Hegel H590: Reference or Illusion? 

You nailed it man - absolutely hit the nail on the head. Two thumbs up !!!

It's great to see that kind of a brave review, where ones own taste is decisive. The soft-spoken style clearly helps to avoid conflict 👍

I had several Luxman gears, amplifiers class A, A/B and tube amps, CD players and dacs . The consistency of the house sound is incredible along the product line. This is one of the reasons that made me admire this brand. Your description is perfectly in line with my experience. Great review

Thanks for taking the time to create this review! I have been tempted by the H390 and H590 now that they have added Roon, but keep remembering my experience with the H90 and H190 where they both sounded great but didn’t sound “natural” or “analog” as you mentioned in your review. I am now convinced that I would end up in the same dissatisfied spot where I would appreciate what the Hegel can do, but not something that I want to commit to long term and therefore will look elsewhere for my next upgrade.

Hegel is good kit. Very well designed, decent materials and manufacture and a signature sound. Like Naim, they have a vocal fan base that champion their sound style and both companies are producing good products that are very popular. I tried Hegel and Naim and I went with Burmester. Astoundingly well made and a beautiful sound. My dealer told me that many or most of his Burmester customers are musicians and I can see why. There is no lack of detail, but music is played effortlessly and musically. I would never tell someone they bought the wrong equipment if they enjoy the sound and the user experience, but it can be difficult to know and hear all the possible options before spending money.

At this range of amplifiers it all comes to taste, what you prefer. I still love my h120, I think is one of the best all-in-one amp/dac/streamer on the market right now.

I love your channel, your videos are so engaging and awesome - and you referenced my Hegel video and linked to it - thank you 😊 🙏 I’ve just bought a Luxman 595 - it’s excellent, but the Shindo Pass combo makes me very jealous! Keep up the great work!

I see so many reviews of amps where they don’t test the analog, especially running a TT, so it was very refreshing and interesting to see your review. Great job - This is one of my favorite of your videos (another is the Axis Bold as Love LP comparison)!

Good for YOU!!! You tell the truth !!! Thank you....

Superb Review !! Appreciate your Forthright approach ! Keep it up .

Thank you for your honesty. I watch different audiophiles to see if any A/V receiver could compare to my sweet sounding SONY STR-DG1000. I thought the HAGEL would, especially for records. Thanks again for the save.

I appreciate your opinions. You are right on the dot. This amplifier is voiced using digital.

Ears are **ALL** that count... Bloody awesome video mate and a wonderful and fascinating and fully understandable explanation : ) It's just always nice to see an 'Audiophile' who truly appreciates analog...

I bought the H390 last month and paired it with Vandersteen TreoCT and stream 100%. I can only say good things about them both. Great bass, not boomy, awesome soundstage and a clarity that is very refined. My wife and I can listen at loud volumes all night long as the crossover of the loudspeakers match nicely with the Hegel which a little more laid back and not sitting in the front row, which I like. I enjoyed your review as you didn't have to blast the brand to make you point, I respect that

Subscribed. Great video, looking forward to watching lots of your back catalogue.

You are totally right. I have the H390 and I have the same sensation. But I really enjoy it.

As always Guido an interesting review! Also, love your new intro!!!

You could have done this vedio 3 months ago. Love you Guido! Man who got a backbone ...👍

Thank you very much for the review with your honest opinion! Hard to find around here! Judging by it, seems a very nice amp for people that like to listen to sound ;

What an explanation superb

I get what you hear and I heard it in other amps, too. Music is emotion and some tech is not able to reproduce that. It is almost the other way around. Such amps are harder to find. Tx a lot for your opinion on this amp. I am shure there are still many people out there that will be impressed by it but it won’t be for me. I love my tube amps 😀

That can be related to high damping factor, some, most of speakers do not like it, their crossovers, their diver/enclosure tuning can interact with high damping factors and start to ringing due high Q states in loudspeaker system. Try to put 0.05-0.1R power resistors in series with loudspeaker

I auditioned the H190 and H90 for a period of time and I think that’s pretty spot on regarding the sound characteristic 👍 Regarding damping factor, I used the Exposure 2510 (75w/40 damping factor) with B&W Nautilus 805 and it managed it without a sweat. The H90 (60w/2000 damping factor) definitely did not. The H190 was fine though (Note that I listen at low/mid volumes exclusively).

