Bristol Show 2026

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At the upcoming The Bristol Hi-Fi Show we once again have two rooms featuring Hegel integrated streaming amplifiers, this year both systems are partnered with Amphion loudspeakers.
In room 220 we have the award winning H150, nicknamed Prodigy, it is a compact yet powerful amplifier and delivers high quality streaming, a DAC, a phono stage, and sounds superb too. It is driving Amphion Argon 1 and is an excellent combination.
In 222 we have another award winner, H400, nicknamed Streamliner, a supremely capable and yet simple to use amplifier. It has a high quality streaming engine, a DAC, sounds powerful yet controlled, nimble and precise but maintains the musical excitement. It is driving one of the new Amphion loudspeakers Argon 3X which feature a new beryllium HF driver, just like the one used in the reference Krypton 3X.
Two great systems, each cabled with Audiomica and using MusicWorks power and AcouPlex isolation products to ensure the best possible performance. We hope to see you there!

Auden at Bristol Show 2025

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The Bristol Hifi Show is held on the third weekend of February each year, this year we were excited to be once again showcasing Hegel along with some of our other brands at this long running annual event. This is the first show we do each year and is still the busiest we work at in the UK show calendar.

 

Just as in previous years we had 2 of the bedrooms on the second floor and for this event we had a brand new product to demonstrate, the world first showing of the Hegel D50 DAC. Known as “The Raven” in the marketing materials it is a pure DAC, no pre amp no streamer, it is designed to do one job as well as possible, not try to be a jack of all trades. There are lots of good things to talk about with the D50 and here is a link to the Hegel website where you will be able to read all about it. To say it was well received is an understatement, nothing is right for everyone but pretty much all the comments we received were super positive. The D50 was connected via the DAC loop feature to a H600 and then out to the EgglestonWorks Nico Evo loudspeakers.  It allowed great scale yet you can hear the most subtle nuances of the performance. The spaces between instruments and multi-layered vocals were also notable and we regularly heard comments along the lines of “I haven’t heard that in this track before” It was a superb sounding system that allowed the music to work without sounding analytical or harsh. Very revealing and enjoyable to listen to.

In the second room, we focused on the very capable and popular H190V. this year we showed it in the optional white finish along with a Luphonic H2 turntable and a pair of white Amphion Argon one. It looked great as a combination, but it sounded even better than it looked. The H190V is a great hub for an audio system, in built DAC, streamer, MM phono stage, and a very accomplished amplification section. The agile fluid sound from the turntable is handled with finesse by the H190V and it then takes tight control over the Amphions to create what must be one of the most listenable systems at the show. Again, as with the other system, we garnered lots and lots of positive comments.

Both systems were wired with Audiomica cables for signal and loudspeakers. The power and isolation products were by MusicWorks. These 2 brands have been at every show we have done for over a decade and form the foundation on which our dem systems are built.

 

Thanks to all of you that visited us, 2 Hegel rooms, 2 great sounding systems, lots of happy visitors. For us, the Bristol Show was a great success once again.

Audio Show Deluxe 2024

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The recent Audio Show Deluxe was another enjoyable weekend, thank you to everyone who visited and took the time to listen to our system and the cable demo.

 

Combining a relaxed and unhurried vibe, the show built on the success of the 2023 inaugural event. Plenty of quality audio systems to experience and as part of that we had 2 great demo areas. A nice big system in Hockenheim room, and a smaller system in room Syndicate 10.

 

The big system was so enjoyable and easy to listen to, just as it was last year. The Hegel P30A and 2 H30A pre/ powers combination was the heart of the system, feeding into the extremely capable EgglestonWorks Viginti loudspeakers. It was fed by both the Hegel Viking CD player directly into the preamp, and an Innuos Statement NG fed through the Merason DAC1mkII. The system was completely cabled with Audiomica and power products and isolation provided by MusicWorks. It had authority, was dynamic and detailed, all without straying into harshness, very coherent and rhythmic, an excellent combination garnering many positive comments.

We also gave a sneak peek of a new brand we are introducing to the UK this year, Luphonic turntables.

The smaller system was Hegel H600 and Viking driving EgglestonWorks OSO. Again Audiomica cables with power and isolation provided by MusicWorks. This room was used by Marcin from Audiomica to introduce the brand and carry out comparative dems. We had many positive comments about this room too, it was great to be able to show how good Audiomica cables are.

 

Overall, a great weekend playing music on a superb system, and showcasing our favourite cable brand.

 

Audio Show Deluxe is shaping up nicely to be an important part of the audio show calendar.

See you at North West Audio Show!

