Hegel V10

The Hegel V10 is a phono preamplifier dedicated to playing vinyl records, designed to amplify and correct the signal from an MM or MC cartridge before it passes to an amplifier or line preamplifier. It is aimed at systems where the turntable is a source in its own right, with signal processing handled by discrete transistor circuits rather than integrated chips.

The MC input gain is adjustable across four values, from 54 to 66 dB, with a load impedance adjustable between 33 and 550 Ohms, allowing the unit to be matched to moving coil cartridges of different sensitivities. On the MM input, the load capacitance is also adjustable across several steps, from 100 pF to 420 pF at 47 kOhms, a setting that directly affects treble reproduction depending on the cartridge used. RIAA correction accuracy is ±0.2 dB between 20 Hz and 20 kHz, and a subsonic filter cuts at -3 dB from 20 Hz with a slope of -18 dB per octave, useful for limiting infrasound caused by record warping. Output noise level drops to -81 dB in MC, with distortion below 0.009% and crosstalk of -84 dB at 1 kHz, figures reflecting a clean signal well isolated between the two channels. The chassis is divided into two compartments separating the power supply from the amplification circuits, and the MC input uses four discrete JFET transistors mounted in parallel to reduce the noise inherent to this type of cartridge.

This phono preamplifier is aimed at vinyl enthusiasts who already have a turntable fitted with an MM or MC cartridge and want a separate component rather than a phono stage built into their amplifier. The RCA and balanced XLR outputs, both with an output impedance of 200 Ohms, allow it to be connected to equipment fitted with unbalanced or balanced inputs.