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Hegel H360 or H590 or Constellation Inspiration Integrated 1.0 for Magico A3

I recently heard the Magico A3s and really liked them. The dealer said they are often combined with the Constellation Inspiration Integrated 1.0 at shows. After a lot of searching on Google, I can't find any pictures or reference to this combination. However, I did find a number of references to the A3s being combined with Hegel amps, including by Alon Wolf who said it would be a very good combination and led the author of the article to speculate that the A3s may have been "voiced" by Magici using the Hegel H360. I have not yet been able to listen to the A3s with either the Hegel H360 or H590 or the Constellation amp. I would be interested in everyone's thoughts as to the best integrated amplifier for the A3s for $13,500 (the price of the Constellation amp) or less.
iar
ricred1
2,021 posts
 
iar,I agree this hobby can be very frustrating. Although no longer, I was in sales for 20 years and I have to remind myself that dealers are trying to sell me something. It's funny how all of them say they carry the best. 
tecknik
483 posts
 
Any respectable dealer well let you take a piece or pieces of equipment home to demo, if not " go to another dealer.

melbguyone
294 posts
 
@Iar, I’d try to seek out an audition of an Audio Flight FLS-10 which is in your budget. I’d rate that amp higher than Accuphase or Luxman, and it’s not made in Taiwan.
htan8744
3 posts
 
I did audition the Constellation Inspiration Integrated 1.0 primarily driving Magico S1 and A1 speakers at
Sound Innovations Home
29400 Kohoutek Way #100 
Union City, CA 94587

If you are in the San Francisco Bay area, contact Noah at 415 902-7155 to arrange for a demo.
My impression of the Constellation is very favorable. It drove the Magico S1 and A1 speakers with ease and had outstanding resolution and transparency. It was very neutral sounding using these two Magico speakers. The soundstage was deep and also allowed the location of different instruments to be clearly identified. High frequency extension was excellent. The bass was tight although the low frequency extension using the S1's was not that great.

I have heard the Vitus, the Hegel 360 and the Gryphon Diablo 300 in other systems at shows and would rate the Constellation on par with the Vitus and Gryphon and far better than the Hegel. Sound Innovations tells me there is a 6 week wait for a new Constellation. I have also heard the Constellation Inspiration preamp and stereo power amp driving Wilson Sabrina speakers at a show a few months ago and that was an excellent system, with more weight in the low frequencies than my demo at Sound Innovations, but less resolution and transparency and not as precise a soundstage.
melbguyone
294 posts
 
@htan8744, Just curious which model Vitus amps you've heard at audio shows? The reason being, there is a big jump in sound from the RI-100 to the new RI-101, and a further jump to the Signature series.
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