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The weekend of June 17th 18th is the North West Audio Show, this will see our second big room appearance at audio shows this year. In March we had a great time at Audio Show Deluxe and we are expecting NWAS to be just as much fun.
At this year’s show we have several firsts from our brand partners across 2 rooms.
In the Bell Suite, just beyond the bar area, we have our main system and display area. Source will be an Innuos statement. This system will feature the new Amphion Krypton 3X, the first time in the UK following its recent release, we have had amazing results from the previous version here, so we are looking forward to hearing these.
To power them we are using the superb Hegel P30A and H30A pre and power amplifier. This is the first time we are using this combination at a public show and as with the Amphion, we are keen to hear these together.
Just as we have done for more than a decade, we will be wiring the system with Audiomica cables, with power products from MusicWorks. For many years we have also used isolation from MusicWorks, and this year is not going to be an exception. We will also be using their AcouPlex furniture which is a very exciting development from the company.
The DAC we are using is the Merason Audio DAC1 mkII, and this is the first show for us as the official distributor of the brand. We have been very impressed with how this unit performs so it will be good to hear it with the Hegel and Amphion combination.
On display we will have the range of Hegel integrated amplifiers and the Amphion Argon range. You will also be able to get up close to the magnificent EgglestonWorks Viginti, alongside the Nico and OSO.
The weather is forecast to be warm so the space we have and the doors being open make the Bell suite a nice place to listen to some good music on a very good system.
This year we also have a bigger second dem space, room 121. There we have a first at a UK show combination. The CAAS audio pre and 2 mono amplifiers, beautifully made hand made in the UK these are very listenable electronics.

They will be driving the EgglestonWorks Emma EVO, the first time we have used these at a show in the UK. Last year we had the Viginti in the main system and the Emma EVO derives a lot from the technologies and techniques debuted on that model. Fed by a Rega P8/Apheta 3 via a Hegel V10 it will sound great.
Audiomica and MusicWorks provide the cables, power products, and isolation, as always.
With these 2 great sounding systems, we are looking forward to the show, and whilst we understand It can be difficult to pass through the bar, please do as it is definitely worth it!

Amphion wins another award.

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The highly respected UK magazine HiFi+ has awarded Amphion Argon 7LS the award for Best Floorstanding Loudspeaker up to £10,ooo. This is a great award to receive and illustrates what good value the 7LS is at £4000. Thanks to the staff at Hifi+ for the honour, you can read the citation here.

 

Hegel and Amphion Hifi+ review

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Steve Dickinson reviews the Hegel H190 paired with Amphion Argon 7LS in Hifi+ magazine. Safe to say he likes the brand pairing, you can read the review here HIFI+181 Hegel_LR

Lucky Friday the 13th at Moorgate Acoustics

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Friday the 13th of March will see Amphion, Hegel, and me at Moorgate Acoustics in Sheffield for an open day. Showcasing the two brands and how well they work together, we will have various systems on demonstration including the Amphion Krypton driven by the Hegel H590. Those of you who have visited the Auden Distribution suite at the North West Audio Show over the last few years will know how good this combination sounds, for those of you who haven’t had the chance to hear it, well it’s your lucky day. We’ll also have the Hegel H390, H190 and H120 on dem, and the Argon 0, 1, 3 3LS and 7LS. All in all it should be a good afternoon, so please feel free to register and come along.

here is a link to the event page Amphion/Hegel Moorgate Acoustics

Made with Amphion

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Amphion has gained an enviable reputation in the world of studio monitors, many producers and engineers have converted to the brand. The developments in the pro field and residential field cross pollinate so both ranges benefit. To keep up with how many artists and music this impacts, Amphion regularly create a playlist on several music streaming platforms. I’d be surprised if you like it all, but you will be surprised at the breadth of music making Amphion is involved in. Billie Eilish, Justin Bieber, Beck, Sepultura are all in the latest one, links below.

Listen on Tidal

Listen on Spotify

“Just what I need at home” Bristol Show success.

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The 2020 Bristol Show was a great success for the brands we work with at Auden Distribution. Hegel had a room dedicated to demoing the differences between the H190, H390, and H590, and showing visitors just how much you can get out of a moderately priced pair of loudspeakers.

In the Auden Distribution room we showed a modest system in a friendly relatable setting. I have been asked many times about how to get improved sound from TV and movies without sacrificing music playback quality, but also from one system and without a room full of loudspeakers, the objective at this years event was to do just that.

We used Hegel H120 playing into a pair of  Amphion Argon 1, which as usual sounded fabulous, set up on an inexpensive TV stand, a stand which also housed a Blu-ray player and a TV. Music was from a laptop running Roon and all fed digitally into the DAC in the Hegel amplifier. Using MusicWorks for power and isolation products, and Audiomica cables the system sounded excellent. I put this system together quite often and am always surprised how well it performs, the Bristol Show was no exception, in fact I lost count how many times I was asked if we were using a subwoofer.

Many visitors were not only impressed by the performance but also that it was possible without a dedicated audio rack, and often commented “it is just what I need at home”. Switching between music from the laptop, music via airplay, to live gigs on Blu-ray illustrated how versatile the Hegel/Amphion combo is.

It was pleasing that so many visitors understood what we were trying to achieve, and more than a few people left enlightened that it is possible to have superb performance for music and TV from one room friendly system.

 

Short video of the room