Thinking of a used Hegel H160 integrated – thoughts and/or alternatives?


I have been using a very nice re-capped vintage Accuphase E-303x in my small apartment in Lisbon for a few years now, but will soon be moving to a larger home. I am thinking of upgrading to a more powerful and modern integrated, and am tempted (sound unheard, so to speak) by a used Hegel h160.

For context, I had and loved a Jeff Rowland Concentra I for a number of years in the U.S., but due to the electricity drain and costs, am not inclined to go that route again. Note that while the Hegel does apparently have good connectivity for streaming sources, I remain rather old school in that I use CDs almost exclusively.

In terms of speakers, I have been very happy with the Harbeth P3ESR in my small space, but expect, at least initially, to revert to my Green Mountain Audio Callistos (RIP Roy) for the larger space. I use an Electrocompaniet EMC-1UP CD player.

So, any feedback on the Hegel and/or other suggestions around that used price range would be much appreciated!

Cheers,

Tony
whipsaw
The Hegel is a very competent integrated amp indeed and I'm sure you'll be very pleased with it.  It's detailed, smooth, very neutral and is able to better control a speaker's bass drivers than pretty much any amp I know (excepting its larger siblings of course).  I've never even heard of your Callistos, but the H160 will let you know exactly what they can do.
Hegel H160 is good, and a used one under $2k is a no brainer.  But Luxman is better.  It all depends on your budget, but you can't go wrong with either.
Thanks guys. I can grab an H160 for under $1500, so probably worth a go.

I appreciate the input.
I am willing to bet if you put the Accuphase up against the Hegel, the Accuphase would win.