To Hans Wetzel,
I am looking for a new integrated amplifier. My Exposure RC-XXV (purchased in 2000; RC = remote control) is an upgraded version of the XX, [but it] has problems and parts are no longer available. These are the amps I’m considering: NAD Masters Series M32 DAC-integrated amplifier (read your review), Hegel Music Systems H160 (read your review), Leema Acoustics Tucana II, Luxman L-505uX, and the Pathos Classic One Mk.III or Classic Remix.
I’m in a large powered wheelchair, which makes it difficult to access most high-end shops in Toronto. I was hoping for some advice, guidance, or anything to aid in my purchase. I have listened to the Hegel H360 for an hour last month, and the Pathos 15 years ago. I owned a NAD integrated amp for 11 years and it won an award back in the early ’80s.
I read the reviews on the Leema over and over for the last several years. It’s pricey, but I like British equipment. Have you ever auditioned this amp? The Hegel H360 seemed to have slightly slower pace (my foot was not tapping) than my Exposure, but could be wrong (as I can’t use mine). It was nice -- soundstage and overall sound. But how does the H160 compare? The major hitch is the lack of analog inputs. As for the others, again any help would be fantastic. My other equipment includes an Audio Aero Prima DAC, Nakamichi MB-10 CD player, Music Hall MMF 2.1 turntable with a Benz-Micro MC20E2-L cartridge, Epos ES22 loudspeakers, and DH Labs Q-10 speaker cables with Revelation interconnects. I listen mainly to classic rock, progressive rock, and blues.
Sincerely,
Edward Holloway (SoundStage! reader since 2001)
Canada
Of the amps on your list, I’ve only heard the ones I’ve reviewed, though I have reviewed another of Luxman’s integrated amplifiers, the L-550AX (more below). No, I’ve never heard any of Leema’s amplifiers. With regards to Hegel, the H160 uses an older circuit design than the H360, but should still sound fairly similar in terms of its overall character, so if you didn’t fancy the H360, I doubt you’ll care for its older, less-powerful sibling.
It’s a little hard to tell what type of sound you like, but I think the fact that you owned an NAD integrated amp for so long means you appreciate a neutral, uncolored sonic profile. The NAD M32 might be the type of amp you’re looking for. It’s incredibly linear and clean sounding. It is also very revealing -- it has a wide-open, super-transparent sound that allows you to hear clear through to the back of a recording. What it does not have is much in the way of midrange body or bloom. There’s little warmth on offer, but I suspect that your turntable will help to richen up the proceedings. If you wanted an amp that’s a little more musically engaging in a traditional sense -- think vacuum tubes and class-A topology -- I’d steer you towards the Luxman. While the Luxman L-550AX I reviewed for SoundStage! Hi-Fi was a class-A design, and the L-505uX that you mention uses a class-AB architecture, I would bet that the Luxman house sound is ever-present. Considering the L-550AX not only won a Reviewers' Choice award, but also a Product of the Year award back in 2015, I’m betting the L-505uX is seriously good as well. . . . Hans Wetzel
