Which Class D Amplifier? PS Audio, Ghent, Nord, Merrill or other???

The only class D amp that I've ever heard is the NAD M22 v2.  I've paired it with a Herron VTSP-3A (r02) tube preamp.  Being able to adjust the gain on both (VTSP set to low; M22 set to mid), with the Herron's 100 step volume control has allowed me to make my Tannoy DC8Ti speakers "sing" with no listening fatigue or glare.  I'm quite happy with the M22.

select,

I get what you mean, as I too am over-the-moon with the EVS 1200, and it has less than 50 hours playing time, but have you heard a GaN amp? I am scheduled to get a prototype soon. Could they possibly be "THAT' much better? .

I am scheduled to get a prototype soon. Could they possibly be "THAT' much better?

You are "really blessed" to get the usually closely guarded prototype to evaluate from a manufacturer without being affiliated to them in any way.   

If it's been designed to use GaN's Technology to it's "full" capabilities, to fix the two problems with present day Class-D, "switching frequency and dead time" problems, as Technics have done in the SE-R1 (but they do need small heat sinks) with the 1.5mhz switching speed that it's capable of, there is no doubt it will sound far better than the Icepower-1200AS2 modules, as they have those 2 problems that can't be fixed.
  
If not and he cheaps out some and just uses it like the Merrill's or the AGD, GaN based amps did "without" the higher 1.5mhz switching frequency capabilities, it will be still better than the 1200AS2 based Class-D's, but not as good as the Technics SE-R1   

Hello tweak 1,

    I continue to be interested and intrigued by class D amps in general.  I know it's the best method for those with a limited budgets to attain very good performance in their systems because that's the main reason I tried my 1st one, a stereo Class D Audio SDS-440-CS amp, for $630 almost 10 years ago along with a healthy dose of curiosity.  
   I think once I realized, or any other new user who dares to give class D a try will quickly realize, just how well a good quality class D amp actually performs in their system this progresses naturally to thoughts, a strong interest and curiosity about the current and future capabilities of this not so new technology.  Of course, an adventurous approach to good system sound also requires its seekers to have the dual benefits of an open mind and a lack of an irrational allegiance to traditional amp technologies.
     In my case, this curiosity led to buying a 2nd class D amp, a stereo Emerald Physics EP-100.2SE amp and a 3rd, my current pair of D-Sonic M3-600-M mono-blocks.  I've noticed a significant upgrades in performance on my Magnepans with each amp but they all are very good and still in use in my combination 2-ch music and 5.4 surround system.
     I'm currently very satisfied with my system's overall performance but my curiosity about how good class D can perform still remains.  However I've also realized that to attain another significant upgrade in performance via a class D amp, it'll likely require buying one of the generally considered top performance echelon of class D amps such as a pre-owned pair of Merrill Veritas or Mola Mola Kartugas. 
     Ultimately, I believe the truth is that I'm just a music lover that's in search of a system that I really enjoy hearing music through.  Ideally, I know I want a system that sounds as close to live musicians playing in my room, or that I've been transported to a realistic venue the musicians are playing in.  The music has the same full range as live music from deep bass to high treble and all the tones in between, with the same dramatic dynamic range capacities and tonal accuracy.  I'm even okay with it being artificially enhanced if it means the soundstage images are more solid, stable and natural because that just gives the sense of more realism.  I get this high quality reproduction now on high quality recordings but think I'd just like it more often.
     I also realize that class D has no monopoly on high quality sound and, in the spirit of keeping an open mind, I'm not going to restrict my amp type options as I continue my search for further system improvements. I continue to prefer class D because of its many non-audio quality advantages, but sound quality and fidelity remain my primary concerns.


Tim