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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
cundare2 OP
189 posts
 

Sigh -- that's 500Mbps (WiFi 5 or 6), not 500Gbps.  We can dream...

megabyte
29 posts
 

The DACs in the 390 and 590 are very good. It’s nice having one box for everything. I stream from my iPhone via airplay and it sounds great. Any subtle improvement gained by an external DAC are likely lost in the extra set  of cables. IMO. 

northbeach
54 posts
 

Is there a 400 lurking around the corner?

kennyc
1,177 posts
 

Maybe consider the H600 someday as it appears to have a much better DAC than the 390/590 as per this reviewer Hifinews here and seemingly by this reviewer theEar here.  

cundare2 OP
189 posts
 

@kennyc

Yeah, I’ve heard consistently that the 600 DAC is a big upgrade. Not sure if it’s worth the $4-5000 price difference between a used 590 & a new 600, though.  E.g., I may be able to pick up a like-new PS Audio DirectWave (the first model, not the new MkII) for half that cost, including warranty.

It’s so tough having to buy these types of components with no opportunity to ever hear them first-hand. I miss the old days when there were hifi stores on every corner. But today, the closest dealers (and shows) would require a day in the air to reach.

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