Luxman 509x vs Hegel H390

op says he has bought a luxman already, so this response is not regarding his choice of luxman (doubtlessly wise, no debate from me, luxman’s are excellent, have many many happy customers, clearly built to last) but just a few points to clarify on earlier posts

Jjss49 mentioned about the lack of bass control of the 509X in comparison to the Hegel.

sorry @jjss49 didn’t say that ... @bigkidz did

what @jjss49 did say is that he felt while both have excellent bass, he felt the hegel was marginally superior to the luxman in this regard - neither amp produces anything approaching bloated or slow bass

Paid via paypal on ebay , 30 days to try it out , seller pays for return shipping if there is anything amiss, will have an audio tech give it a thorough check. Ended up paying a little over $7.5k incl. tax for the new item.

to be sure, buying a luxman (or a hegel) on ebay is pretty darned scary... mostly japanese sellers selling and shipping japan domestic market 100v pieces there... hopefully op did not err on this aspect... or if so hopefully he got a step-down tranny - granted op also did not state where he is located...

As for the Hegel H390, why so many on the used market anyhow, putting the issue of aesthetics in the long term...

let’s see... why are there so many more honda accords on sale used compared to acura tlx’s... could be maybe because there are 8-10-x more units sold new? 🤔

are people selling due to a tiresome possibly dark and dour SQ in time ?

this is very wrong ...

anyhow, happy listening... 

The hegel 390 proved non agreeable on many fronts with further analysis. What are they trying to achieve with these looks , then the overly man handled sound , did they think the 250 w over 8ohm would somehow dazzle the masses ??

The Lux 509 on the other hand along with the Moon tbh were all polish on natural offerings......something a bit weird about hegel and off-putting before long as evidenced by the quick detachment factor leading to trade ins after a short period in time. 

If not for the Lux 509, would have been the 600i or even the 340x from Moon. 

The journey has been long and in the end rewarding ......the 509 a thing of beauty .....the hegel a weird creation of which I decline any part of .......the Moon offerings remain in the agreeable and desired list ,  could be switched here and there with my 509....just for kicks  & why not....

Music is just the VE we seek in our lives ..........for that Luxman and Simaudio Moon check most if not al the boxes

I went through a similar dilemma you experienced. I was a big fan McIntosh and B&W 800 series, Ioved the way their look and sound at a level of obsession. Everything has changed after I visited Axpona this year. I do not have a long history of audiophile experience but I wanted to build a good system in my budget. When I listened BW802 D4 combo with MC611 monoblocks sounded great but when I compared to Wilson Audio Sasha DAW and moon audio setup, suddenly BW MC setup lost its entire magic. Suddenly my dreams got shattered because despite I spent literally hours to prove myself BW MC can’t be clearly inferior to Wilson setup, it was clearly a better llok but way inferior sound quality. At the end I ended up getting Hegel 590 and Wilson Sasha DAW setup. I have no regrets. It is a magical experience especially if you like jazz, guitar, classic music. It is absolutely neutral, clear, incredible detail and sound stage. I paid 6K for a used one, but definitely worth every penny for 12K MSRP. It has very very good internal DAC, I connected a Bluesound Node. And suddenly I had complete system which sounded incredibly good. Later added a Denafrips Terminator Plus, it is absolutely music nirvana. My TV is connected to Node and it is a complete system. I have no interest to try any other amplifier whatsoever. I watch a lot of audio equipment reviews on you tube, Audio Excellence from Canada has many great reviews of Hegel. Also A British Audiophile has great reviews of Hegel. I watch hundreds of hours of reviews and went to Axpona simply because I lacked former high end audio experience. I never listened to Luxman but it has great reviews, definitely a more expensive gear compare to Hegel. Hegel is purist amplifier, no bass, treble, loudness or EQ. I liked to listen music as recorded, I find those adjustments as intrusion to original music, so that was not problem for me. I think Luxman has those options, it could be an important decision point for you. Hegel 590 is incredibly powerful amp, 301W at 8 ohms, possibly 600W and in 2000W range at 2 ohms, relentless power. My ears gives up after 80% volume which gets too consistently 100 decibel range. No distortion at high volumes. Never tried full volume, I am afraid it can blow speakers. I can highly recommend Hegel, even a used one, you can spend extra money for better speakers. After all, no matter what amplifier you have, your source-DAC and speakers are more important. I wish you good luck. 

Some additional points :

Seller on ebay, 100% + feedback , will provide the step up transformer free of charge in the order.

The magic of this hobby is when one is inundated with listening tests and reviews coming at you from all the major publications , there comes a pivotal point when the decision is made. This is the one to go with & that indeed happened to me when listening to some vocalists intently , all the realism in the world was there , along with an almost ethereal glow , such is what the Luxman 509 provides. In fact, I have saved money along the way going with the 509. So much so , a used Moon 600i or new 360x could be joining the L 509 in several months time. The contrast between these two amps will no doubt provide some future listening sessions surfeited with critical intrigue.

As for speakers , after much testing .....the newer B&W - namely the D4 - models seem to have everything I find desirable and livable with a speaker. Seems just right to my ears.

I have owned Hegel H190 and 390. I traded the H390 for a Mark Levinson No. 585. The build quality of the Levinson is on par with most any top tier amps on the market and trounces the Hegel which has stamped case. The Hegel signature sound of absolute neutrality is nice at first but a little boring after time. The Levinson is also a neutral leaning amp, but brings greater detail and texture to the sound and an effortless power delivery that the Hegel couldn't match. My next move will probably be an Esoteric which is on par with the Levinson and Luxman for build quality, if not as pretty as the Luxman, or as muscular as the Levinson.