Great review!

I recently got a JET TC-905B to do immediate a/b amp switching helps a lot with short audio memory, of course only to test which amp sounds better and then it get removed out of the chain.

Spot on . I have a h390 for 1 month, comming from Moon product, and the precision and separation plus bass authority, sound control freak, I like it. Very controlled but exactly , my phono sound digital. You are very good Best description I saw so far

Youre spot on IMO. This is why this “neatness” sounds great with speakers like dyns. Dyns, are imo, at the end of the spectrum in teams of tighter woofers and the way they are voiced being that they sound warmer…and in a sense, sloppy. You throw very good grippy amps to it and thats when they are popular with this crowd.

To each his own. I love the Hegel sound for the same reasons that you don’t (great separation of sounds, very revealing, amazing bass control). I understand why some people like the melting together or intermingling of sounds of vintage amplifiers, but it’s not for me. :-)

Before some of you poop on what he said.. What he is saying is REAL. There are other audiophiles who often talk about amps that do this where the sound is not COHESIVE within the track, but SEPARATE sounding within the track. If you got good ears, this will irk you to no end with the former.

I have the H190 with Denafrips Ares 2 DAC and it sound... GREAT!

Love your truth , our boy lover (Darco and Jay’s) could not express your depth and understanding of the sound characters 👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻

Hi, nice review. I have the Hegel H360 for about a year now and i think i see your point. First of all, I don’t use the internal dac, i have the holo spring 1 wich is far better than the internal dac. What i feel with the internal dac is the midrange focus. It just isn’t there or not feel natural and i try it with different speakers but i was always locking for the Voice “death center” but it isn’t there. Another thing that i notice independent of the type of dac using is that the soundstage is a litle low, like the voice came from beneath the eye level….the 4000 damper factor is real amazing and can drive any speaker but maby you are right about the sound not sounding natural. Is something there that i don’t like so i’m considering selling it and return to valve amplifying. Cheers

This is a smart review.

In robotics, the term "uncanny valley" is used to describe androids that are so real they are creepy to look at. It sounds like what you are describing about the audio being to precise out of this amp. People prefer vacuum tube amps specifficaly because it does color the sound output, even from a DAC.

Thank you for your thoughts on the Hegel. My taste would be toward the Luxman!

I agree with your assessment of the Hegel sound…I owned the H90 and H190 and they exhibit the same characteristics that you described in the H590…I believe it’s called spotlighting of instruments and detail…I too also prefer a more cohesive sound.

Interesting video. This amplifier is way above my budget but none the less I like this kind of evaluations. Also going back in my memory, RU-vidrs who are sincere AND like this amp very much are mainly in to digital music sources. I guess that people who swear by analogue sources are sensitive to the trickery that is going on in this amp.

Excellent critical review, as always. Every time an amplifier puts the emphasis on the spectrum extremes instead of the mids you loose the coherence and the naturalness ( the soul) of the music 🎶

Interesting take....I haven't found the same. For example, listening to Stevie Ray Vaughn's version of Little Wing...the rich and buzzy tone of his guitar/amp, along with the rest of the band, is goosebumps good on my system (driven by the Hegel h390). But, that's what's great about HiFi...lots of options for people to choose to suit their interpretation of "natural" sound.

Great review.

Also a great interview with Hegel @ New Record Day where things are very well explained.

you аre right about everything man !

