That is my beef against Hegel, great amplifier but also great lack of communication about RR.
They where to busy building a phono amplifier…
But they do: coming soon.
I’m not sure what more @Anders_Ertzeid and team could have done at this stage - he has, I think, acknowledged and apologised for the fact that the attempted implementation has been a complete disaster. Given that, until they have actually got the certification, I’m not sure they can say anything more accurate than (perhaps optimistically) “coming soon”? Obviously that doesn’t stop people being frustrated about the situation, particularly those who bought on that promise, but they are where they are.
Hindsight is a wonderful thing but I can’t help thinking that partnering with Lumin around the firmware implementation (as I believe some other manufacturers do) might well have been an interesting alternative avenue to sorting out this saga.
I hear ya there. (Or just jam a RaspPi in the case!)
It’s not hard to make a streamer (i mean, for those who make them), that Hegel must be attempting something next-level. Or maybe they’re shoe-horning something in that doesn’t work with the existing schema, and maybe they should have just evolved to the H195/H395/H595 with new hardware.
For as long as it’s taken (this thread is 2.5 years old), expectations are very high. And if Hegel’s RR solution isn’t completely mind-blowing, it’s going to be a big disappointment to many.
Including Hegel, obviously.
Why would Lumin collaborate with Hegel on something that could and possibly will cannibalize their own sales? If anything, Lumin is enjoying the extra sales of their streamer in the absence of solution from Hegel.
If there will be no RR for the H390, but the new one will, Hegel must come with a very good trade in (for Roon subscribing owners).
RR is promised for the current models, so as an owner and Roon subscriber i expect that to happen.
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It’s a fair question but I guess it would depend on the economics, to which I’m not privy. Clearly it has worked for them before. Any collaboration would obviously bring them financial benefits, and the tiny handful of people on the forum talking about using Lumin with Hegel would seem unlikely to sway things significantly either way. Plus, of those that are, many might be tempted to stay with their Lumin either way, due to the quality of the DAC (e.g. T2).
All this, though, is speculation on my part.
Exactly. I do not believe there is any way my Hegel H390 with Roon Ready will sound better than my T2.
You could have shortened it to ‘I do not believe there is any way my Hegel H390 with Roon Ready will sound’ at all 
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I have a feeling that Hegel might not get Roon ready with current amp lineup and will try it with new amps.
Because it has taken over 2 years now and they have been silent since spring when it was “really” close again. Each time its close they get quiet for another half year. I think they dont want to say out that the ycant make it work with current lineup chips and therefor will delay until new announcement for future amps.
I hope i’m wrong but early 2021 Anders claimed they are close and testing. You cant go from last phase testing to silent for 4-5 months if its in testing phase.
I didnt buy H390 because i knew im going for H190 and reserve my money for external dac. There will be much more SQ difference going for external dac than going for 190 to 390. I’m looking ether T2 or May dac.
I will love H190 even without roon ready,
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no…
until ithappens by accident…
PeterD,
Couldn’t agree more. H390 was marketed as “Roon Ready” - Hegel needs to fulfill that promise.
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It’s already too late for that. The product is too deep in the life cycle. In an year or so they’ll release the next 3xx integrated…
Let’s hope that’s not the case - last firmware update for the H390 was December 2020. It will be extremely disappointing if Hegel skips this generation and only implements Roon in the next.
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We can hope, but if they skip then thats a sign for future. Cant take their promises seriously regarding new implementations. I wouldnt hope for airplay 2 also in a year at least. If you buy Hegel amps then its all based of what features it has already packaged.
5 posts were split to a new topic: I would like to hear some HiRes Roon audio on headphones, but of course the H390 has no headphone socket
The repository is made private again, no one has acknowledged that they use the module.
There is ongoing development and, before i am satisfied, i am only allowing access on request.
The module is working perfectly but lacks tests and advanced error handling.
Hi Andres!
Tell us something encouraging about the hegel roon ready, or hope and discussion have completely died out.
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That’s their plan.
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Ok - so I bought a Hegel H390 even without Roon Ready implementation and here’s why:
I love listening to music and wanted to improve on my system which was a Naim Uniti Atom powering Tannoy XT 8Fs with a Rega Planar Plus 1 for a small vinyl collection. Most of my listening is done via Roon as I have 27,000 + tracks in CD quality or better.
I thought I could improve my system (I had a problem with the Tannoys and Naim being a bit harsh sounding with some tracks) and hoped the Hegel would be an amp I could say was the last i’d need to buy (at £5K its a very expensive purchase). I was wary though of not being able to stream my music direct via Roon and having to pay for an additional streamer, making the outlay greater.
I managed to audition the Hegel at a fairly local dealer with B&W 702 signatures as I was also considering them to improve my system. They did sound great but when I mixed it up trying the Naim and different speakers I couldn’t determine what would make the greatest improvement to my system. The dealer couldn’t allow a home demo (but did offer me to take in my Tannoys to listen to with the Hegel) so unfortunately I walked away no better informed.
I then got a home demo of the Marantz PM KI Ruby. It was a lovely amp and the sound was better - more detailed and less sharp but not a massive improvement, although at £2200 down from £3500 I was going to bite. I bought a new Bluesound Node to use as a streamer for Roon.
I then managed to find a dealer who did a home demo of the H390 even though i’m miles away. So I hooked it up to my system and wow - blew the Naim and Marantz away!
What was amazing was I had started listening by playing music on vinyl and I couldn’t believe the improvement in the £300 Rega! It sounded like a new turntable.
There was more detail, texture and clarity - like a veil had lifted (I know it sounds cliched!) and best of all the soundstage had become three dimensional - much wider but what was most unexpected was the depth. I hadn’t expected this from the Tannoys after the Naim and Marantz.
So suffice to say I contacted the dealer and asked if he could do a deal on a new H390 and i’m now a happy owner (although I am still yearning for direct Roon Ready support).
As an aside I cannot hear a huge difference between Roon through the Bluesound connected to analogue inputs or through the Hegel DAC - so I have it hooked up to coaxial.
Well there’s my story - if it helps anyone.
ps if you’re in the UK - i’d recommend Premium Sound (no they haven’t asked me to say that!)
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