High end Class D amps?

Bass which unlike most people I find typically to NOT be a strength of most class D because it is almost always over damped for the modern speaker, is stellar on the DS225, fast and articulate but with some body like bass actually sounds.

@petland any damping factor over about 20 or so is going to be too much for almost any speaker made. You won't be able to hear a difference between 100 or 1000 if that were the only variable....

Hello, somehow I am on similar situation.
what I can say after listening many class d is to don’t rely too much on latest chip and this works as well for Dac but is the implementation that make big difference. There are three or 4 main chip manufacturers on class D, but only two (Purify is basically a rebrand of Hypex) are giving the bases for the implementation. What I see is that the are some purist who calculate best class d in Sinad but this is math and doesn’t tell you how it sound. The sonic difference are given by op amp (extra board) and other tricks that add somehow signal distortion (sorry for defining as such) and this make a sonic difference. What sound better is up to you and your match. You can take the oem amply and rely only on chip then add the coloration you want by pre amp or you can play with big brand who customise the chip or oem assembler who give you possibility to add extra operational amps to change sonic features. Somehow technology is mature but I believe there will be other chip in the future who
will add maybe other tricks, maybe a built in Dac for instance?! Is big market out there and cheaper than producing SS or tube, many brands jump into it others not probably they don’t have the capability. try and listen then take your consideration

Atmashpere, how would one ever test that variable independently outside of other amplifier qualities? Plenty of seasoned audiophiles and reviewers alike that would argue subtleties in how a woofer is damped is second only to an amps ability to provide current into load variance in determining the best match.
I am listening right now to a pair of Harbeth 30.2 through the DS225 at DF of 167 at 8 ohm. I can swap in an Ncore amp I have on hand and the immediate complete unnatural over tightening of the lower register with a DF in the thousands has to at least be in part if not fully due to that difference.

Take your Ncore amp and put a .1 ohm non inductive power resistor on the inside of the amp right at the binding post (in series with the post).  Now the output impedance of the amp is at least .1 ohm.......so, listen to it again.  Does it sound exactly like some other amp that has 80 damping factor?   Not likely......there are so many factors that are probably part of the sonic equation.  The measured damping factor of an amp could be realized by several things....including amount of feedback, amount of output devices, resistance of coils in series (if applicable), etc.  I bet every amp with the same measured damping factor will sound different in bass quality.  This game is way more complex than most people think.  You can bypass the power supply with serious film caps and the bass will tighten, faster electrolytic caps in the power suppy will tighten bass....fi you damp certain things you will tighten the bass....or dry it up (over dampen)....on and on and on into infinity.  Over simplification is usually done by those that do not do much actual hands on testing and A/Bing......mostly just guessing...and that includes manufactures, as well.  I mean, how much time does anyone have to really research something?  High end audio is mostly the blind leading the blind.....he he.  In drag racing everyone knows what works......this is why dragsters all look the same, as if one person makes them all.   This is because there are only 5 things to consider when making a dragster (performance wise).....horsepower, weight, drag, traction and gearing......and the performance can be measured by a clock.  No one really knows why a certain piece of wire put in a certain direction would make a sonic change......and that is just one if the infinite possibilities of sonic change.  This is why there are tons of amps, including class D and at every price point and they all sound different (and always will)......and sometimes the cheaper one is better.  However, one thing is for sure.  If you spend enough time doing serious listening tests than you can figure out a lot of ways to lower audible distortion.