I feel like buying a 390 and then immediately replacing the DAC seems like it defeats the point. 
I will second @Rockhound .
Whilst the DAC in my ML585 is very good indeed, it is really night and day using the T2 into the analog inputs of the ML.
Obviously ymmv!
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I had the T2 before I got the H390.
You must’ve really loved the amplification of the 390!
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Yes, it really is that good.
My C49 is getting digital media input from a LUMIN U1 up/re-sampled to DSD 128. It’s great sound. I’ve reached the point where I don’t change the settings for resolution. The C49 has balance and tone controls. They are essential to optimized listening. You can upgrade to the DA2 DAC if you want more resolution.
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Oh my, thank you for explaining your criteria to me. Have a great day!
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I’m not sure if you’re being sarcastic or not, but you just seemed like you dived into the thread without bothering to actually, you know, read my post or the followups.
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Besides the thoughtful design & superb Italian craftsmanship, I was immediately seduced by the Gold Note IS-1000 Deluxe’s velvety smooth, luxurious sound without sacrificing detail. As if the edges of the upper end are rounded with a very experienced hand. I was quite fortunate to compare the Hegel & GN side by side with Sonner Speakers. Immediately, I perked up on the first note out of the Hegel, but then came the Gold Note possessing more of everything I liked about the Hegel including a first rate Roon Ready DAC which was very important to me. Customer service is excellent & very responsive to emails. Very happy with the Gold Note IS-1000 Deluxe!
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A friend of mine recently bought a Gryphon Diablo 300 with the built in DAC at just a bit north of €10K.(Second hand of course)
In my opinion this beast obliterates any and all competition around the price mark. And, the built in DAC is one of the very best i’ve heard at any price.
I hear ya, OP, as I’ve been obsessing about the H390 for over a year. Been following the HEGEL thread here, which is a constant harp on the fact that they can’t get the thing Roon ready for some reason, so it’s tempered my enthusiasm (or at least cooled my jets about getting one).
But some run a Lumin T2 into it and haven’t looked back. (Spendy.) Others have bridged the gap with a Matrix Mini i-Pro 3. (Less spendy.) I know you said you’re running an Allo unit, so that’s probably less of an issue.
If you have your streaming/DAC all sorted, and don’t need an all-in-one unit, I’d think comparing the H390 with a Hegel P20 pre + H20 amp combo could be worthwhile. I think the power is similar, but I don’t know if the amplification in the 390 is newer and more advanced.
If your room isn’t a cathedral and you’re not playing at concert-hall levels, the $5000 difference between the H390 and H590 could net you some sweet speakers. (That’s probably the route I’d go, as I think the H390 has to be plenty powerful.)
And I love the look of the Hegel V10 phono pre, too. Have you heard it yet?
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That might be a littttttle much for apartment dwelling. Haha.
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I think the H390 is where I’m leaning heavily at this point. It probably wouldn’t be end-end game, but it’d be a very nice system for a number of years until I end up buying a house. I could easily squeeze the V10 and new speakers in, especially after selling my PM7000N and KEF Q750s. Those would easily pay for the new phono pre-amp leaving like $4,000 for a set of speakers.
I haven’t heard the V10, but the reviews are all enthusiastic, and I am a big fan of matching components. The P20 and H20 are $10,000 just for those and I’d still need a DAC (the Allo DigiOne Signature is just a streamer) and a phono pre-amp, which would take me way out of my price range.
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As others have mentioned, it makes no sense to prioritize amp over speakers.
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Not what I was asking for, but thanks! If you’d fully read the original post (or any of the follow up comments), you’d see that speakers would be coming shortly after the amp purchase and general audio advice isn’t what I’m after. I guess I know what it feels like to be mansplained at now. 
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It does make sense to put amp over speakers if you don’t want to replace the amp later.
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Audio can always turn into a 3 hour argument and Jerry Springer fist fight… As a professional integrator system designer, I constantly deal with getting the best bang for the buck for clients no matter what their spending ability. My rules of thumb regardless if it’s a two channel room or full blown Atmos theater, In Order. 1: Room Acoustics 2: Speaker selection: 3: Electronics 4: Source quality: 5: Cabling and overall rule “System Balance” (don’t blow the budget on any one of these).
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Going in a slightly different direction here but I’ve been very happy with my Primaluna EVO 400 preamp and Chord Qutest DAC. You can’t go wrong with anything in the Chord product range. I paired mine with Primaluna monoblocs but you could get an EVO 400 power amp and get the combo for around your price point. Personally, I prefer the separates route as you have much more flexibility in the future if circumstances change, and DACs are improving all the time.
Here’s my answer to something else. SPEAKER LOCATION AND ROOM ACOUSTICS determine sound quality. $$$ spent only offer better sound …$$$ do not guarantee better sound. Getting the best out any system requires identifying and removing acoustical pitfalls in your listening room and placing the speakers in their ideal location. Your ears will tell you when you’ve got it right. Sound quality is a subjective opinion. Don’t be fooled by advertising hype and snake oil. Spend some time fine tuning your room and getting it right before spending your hard earned $$$.
Keep smiling and have a good day.
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I’m not looking for the answer to something else. I know all about the basics of speaker placement and room treatment like I’ve said quite a few times in the thread already to other people offering me the same advice as you. I own a decent starter setup and I’ve worked on the room it’s in for what I feel is the best sound I can get while not trading off too much in the aesthetics department. I am literally (like I’ve said again, multiple times in the thread) just looking for component recommendations right now so that I can take stuff home to audition when the time comes a couple of years down the road in my new place.
At this point, I’m probably going to ask the mods to lock this up because having to type this out multiple times is getting old. 
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