Class D audio vs James Romeyn

Don't forget the NAD M22!

 emb: D class will never be as good as A or a well done AB or a great tube amp.

I understand your point of view. I use switching amplifiers yet I listen with tube amplifiers which is why I respond to statements like yours from time to time.

I grew up with vacuum tube amplification, suffered through the infancy of early solid state and realized my beloved Ayre V-1xe was aging out after years of continuos use.  I purchaced the inexpensive the PS Audio HCA-2 before its review purely as a stopgap but became enamored by its virtues which tube or linear solid state simply can't touch. I've had a switcher in the house ever since. 

Yes, most switching amplifiers have a fundamentaly different presentation. In my case a pair of originally offered Hypex nCore 400s fastened to a hunk of 6/4 Maple that drive my studio monitors with amazing clarity, transparency, and seemingly unaffected by gain (within reason). As you say it would take a "great" as in $$$ to approach this type of presentation. What my $1248. plus shipping gets me is a plate glass view into my small world of mixing.

Even though I prefer listening to my all tube analog system the Hypex design was a huge sonic leap in switching amplification which IMO has taken yet another huge step up. I just heard one of my home made files played through an Anthem pre/pro processor feeding a 200 watt ATI Class D driving some Joseph Audio floor standing speakers.

bakaolvb, read the Kalman Rubinson review in the March Stereophile. Morris Kessler's work speaks for itself. 

bakalovb I forgot to mention.

I'm essentially using what Romeyn builds sans the casework and includes a version of the Hypex switch mode power supply. The two channel 200 watt ATI AT522NC ($1895. w/seven year transferable warranty) uses a Kessler designed power supply which should be of interest.
 
I had never been in the room nor heard the system the ATI Class D amplifier was driving so I can't comment on the sonic differences betwee the standard nCore with a switch mode power supply to the ATI. On the other hand I would strongly suggest an audition of the ATI or trial period, if possible. The two channel ATI is only a few hundred dollars more than the current build DIY nCore 400 kit.

If you follow Class D amplifiers you'll soon learn a large portion of their performance relates directly to the AC power they're fed. I found the quality of the utilities voltage as well as the design of the dwellings wiring from the utilities main to the wall receptical made a very noticeable improvement in mt home. When I replaced my homes Romex with uninterupted dedicated 20amp 12 ga. metal clad BX my entire system benefited but the switching amplifiers are what really benefited. The ATI's power supply design may ameliorate the usuall Class D AC issues.    

Can't agree more about the power supply! My Sensation has, I think, a Doddson power supply ( not the battery) and it's a different animal with it. 
BTW, I'm using a Squeeze box duet with PS that costs 2x than SB and it sounds so good (via Anedio D2 DAC) that I'm still reluctant to change it, for example for the Bluesound Node that I have in my other system. I know, eventually I will, when MQA has more titles in Tidal.

Good, you got it. I believe this is the very area were most reviewers and people doing a casual auditions unknowingly handicap the potential performance of many switching amplifiers. 

I found another worthwhile improvement from affordable NuForce speaker cable over my Cardas Golden Ref. I had a pair of NuForce Ref SEs before the nCores. Not sure what happened to NuForce. No other reason to go to Milpitas now.