So as a follow-up to all this discussion, I'll leave some notes.
1) Need for burn-in of the ICEPower boards = True.
I spent a few more weeks with the newly refab'd unit, and indeed it DID improve. So much so, that I almost hesitated with point #2 below.
2) The incremental difference between an ICEPower based Class-D amp, and a McIntosh MC-312 was much more significant than I expected.
While stewing with the "newly refurbished" amp, trying to break it in... I contacted my local dealer. I requested an A/B between MY ICEPower unit (not one he'd had on his showroom floor) and a MC-312 using the same system.
While doing the demo with a few of my select demo tracks in hand, I immediately could sense an enhanced "decay" in some instruments, and for some reason, even MORE separation ... compared to my amp.
So Fast Forward a few months of waiting in line for my dealer to get a drop shipment from Binghamton... and a couple more months of critical listening... and I do admit... "you do know where that money went".
(could not help the movie quote...)
