Luxman vs Hegal

Luxman c900u/m900u and Hegel H390.

I heard the Hegel 360 with KEF Blade 1 and it was good. Not the best Blade sound I have heard. I found it a little hard sounding on top. I am told the Hegel 390 using the internal DAC is smoother than the 360. However, when I heard the Hegel and Blades the top-of-the-line Hegel DAC was used. It was Hegel that was demoing this in a nice room.

Maybe 5 minutes later I went and heard the Luxman c900u/m900u with Vivid Giya Spirit (the top the line today). The Luxman setup was smoother without that hardness I heard with the Hegel. It sounded amazing.

I always prefer the Blade over the Vivid Giya (with proper amplification for both). On that day the Luxman gear made the Vivid more pleasing to my ears.

On another occasion, I heard the Luxman 509x and the Luxman c900u/m900u in the same room with the same speakers back-to-back. I was there to buy the 509x. After t heard the Luxman c900u/m900u combo I had no more interest in the 509x. It is a big difference in sound.

I did not buy the Luxman because I later tried the new KRELL Duo XD lineup and preferred that to the warmer Luxman sound. The KRELL is warm, but I find it not as warm as the Luxman. I have the KRELL Duo 175XD now.

@michobr59 

The Luxman combination is a reference standard; the Hegel is not. If you are going the Luxman separate route, look into the new Luxman M10x. I heard it with the c900u through a pair of B&W 802D4s. Jaw-dropping performance. This would be an "end-game" system. 

My impression from attending audio shows over the years:

Hegel-strong, powerful, excellent bass, 

Luxman- natural, enchanting, sounds like real life. Luxman room at audio shows for me is a must hear. It is a brand I could buy and live with. Cannot say that for more than a handful of manufacturers.

I did not buy the Luxman because I later tried the new KRELL Duo XD lineup and preferred that to the warmer Luxman sound.

It depends on the speakers. I wouldn’t label the Luxman L-509X as warm. If it sounds warm, then perhaps the speakers sound warm. In my experience, the Luxman sounds very close to neutral. Specifically the L-590AXII.