HEGEL D50 Digitalno To Analogni Converter > SoundStage! Review

The Raven is currently Hegel’s only standalone DAC. It joins Hegel’s other top-tier audio components, which include the P30A preamplifier (“the Conductor”), the H30A power amplifier (“the Orchestra”), and the Viking CD player. While the D50 is an ideal match for Hegel’s reference separate components, Hegel has ensured that the D50 can also be seamlessly integrated with its top-tier streaming integrated amplifiers using a connection it calls the DAC-Loop.

With its midnight-black plumage, the raven is a bird that evokes a sense of seriousness. It’s been associated with prophecy and mysticism, and the intelligence of real-world ravens is well documented. In Norse mythology, two ravens, Huginn and Muninn, served Odin by traveling the earth and bringing back knowledge and insight. Tying into this mythology, Norway-based Hegel Music Systems has nicknamed its latest and greatest DAC, the D50 ($4900, CA$5900, £4250, €4895), “the Raven.”

Conclusion

Hegel Music Systems’ D50 is an excellent DAC that delivers utterly quiet, incredibly smooth, and composed performances with astonishing dynamic presence. With its ability to project lifelike imagery against perfectly black backgrounds, the D50 facilitates a full appreciation of musical performances. It’s a DAC that steps out of the way of the music, delivering resolution and detail in a nonchalant manner.
The Raven eschews an airy, rarified, and chiselled sound, but instead provides a liquid, relaxed, and natural presentation that encourages deep listening. At US$4900, the Hegel D50 can’t be called affordable, but given its level of refinement, it could be considered a bargain compared to other high-end reference DACs. If you’re looking for an endgame DAC, you should audition the Raven and experience its mystical qualities for yourself.
- George de Sa, SoundStage!, June 2025

Hegel D50
SoundStage!