Hegel H360 or H590 or Constellation Inspiration Integrated 1.0 for Magico A3
I recently heard the Magico A3s and really liked them. The dealer said they are often combined with the Constellation Inspiration Integrated 1.0 at shows. After a lot of searching on Google, I can't find any pictures or reference to this combination. However, I did find a number of references to the A3s being combined with Hegel amps, including by Alon Wolf who said it would be a very good combination and led the author of the article to speculate that the A3s may have been "voiced" by Magici using the Hegel H360. I have not yet been able to listen to the A3s with either the Hegel H360 or H590 or the Constellation amp. I would be interested in everyone's thoughts as to the best integrated amplifier for the A3s for $13,500 (the price of the Constellation amp) or less.
A3 and Vitus RI 101 integrated are fantastic match.. We are a Los Angeles based Vitus dealer. RI 101 has 1kw transformer and 213k microfarad capacitance per channel. its 300w at 8ohms and 600w at 4 ohms..As for Vitus Audio reliability.. The factory and production at the Vitus is SOTA.. all the boards are printed in house and all the soldering is done in a vaporized chamber.. this allows the whole board to be at the same temperature while soldering and all cool down at the same time eliminating the possibility of hairline cracks.. then all the boards are tested for in a separate machine before they go into production..
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@iar I am also interested in the Diablo 120 and the Luxman 509X. Could you tell me where you demoed these, and other similarly priced gear? And sound impressions? You can message me privately if you want.
@jackd Unfortunately, AI had to cancel my trip to Boston. Maybe I can reschedule sometime soon.
I agree with the value proposition of a used Hegel 360. At $12k, the Hegel 590 is more than the Gryphon Diablo 120 and Constellation Inspiration Integrated 1.0. However, I would love to do a side by side comparison....
@dguitarnut, how would you describe the difference between Diablo 120 and 360 sonically? Obviously they share the same Gryphon house sound. Although the 120 should have no trouble driving most speakers out there, my assumption is that the extra power from the 300 should give more resolution, clarity, dynamics, and sound stage to the music.
@tangramca Yes, the performance/price ratio of a used H360 is hard to beat. I sold my H360 for $3k last month to a very happy individual. The H590 will be $12k retail, and it has to be significantly better than H360 to justify the high price. Anyway, I do think Hegel has very good products.
The Diablo 120 sounded awesome with my Magico S3Mk2......lacked nothing. So I bought the Diablo 300.......to avoid upggraditis in 6 months or so lol But I could have easily lived with the 120. They have such a live presentation that it ruined me when comparing to the Luxman and the Pass integrateds
@tangramca I am expecting the H590 to sound like or better than the H30 mono block amps. Hegel designer stated the design goal was to make the best amp they could and said "why not make it an integrated"
I can’t wrap my head around the price differential between a 360 and the 590. In fact, a used 360 may be one of the best deals in audio. I’ve had a 300 for 2 years and marvel at how effortlessly it performs its duties. Absolutely no drama. I also like that my amp isn’t a limiting factor when choosing speakers. True, the styling isn’t for everyone (myself included) but the performance offers tremendous value. But with the 590, that value proposition seems to be compromised.
The h360 has a decent dac also. I drive a pair of Salon2's with mine in a 17x28 basement room and only once had thermal protection kick in and mute output, I was listening to RHCP at +100 db and there was no clipping or audible distortion. Before buying the h360 I brought home the rost and h190 and the h190 was a little more revealing at the fq extremes so the h590 may be worth waiting for, $10k tho' whew.
The T+A PA3100HV is awesome. We are selling our Demo unit. We also have a PA3000HV that's sealed by factory. It's been checked and gone through. It was used by the International Sales Rep tor T+A sparingly. www.sunnyaudiovideo.com626-966-6259.
@Jackd. I'm on the East Coast. I had heard of the Aesthetix Mimas integrated before your post. I have a problem with the heat generated by tube equipment because it must go inside a console without a lot of ventilation, so the Aesthetix probably will not work for me. However, I bet it's a damn good amp. I have always liked Aesthetix amps and preamps.
I will keep looking for an Audia dealer on the East Coast.
Thanks, htan8744. I saw the demo Constellation Inspiration amp and pre-amp on the Audio Advisor website and was very tempted, However, the combination still is beyond my budget. I spoke today to the dealer and when I visit we are going to demo the Constellation Inspiration amp and pre-amp so I can hopefully get an idea of how the integrated will sound (he does not have the integrated), the Gryphon Diablo 120 and the Luxman 509. You and others are consistent in saying that these amps are better than the Hegel, although the Hegel 360 is much lower in price. The other interesting suggestions include the Audia Flight FLS 10 and the Vitus RI-101, although both seem out of my price range and I cannot locate any nearby dealers.
@Iar, at that price point you could also buy an Audia Flight FLS-10 integrated which is on the warm/musical side & has almost twice the power of the Diablo 120, including more than twice the total capacitance. All Magico speakers like plenty of power, and that extra power will give you your speed, power, driving capability and control. That headroom gives you a sense of ease also. The Audia Flight amps are 100% made in Italy at their factory.
