Any Hegel H390 owners using Hegel D50 DAC?

System synergy is key and you never know what's actually going to deliver what you're looking for.  Relationships are priceless in this hobby.  Take advantage of your relationships and demo everything that you can!  I might demo the D50 in the coming weeks to see how it sounds in my system. I'll try and remember to check back in. 

Keep in mind that the type of connection between the digital source and DAC can make a big difference.  I always try different connections when demoing. Good luck.

As a starting place you might find this interesting, from an AI. Since the sources are low end very pro-audio, they may be a bit glowing. 

If you’re curious about the sonic characteristics of the Hegel D50 DAC, here’s a refined breakdown based on expert reviews and hands-on listening impressions:

Sonic Signature & Listening Impressions

1. Transparent, Clean, and Refined

• Streaming review (Audio Consultants) notes the D50 offers a “textured” and dimensional soundstage with a low noise floor, making fine details more audible. It retains Hegel’s signature that’s “marginally on the warm side of neutral,” and importantly, “free from digital glare,” resulting in a non-fatiguing, relaxed listen. (The Audio Consultants).

2. Serene Realism with Dynamic Presence

• SoundStage Hi-Fi placed the D50 in a high-end reference system and described its sound as “graceful, relaxed”with a “dead-silent background.” Sonic images are “well delineated and corporeal, but not artificially outlined.” (SoundStage Hi-Fi)

• Instruments like guitars and cymbals were “precise and tight,” voices “full, textured, and natural,” and percussion had an impressive tactile quality, all portrayed against an “absolutely black background.” The reviewer concluded it delivers “utterly quiet, incredibly smooth, and composed performances with astonishing dynamic presence,” stepping out of the way to let the music shine. (SoundStage Hi-Fi)

3. Rhythmic, Layered, and Texturally Rich

• Hi-Fi News highlighted the D50’s capability to extract deep, impactful bass (e.g., in “Wrapped Around Your Finger”) and maintain clarity even with dense mix elements like distorted guitars and vocals, noting that it never lets the weightiest elements obscure small details. (Hi-Fi News)

• On tracks like Pink Floyd’s Wish You Were Here, the DAC “kept finding more layers to unpeel,” revealing subtle guitar textures, while in orchestral-electronic hybrids like Daft Punk’s Adagio For Tron, it delivered the “weight and mass” of the orchestra and preserved clarity across textures from brass to cello. (Hi-Fi News)

Technical Foundations that Drive Its Sound

• Low Noise & Clean Power
  Dual low-noise toroidal transformers (one for digital/standby, one for analog) housed in steel shielding with advanced filtering reduce interference and noise—laying the groundwork for pristine sound. (hegel.com, The Audio Consultants, Stereonet).

• Master Clock Accuracy & Jitter Reduction
  Three dedicated master clocks—one for SPDIF and two for USB (48 kHz and 44.1 kHz)—ensure extremely precise timing and minimal jitter, enhancing clarity and coherence. (The Audio Consultants, Stereocheck, Stereonet).

• Isolation & Short Signal Paths
  The DAC chip is mounted on a separate board raised above the main circuitry. This layout minimizes interference and preserves signal purity. (hegel.com, The Audio Consultants, Stereocheck).

• Optimized Analog Outputs
  The LineDriver analog stage features high current capacity and low impedance to drive various cables and gear while preserving dynamic range and clarity. (The Audio Consultants, Strictly Stereo).

These thoughtful design choices underpin the D50’s sonic transparency, detail, and smoothness.

Summary: Hegel D50 Sound Profile

Final Thoughts

The Hegel D50 provides a listening experience that’s calm, highly detailed, and musically engaging. Listeners consistently praise its ability to deliver clarity without analytical harshness, dynamic expression without leading edges, and deep layered imaging without distraction. It’s a DAC designed to vanish in the chain—letting music speak, not electronics.

Let me know if you’d like to compare it with other DACs, explore setup synergies, or check pricing and availability!

Who knows!!!  Audition a few DACs, and then let us all know how things turned out.  Happy listening.

@rick_n 

Good point about connections. Will keep that in mind.

@ghdprentice 

Thanks. I’ve asked AI this question using different phrasing and gotten varying responses, including the erroneous assertion that the chip used in the D50 is AKM. I believe I’ve read/ watched all the reviews. Just thought I'd see if I could garner any further impressions here.

@kennymacc 

I’m fully aware that I’ll have to try the D50 for myself. I was simply curious to learn what others might’ve experienced. I’ve already contacted the dealer from whom I bought the H390 to verify their return policy applies to the D50 and am waiting to receive my refund for the most recent DAC I returned before ordering the D50.

You can get a lot of DAC for $6k.  Am a huge fan of the Goldnote DS10 Evo, with optional power supply.  I think that comes i. under budget.  I’ve compared that to a DCS Bartok and preferred the Goldnote.  

@mdalton 

Am a huge fan of the Goldnote DS10 Evo, with optional power supply.  

 

Thanks. Who sells this with a return option? 

No idea.  You should look for local dealer.  You can also call HiFi Heaven or someplace else that carries the brand.

Also The Cable Company in New Hope, Pa. Forgot they carried brand. Am big fan of this dealer.  Excellent service.

@mdalton 

I've been a customer of the Cable Co. for some time. I agree about their service. 

