CD Player/Transport Reviews

Hegel Music Systems Mohican CD player Manufacturer's Comment

Manufacturer's Comment

Editor: Thank you for publishing extensive and detailed technical measurements of the Hegel Mohican CD player.

We were surprised to see that the spectrum in fig.4 showed some low-level (–120 to –130dBr), discrete, 100Hz harmonic artifacts in the Mohican's analog output, because we have not seen these artifacts in our own measurements when testing the Mohican with Hegel's Audio Precision SYS2722A test systems.

After investigating this in Hegel's R&D lab, our conclusion is that the low-level 100Hz artifacts are inherent with the particular 0dB, 1kHz CD track used when John Atkinson took the measurement shown in fig.4, and that these low-level 100Hz artifacts have nothing to do with the Mohican. When we test the Mohican's analog output with a test CD-R burned with a 0dB, 1kHz, 16-bit WAV-file test signal generated by the Audio Precision 2722A, there are no low-level 100Hz artifacts in the Mohican's analog output.

We are happy to ship back the very same unit of Mohican that was originally measured by Stereophile, so that John Atkinson can verify our own findings.—Bent Holter, Technical Director, Hegel Music Systems

Further Testing Hegel shipped the review sample of the Mohican back to me and after this issue had been shipped to the printer but before it went on press, I retested the Mohican. Instead of using the CBS CD-1 test disc I had used to generate fig.4 in the review, repeated here as fig.1 (footnote 1), I used a CD-R that I had burned using both a dithered 1kHz, 0dBFS, 16-bit signal I had taken from the Audio Precision's digital output (fig.2) and one I had generated using Adobe Audition (fig.3). With these test tones, the spectra either had them at a lower level (Audio Precision) or were free from the 100Hz-spaced spuriae (Adobe Audition). The effect of the dither noise at the 16th bit can clearly be seen.—John Atkinson

517HeMo-Mancomfig1.jpg

Fig.1 Hegel Mohican, spectrum with noise and spuriae of dithered 16-bit, 1kHz tone at 0dBFS from CBS CD-1 (left channel blue, right red; 20dB/vertical div.).

517HeMo-Mancomfig2.jpg

Fig.2 Hegel Mohican, spectrum with noise and spuriae of dithered 16-bit, 1kHz tone at 0dBFS generated by Audio Precision SYS2722 (left channel blue, right red; 20dB/vertical div.).

517HeMo-Mancomfig3.jpg

Fig.3 Hegel Mohican, spectrum with noise and spuriae of dithered 16-bit, 1kHz tone at 0dBFS generated by Adobe Audition (left channel blue, right red; 20dB/vertical div.).


Footnote 1: The 1kHz, 0dBFS signal on the CBS CD was prepared without dither, hence the unmasking of the 100Hz-spaced artefacts in this review. That I had not realized this is due to the fact that when I last used this disc to test CD players, I was still using the Audio Precision System One analyzer, whose own noise floor would have hidden the spuriae.—John Atkinson
COMPANY INFO
Hegel Music Systems
US distributor: Hegel Music Systems USA
Baldwin Street
East Long Meadow, MA 01028
(413) 224-2480
www.hegel.com
ARTICLE CONTENTS

COMMENTS
es347's picture
Submitted by es347 on April 25, 2017 - 6:39pm

..but I just can't see buying a CD player these days especially one that costs five grand

volvic's picture
Submitted by volvic on April 26, 2017 - 6:47am

I would buy one if it had capacity to connect from external sources to its DAC. If not, not sure why anyone would pay $5k for a CD player without that feature. Even a late adopter like myself to computer audio now sees the need for all new CD players to offer. Still, nice machine and quality made in Norway, suppose Hegel thinks there are still people who only listen to CD's, in fact, they are not the only manufacturers that offer a stand alone CD player, I recall Parasound offering a CD player without any inputs for external computer sources, wonder how well they sell. I do hope Hegel sells more than seven.

Allen Fant's picture
Submitted by Allen Fant on April 26, 2017 - 5:47am

I am right there with ya- HR.
I collect 1st pressing CDs for the same reason you collect the Vinyl editions. Very nice coverage and review of the Hegel cd spinner.
Good to read about it being made in Norway and NOT junk-sourced to china (like so many of its competitors).

es347's picture
Submitted by es347 on April 26, 2017 - 7:18am

..but the way I listen is ripping them and loading on a NAS drive connected to a music server. Much easier to navigate your music and with a super high quality DAC better sound..

volvic's picture
Submitted by volvic on April 27, 2017 - 4:52am

I do the same, trounces my pricey CD players.

Allen Fant's picture
Submitted by Allen Fant on April 26, 2017 - 5:54am

JA-

what is the Signal-to-Noise (S/N) ratio on this player?
Whom can suggest a U.S. dealer/retailer for a demo?

GLADYS ZYBYSKO's picture
Submitted by GLADYS ZYBYSKO on April 26, 2017 - 8:03pm

recorded from 10' mics sounds a lot like the definition of distortion.

allhifi's picture
Submitted by allhifi on April 27, 2017 - 9:15am

Mr. Reichert: Now this (review) was much better; deftly navigating the torturous waters of both reviewing sensitivity and drawing comparisons.

But here, you've done reasonably well (as opposed to the other one I lambasted you on).

It would have been instructive if you experimented with PC's, IC's or other combinations with the Hegel Mohican.

I'm not even sure if you referenced the DAC-chip employed , or any other notable feature of the Mohican. I don't recall anything memorable.

In any case, the rightful 'takeaway' from this review is that the very 'up-to-date" Mytek "Brooklyn" slapped the Mohican back into yester-century, at less than half the price of the clearly over-priced Hegel.

Perhaps that eager show "smile" was meant to soften you up to some nice words about the Mohican, I'm pleased to see you did both that, and the right thing in drawing some comparisons.

peter jasz

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