Yes
Hegel H600	303 watts	2-ohms	Yes
Hegel H400	250 watts	2-ohms	Yes
Hegel H20	200 watts	-ohms	No
Hegel H150	75 watts	2-ohms	Yes
Hegel H190v	150 watts	2-ohms	Yes
Hegel H95	60 watts	2-ohms	Yes
Hegel H30A	1100 watts	1-ohms	No

The rest of this page covers where each one wins, how they compare in size, their inputs and outputs, the full specifications and a verdict.

Reasons to choose Hegel H400 over Hegel H600

MSRP Price(*)	7,700USD vs 13,800USD	costs less (*prices may change depending on the seller, location and time)
Base Surface Area	1892.0cm²/ 293.3inch² vs 1913.5cm²/ 296.6inch²	takes less space in your room
Height	150mm vs 171mm	Easier to fit in smaller spaces

Reasons to choose Hegel H600 over Hegel H400

Watts into 8-ohms	303 watts vs 250 watts	Delivers higher power into 8-ohms speakers
Total Analog Inputs	4 vs 3	More options for connecting Analog sources

Size, drawn to scale

Both amplifiers and both views share one scale, so everything here is directly comparable. Hover a box for its dimensions.

One scale for both, aligned at the back panels the way they would sit against a wall, so the deeper one visibly stands further out.

Near-identical footprints. Hegel H600 is 21mm taller.

Inputs and Outputs

The input and output selections that are offered is an important factor when comparing two amplifiers. Here you can find how the I/O selections of the Hegel H400 and Hegel H600 differs from each other.

Hegel H400 Inputs

Total Number of Analog Inputs: 3
RCA Line Input
3 Optical Digital Input
2 Coaxial Digital Input
USB Input:
- USB-B audio input
- 32-bit/384kHz
Ethernet Port
XLR Input Port

Hegel H600 Inputs

Total Number of Analog Inputs: 4
RCA Line Input
3 Optical Digital Input
2 Coaxial Digital Input
USB Input:
- USB-B audio input
- 32-bit/384kHz
Ethernet Port
XLR Input Port

Outputs

One unbalanced fixed and one unbalanced variable RCA line out Preamp Outputs

Outputs

One unbalanced fixed and one unbalanced variable RCA line out Preamp Outputs

Balanced connections

Both have balanced XLR connections. A balanced cable carries the signal twice, on two conductors of opposite polarity. Interference picked up along the way lands on both equally and cancels when the two are recombined at the far end, so the longer the cable run and the noisier the surroundings, the more it is worth. Whether it also yields more power depends on how the amplifier is built inside - some are balanced end to end, others convert to single-ended internally and deliver the same either way.

Hegel H400 vs Hegel H600 full specifications

Every spec we hold for both, side by side

Specification	Hegel H400	Hegel H600
Overview
Brand	Hegel	Hegel
Type	Streaming Integrated Amplifier	Streaming Integrated Amplifier
Category	Streaming Amplifier	Streaming Amplifier
Channels	2	2
Amplifier class	Class A/B	Class A/B
Output devices	Solid State	Solid State
Released	September 2024	June 2023
List price	$7,700	$13,800
Series	H	H
Power and performance
Power into 8 ohms	250 W RMS	303 W RMS
Power, as rated	250 watts x 2 channels into 8 ohms in a dual mono configuration, rated at 1 kHz and 1% THD	303 watts x 2 channels into 8 ohms in a dual mono configuration, rated at 1 kHz and 1% THD
Minimum impedance	2 ohms	2 ohms
Damping factor	4000	4000
Signal-to-noise ratio	100 dB	100 dB
THD	0.005%	0.005%
Frequency bandwidth	5 Hz-180 kHz	5 Hz-100 kHz
Digital and DAC
Built-in DAC	Yes	Yes
DAC chip	Hegel bit-perfect DAC, 32-bit/384kHz over USB	Hegel bit-perfect DAC, 32-bit/384kHz over USB
Max bit depth	32-bit	32-bit
Max sample rate	384 kHz	384 kHz
DSD	Yes, DSD256 over USB and DSD64 (DoP) elsewhere	Yes, DSD256 over USB and DSD64 (DoP) elsewhere
MQA	Yes, MQA 8x	Yes, MQA 8x
Network and streaming
Wi-Fi	No	No
Ethernet	Yes	Yes
Bluetooth	No	No
Chromecast	Yes	Yes
Roon	Ready	Ready
Streaming services	Spotify, Tidal, Qobuz	Spotify, Tidal, Qobuz
Inputs
Analogue inputs	3	4
RCA inputs	Yes	Yes
XLR inputs	Yes	Yes
Phono input	No	No
Optical digital	3	3
Coaxial digital	2	2
USB input	Yes	Yes
USB type	USB-B audio input, 32-bit/384kHz	USB-B audio input, 32-bit/384kHz
HDMI input	No	No
Outputs
Preamp outputs	One unbalanced fixed and one unbalanced variable RCA line out	One unbalanced fixed and one unbalanced variable RCA line out
Headphone output	No	No
Speaker terminals	Binding posts	Binding posts
Features and control
Display	Yes	Yes
CD player	No	No
Radio tuner	Internet radio	Internet radio
Handheld remote	Yes	Yes
App control	Yes	Yes
Physical
Dimensions (H x W x D)	150 x 430 x 440 mm	171 x 430 x 445 mm
Dimensions, inches	5-7/8 x 16-15/16 x 17-5/16 inch	6-3/4 x 16-15/16 x 17-1/2 inch
Weight	20.00 kg (44.10 lbs)	22.00 kg (48.51 lbs)
Finishes	Black	Black

A dash means the manufacturer does not publish that figure, or it does not apply. 49 specifications compared.

Verdict

Siblings in Hegel's H range, so they share a design and a house sound. It comes down to power, features and price.

Area	Better	Why
Power	evenly matched	Effectively the same output - 250W against 303W into 8 ohms is under 1dB, which is not an audible difference in loudness.
Bass control	evenly matched	Similar damping factor (4000 vs 4000).
Noise floor	evenly matched	Much the same signal-to-noise ratio (100dB vs 100dB).
Built-in DAC	evenly matched	Both have a DAC on board with much the same capability.
Streaming	evenly matched	The same streaming platforms and services on both.
Analogue inputs	B	Hegel H600 takes more analogue sources - 4 against 3.
Room to grow	evenly matched	The same expansion options on both.
Price	A	Hegel H400 costs less - $7,700 against $13,800 at list.
Watts per dollar	A	Hegel H400 is the cheaper watt - about $31 per watt against $46. A blunt measure, and it says nothing about how either sounds, but it is the honest one for raw output.

A Hegel H400 B Hegel H600
depends neither is better in the abstract - it turns on your room, your system or how you will use them. Only specs published for both amplifiers are judged; anything missing on either side is left out rather than guessed.

Which should you choose?

Neither runs away with it - they trade advantages. Let the "depends" rows and the speakers you already own settle it. Think about the whole system: the roughly $6,100 saved by taking the cheaper one would buy better speakers or a subwoofer, which does more for the sound than the difference between two competent amplifiers.

What a spec sheet cannot show: how either sounds with your speakers, how the controls feel day to day, and what the app is like to live with - which is where most all-in-one amplifiers are actually won or lost. Power figures are the manufacturers' own and are not measured to a common standard, so treat small differences as noise. If you can hear both, that will tell you more than any row above.