Ciao Guido avere un 'opinione diversa dalla massa vuol dire essere obiettivo ...nn ho mai sentito il prodotto in questione ma ho sempre ragionato con la mia testa👍

Wonderful commentary, simply straight forward, as always and as it is. The beauty of High-end is that we have different tastes and hearing, oohh yeah baby...

I love Hegel sound and you are absolutely right about h 590. After a week evaluation on both h590 and h390 in my home, I picked h390 every time when i did A B testing between the two( money was not deciding factor) . I mean h590 sounds good, but it's way overrated. I totally agree with your findings. It matched mine. Hegel h590 went back, happy with h390 in my second system.

I am a fan boy of the Hegel. I think it is one of the best pieces of technology out there. Owned an H120 for about two years, and if your are into copious amounts of detail, supreme delineation of every instrument/note played, and a sense of the hyper-real. There is not much out there that can top that brand. Alas, it was not the amp for me, my tastes leans towards things that give me some romance to the sound. I like components that give a sense of warmth and moisture to a singer's breath, almost as if Dianna Krall is setting in my lap singing in my ear. Putting flesh on their tongue, cheek, and palate that you can hear the gums smacking as they phrase a song's lyrics. So I traded it in for a EL-34 based tube amp that did costa a little more, but leaned to providing a more natural versus scientific type of sound.

Borrowed the Hegel on a ‘ try before you buy’ but I couldn’t get along with it either for pretty much the same reasons. Still looking for something to replace my Exposure gear and am currently trying Icon Audio valve amps and like what I hear so far.

I auditioned the Hegel and wanted to like it. In the end I went with Naim. Now Naim is different sound flavour than the Luxman but I like it better. It is good to have different sound flavours to choose from. The interweb crowd cheers can sometimes make you think that audio is a like olympic disciplines. The Hegel might take a gold medal in many disciplines but that is not the point of audio reproduction in my view.

Brilliant! Anything can be taken too far.

Finally an opinion that's not in favour of the Hegel brand. Everybody else seem to love 'em... Just checked your channel, especially liked the 'why cassettes should stay...' video. Great stuff, I'm not surprised that you do not get along with the Hegel. I had to wait 3 months for my 390 to arrive from Norway, just can't get the bloody things anywhere... Maybe for a reason or just an illusion?

I full agree.....the same sensation listening B&W speakers

Just curious, was this a new unit, if so how many hours of break in did you put on it? I have an H390 and I must say the sound definitely relaxed after about 100 hours on mine. I gotta say right now I am really enjoying the 390 with Harbeth speakers, perhaps because those speakers have a very prominent midrange sound. I’ve heard the class AB luxman integrateds and I did really enjoy them, but I don’t know if I’d like them more than the Hegel. Anyway, if everyone liked the same things life would be very boring.

Very good and honest review. You have put in words my listening experience of the Hagel. The Hagel was a 'safe' choice for me.

Tried the new beauty Luxman L-595ASE agains the Hegel H590. It was no comparison with the Hegel and I fully agree, there is just something off with the Hegel. It feels like all the individual instruments are taken apart and amplifier separately to create this huge soundstage. However, at the cost of feeling connected and integrated. The Luxman felt, organic, connected, warm but not without losing high end clarity, the warmness of connectedness if that makes sense. Second shoot out was the Luxman against the Audia Flight FLS 10. First using digital only as input, then using phonostage (for FLS 10 this is an additional module). I've listened for four hours trying to convince myself the Luxman was better, however it was not. The clarity, openness and air between the instruments was just way better with the FLS 10. Not night and day, you can even argue that if you're more into upbeat, rock, metal the Luxman would give you more pleasure and less fatigue (if you turn the knob up..;). With vinyl the differences were larger and this, imo, has to do with the phono stage and not the amp. The FLS 10 module at EUR 1100 is just way better than the Luxman integrated. A pity, especially when using MC. So my ranking would be Audia Flight FLS 10: fantastic, ordered. Luxman L-595ASE: great and very close, Hegel H590: not my kind of thing, maybe for other. Tip: go and listen and compare against fully balanced Class A or A/B Love the channel, keep it up and order a cassette deck to try the FLS 10!

