Any one else like the class D ICE power amps?

I am running Murano P-1000S+ monos in my system with Maggie 3.6 speakers and I LOVE them! Murano Audio is (was) a Taiwan-based company using the B & 0 ICE Power modules. I agree that paying huge money for Rolands (or even Bel Cantos for that matter) is silly unless you absolutely MUST have the particular cosmetic design each offers. Not all ICE power modules are identical, however...some companies "tweak" the B & O modules with slightly upgraded parts, including output terminals and speaker connectors. The Murano 1000S+ monoblocks I own were the very last pair available on the planet! These were bought brand-new from Audio Video Choices out of Arizona. The sales rep / owner had gargantuan Krell monoblocks at $30,000 per pair, as I recall, which he "retired" to storage after getting the Muranos (which sold for $1800 per pair new!). One of the distinctive features of the Murano "plus" series ia the Swedish Lundahl input transformer. (Jeff Roland uses the same transformer, which not only makes for better impedance matching with a wide variety of preamps but also results in a lower noise floor / blacker backgrounds, better retrieval of inner detail and extended treble response. As far as I know, Bel Canto also includes the Lundahl "upagrade," which is not found in H20, Wyred 4 Sound, and other class D designs. I have not compared my Muranos with, say, NuForce or Channel Islands' offerings. Each of the above designs takes a slightly different approach to Class D, and some use proprietary (or highly modified) circuit designs. (The CIA Hypex design is from Philips rather than B & O, and quite good as I am told.) Some have compared the Muranos to Rolands side by side and could not hear a difference. And, as noted, a good Class D design can "smoke" highly-regarded class A/AB designs. (But careful system matching is a must.) I owned an early PS Audio Class D design and found it sterile and uninvolving. Later I owned a well-reviewed Musical Fidelity amp and found it to be pleasant sounding but lacking in dynamics, air, and inner detail. For the record, the owner of Audio Video Choices is not impressed with the Wyred 4 Sound offererings after owning the Muranos, even though the Wyreds have an upgraded input transformer and a few other tweaks. I would recommend a good tubed pre and even a tube (or tube-modified) disc player, if you listen to CDs / SACDs. My Class D amps are a GREAT match for my Maggie 3.6s...their high current / high damping factor help them really "grab" the panels and make them sing...and without the "coolness" some associate with Class D. IF I ever upgrade it will be a vertical bi-amp setup with Monarchy Audio tube-hybrid amps. That setup should add the "frosting to the cake" in terms of ultimate control of the Maggies with a smidge more warmth. Stay tuned...I MAY upgrade this year, and the amps will go for exactly what I paid for them...they are VERY RARE and probably the best bang for the buck in amps you will ever find!

Thank you for ICE. A complete shift in what you get for your money. Goodbye heat sinks, wasted energy, fat murky sound, distortion, heavy lifting.

I am a huge fan of the Bel canto flavor of ICE. Some very fine amps.

Yes, Chadeffect...I agree that Bel Canto does ICE power right, and I like pretty much everything they make, for that matter. I hope my comments didn't imply anything to the contrary. For the "newbies" to Class D, however, a good starting place may be to search AudiogoN for EVS (now discontinued), PS Audio GCA series (also discontinued),
H2O or even the Wyreds. Upgrades (to Bel Canto, for example) can come later as funds allow...

I have set up my Bel Cantos with a Modwright tubed pre-amp and am driving VSA VR-4JRs. I have been ecstatic with the combination. Mating a tubed pre to the ICE worked for me. Articulation without fatigue, natural midrange voices and strings, and fast, deep bass.

Tgrisham,
My experience is very much like yours. I am running a highly modded Jolida Music Envoy pre and a Modwright / Sony 9100ES disc player (Platinum Sig. Truth mod), Maggie 3.6s and my Murano P-1000s+ monos (identical internally to the Bel Canto and Jeff Roland models using the B & O 1000 ASP module). I have been tempted of late to do tube hybrid amps so that I have tubes throughout the system, but the more I look into it the more I realize I will probably NEVER part with my amps. Unless one spends something in the $10,000+ range for high--powered tube amps, he will never duplicate the "magic" that happens when mating a great ICE-power (or equivalent class D) amp with a great tubed preamp. You summed it up nicely...you really DO get the best of everything in terms of speed, articulation, soundstaging, dynamics, etc., AND a flesh-and-bones visceral sonic picture that is wonderful to listen to for hours on end. It is this kind of synergy that keeps the upgrade bug tamed, in my experience. By the way, I noticed that there is a HUGE amount of discussion of Class D on these forums, and for good reason!