Luxman 509x vs Hegel H390

Maybe I am miss-reading your post but the K-300i was the very first XD amp. It was the gateway drug for me to move up 1 rung up on that lineup (175XD) and MAYBE I can afford to move to the top with the new KSA i400.

That amp maybe going up in price due to rising costs of the metal casework (some supplier bad faith going on there). Anyways, if it all works out, I will have KEF Blade 2 Meta with the KSA i400. Both the 300i integrated and 175XD stereo amp I sold need more power for the Blades in the room I will put them in.

BTW - There are 2 300XD on USAM for around $7K and under. This amp would work great for me, and I will get this if I cannot afford the i400.

 weare integrated  amp specialists 

we currently sell coda, Hegel anthem krell unison ta and we used to sell luxman

the coda csib and the krellwould outperform the luxman and the krells dac and streamer are amazing  and it would take a 5k external dac to beat the internal dac 

the coda is a bit more detailed then the krell but both are sensational the only product which beats all three is the  t+a 2500r 

Dave and Troy 

Audio intellect  nj

integrated  amp specialists

Im thinking of adding a luxman to hear what all the fuss is about. 

Don’t forget the Diablo 300 and Dag Progression int.

FWIW I've owned both of these and like them both a lot.  I would say Luxman sounds more natural tonally with a clean and clear presentation that is also sweet, liquid, and a touch warm.  Hegel also has a sweet, but a touch drier and meatier sound, a bit darker, more clearly defined soundstage, better control and bass authority.  Maybe a little too much control, meaning tone seems to be subtly lacking some harmonic complexity and natural decay compared to Luxman.  Luxman can sound a bit thin at times.  Still, Hegel H390 is a great piece and I can't think of a better complete solution at the street price of < $5k new.

I suggest you consider how much power you really need. I used to run a high power SS amp that was excellent.

Now I find that 1.5 watts sounds much better than I thought anything could. Of courses, synergy, listening preferences and the partnering equipment you already own will shape your search. 

I have a friend who runs the 509 lux. IT is superb. Most of the time he doesn't even use full one watt of its capability. I mention this because at normal listening levels a low powered single ended triode is hard to beat.