Luxman 509x vs Hegel H390

Some additional points :

Seller on ebay, 100% + feedback , will provide the step up transformer free of charge in the order.

The magic of this hobby is when one is inundated with listening tests and reviews coming at you from all the major publications , there comes a pivotal point when the decision is made. This is the one to go with & that indeed happened to me when listening to some vocalists intently , all the realism in the world was there , along with an almost ethereal glow , such is what the Luxman 509 provides. In fact, I have saved money along the way going with the 509. So much so , a used Moon 600i or new 360x could be joining the L 509 in several months time. The contrast between these two amps will no doubt provide some future listening sessions surfeited with critical intrigue.

As for speakers , after much testing .....the newer B&W - namely the D4 - models seem to have everything I find desirable and livable with a speaker. Seems just right to my ears.

I have owned Hegel H190 and 390. I traded the H390 for a Mark Levinson No. 585. The build quality of the Levinson is on par with most any top tier amps on the market and trounces the Hegel which has stamped case. The Hegel signature sound of absolute neutrality is nice at first but a little boring after time. The Levinson is also a neutral leaning amp, but brings greater detail and texture to the sound and an effortless power delivery that the Hegel couldn't match. My next move will probably be an Esoteric which is on par with the Levinson and Luxman for build quality, if not as pretty as the Luxman, or as muscular as the Levinson. 

I currently have a Hegal 390, Pass labs intergated 250( a beast) and a Mac MA 352 hybrid. I find the Hegal to be very musical in my set up. I was very surprised how good it sounds in my room. The mac with its tubes just sounds magical at times. The Pass has the superb midrange and finesse. Im thinking of adding a luxman to hear what all the fuss is about. 

The ML 585 is the second favorite integrated amp that I have heard and could afford to buy at that time. My favorite was the KRELL K-300i which I bought and sold to get a KRELL 175XD stereo amp. I just sold that XD amp to raise funds to buy another more powerful XD amp in the near future.

I preferred the ML 585 and the KRELL K-300i integrated to the Luxman 509x and the older Hegel 360. I was told by a ML dealer that the older ML 585 sounds better than the new ML 5000 series integrateds, though the new ones have a better internal DAC.

Been auditioning for a bit. It came down to Luxman and Krell. Or even Simaudio as an owner but move up. Having a hard time with Luxman leading but I sort of can’t shake the Krell at the same time. What an awesome sounding int.

How are the XD amps as not part of the INT. I see on the used market at around 50% or so. It’s a shame more haven’t auditioned the Krell stuff. I think it’s fantastic and their new monster amp is coming in a month or two. Love it even though just YouTube clip. Never got to hear the ML gear.

You are going for 300XD?