I have a hegel h190 1nd it needs a bit of volume to sound better hope it helps

A very very interesting video

Here's what I think is happening. Most studio production these days is not a band playing all together, it is the result of individual tracks recorded at different times and perhaps even in different rooms. If Hegel is able to separate those features, then it is revealing the truth. Any unification of everything into one pot is a distortion. Kudos to Hegel for being able to even reveal such discontinuities in the recording process. I have an H95 and an H190 and I think they are wonderful.

I really like your Chanel and reviews. My take on your review is that this is a steal and a good buy. I don’t share the view that all analog sounds better. I think digital is far superior and interpret your remarks as very insightful descriptions of just those advantages being enhanced. You are also the only RU-vid reviewer that actual reviews the amp. I couldn’t care less for the combo sound of built in DAC and amp. You also confirms that the internal DAC is hyped compared to really good external ones.

Hi! Thank you for sharing this. I have the combo Pioneer c73/m73, the ones from the 90s, Urushi, and I’m running with them the Focal Arias 948. But lately I was thinking that maybe the Focals are more capable and the amps might hold them back. Any thoughts or advice? Should I keep them or go the Hegel way… 390? 590? Thank you!

I saw the video and I read through several of the comments, interesting. When Hegel came out touting the high damping factors, I asked myself, how are they doing that? All other major manufacturers pale in comparison. Anyway, you hear all these great reviews of the Hegel amps, and this little question just stuck in my mind. Did you notice that their power amps have a much lower damping factor? I wonder if they might sound better because they are doing less sound engine "magic"? The H20 with 200 wpc is "more than 1000" and the H30A 1000 watt mono is "more than 500" damping factor? Kind of strange. Thanks for the great content!

l think a lot probably depends on the background and personal sensitivities of the designing engineers themselves. If digital is more their thing, this will likely come through in the overall sound of the final product.

We all have different tastes, that’s why we have much to choose from… We like what we like….

Tarun, the British audiophile has great videos on Hegel as well

I own Hegel H390 and have it paired with Wharfedale Elysian 4. The Amp tends to render bass and transients with great accuracy, but reduces the volume of smooth parts of the audio. For example, in a heavy metal track, it brought the drums so forward that the guitar was hidden. If you listen to music which isn't mastered with a lot of dynamic range (small spikes or transients), Hegel will flatten it out even more and it will pronounce any transients

Interesting! I just had the H190 home on loan, and it just didn’t move me. Vocals and solo strings sounded far away and non-engaging. In fact the whole soundstage sounded too far away for me in my treated room. I found myself leaning in to get closer. Which didn’t work, haha. Will be trying other brands for more engaging (but perhaps less perfect) sound.

Hey there, loving your take on Hifi and the way you carefully explain, it really cuts thru a lot of the smoke and confusion out there. You mentioned that the Holo May is great, have you experienced another DAC that blows the May away? Love to know the best DAC's, in your opinion, that you have experienced

I would like to pair that luxman with some Cornwall IV. Trying to save up! Would like to see a comparison between Vincent sv700 and luxman. I read a review where somebody enjoyed the Vincent more than luxman because it had more punch and sounded livelier. I listen to rock and roll in jazz, punch and Lively is what I'm looking for. But I'm very happy with what I currently have. I am never wishing I had better when listening to my stereo. But the upgrade bug is always there.

The same issue described jay from 'thenextbestthing' when he talks about high end turntables. "They Sound too Digital" too clear.. Therefore he preferes vintage turntables to get the analogue sound. I never heard a high end Transistor amp. I User a high end tube amp for my BBC speaker laid back Sound chain. And a sansui 331 vintage receiver for my "exciting, sparkling" klipsch Quartet forward chain. Both Systems Sound like everything fits together almost perfekt. No issues. Dual 1219 + Dual 1226 😉

I use Hegel 390 with Heritage Special speakers. I agree with this review i.e emotional coherence (midrange) ain’t the best .

