How do you spell “smooth”?  Some might say “D.A.C”.  When it comes to trying to play USB sourced music files on anything mid-FI, there’s no doing it without a DAC.  Hegel Music Systems, based in Norway is adding to their DAC product line with their new in-house designed HD20.  The HD20 is a 24-bit/192kHz USB and coax/TosLink DAC with a remote control. 

 The new HD20 is claimed to offer significantly higher performance then Hegel’s lower priced DAC models, incorporating technology that stores the data stream internally before building it up in a fashion that reduced jitter distortion.  The HD20 also has new impendence matching technology, permitting adjustment to compensate for less than perfect impendence in normal RCA digital cables.  

A rather unique functionality in the HD20 is that you are able to remote control computers that are connected to the USB port. If you start a play list you can use the HD20’s remote control to start/pause and browse around in your play list. No installation is necessary, and it works on both PC, MAC and most different types of media players. Including most streaming services like Spotify or Rhapsody. 

The HD20 has a high resolution 24 bit / 192 kHz D/A-Converter inside, and can play native 192 kHz from it’s coaxial and optical inputs. It also has the capability to stream high definition 24 bit / 96 kHz audio files over USB. 

The Hegel HD20 is currently available for approximately $2000 U.S.

 More details are available at: http://www.hegel.com

About the Author: George de Sa

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