You were fortunate to have listened to both amplifiers driving the same speaker and that’s good. This puts you in a position better than most to form a credible opinion. Based on your description I’d choose the Clayton as it is fuller and has a more natural character. This would be of higher priority for me rather than the attributes you heard and ascribe to the Hegel. The more "natural " sounding component is the better component in my humble opinion. Natural =more real sounding/realism. This isn’t easy to achieve. There are some audio components that can sound impressive (even spectacular) in a high fidelity sense yet lack the vital sense of naturalness.
The question is which type of sonic characteristics are more desirable and suitable to " your" long term listening happiness? If you crave detail above all else then it seems that the Hegel is your better option amongst these two amplifiers.
Charles
The question is which type of sonic characteristics are more desirable and suitable to " your" long term listening happiness? If you crave detail above all else then it seems that the Hegel is your better option amongst these two amplifiers.
Charles