Luxman 509x intergrated best amp in its price range. I'd love to hear the new 595a though.

Great and honest review. I knew there was no way the Dac packed inside the Hegel could match the Holo May masterpiece of a Dac - because barely any Dac at any price can! :) I will keep watching to see if you can find an amp to beat the mighty Luxman 590AXII. Some candidates: Benchmark AHB2 has a patented THX forward feedback design and garners many positive reviews. Meanwhile Class D technology keeps improving in the form of NAD C298 with Purifi Eigentakt module. Meanwhile in loudspeaker land according to HiFi Choice the QAcoustics Concept 500 have dethroned the mighty ATC SCM 40s as the best standmounts for sane money.

thank you for this take, ...actually I was planing to buy hegel, but I feel very simmilar to you, while everybody pracing hegel and me wanting good sound quality hegel obviously is shortlisted but I am all the time wondering about the music presentation of hegel, and I have to say when I hear it i miss there something and I do not/did not know what it is...

Thanks for your valuable video. In my opinion ML 585 develops fantastic natural and pure sound. Have you tested it, what is your opinion? Thanks.

Thank you, can you review Yamaha integrated AS Line.

I came to a similar conclusion and went for Yamaha AS2200. What’s your opinion on Yamaha AS line of amplifiers. I think they have some of that vintage sound behind them.

I pray you, try a vintage Sansui amplifier, Japanese 1974-79 like au-517, or au-7900… I’m surprised that all the modern technologies didn’t ever arrive to that levels of quality and sounding!

Here’s something to look into that no one talks about… Hegal’s preamp and power amp separates I own both integrated and separates the separates are on a whole Nother level I was on the fence with the integrated until I heard the separates they do everything better that people complain about with the integrated‘s.

I found my old Benchmark LA-4 and AHB2's to be slightly better than the H590 and yet still suffered from the exact same issue. There was an overly cleanly aspect to their sound and a type of homogenization that occurred regardless of source. Very very good sound. But uninspired. I have upgraded to a Naim SuperNait 3 and HiCap DR with WitchHat HatPin SNAIC cables and WH Phantom speaker cables. Just stunningly organic and natural. Vastly better in terms of involvement in the music. Used the pocketed cash from the price difference to buy a Chord Qutest and LPS (another killer combo).

I had to sell my H390 as it was soundings soulless to me. Also, the built quality isn’t that great for money. Always trust your ears! Great video!

Ciao I know you like soul and other music. Just wondering when you listened to your Hegel if you noticed the seperation in the Hegel more from recordings from the late 60's and 70's? On my Hegel I notice that on older recordings you can hear the "mix" more so than on newer recordings. So on Faces-Ooh La La I could literally hear how the track was mixed. Guitar on the Right channel, drums, bass, etc. On the left was more the vocals. It definitely was like from the recording engineers perspective. Meaning if I was at the mixing board I could listen to the guitar, then add in percussion, bass, and vocals. Great song, but it wasn't blended enough. On more contemporary recordings definitely very detailed, layered, and textured BUT more cohesive. I know the Luxman is detailed but smoother and warmer. It also provides a more phantom center image by far. Good fun. I like them Both👍

Luxman or Accuphase wins every time! Great as always!

hi it's a bad time to buy any amps as power costs are going up all over the uk i know this will sound so good