Any thoughts regarding the Gryphon Diablo 120? It's less expensive than the Diablo 300, seems like it would have sufficient power for the Magico A3s and is in my price range.
In the July/August issue of the absolute sound, page 46, the column regarding the most significant introductions at Axpona 2018 states that the price of the Vitus RI-101 is US$18,360. The SCD-025mk.II CD player is US$25,200.
@htan8744, Cheers. I was curious as the RI-101 has only been released in the last few months, and is substantially better than it’s predecessor.
@denon1 I’m not 100% sure. The amp is $22k in Australia, £11800 in the UK and circa €14000,00 in Italy, so my guess is high $15k in the US (w/out dac)? Though Bob at Rhapsody Audio could confirm that.
@htan8744, Just curious which model Vitus amps you've heard at audio shows? The reason being, there is a big jump in sound from the RI-100 to the new RI-101, and a further jump to the Signature series.
I did audition the Constellation Inspiration Integrated 1.0 primarily driving Magico S1 and A1 speakers at
Sound Innovations Home 29400 Kohoutek Way #100 Union City, CA 94587
If you are in the San Francisco Bay area, contact Noah at
415 902-7155
to arrange for a demo. My impression of the Constellation is very favorable. It drove the Magico S1 and A1 speakers with ease and had outstanding resolution and transparency. It was very neutral sounding using these two Magico speakers. The soundstage was deep and also allowed the location of different instruments to be clearly identified. High frequency extension was excellent. The bass was tight although the low frequency extension using the S1's was not that great.
I have heard the Vitus, the Hegel 360 and the Gryphon Diablo 300 in other systems at shows and would rate the Constellation on par with the Vitus and Gryphon and far better than the Hegel. Sound Innovations tells me there is a 6 week wait for a new Constellation. I have also heard the Constellation Inspiration preamp and stereo power amp driving Wilson Sabrina speakers at a show a few months ago and that was an excellent system, with more weight in the low frequencies than my demo at Sound Innovations, but less resolution and transparency and not as precise a soundstage.
@Iar, I’d try to seek out an audition of an Audio Flight FLS-10 which is in your budget. I’d rate that amp higher than Accuphase or Luxman, and it’s not made in Taiwan.
iar,I agree this hobby can be very frustrating. Although no longer, I was in sales for 20 years and I have to remind myself that dealers are trying to sell me something. It's funny how all of them say they carry the best.
Oh no! I need to backtrack. I spoke to the dealer, who insists that I also listen to the Gryphon Diablo 300 (which he says has an even better bottom end than the T+A 3100) and the Luxman 509 before I decide. He also carries Ayre, Bryston and Pass, but does not have them available for a demo. He did not suggest these other amps - I am just trying to get an excellent amp for the A3s in my price range. I will not be available to hear the amps for almost a month because of travel plans. However, I ordered the A3s because there is a backlog and Magico is estimating delivery in Q1 2019 based on orders submitted now. I don't want to wait any longer for my new system!
@ricred1 . I could not agree more. I did have an opportunity to hear the T+A 3100 with the A3s and I liked what I heard. I am sure that the dealer's listening room was a much better environment to hear the setup than any audio show. However, it's frustrating that I am making significant financial decisions based on the few combinations that are available at the same dealer(s).
I'm sorry, but I don't really care what the reviews say. If I hear something, only my ears count. As much money as this stuff cost, I would have to be a serious fool to purchase something based on a review. I had another Audiogon member(Calvin) with me at Lonestar and I hope he posts his thoughts on the T+A/ A3 combination.
@soix Even if the OP starts out with a used T&A amp (if that’s what he ends up doing), I think he’ll end up with something like a Vitus RI-101 as that integrated has uncanny synergy with the A3’s, and is absolutely effortless. Buy yes
I recognize that is a circa $15k amp vs $9.8k speakers, hence I guess why Magico have demo’d the speakers with Hegel at shows. The Vitus however could be considered a high end bargain when you factor in the properly worked out optional dac/streamer and phono modules.
I heard the A3s with the T+A PA3100HV at Lonestar Audio Show and they didn't sound good. I heard them again with different components and they sound like an entirely different speaker.
@melbguyone -- Fair points, but the RI-101 is well over the OP's budget and is $7000 more than the PA3000HV demo available here. But the biggest factor is the OP actually heard the speakers with a PA3100HV (yes, not the same exact model, but they very likely still share an overall very similar sonic signature) and liked the pairing a lot for his particular tastes. And as we all know here, being able to hear components in person versus buying blind and hoping is a huge thing.
@iar I have heard both of these specific demo units listed on A’Gon. The 3100 driving Wilson speakers at the 2017 LA show. The 3000 at a dealer event for the Los Angeles Audio Society. If I had the cash one of those would be in my home today.
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