The Hegel H390 is a very powerful integrated amplifier that comes loaded with features and is an absolute solid performer. The H390 has a hefty price tag but when we look at its long list of accolades, it seems to be worthy of every single cent been invested into this amp. To really bring out the Hegel H390 sound quality, it is a must to pair it with matching speakers which are equally talented and remarkable as this integrated amplifier is.
We are planning to share with you a list of the best matching speakers that you can go for and pair them with your Hegel H390 but first, we need to learn more about the integrated amp. By learning more about its sonic characteristics and strengths, we can then determine which speakers are the best match and will complement the H390 amplifier really well. And so without further ado, let us start.
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Sonic Characteristics and Important Specifications of Hegel H390
The iconic minimalistic design of Hegel’s amplifiers makes the H390 look elegant and high-end. It is striking and yet doesn’t really stand out too much. The Hegel H390 will easily be the pride of your listening room and will match aesthetically well with most speakers. It uses Dual Amp technology which separates the voltage gain stage and the current gain stage, providing us with lower total distortion as well as a higher dynamic range. The rated power output is 250 Watts per channel into 8 Ohms (Dual Mono) and has a minimum impedance of 2 Ohms. Hegel H390 frequency response is equally impressive, it is from 5Hz to 180kHz. These specs clearly indicate that the H390 integrated amp can drive most loudspeakers with ease such as stand-mounters, floor-standers, etc. Furthermore, giving us plenty of loudspeaker choices to choose from.
The Hegel H390 has a built-in premium Bit-Perfect DAC, supporting most audio formats like DSD, MQA, etc. There is also Spotify Connect, Apple Airplay, and UPnP streaming. For listeners who have a home theater system, as all inputs are configurable for volume bypass which means you can easily integrate H390 to your HT systems, Sonos or Bluesound. There are more features and these are just some of the notable ones. It will be even cooler if the Hegel H390 has a built-in phono stage though.
This absolute powerhouse of an amplifier dishes out powerful and clean sound quality without ever losing control. The music handling is class-leading, able to provide us with an impactful crescendo, and goes quiet when the music calls for. A balancing act of power and refinement expertly executed by the Hegel H390. What’s even more impressive is how faithful the music presentation is, there is no over-exaggeration and we hardly detect any colorations of the sound. It is just clean sound quality with plenty of textures, details, and musical nuances which are been produced effortlessly.
The overall bass performance is articulate, fast, and agile, adding weight to the overall sound reproduction, providing us with a musical presence that fills the room. The deep bass reproduction is prominent and clean, it never lingers but is always tautly delivered. Hegel H390’s low-frequency control is superb as well, remaining composed and coherent no matter how much bass output the music demands. The scale of the soundstage is wide, deep, and has a satisfying height, with incredible stereo imaging. With its amazing stereo separation and spacing, H390 delivers a highly defined and high-resolution musical performance.
It does not sound overly bright or harsh no matter how hard we push the Hegel H390 amplifier, the neutral sonic character with a hint of warmth enables us to listen to our favorite tunes at all volumes or at a level we can bear without worrying about listeners fatigue. The smooth music delivery has a slightly pleasing sound quality to it which makes it sound less clinical and more musical. It is an extremely talented amplifier that will be suitable for all music genres. We have gathered enough information and data, it is time for us to start sharing with you the best speakers to go for and match them with your outstanding Hegel H390 integrated amplifier.
Hegel H390 Specifications
- Power Outputs: 250 Watts per channel into 8 Ohms (Dual Mono)
- Frequency Response: 5Hz-180kHz
- Minimum Load: 2 Ohms
- Inputs: 1 Balanced input, 2 Unbalanced inputs, 1 Coaxial (BNC), 1 Coaxial (RCA), 3 Optical inputs, 1 USB input, 1 Network
- Outputs: 1 Coaxial (BNC), 1 Unbalanced fixed (RCA), 1 Unbalanced variable (RCA)
- Dimensions (H x W x D): 145mm x 430mm x 440mm (5.7″ x 16.9″ x 17.3″)
- Weight: 20kg (44lbs)
Best Speakers to pair with Hegel H390
The KEF Reference 1 is one of the best bookshelf speakers to pair with your Hegel H390. The H390 has more than enough power to drive the Reference 1 with ease. It is pair of high-end stand-mounters that delivers a large-scale sound with power and authority, without losing its accuracy and clarity which is really incredible for a bookshelf speaker. The revealing nature of the KEF Reference 1 produces a massive amount of details and nuances with amazing control and timing. They have some similar sonic characteristics as well and the Reference 1 speakers will fit right in with the brilliant Hegel H390 integrated amp.
