To Jeff Fritz,

I'm wondering what's your opinion about the Hegel P30/H30 stack in either stereo or monoblock form. Have you heard that combo before or do you plan to review this coupling? It seems the Hegel amp/preamp duo is a real bargain (at least in Europe). Moreover, do you think the H30 will fit the Vivid Audio Giya G2 well (no lean sound, etc.)? I enjoy your writing!

Kind regards,
Patrick Aguidissou

Although I've never heard either of the specific Hegels or the Vivid speakers you mention in my system, I have heard both at shows. Moreover, I do have some experience with Hegel, having reviewed the HD25 DAC in my system earlier this year. I've heard the Vivid speakers on many occasions and am quite fond of them.

I think the pairing has quite a lot of potential. The ultra-revealing nature of the Vivid speakers should be a good sonic match for the extremely natural sound of the Hegel electronics. Second, the Vivid Giya G2s are capable of extremely tight low bass and they need a rock-solid amplifier to control all that potential. I believe the H30 is more than up to that task. So although there are no guarantees that you'll fall in love with a Vivid/Hegel pairing, I'd certainly give it a try if you have access to both brands. Let me know if you do and how it turns out. . . . Jeff Fritz