Integrated amp: Component weight

@soix: I’ll see if I can find that Soundstage review. On Audiogon, though, other Hegel owners have told me that there’s a big difference between the analog sections of the 390 & the 590, and there’s a big difference between the DACs of the 590 & 600. Opinions diverge a lot about everything else, and I understand that context (as in associated equipment, power, and room) makes a huge difference, but those two comments have been pretty consistent.

And I could be wrong, but I think the first time I compared the 390 & 590, I found that the 390 did not have all the 590's connectivity options.  (Surprisingly, the same is true of the H600, which is supposed to be a 590 upgrade!)  But I’ll go back & take another look, b/c I'm not sure about that at this point.

Here ya go…

https://www.soundstagehifi.com/index.php/equipment-reviews/1365-hegel-music-systems-h390-integrated-amplifier-dac

But it does appear to not have enough analog inputs though.

@cundare2 I was not going to comment because you asked for an integrated. However, since you are open to the Benchmark stack, I was also going to say that would work nicely with the Harbeth’s.

I hear the Harbeths as a bit warm and the Benchmark gear is as neutral as can get. On a warm speaker the synergy could be good. I have a warmish Yamaha NS5000 speaker, and I got the Benchmark AHB2 to try with it. I really wanted to make it work because I like the AHB2 sound. However, I found my CODA #16 better. Surprisingly the bass on a single AHB2 was as good as the CODA #16 (a bass monster) on my speakers. That is not the case with the AHB2 and other more demanding speakers.

I use my Benchmark DAC3B stacked on top of my Benchmark LA4 preamp. The form factor is smaller than most integrated amps. On my warmish speakers this is a winning combination. On a less warm speaker I would change the DAC, but I would use it with the Harbeth.

For your Harbeths, a pair of mono AHB2’s would be the better choice over the single stereo. I am putting mine up for sale later today. However, Benchmark will offer you a 30-day home trial, which is a better choice than buying a used unit blind.

The Hegel 390 is the integrated I would look at pairing with the Harbeth, though the Benchmark DAC3B and LA4 pre are better to my ears. Smaller form factor than the Hegel. You can safely stack all 3 Benchmark components,

Hey, new complication.  I just got off the phone with Devialet support, and the rep assured me that the Expert Pro 220 can be configured with HT bypass.  It's not well-documented (like everything else Devialet), but is supported.

He's still trying to figure out how to add headphone & sub outs, though.

D

Check out Simaudio Moon. I’m not familiar with their integrated amps but I had the 330A stereo amp in my system and it was excellent. Drove my 4ohm 87db speakers without any problems. 
https://simaudio.com/en/product/340i-x-integrated-amplifier/