@missioncoonery If you are located in the states I fully understand why you choose Pass Labs; easier to get service and lower prices. Here in Sweden the Pass Int 250 and Diablo 300 have the same pricetag, my understanding is that the Pass is quite a bit less expensive in the states. If my D300, against all odds, needed service Denmark is not far away.
Intg Amps: Hegel 590 vs NAD M33 Masters vs Gryphon Diablo 120
Hi All: I am getting an itch to upgrade my integrated amp from Hegel 190 to something more robust that facilitates future speaker swapping. And no, I'm not presently interested in separating components that much further (e.g. separate DAC; separate amp; clock; etc. etc). I mainly interested in the following 3 on a used basis:
Hegel 590 OR NAD Masters 33 OR Gryphon Diablo 120
Max budget is $7500 if I choose to go towards the Gryphon (used), but curious if it's really THAT much better. I'm particularly interested to hear from people that have had or auditioned at 2 out of 3. The room correction on NAD is very appealing but I quite like my Hegel and it's tight control, and so something nice about staying true.
Current Setup:
* Unideal Brooklyn Apartment living room into Kitchen
* Hegel 190
* Monitor Audio Silver 7G 500
* Pine Tree Audio Cables
* Dual 1216
* Schiit Mani 2 (though I hear the phono preamp on some of above may make this superfluous)
* Spotify/Tidal (main streaming source)
57 responses Add your response
As a used Purchase, If there is no rush to part with monies, the following suggestion might have an appeal, as it still works with the idea of not creating too many separates and keeps a preferred Brand in the mix. |
Use your ears. There is little value, in my opinion, in all the noise and subjective feedback you will get from others. I have an M33 but I would not be able to tell you what to choose. I love the M33. Haven’t had a single issue with it; the sound is clean, I like what DIRAC offers, and it works for me with the rest of my equipment and the room it’s in. Who knows if it would work for you? I don’t. |
Well, I have to say thank you to all for the lovely discussion. I ended up going with Hegel 590 at a great deal, and I really wanted to get a sense of the A/B test between playing the same exact music on same equipment and same brand, but swapping between the 190 and 590 to see how much of a difference there is. So far I am very happy with the purchase/upgrade, and if anyone is interested in a well loved 190.......
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@mjcmt because (1) the pricing for the Hegel 390 used is not materially different (fortunately for me) for what I could get for a used 590, and I do plan to upgrade speakers in time, likely when we decide to size up our place, and (2) because hedonic adaptation is a real thing that I have yet to master.
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