I see the DS-10 is a streamer/dac. I prefer physical media (CDs) so I don't know that putting my money into a component that offers features I will not use is the best approach but thanks for the suggestion. The Hegel D50 is simply a DAC. Nothing more. 

I actually wouldn’t let that dissuade you if I were you.  First, streaming technology is not hard, nor does it need to be expensive.  More importantly, Gold Note is a DAC-first company, in contrast to, say, Bluesound or Innuos for example.  So the focus is definitely on the DAC function in the DS10.  It’s kind of like criticizing the Hegel H400 for having streaming capacity (and a DAC).  It’s still a really fine integrated.

@mdalton 

 It’s kind of like criticizing the Hegel H400 for having streaming capacity (and a DAC).  It’s still a really fine integrated.

 

I'm content with playing CDs but I can't fault your logic. 

One of my 6 intergrated amps is a Hegal 390 and I use it with a Holo Spring may Kte. It’s a dac that simply gets out of the way. It does not alter the sound of the amp. I have a Pass 250, Krell k300, Accuphase 380, Macintosh 352, and Electrocompaniet mk 2. My Holo spring allows all the glory of these amps to come through uninhibited. 

@dwest1023 

Thanks for your comments. As I mentioned, I'm only considering DACs available with a return option. 

Sorry Stuart, I’m late to the party here (still love your speakers!).  What specific improvements are you looking for, and which DACs did you try and what did they do well and where did they fall short?

@soix 

The back-story: several years ago I got rid of my Aqua la Voce S2 because I found the upper mids fatiguing. I’ve been using my Hegel H390’s onboard DAC ever since, thinking I would eventually get back to a standalone DAC. The only barrier was lack of disposable income. 

As I liked the Aqua (except for the fatigue) I decided to try two other r2r DACs: Mojo Mystique XSE and LTA Aero, because I could return both. To my great surprise, I preferred the DAC in the Hegel. This wholly unexpected outcome prompted me to ask myself what I was looking for. I realized what I really wanted was basically, "the same tonality, presentation, only better". I can list better resolution, better separation and deeper soundstaging as three specific attributes. The second was achieved by the addition of  Synergistic Foundation XL AC cables. At any rate, trying the Hegel  D50 seemed a logical next step and this is what I plan to do this week. 

I’m still enjoying the speakers. I really have no compelling reason to change this part of the system. 

FWIW - running a Yggdrasil GS2 via XLRs into the H390 but, yes, to answer your original question, definitely audition the D50.  

@ghosthouse 

That's my plan. Hopefully can order this week.

Good luck, @stuartk.  If you aren't committed anywhere yet, check ListenUp...Hegel authorized on-line dealer.  

@ghosthouse 

Thanks!  As it happens, I bought my H390 from Listen Up! and will follow suit with the D50. 

@stuartk 

Listen Up customer here as well.  Good luck with the D50.  I hope it brings what you are looking for.  

How long have you had your H390?  FWIW - A'gon member Nutty sent me an SR Purple Fuse for the H390.  I honestly wanted no part of that stuff.  Some of the fuse threads here just seemed delusional to me.  Eventually, however, I tried it.  I can tell you, I was pleasantly surprised.  The change was immediate and positive.  I paid him for the fuse.  To my ear, it opened up the sound of the H390.  That was back in June 2023.  Haven't looked back.       

@ghosthouse a

Thanks.

I don’t recall, exactly. 5 years? 

I’ve never played with fuses. 

Right out of the box, the D50 was very smooth and tonally, pretty much identical to the H390’s internal DAC. Fairly quickly, the D50 became much brighter and  vocal sibilance is the worst I’ve heard. I’ll let it accumulate 100 hours and re-evaluate. 

At 100 hours, sibilance and brightness have subsided. This DAC is very smooth sounding. Detail, soundstage height, width and depth are all clearly better than the H390’s internal DAC. 

Having never heard an ESS DAC before, it took me awhile to digest and assess what I was hearing. Ultimately, I found it’s not my cup of tea. It’s as though the sound is "manicured" to such a degree that all the emotion has been lost in the process. For me, emotional engagement is the top priority and no degree of audiophile attributes can compensate for its absence. Perhaps this would sound more appealing to me if paired with tubes but I have no desire to go that route.

At this point, I’ve auditioned three DACs at the 4K to 6K price point (one was used -sells for 8K, new) and have preferred the H390’s DAC in every case. Perhaps it’s time to just stay with what I like and stop paying attention to Mr. FOMO. 

As I liked the Aqua (except for the fatigue) I decided to try two other r2r DACs: Mojo Mystique XSE and LTA Aero, because I could return both. To my great surprise, I preferred the DAC in the Hegel. This wholly unexpected outcome prompted me to ask myself what I was looking for. I realized what I really wanted was basically, "the same tonality, presentation, only better". I can list better resolution, better separation and deeper soundstaging as three specific attributes.

Where did the Mojo and LTA fall short?

@soix 

In contrast to the D50, it’s very difficult to describe in detail my experiences with the Mojo and LTA DACs. All I can say is, they simply sounded very bland. The music never came alive. I spoke with Benjamin Z. and he suspected a cabling issue, although he also said no one had ever reported such an experience to him. He very generously offered to include some cables if I wanted to try again (the unit I’d auditioned was used) but as I couldn’t afford to buy that DAC and new cables, I demurred.