Yet another Integrated vs Separates advice post


Hey Audiogon! Help me spend my money.

I've recently upgraded my speakers and analog rig and it now has me wondering if I could be getting more out of my amplification section. I've had a trusty Hegel H200 integrated amp for about 6 years and it's to its testament that until now I haven't thought about upgrading it. But the upgraditis is getting to me, especially after my analog section has taken me into a different tier on the source side.

My questions:

If my goal is to move into the "reference" quality tier (and by that I guess I mean, at least providing a sniff of the creme de la creme; Stereophile Class A-quality for lack of a better way to put it), should I take this opportunity to move back into separates? 

Second question: if my budget is around $7k, what should I consider that would be a significant upgrade over the giant-killing Hegel? Some components I'm considering:

For separates, PS Audio BHK preamp + PS Audio Stellar Monoblocks (though I'm hesitant about class D amps)
For integrated, Aesthetix Mimas, or a Luxman integrated
Someone in the running: integrateds from Krell, Mark Levinson, and Ayre

My requirements: my rack limits me to standard-sized 17"-wide components. I need at least 2 balanced inputs unless there's a built-in DAC. I mainly seek a "warm" tonality with rich midrange, and greatly value components that image exceptionally well.

My system: Hegel H200, Doge 7 DAC, Avid Volvere turntable, PS Audio Stellar phono preamp, Egglestonworks Emma speaker
hudsonhawk
hudsonhawk

another +vote for Aesthetix or Ayre.  Have fun!

Happy Listening!
Not sure about how your dac would compare with the dac built into either the h300 or h360. The h360 had the better dac between the 2. You might be able to sell your dac if the hegel built in dac is better. I never used the hegel dac because I had a ps audio ds jr or the ds sr dac at the time and these were far superior.
Another consideration is if you are using Roon because neither of these 2 hegels are supported by Roon unless something has changed recently. You can overcome this by getting a Roon endpoint device like an Apple TV or a little pi computer. For a few grand hegel makes a damn good product
Since your Hegel H200 is a solid performer(in your system) you don't want to make a sideways move. If the Emma speakers are a long term plan, contact Eggleston maybe they can help. As many agree the amp/speaker synergy is of utmost importance.