Dear Guido, Ohh boy. Ohhhhhhh boy and ohhhhh boy! You are right! See, I'm a Hegel Fanboy and Focal fanboy too. And oh what a combo. I own an H160 driving my second system with Kanta No2's. I Love it. It's precise, acoustical instruments sound detailed. Female vocals are sexy. I thought it was my speakers ability to seperate instruments. But it's non fatiguing or clinical. But I understand the the Hegel is a surgeon's scalpel compared to a Luxman. My Sopras No3's I heard at my dealer with a Luxman 590AXii and I fell in love. Soo smooth, definitely a different appreciable sound. There that combo with the Sopras superb midrange, beryllium tweeter, and deep bass bring a new expirence that is still precise but more relaxing, and still entertaining. I almost bought an H390 for my Sopras but didn't want a monogamous relationship with just Hegel.😂 Anyhow, my wife and I like the Hegel because it's an integrated that fits in our decor in the family room. We only stream with it using a DAC. It's not too clinical either which is nice. Acoustic instruments, and female vocals have very high detail and revealing. Drums are lightning fast and tight, but, the Kantas are known for this. But again, you mentioned how high the damping factors are too therefore having a tight leash on the driver's. But yes midrange is a bit lacking. No richness in deeper gruffier male vocals, even in male artists with deep voices like, Grayson Capps, Barry White, or Issach Hayes and etc. I think that's where you can really get a sense of how a Hegel may not be perfect. But yes, you are right and the sound engine is essentially a computer with an algorithm. Not in a bad way though because they have done it really well. Oh boy, should I dare show your review to my wife and ask for Luxman and risk death 💀🌺. J/K I still appreciate both Hegel Luxman. Blessings👏👍🥃

This has probably much to do with taste. Some people like a more blooming sound than you get from Hegel amplifiers. I find my Hegel sound very natural actually. And I have never heard natural sounds being so lifelike in any system before. But there is not much extra. So you would need to match with speakers that bring it into your ballpark when it comes to taste. Hegel isn't for everyone. By the way I have the H390, and am super happy with it. Have had it for two years now.

I am a believer in break in and I wonder if you gave the Hegal enough time. 2 years ago I bought the Denon pma1600ne and it started to play, really well, about 6 month into owning it.

the effect that you are hearing is what I call, "too much of a good thing". It's easy to see and hear what the Hegel engineers were going for. But, I am going to keep my Denon pma 1600ne which is 1/8th the cost but has an outstanding dac and a phono preamp that I truly love.

Great review. It’s spot on. I moved from the Hegel H390 to the Luxman 590ax2. The Luxman is an awesome amp so musical and full sounding. Sounds like music. I would describe the Hegel as surgical sounding. Not my cup of tea. Keep up the great reviews.

Had an h390 for a short while. Extremely detailed but too clinical and even antiseptic for me. Went to a Luxman L-509x and have never looked back. I think the first 6-7 watts are class A. Gorgeous natural sounding amp. I've heard the h590 is world's better than the 390. I have friends that swear by it.

I listened to the Hegel h 590, against the Gryphon Diablo 120. The Hegel is a great amplifier, but the Gryphon is clearly better. I chose the Gryphon.

I had the same impression of the “separation” until I changed cables. It then all came together. It sounded totally natural and coherent. I’m not a cable guy but the recommendation made all the difference.

I haven't heard the 590 but I own the 390 and I haven't experienced what you describe with this component. I did once experience what you describe from an ultra-detailed COS DAC and if the Hegel had reproduced the same sense of breaking the fabric of the music apart into many disembodied "bits" strewn across the sound-stage, I surely would not have kept the Hegel, because I hate that sort of unnatural presentation that prioritizes detail above all else. I would describe such a presentation as clinical or analytical. This is not what I hear from my Hegel at all! For one thing, the highs are somewhat rolled off-- the sound is in no way "tipped up" or "forward". And while there is detail aplenty, it never "shouts" at me or calls attention to itself. The detail is always subservient/secondary to my sense of the music as an integrated, emotionally-involving whole. I don't know what other gear you paired with the Hegel; synergy is, obviously, always an issue to be taken into consideration. I use mine with a Sim transport feeding an Aqua La Voce 2 DAC. If the 390 sounded to me the way the 590 sounds to you, I wouldn't like it, either!

