Hegel Viking CD Player Review | Thomas Tan Reports...

[@psyphonyxaudio]

I have made a strong turn back to CD again. I may use streaming for convenience and mobile .. but I still get a really great sound from a Panasonic POS DVD player ..optical to my Rotel 1590mkii ( TI DAC ) .. The CD player sounds louder than Qobuz from my laptop streaming. I am comfortably fixed on investing on CD again .. also because streaming services cannot cut me off from songs I love. I prefer to keep my beloved music well within my own control .. instead of renting the access from some service.

[@HegelMusicSystem]

Thank you so much for the nice review Thomas. Loved watching it.

[@davewin1792]

So we get to take the edge off the presentation for 5 grand 😀 what a deal. Thanks Hegel

[@gokhanersan8561]

Hegel is fantastic isn’t it? Then, why did I return their 3K integrated to keep my Rotel A11, I wonder?

[@Harrisongrey19]

@@gokhanersan8561probably bc your wife told you too bc she wears the pants

[@paulpavlou9294]

I’m an old fart and slot loaders are a deal breaker for me. (I tend to scratch my CD’s with slot loading mechanisms) Top loaders are best and well made drink holder will do. I haven’t found a CD player that bests my modded OPPO yet. I tend to play a lot of SACD’s and XRCD’s. Thanks for the review.

[@Scottlp2]

Check out Hegel's last model, the mohican. Top loading, you might be able to find one used (I just did) and got good reviews.

[@marcob.7801]

I too have an Oppo (BDP105D) that I have used for 10 years but mine is not modded! May i ask, how you "modified" yours? I just use the balanced outputs straight in a Violectric V281 HP amp (I have a full setup with Legacy speakers et. al. but living in Brooklyn in a townhouse apartment, so....gotta be cool to the wife and neighbors.) I'm guessing your "modification" is in bypassing the built in Sabre DAC chips, yes?? ALSO, I wouldn't even TRADE a hegel or anytrhing else for the Oppo! The build quality is phenomenal!

[@wiebl5266]

Excellent review, but for 7.5K in my currency for a CD player, is outside of my sane budget. Your description helps me to hear the product in my head, outstanding!

[@ajay55556]

Thanks for a great review. I got the Viking and agree 100% with your comments.

[@RedSinter]

Thomas, we agree totally on the superior sound from CD's. My feelings are not a knock on LP's. I 💕 my LP's, but...and it's a big Butt ...the noise inherent in or as a result of the substrate, the magnetic attraction of, and or general any dirt devil interfering with my music. This of course is situation faced by many of us. This is a Back in the Day of 70's Audio where in comparison to today's components. My system then wasn't Top shelf but certainly not Bottom rung either. Yamaha CA-800, Akai Reel to Reel 8", Berson 1201a Dynamic Noise Reduction, Awai Cassette Deck, etc and spent around $1800-2000 and the fight to eliminate that which got in the way of the music. The Promise of CD's was a salivating desire just over the horizon... Well, as usual with everything life eventually got in the way and that system has to be sold off. I did eventually get my Holy Grail...CD player...headphones Stax and Grado's...and I haven't looked back...I still have my minuscule in comparison LP collection from the Day. However, I have way more CD"s and still buy them. I expect to buy more. Of course your mileage may vary and for you LP's may be King ... 👍 More power to you. They're just not for me or my ears. Thanks as always Thomas. But regardless of how it approaches the Ideal in your review and I like what I'm hearing, no pun intended, 😂 I'll be getting a Shanling either EC3 or ET3 for $ Styling, and the Review by John Darko. As $ I'm not likely to spend that much on 1 component as it exceeds my budget by half.

[@TheAgeOfAnalog]

My 2002 Pioneer Elite DV-47Ai DVD player, which I paid $10 for at a yard sale, which also plays SACDs, which features Burr/Brown DACs, sounds incredible. I'd be shocked if this Viking sounds appreciably better.

[@J.LuxeInstallations]

🤣

[@Scottlp2]

An interesting question is CD player vs same CD ripped and played from eg hard drive. Any thoughts?

[@J.LuxeInstallations]

It would depend on the quality of your CD player / DAC versus your Digital Streamer / DAC and how those match your system.

[@marcob.7801]

Once the CD is "ripped" you are losing quality!

[@BobMetcalf]

I'd like a comparison with the Bryston BCD3 player.

[@mikedstringer]

Good call, I’m looking at that as well (to replace my bcd-1)

[@damianzaninovich4900]

Looks like a great machine, nice review. I just read in Hi Fi News and Record Review where the author said most streams are taken from CDs. No one is loaning out their master tapes. I use a Denon dcd a100 I bought used for a grand. Released in 2010 I think it sounds excellent. Not embarrassed by LPs and sometimes superior. I think Hegel made a good choice not including SACD. While it’s better there aren’t a lot of discs and it slows down the player. It takes noticeably longer to start a disc even in red book. Still an overbuilt highly desirable cd player with a great remote that operates the matching PMA a100 integrated I got for $1200. I use a Doge 10b integrated though since your rave review a few years ago.

[@leviuslee8896]

I was expecting 2 things from this review. 1. What was improved from Mohican. 2. The reason why they chose 16bit over upsampling?

[@oldschoolaudioenthusiast]

No cup holder, bummer! LOL.

[@silkhead44]

A sony Universal player $400.00 5:31 playing sacd through a $200 SMSL dual chip DAC with DSD and MQA might really surprise you

[@TheOhamd]

Hello. I ordered a book from you on November 5th and nothing has happened so far. I asked at least 4 times by email ans social media, no response. What's wrong with you? I want my Money back!

[@razisn]

I've always suspected Hegel is overpriced and big in BS, marketing and PR, now both the product and your review prove it beyond any reasonable doubt.

[@dingskydongsky]

totally overpriced

[@Kami84]

The integrated amplifiers are not overpriced. I tried like 12 different amps and ultimately settled on a Hegel.

[@Harrisongrey19]

People who can not afford something will always be envious

[@daveyurkovich9459]

👍

[@jackfalco5351]

I find when streaming from Amazon’s highest resolution they usually sound much more analog than the standard 44 k streaming. Like smoother.😉

[@marcob.7801]

Has to be a top loader or tray loader. What hegel has there is a scratch and smudge machina, guaranteed!

[@r423fplip]

A cd player will never be the best source. Does the viking cd player output what's on the disk ?

[@hotspurs66]

Sop clapping your hands, please...

[@cesarjlisboa7586]

My upgraded Marantz SA8260 do better, for away less money

[@JohnMoog-ug6bk]

I have SA8005 from 2016 - what would improve on that?

[@cesarjlisboa7586]

Power supply

[@goodsound4756]

What a fail: should play back SACD as well and digital output DSD via USB so I can feed my external DAC.

[@audiotron]

SACD is a totally different format that requires a different drive and DAC configuration. It has nothing in common with CDs except being stored on a disc.

[@goodsound4756]

@@audiotron thanks for your comment, but how is this supposed to invalidate my wish? The problem is not by technical Nature, but by copyright protection measures. Since the beginning of SACD Sony said "no digital output".

[@dannytse8767]

@@goodsound4756 DSD can be transmitted via HDMI on Sony's SACD capable Blu-ray players and Oppo's players for years.

[@michaelharness3258]

😂old tech for old fools?

[@jamesderby4522]

Scratchloaders, hard pass

[@Carl-yx1ww]

Foolishness