Overview

The Hegel V10 is an MM and MC phono preamplifier built on Hegel's 30 years of experience designing discrete transistor circuits, with one goal: to reach down into the record and reveal every bit of information. It's neutral, dynamic and exceptionally revealing. Out of the box it's set up as a plug-and-play moving magnet preamp, so you can connect a turntable and start listening, and it can be adjusted to suit almost any MM or MC cartridge as your system grows.

Both the MM and MC inputs use ultra-low-noise discrete JFET transistors, and the MC input has four of them connected in parallel to keep sensitive low-output moving coil cartridges completely silent. The gain stages run from ultra-low-noise power supplies built with discrete bipolar transistors. Inside, the chassis is split into two compartments to physically separate the power supplies from the amplification circuitry, and the V10 is powered by a linear, low-noise analog supply with a large custom E-core transformer in its own housing.

For connections, the V10 has gold-plated terminals, balanced XLR and unbalanced RCA outputs, and a solid custom grounding screw. A switchable subsonic filter removes unwanted low-frequency noise, and an adjustable auto-standby turns it off if you forget at the end of the night. The V10 won the EISA Phono Stage award for 2021-2022.

Simcoe Audio Video Insight

Start with the default MM setting if you're using a moving magnet cartridge, then fine-tune once you know your cartridge's recommended loading. Gain can be raised by 5, 10 or 12 dB to match the level of your other sources, MC impedance is freely adjustable from 33 to 550 ohms or fixed at 47k ohms, and MM capacitance has several settings. If your turntable is warped or your woofers pump visibly on records, switch on the subsonic filter. Use the XLR outputs when your amplifier or preamp has balanced inputs.

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Why the Hegel V10 Stands Out

Buyer's Guide

Who It's For

• The New Vinyl Listener: Wants a plug-and-play MM phono stage.
• The Cartridge Fine-Tuner: Wants adjustable gain, impedance and capacitance.
• The Moving Coil Owner: Needs a quiet input for a low-output MC.

How It Compares

Hegel's H190v integrated amplifier includes an MM phono input that Hegel describes as a scaled-down version of the V10. As a standalone phono stage, the V10 adds a moving coil input alongside MM, with adjustable gain and loading for fine-tuning, so it suits listeners with an MC cartridge or a separates system.