Oh how I wish Class D amps ...

Mapman was absolutely right saying,

"If you want Class D to sound good to you bad enough, maybe try building your system around a Class D amp of choice."

I have the same class D amps, the H2O for 7 years. My system now is clear through every frequency point. That was not so over the first 4 years. It was great in the 2 years between then and now, with now being spectacular.

I continued making changes in my system around my class D amps as Mapman suggests.

I'm thinking on Kij's wavelength.

I'm a current 'd' owner....some ICE amps, but the Spectron would be on any short list of auditions....and it is a pretty short list.

With the black faceplate!

Timtim, your interest for switching amplifier improvement and your appreciation for their obvious strong points is refreshing.

Not to devaluate system synergy I feel there are obvious similarities of the basic amplifier types that are distinguishable regardless of synergy. I still own a tube amp, linear solid state, and two switching amps. and I'm sorry none of them sound like the other contrary to all the, "sounds like a tube amp," statements one reads.

The weakest aspect of switching amplifiers is they are not plug and play. They may need a little effort to integrate them into a system and more importantly the systems electrical supply. If a class D design has any of the sonic generalities you read about, more than likely they can be tuned in or out. As Muralman describes it can be a substantial tuning process or as simple as a cable switch. Unfortunately, you seldom read of a major reviewer taking any special effort to integrate them.

Currently, I'm listening to a standard Asthetix Atlas (hybrid?) on loan. To my ears the Atlas comes very close to bridging the tube to solid state gap. At some point a direct comparison with an Acoustic Research VT would be interesting. The Sanders Magtech linear solid state with its unique regulating power supply and the Devialet integrated switching amp running in class A whatever that is are very interesting. As I understand it these amps have some unique design innovations and initial reports of both designs sound very promising.

"I still own a tube amp, linear solid state, and two switching amps. and I'm sorry none of them sound like the other contrary to all the, "sounds like a tube amp," statements one reads."

Exactly.

Most all gear sounds different, especially when radically different technologies and design approaches are applied.

And that's why it is not a sound approach to swap in a piece of gear into a system you already think sounds right and then lament that it is not as good when it sounds different. If you want to get back to that original sound, there will be more changes required to do it.

My gut tells me that in general Icepower and ribbon tweeters may not be a good combo in that both tend to lean towards a non fatiguing (not "hot") top end. Too much of a good thing in combo perhaps? Whereas Class A A/B amps may deliver a relatively "hotter" top end in comparison and have a nice synergy with ribbon tweeters for many.

I can say I have found the BEl Canto ref1000m IcePower monoblocks do have a nice synergy with my Dynaudio monitors (isotar tweeter I think) which can tend to be a tad hot on the top end compared to some other monitors in general.

Same with the soft dome tweeters used in the OHM Series 3 CLS drivers used in the Walsh 100 and 5 series 3, more full range, speakers, which are a notch less hot on the top end relative to the Dyn monitors, I find.

My Dyns and OHMs can be both run concurrently in adjacent rooms of my system. I have had many opportunities to hear both with several radically different amps in my system over the last few years, so that is largely the basis for what I relate.

class D amps with tube-like sound - I read and read. I think the best comment on it is on Spectron web site:

" The published measurements of many class D amplifiers reveal that while their THD is primarily second-harmonic in nature, there are also some higher-order harmonics present. This pattern of distortion is very similar to the pattern of distortion in poorly designed tube amplifiers. Thus, sonically, this euphonic coloration is confused by some with the warmth of tube amplifiers. In reality this deviation acts as both an annoyance and murky veil. In exchange for euphonic, overly rich harmonic texture (of absolutely artificial origin) the listener gets no transparency and a lower level of true detail."

As I understand, Spectron goal is ulta low distortion levels particularly of odd-order harmonics.