A few years ago Hegel had to cease making the highly capable Mohican CD player because key components were no longer being produced. Hegel have since been working on a replacement that would be even better.
Introducing the Hegel Viking. The best CD player they have ever made.
In a world full of options for downloading music, sound formats, compression methods, and streaming services, putting on some music can feel overwhelming. What should be easy and enjoyable, suddenly becomes complex and stressful.
The Hegel Viking is a true native 16/44.1 CD player developed from the ground up for optimal performance on standard (Redbook) CDs. It is designed to deliver the most faithful sound reproduction possible by optimising its components to deliver a high-quality output that is true to the original recording.
At first glance Viking might seem simple, but with simplicity comes excellence. Because Viking is focused solely on playing Redbook CDs it can reach unprecedented levels of fidelity. By doing only one thing there are no trade-offs. Viking consists only of high-quality components designed specifically for the task, and that makes this CD player sound truly astounding.
The Hegel Viking uses a dedicated laser and CD drive to ensure optimal reading of the data. It is also equipped with a state-of-the-art DAC that delivers high-quality digital-to-analog conversion with minimal distortion, making it possible to hear all the nuances and subtleties in the music.
The Viking does not upsample or tamper with the signal in any way. Because by leaving the signal as it is on the disc, the already excellent DAC is optimised to perform
at its absolute best.
The drive and the DAC are directly controlled by a unique Master clock system, ensuring perfect timing between the two. Using a quartz crystal with very low phase noise and our patented SoundEngine technology, the Hegel-designed discrete clock in the Viking reduces jitter to an absolute minimum.
Technical Specifications
- Supported Discs 12 cm Redbook CDs
- Line Level Output 1 unbalanced fixed (RCA) 1 balanced fixed (XLR)
- Output Voltage Analog 2,5V RMS
- Digital Output 1 BNC true 75 Ohm
- Frequency Response 0Hz-22 kHz
- Distortion Less than 0.0015%
- Finish Black
- Dimensions / Weight 9.9 cm x 43 cm x 30.5 cm (HxWxD) / 7.3 kg
Further Information
Hegel Viking - User Manual (PDF)