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All-in-one: $1k Marantz or $2k Hegel?

Considering upgrading from Bluesound Powernode 2 for office system. Looking for better sound quality from one-box amplified digital streamer box. Only Tidal streaming will be used for this system.
Intrigued by marantz pm7000n at $1k, and also considering Hegel h90 at $2k. Both 60 Wpc and I believe both use AK4490EQ as dac chip (though hard to confirm for Hegel - but h190 is reported to use 4490 and I think I read h90 uses same, wish I knew for sure).
I know Heos stream interface for marantz is solid because I have a marantz AVR in my main HT system and streaming works well there. Little unsure about the Hegel stream interface.
Anyone heard both units and can compare and contrast?

speakers not purchased yet but likely Kef LS50 with Kef kube 10b sub. I understand Kef and Hegel pair well and each uses other at shows. 

I am going to try to audition both first before deciding just seeking advance opinions
kren0006
fedorowsky
1 posts
 
Looking forward to your comments when you get it. This is one of my "finalists" as well. Marantz is great on features, I mean it has streaming and everything. Interesting though that they would not send it despite the lock-down , here where I live the shipping companies do operate.
b_limo's avatar
b_limo
2,274 posts
 
@kren006,  excellent choice on all of your components 👍.  Great thinking, all the way around.
kren0006 OP
1,859 posts
 
Thanks for the nice words and for the anticipation of a further review. 
The reason I didn’t just have it shipped to me was that I ordered a bunch of other stuff too and only put a down payment down so far, expecting the shutdown to be just two weeks and preferring anyway to delay charges to subsequent billing cycle. 
Well now the shutdown just got extended another three weeks so I’m going to try and get this expedited because I’m itching to start breaking the new amp in. 
kren0006 OP
1,859 posts
 
Completed the marantz purchase today so the pm7000n is on its way. When it gets here and after I get it broken in I’ll post my comparative impressions vs the Powernode 2. 

icecreamkraft
1 posts
 

I'm also thinking same question. I already bought Marantz PM7000N, but I have return policy in place which is not surpassed. Local dealer just dropped Hegel H90 price from 1500 to 1200 euros so the difference between the prices of the amplifiers is non existential.


Which one would you choose? I have KEF R3's.


I like the features and GUI in Marantz more, but in A/B testing I was leaning towards Hegel. BUT, was the tiny difference I could hear (or did I just imagined, that's a good question also..) really worth to not take features like wi-fi and bluetooth. I don't know.

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