Hi, I currently have a modest system of sprout100 driving Harberth P3ESR XD speakers. I am looking for an upgrade from Sprout100. I was considering Stellar Strata, but I live in Europe and the import fees when I purchase from dealers in Poland tend to hike the price up quite a bit. I was thinking about going for something like Hegel h120, but I’m not sure how much of an upgrade this will be. Does anyone have experience with this integrated?
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You do not mention if you are planning to buy new or used. If you are considering purchasing a new one, I would suggest you try and find a dealer that will let you take your speakers into their shop so you can try the combination. While the difference in construction and cost would lead one to expect that the Hegel will be a nice step up, one just cannot be sure without trying. There are always unforeseen interactions between an amplifier and speakers. An amplifier can sound wonderful with some speakers and mediocre with others even when both speakers specifications differ little. Someone said “shop for a good dealer, not equipment” and that can be very good advice. Especially in the beginning of one’s audio journey.
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Welcome, There are lots of choices in the Sprout to Stella range. I have owned both. From my experience, I recommend that you take your time and look at lots of options.
I recall 1 or 2 people saying that Poland makes good components. So, it may not be necessary to jump on the ‘English’ products bandwagon.
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I have the Hegel H120 driving Aerial 5T speakers, which are somewhat similar to your Harbeths, in a digital focused system. Predominately used for exploring new releases via Qobuz. It makes for a very nice combination. My digital streaming/server is the INNuos ZEN Mk3, 2tB. I seriously considered the NAIM Supernait 3 integrated but slightly preferred the warmth of the Hegel. Either the H120 or H190 would be an excellent combination. If you were stateside and did not play LPs I’d suggest the Pass Labs INT-60. I run a Pass Labs XA-25 driven by the Pass Labs XP-12. Speakers are Pure Audio Project Trio 15 Classic with Voxativ PiFe FR drivers. The Harbeth P3ESR XD are stunners IMO. Best of luck with your decision.
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Thank you, makes sense, I’m planning to buy new. 
Generally speaking all of the products within EU don’t come with any import fees, so I can look at the EU brands in general
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I think I’ll pull the triger on the Hegel h120 then with a dealer that has a decent return policy. Thank you for your suggestions.
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Looking forward to your impressions once your H120 settles in.
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