Hegel h590 or Accuphase e460 with Harbeth 40.3

Another thought for the OP you have a very solid integrated in the Rowland Concentra 2 already, maybe send it back to Rowland for a refresh? That might be a really cost effective way to improve your sound unless you're just ready to move on.

@joey54

tom mallin’s post on wbf is not about his search for an amp for his 40’s... it is a difficult read, he is gigantically verbose and pretentious, but he only says he drives his 40’s in a NEARFIELD application (let’s not go there for how ridiculous that is) with benchmark ahb2’s... so what??

has minimal bearing on the op’s question...

For instance Harbeth P3esrs is a totally different product, small cabinet and great sound and great dynamics for the size. Super HL5+ is again different to Harbeth 40, has super tweeter and is fantastic for rock music and blues very engaging but not for every type of music but not same driver than 40 so in this case a rounded and sweet amplifier can help. Harbeth 40 should be your final speakers if you follow what Harbeth ltd say but of course is not. There are weaknesses as well there but the Seac driver can play same level of old sonus faber of 25k and more, incredible how refined are in high. If you want the full orchestra with control, separations, attack and low end those are not the right speakers and no ampli does the miracle, for the other genre ok, blues jazz classic rock ok, new wave, post punk, modern rock, synth need grip and dynamic and a neutral powerful SS, no for disco music for sure, very good for vocal. If you want coloration on distortion on certain octave then add tube but only in pre amp.

@arafiq don’t need to apologise, is all right :) people have different music taste and unfortunately an amplifier can sound totally different with a different speaker and sometimes is very frustrating to take advices without doing a demo :/

@beppep -- please accept my apology for misconstruing your post. We have seen many times where someone who just joined starts trashing a particular brand. In many cases, they are shrills for some product or have an ulterior motive. Reading your last post, it's clear that you're not one of them. So apologies for jumping the gun.

And yes, I do own Harbeth P3esrs. A friend has SHL5+ which we listen to frequently, and I absolutely love. So I have some experience with Harbeths. I recently auditioned the Hegel H390 and it sounded nothing like you're describing. The bass was really amazing and dynamics were above average. Of course, I did not hear it with Harbeth so you might have a valid point there.

Low dynamics' with Hegel, this poster is a joker! well calm down Arafiq, I just expressed my opinion after listening the 360 with my old Harbeth, do you own Harbeth? If not then don’t comment on the match, I used to live in Uk and listen all the Harbeth release since two decades I know how Harbeth sound. I tried in the past many amplifiers mono or integrated, the only who gave me a British touch was Naim if you like the touch, or home sound. Low wattage ampli is not good match for Harbeth even small ones, here we talk about 30cm woofer and needs wattage and is physics. Harbeth a not difficult to drive but no high sensitivity, 6ohm, 88db i well remember. Then Hegel 590 I never listen but only small brother 360 and was just decent on 30.1 not driving well the 40.1. The Hegel is too sweet to match with Harbeth for my personal music taste, Harbeth tend to be very very focus on up mid and with Hegel is to add sugar in honey for my point of view, same with tube amp that don’t have grip on bass. To make sound Harbeth well for my music taste you need a power amp with no sonic fuzz or particular home sound . Class d can be a good direction as I am taking now after have owned a Mc8900 350w, but really a clean power amp and good pre amp. Those speakers were meant to be studio monitor and pretend to be super accurate, new technology in driver surpassed from technical point of view but quality of Harbeth in terms of sounds and engaging can match speakers much more expensive 

Hegel and 'no grip on bass'? I only heard the Hegel 390 briefly, and I think it does bass better than any other amp I've heard. 'Low dynamics' with Hegel, this poster is a joker!

isn't it great when someone starts a brand new a-gon handle/identity for the express purpose of saying something negative about a successful product?

If you listen a mix of music genre leave Hegel is too sweet sound and no grip on bass, low dynamic, for voices and jazz ok but for me is over estimated product there is much better out for Harbeth.

I have same speakers, but 40.1 version. Well Harbeth need wattage, I can tell you I owned as well 30.1 before. I had satisfactions only from 250w on, need to get something with grip or the bass will sound too sweet and not fast as the driver is. At the moment tried with class d and give a good speed 

FWIW, Harbeth designer Alan Shaw has a high regard for Hegel. H360 and H390 are among the amps he uses in his lab, and he has used Hegel to demo Harbeth at audio shows.

Thanks for the info...had no idea about the 40.3! Wouldn't be the first time I've missed a road sign :-)

people are missing the road signs in their time capsule  hehehe  🤭

https://generubinaudio.com/shop/ols/products/harbeth-402-speakers

https://dougbradyhifi.com/products/harbeth-monitor-40-3-xd-series-speakers

@middlemass the 40.3XD just came out.

Are you time travelling? When did Harbeth come out with the 40.3?

can’t go wrong with either a big hegel or equivalent power accuphase

sound wise they are similar, meaning they are absolutely superb, creme de la creme solid state - treble very similar, midrange accuphase a touch sweeter fuller, bass hegel better tighter deeper

accuphase will have a more jewel like construction, super super japanese luxury tactility, if you value that, whereas hegel has a nordic black minimalistic feel - but you will also pay at least double, or close to triple for accuphase luxury and finish if you buy new ...

Yashu

If your budget allows see if you can listen to the Dartzeel integrated. It's juicy sounding but doesn't have artificial sweetener sound of Accuphase. I just listened to my Harbeths they are a touch dry.

Freediver
Today I heard all in one Hegel 390 with Magico small floor standers with 7 inch woofers and sound was warm and airy. Must me something else causing the dryness you heard with Harbeth like the room acoustics.

+1 for Accuphase. Last time I heard the current E-480 it was driving Wilson Sasha DAW at an audio show after hours. I thought the combination was more musically pleasing than the featured reference tube gear on display. Seriously well built and great sounding SS gear!

I own the Harbeth 40.2 and would caution against the use of an integrated amp with it unless you don’t listen to rock and modern music. Most integrated amps lack a beefy power supply and not till I got 260.8 mono blocks did the 40.2 harbeth provide tight and full bass. I tried an EAR then a VAC integrated then a Pass Int250 and they all were great at moderate volume or for well produced music but not so much for modern music or rock.

Not surprisingly pass labs advised me to get the higher current models and against the xa160.8 that i was more inclined to get.

If you don’t want monoblocks get a high powered stereo amp at least.....

Hello, having only briefly listened to a Hegel amp, I was impressed. This was at a dealer, paired with some big PMC's. But these two units must be compared by their versatility and appearance too. Any piece of stereo gear that's this expensive should be considered on all its merits; and the Accuphase just does so much more than the Hegel. My E-470 has an option board for digital inputs as well as a phono board, and in all respects it is a lovely yet powerful integrated. The Hegel is handsome, and I'm sure some would prefer it. I, however, find the Accuphase to be a gorgeous stereo component.
~Regards
Oran

I’d probably go for accuphase between the two. The best match Ive heard with harbeth is Vinnie Rossi. 

I would say Accuphase between those two choices. I've heard the 40.2 and heard the e460 not paired but it seems like a great potential pairing. I know nothing of Hegel nor have I heard any of their amps.

A little while back I got to demo the 40.2 driven by the H590.IMO it sounded dry & lacked the glorious midrange I know the Harbeth to have(I have the 30.1)..A SimAudio 340i was a step ahead through the midband but the Pure Class A Sugden A21 just sang sweetly,with a beautifully voiced midrange & wonderful bass punch & tone.If it were my $ I would go with something Class A Single Ended...JMOYMMV..Good luck..