New Class D amplifiers

going from A all the way to D strikes me as somewhat extreme for one who is used to the Pass. Why not look into a good A/B first? 

The main reason AB exists is to reduce heat and power consumption, with some of the benefit of class A operation.

Class D allows a good designer to sidestep some of the reasons for class A operation in the first place- a classic example being that of crossover distortion. Most class D amplifiers are literally incapable of this kind of distortion. In addition, the distortion of the output section isn't made in the same way that it is in a class A or AB design. The result can be that the distortion the class D amp generates can be far more benign to the ear. 

I've heard class D amps that compare more than just favorably to a Pass Labs amplifier. These days its not about class of operation, it simply about the sound.

Roon has an option to become a ’radio’ using the music you listened most recently. When the album/playlist is over, it will find other music that is similar (using your library, or if you are connected to Qobuz/Tidal?etc, a variety of similar songs from the entire available list via the web). I find myself listening for many hours as I go about my business, discovering new music/artists.

I just recently moved to New Orleans. Being much warmer than my previous address, I just ordered the Atma-sphere Class D. Going to put it up against my FirstWatt Sit -3 amp. Not a lot of extra heat from the FirstWatt, but it does add warmth in the summer.

Innuos Zen -> Exogal Comet -> Audio Hungary Quality APR 204 -> FirstWatt SIT-3 -> Rethym Saadhana

Should arrive early next month

The main reason AB exists is to reduce heat and power consumption, with some of the benefit of class A operation.

And the main reason D exists is to reduce heat and weight, while (hopefully) retaining some of the benefits of AB operation. But the gold standard sonically remains A. Where heat/weight is not a consideration (eg., preamps) class A is the norm.

If you take an amp like the LSA Voyager......you can make it sound way more liquid and musical and detailed by changing parts and eliminating parts......and this CANNOT be measured. The amp will measure exactly as it does stock. The amount of measured distortion or the types of measured distortion are just one indicators of sound.....not sole indicators. You can send me 5 pairs of Atmasphere amps and I will mod each one differently and you will hear them as all different sounding and they will all still measure like stock......this is the truth. To think we can measure everything we hear is simply NOT TRUE. Can you tell me how an interconnect SOUNDS via measurement?.......NO, YOU cannot....because all cables measure basically the same (minor amounts of capacitance and inductance differences). Even Belden make a line of audiophile cables called Iconoclast.....made by a very scientific kind of guy.......but they have three levels of cables.....basic copper, OFC copper and PCOCC copper......EVERYONE agrees that the PCOCC copper one sounds best.....yet the cables are all made the same except for the wire purity........and they measure the same. Same with everything in an amp......you cannot measure the filter caps on the output of a class d output stage but every brand will sound different and also if you put the outside foil to ground (it will sound better.....and still measure the same). This game is infinite.