I found that it's essential to have tubes in the system to get the sound to seem natural. For example DOGE DAC 7 (tubes), Kinki Studio B7 power amps (class AB) and transparent preamp like the Wyred for Sound STP-SE.

How is it compared to a Rotel Michi X3? Or how would a Michi X3 compare to a H390?

please review sugden a21se. i was oscilating betwen hegel and sugden and after this review i lean on sugden.

For Magnepan LRS what's better the H190, H390 or H590?

Not sure I can agree. I have the h190 I only listen to digital. I am going to listen again based on your comment. Okay just critically listen Schubert cheaper music. The first piece was violin and piano, and I have to say is the left and right hand separation is perfect and so realistic the violin pull that my heart. I think I’m a pretty critical listener . And I just don’t find the presentation from my Hegel to be inorganic. I don’t think that it’s analog, but I don’t think it’s old-school digital either. It’s something new. I never compare stereos one versus another. I always compare them to live performances. I’ve heard these particular Schuber pieces several times in person and I can only tell you that they are presented as close to as I have heard. I don’t care if Luxmann a little this way or if accuphase a little that way. How does a sound system sound compared to live performance of actual instruments that are acoustic and human voices? How does this sound versus the real thing? That incredible damping fast factor allows it to touch out details that virtually no other system does. And the dark background allows you to hear it better I think your mistaken respect. I don’t think you’re right. Forget about Luxman and go listen to live music and then compare. This stereo versus that stereo this one has a bit more of this. This one has a bit more that this is an endless rabbit hole that sucks every dollar out of you. You can only attain satisfaction if you compare it to real music it’s not about your taste of music it’s about what’s real.

Good review. Your opinion matters . Ears do count!

My relatively modest experience with friend's H590 with three different speakers with different music genres in a couple of months period somehow brought together my impressions from the previous listening sessions. In the recent listening session with speakers with active bass unit and passive mid and high unit above (dipolar version) was compared with a copy of JLH 1969, a little class A amp. This time really showed up H590's achile's heel, that it's strongest point is also the weakest one. I guess it has to do with very high damping or/and some other Hegel's electronical solutions. What do I mean by that? In short. H590 has a great natural or neutral sound of acoustic instruments and great easy presentation of anything. But for instance classical orchestral pieces, instruments would have a great natural tambre - tonality but all together the sound, the ambient is somehow liveless and has somehow truncated presentation as a whole. Of course the highs are just not airy and open and refined. Here little class A amp surpasses H590 significantly. True, the instruments reproduced through JLH1969 does not have H590's body and sounded a touch less neutral, but as a whole soundstage is simply alive, much more space ambient, spatial q-es, refinement and even better imaging and 3D presentation. Of course, you can not play music as loud with JLH as with Hegel and JLH needs more efficient speakers to do it's best through the whole Hz register, but up to 80 db avg it does fine. And we are talking about comparison of lightweight little 6 kilos, 2x10W amp, for cca 300 USD versus over 30 kilos, 2x300-500W and cca 12.000 USD. Reports by German audiophiles says that with appropriate, quality preamp, the JLH1969 plays even on another, higher level, and many of them sell or put in a closet their amps for 10.000 EUR and even more. I put my old Marantz 7200 KI Singnature in a closet. I will certainly test some preamps this year. I agree. The H590 is a great amp with some great qualities in sound reproduction. I was excited about hearing it for the first time. But somehow it is liveless with truncated highs. And my friend experienced audiophile, theH590 owner agrees with this. And Hegel lovers say, that even H390 is better - more "musical" and even more are older versions like H300, but I can not comment on this.

How does the Hegel H590 compare to something like the Michi X5?

Hi, I think you don't need to reference other sites (especially those there !!!). What you do is much more honest, serious and useful.