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Hafler wow, not bad at all

PabloTincho

PabloTincho

Super Member
I just got a set, Hafler DH-120 and the preamp DH-100 for $120, not bad at all, I know is only rated 60W but plenty of power, very crystal sound.
The original owner got the amp as a set, however Hafler send him a completed build because they did not have the kit in stock anymore
I have a Hafler XL-280 and B&K st-202, both amps are mosfet, and they pretty much sound the same, however I think the DH-120 sounds better, all of them still original.
The preamp is a op-amp based in the 5533, very good, it does everything, have not tested the phono section yet.
Both preamp and amp still working fine, and they came out in the 80s

Here are some reviews for the DH-120

https://www.kenrockwell.com/audio/hafler/dh-120.htm

https://eiaudio.de/gear-and-review/power-amplifiers/hafler-dh-120/

If you can get a dh-120 go for it, you will save a lot of money and is a nice piece
 
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Very cool. Always have been intrigued by that set. Would like to hear your comments on the phono section once you check it out.
 
Have you replaced all the electrolytic caps on each of the 2 boards of your B&K 202? If not then consider doing so.
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PabloTincho said:
Hafler wow, not bad at all
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Perfect. That is exactly what I want to be able to say about my audio gear. Not Bad at All.

It is wholly adequate audio gear. Hafler was known for that with both Dynaco and Hafler products.

The 120 seems to sell for so close to the price of the 200 that I would probably get the 200. But I like the rounded heat sinks of the later models better. My DH-200s can be a self-sacrifice when they need to be moved if not grabbed carefully.
 
I built a DH-110 preamp and a DH-220 power amp from kits back in the 80s and they worked great for many years. I ended up selling them later because I needed something more powerful to drive my Maggies.
 
Akustic said:
Not at all strange for some of us ..
Why fix what isn't broke ??
Make more sense to measure the caps and ensure that they're within spec ..
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Although it may work, you have to consider the age of those caps. You may not be fixing what's broke, instead, you are improving its performance.
 
ghamilton said:
Although it may work, you have to consider the age of those caps. You may not be fixing what's broke, instead, you are improving its performance.
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Maybe fixing what night not be broke and maybe changing the sound qualities of the piece ..
Different caps are a crapshoot when it comes to the sound qualities of the cap ..
 
PabloTincho said:
if you need more power, you can get a second one and connected together
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Bridging an amplifier:
Cuts the usable speaker impedance in half since each half of the amp sees half the impedance so the minimum would generally be 8Ω speakers
Doubles the distortion, not that it is audible in either bridged or unbridged amps
Cuts the damping factor in half.

I have had Hafler DH-202 Bridging Kits in my drawer since 1980 and haven't installed them, yet. With 4-5Ω Magneplanars in the fleet, I'm hesitant to make the change to an amp with over 300 wpc but a limitation to 8 ohm or higher speakers.
 
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I have a DH-200 that I bought about 25 years ago. I have since moved on to other amplifiers but I have saved the DH-200. Anytime an amplifier goes in to get serviced I insert the DH-200 till I get the main amplifier back. All I can say is it always works and always does the job. I may change the main amplifiers in my system, but I cannot envision getting rid of that DH-200.
 
Blue Shadow said:
Bridging an amplifier:
Cuts the usable speaker impedance in half since each half of the amp sees half the impedance so the minimum would generally be 8Ω speakers
Doubles the distortion, not that it is audible in either bridged or unbridged amps
Cuts the damping factor in half.

I have had Hafler DH-220 Bridging Kits in my drawer since 1980 and haven't installed them, yet. With 4-5Ω Magneplanars in the fleet, I'm hesitant to make the change to an amp with over 300 wpc but a limitation to 8 ohm or higher speakers.
Click to expand...

Any mods for the DH-120 besides better caps ?
 
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