Class D Technology

Guido, thanks for the very practical and level headed advice. I suspect you have more experience with more Class D amps among others than most anyone, plus as far as I know you do not have any particular financial interest in any particular product line or type, so together that all means a lot.

I agree amp type alone means little. Its all in the execution as usual. Not just of the amp but matching system as a whole. There are many options of all types, some better than others and all surely somewhat different. Its best to understand something about them all and then decide. No one type will likely ever own 100% of the pie.  But I suspect Class D will continue to own an increasing larger slice over teh next few years anyway.   Who knows what might come next after that?

Guido, I understand your practical advice. However, companies such as Bel Canto & Rowland don't make Class D amplifiers. They take Hypex or Ice Modules and make mods to them so they can add their house sound. So, I think that Class D can be discussed as a topology. There is general agreement that the sound of Class D is improving, which is to be expected since this is a high tech product.   

My experience is similar to some others here and well-stated by timrhu,

I stopped with the almighty NCore amps. They almost always sound impressive at first listen, clean, quiet, and cool running. For me though, they begin to show their true sound after a month or so. I've given up on them.

In my case, it was a fatal flaw similar to that described in the review of the Mola Mola Kaluga by Mono & Stereo.  I had no problems with high frequencies and for me it was more about inner dynamics and the presentation sounding whole instead of like a grouping of individual sounds...sort of like the difference between a band playing live and the same band creating a recording by dubbing one player over the other until finished.  Sorry it is hard for me to explain, but the Class D Ncore just didn't sound as musical or involving, although they were clear, quiet and had excellent bass.  I really wanted to like them best but kept thinking something was missing.

So, what sounds better?  The Class D I owned for over a year was the Acoustic Imagery Atsah, which is the Ncore NC1200 modules in CNC-milled aluminum boxes, very similar to the Merrill Veritas.  At that time, I owned four amps. What I liked better were;
Lamm M1.2 Ref - Class A
McCormack DNA-2 LAE with full SMc modifications - Class AB
Clayton M300 - Class A

I still own the last two and in my system playing Aerial speakers the Clayton monos (300/600 wpc all in Class A) were easily the best sounding of the bunch IMO.

Tube amps generally require certain speakers that are an easier load and more efficient to shine.

This is true of all amps including class D. You can see it in the specs. If high end audio reproduction is your goal, there is no argument for a speaker that's hard to drive. The last thing you want to do with **any** amplifier is make it work hard!

Ignore the pronouncements of any manufacturer who is committed to any particular topology -- Hello Atma, how doing?

Fine, thank-you. A drunk ran a stop sign and T-boned my car, totaling it, back in July. I had a lower back injury that was really painful (bulging disk into my sciatic nerve); its only now healing to the point that I can dress and move in a normal fashion.

In case you were not seriously asking about my health, it might interest you to know that we've been studying and working on class D for some years now. So you might want to re-think your notion that we are 'committed to a particular topology'. We practice pragmatism, not ideology.

Ralph, Karsten Nielsen doctorate work at Technical University of Denmark is available on line.  Here is volume 1:

http://www.icepower.dk/files/ph.d.thesis/Volume_I_Title_and_preface.pdf

Sorry to hear about your injury.  My daughter has sciatic nerve pain for reasons unknown.  Hope you will get well soon.