More Details at Amazon – KEF Reference 1 – Satin Walnut (Pair)
The Q Acoustics Concept 500 is one of the best floor-standing speakers to match with the Hegel H390. These multi-award-winning floor-standers can be driven efficiently by the Hegel H390 and even has some headroom to spare. The Concept 500 music handling is class-leading and along with the H390, your sound system will be able to handle any sophisticated passage coherently and with ease. These floor-standers will add more richness to the overall sound reproduction thanks to their full-bodied music delivery and authoritative bass performance. The Q Acoustics Concept 500 is easy on the ears as well and will be a fantastic speaker partner for the Hegel H390 amplifier.
More Details at Amazon – Q Acoustics Concept 500 (Silver Ebony)
For listeners who have limited space in their listening rooms, the Dynaudio Special Forty will be an excellent match with your Hegel H390 amp. This is a very well-regarded pair of bookshelf speakers which have exceptional sonic performance and are sanely priced. The stereo imaging of the Dynaudio Special Forty is impressive, giving us a stable and accurate music performance on a soundstage that is spacious and open. For a pair of bookshelf speakers, the bass reproduction has ample weight and incredible agility. The neutral sonic character of the Dynaudio Special Forty is a good fit with the Hegel H390 as well.
More Details at Amazon – Dynaudio Special 40 – Pair (Ebony Wave High Gloss)
The DALI Rubicon 8 is an exemplary floor-standing speaker choice to partner with your Hegel H390 integrated amplifier. It is the flagship model of the Rubicon series and can be driven by the H390 amp with ease. The DALI Rubicon 8 can easily fill a room with musical presence and envelop the listener into its immersive sound field. It sets the stage with a 3-dimensional musical performance, with exceptional control over its dynamics and range, providing you with an engaging and breathtaking music presentation. No matter how we push the DALI Rubicon 8 floor-standers, they never once sounded cringe and always entertaining to listen to them.
More Details at Amazon – DALI Rubicon 8
The Dynaudio Contour 20i is another best matching bookshelf speaker and will be a brilliant speaker partner for the Hegel H390. This is a pair of stand-mounter that will scale really well with power and fortunately, the Hegel H390 amplifier got plenty. The Contour 20i has the insights to reveal subtle details and nuances, making the instruments sound realistic. The dynamic range of these speakers is superb as well, along with its excellent bass performance, the Dynaudio Contour 20i is able to give us satisfying and impactful crescendos. They will be a worthy match for your Hegel H390 and is worth your time to check them out.
The KEF R7 floor-standing speakers will be an ideal choice for listeners who have mid to large size listening rooms. The Hegel H390 will be powerful enough to make the R7 floor-standers sing. It has an amazing balance and the neutrality of the KEF R7 provides us with a very accurate music presentation of our favorite tunes with crystal clear sound quality. The bass reproduction is accurate and very agile for a floor-stander of this size, the deep low ends delivery is precise without any exaggeration. It is a wonderful pair of musical-sounding floor-standing speakers which will match really well with the Hegel H390 amplifier.
More Details at Amazon – KEF R7 (Pair, Gloss Black)
To Conclude
You can run through the list of the best speakers and see which one of them meets your requirements. From there, you should arrange an audition with the speakers you have picked. If it is possible, you should try auditioning these speakers in your own listening room so to get a more accurate result. The speakers listed here are matching and will complement the Hegel H390 integrated amplifier really well. They are definitely worth the effort to hear them out and see if you like their sound quality.
