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Hegel comparison

I have the opportunity to buy either a Hegel 390 or 590.  Pricing to be negotiated, and there are no dealerships anywhere in my region that would allow me to hear either one before making a decision.

Does anybody have an opinion, based on live auditioning, re: the relative sonic profiles of these two products?

Thanks for any opinions based on first-hand experience.

 

cundare2
curiousjim's avatar
curiousjim
5,381 posts
 

@cundare2 

I have heard the H590 and bought the H390  a couple of years ago, but with the H600 out, Hegel is selling the H590’s for almost the same price as the H390. If I didn’t already have the H390, I would have jumped on the H590! The DAC’s are basically the same, but the preamp and amp section is far superior.

All the best

cundare2 OP
298 posts
 

Looks like my PS Audio DAC deal fell through, and TBH I’m not broken-hearted NOT to be buying a DAC based on, what, a five-year-old design?

So now the question remains whether to pick up a 590 and an outboard DAC and/or streamer -- or just spend the bucks upfront for a 600.

To tell the truth, if I could find an Ayre EX-8 II integrated, with its highly praised internal DAC, that would be a perfectly acceptable single-purchase Plan B. Unfortunately, EX-8’s have suddenly become hard to find for some reason (even stores that advertise it as being available don’t actually have any in inventory), so I’m hesitant about buying one until I’m sure that this model is not about to be replaced. One more reason why a Hegel still seems like my best $10,000-ish option.

I guess nothing is simple when you’re buying audiophile gear w/o being able to hear it first. But maybe that’s just one more reason why I love this hobby. Sometimes "simple" is over-rated.

 

kennyc
2,046 posts
 

Besides the DAC differences, I’m curious to find out the “Sonic” difference in the amplifiers between the h390/h590 vs h600.  I know that the 390/590 is an ideal match for Harbeth, wondering about the h600 and Harbeth.

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cundare2 OP
298 posts
 

@kennyc 

I’ve spoken offline to several people who have owned both and the general gist of what they tell me is consistent: Although the H600 DAC is a big step up from the 590 DAC, there's not a huge difference between the 590's & 600's output in other ways.  And the H390, while still a fine-sounding amp, is a bit outclassed by its two siblings in both analog & digital domains.

This is all just hearsay, of course, what other people are telling me. Maybe somebody here with first-hand experience can answer kennyC’s question more authoritatively than I.

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