Nicknamed the ‘Raven’, Hegel’s D50 is a welcome addition to the standalone DAC segment and well equipped with inputs, including AES/EBU, USB-B, and a BNC connection supporting the DAC-Loop function of its integrated amplifiers. Hegel has, in the past, provided superb DAC stages across its hi-fi hardware, adding its own ‘twist’ to familiar designs, but here it’s leveraged in-house expertise to further refine the technology, with a focus on signal purity. The result is a D/A converter that prioritises a naturalistic, musical sound above obvious embellishment. It’s a performance reflected in the unit’s unobtrusive black casework, stressing that the Raven is about what you hear, not what you see. This might just be a Nordic classic in the making…
