Nad M33 vs Hegel H390... old question with a bit of a twist (ethernet and headphones)
naim does not sound like hegel does not sound like nad https://youtu.be/Of8OQej7i9o https://youtu.be/4el12XInqnM these guys properly compare and try to be objective... they state their preferences, but more importantly they are articulate in describing the different voicings and strengths/weaknesses what they articulate is also quite consistent with my own findings |
no doubt the m33 > m10 due to the new amp module used - as i said in an earlier post here, the wide chasm sq gap relative to hegel has closed some for sure with nad moving to purifi and better voicing ae in toronto like hegel for a reason, leave aside they sell it, they sell naim and nad too (and parasound and ps audio) ... they have plenty of time to listen and assess and on excellent ancillary gear, with proper set up in proper rooms ... but of course, everyone’s taste is different so this is not at all knocking the m33 -- it is a very good piece for sure, esp. when factoring in all the features like dirac etc etc... does stuff that hegels just do not do now, as for stereophile product of year... ok... i am sure that accolade makes it sound even better to many, good investment by nad in ad dollars without a doubt 🤫 many paths to musical happiness... hegel > nad on sound quality, but all gear is on a spectrum - amps out there better than hegel too... |
a very big part of this hobby/pursuit is to try things that are of interest, that to a user promises a level of performance that is enticing you can post here and other forums, read and research, watch youtube videos, till the cows come home -- there are characters on this board, and others, that seem to do just this, and only this - maybe they listen to an ipod or a boombox, but they post here, hundreds, thousands of posts to their name... ad nauseum... it is absurd you won’t know how good something is, how good it is for you, if A is better than B, to your ears, till you try it in a well sorted system you know very well, in a well sorted room you know very well -- if you really want to know, you have to own it, hear it at length -- spend the money and make the effort and be honest about what you hear and what you like (and don’t) |
op you are correct bent holter at hegel made a conscious decision to voice the h390 and h590 to be ’richer’ sounding than the lower models, which persist with the well known hegel very clean serene transparent rhythmic sound... hegel makes what i believe to be an excellent commercial judgement that a good many more wealthy buyers may be older and/or have more refined tastes in the hobby, and want a smoother warmer (full fat vs skim milk as john darko the reviewer aptly puts it) sound, as the gear is often paired with very expensive high end speakers that generally provide a little too much treble energy (magico, focal, wilson and so on), esp. paired with digital -- so think of it as hegel giving you a more tubey presentation (albeit with all the benefits of solid state bass control) without the tubes in their upper tier models... glad you found what you like and it shows what an excellent careful demo provides in terms of certainty and confidence on the part of the buyer - enjoy! |
