I totally disagree with McIntosh option unless you are so used to McIntosh sound. Hegel 360 is one of the best amp for the price. Absolutely fantastic, neutral, coherent, does not color, excellent separation, and immense base control. McIntosh can’t give you any of these. It will give you a nicer retro look and two blue meters. As an H590 owner. I strongly recommend Hegel.
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@mrbanker32 Comparing McIntosh to Hegel is an insult to the legacy of McIntosh. Buy the best MAC amp for your KEF R7 Meta even if it means waiting/saving in the short term, you will be rewarded. The MA 12000 Integrated is the sweet spot of all McIntosh amplifiers. Don’t let the outdated notion of over spending on electronics for speakers curtail you. Remember watts are cheap quality is not! |
@aphilc so what are you saying? I'm confused. |
@aphilc so what are you saying? I'm confused. I'm saying McIntosh has a virtual cult following steeped in a long history of good amplifiers and other electronics. However, Hegel is among many newer brands (within the last 10 - 15 years) that can compete well with a McIntosh amplifier but don't have the "legacy" of Mac since Hegel is relatively "new" to the USA market having debuted in the USA in 2009 (if memory serves me right). As I've said, IMO Macs are a warmer-sounding amp and convey deep bass having earned their initial reputation providing power for some well-known rock band concert amplification (of which you are probably aware). However, the Hegel H390 would be among the amps that have a more neutral sound and don't impart a specific sonic signature compared to the "McIntosh sound signature" which by that very phrase indicates the Mac is coloring the signal slightly. Other amps that don't "color" the sound would be Benchmark or some of the Burmester amps that convey a more neutral sound than a Mac IMO. That's why I was suggesting if there was a way to A/B compare the Mac with a Hegel you might hear the difference. |
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