Class D amps are highly damped usually, a trait that will generally make them sound quite different than many though not all, tube amps.
Which sounds better case by case will be highly variable on many factors including personal preference.
Recording quality is always a big factor.
FWIW, I have my system using Class D amps tuned so that most lesser recordings still sound decent and more than just listenable, and the best recordings shine well beyond that. It does take some tweaking though usually to get to any target desired sound, so a straight out a/b comparison on a dealer system may not tell the whole story. Tube amps in general may be easier on the ears, but if its the amp that is enabling that with lesser recordings, the effects on others may not be as desirable. It all depends, YMMV, all the typical caveats apply.
FWIW, my local dealers system that uses high quality Rogue and ARC tube amplification (also high quality Rowland Class D amps) is one of the references I have used to get my system sounding the way I want using a CLass D amp best suited to get the most out of my particular speakers. So I palce way more value in getting the right combination of components in place and tweaking that from there as needed than I do in banking solely on tube versus SS amplification. I've found the best of each tend to sound more similar than not. THen there are all different flavors, many quite tasty, possible from there, in some cases flavors unique to the specific technology used.
Which sounds better case by case will be highly variable on many factors including personal preference.
Recording quality is always a big factor.
FWIW, I have my system using Class D amps tuned so that most lesser recordings still sound decent and more than just listenable, and the best recordings shine well beyond that. It does take some tweaking though usually to get to any target desired sound, so a straight out a/b comparison on a dealer system may not tell the whole story. Tube amps in general may be easier on the ears, but if its the amp that is enabling that with lesser recordings, the effects on others may not be as desirable. It all depends, YMMV, all the typical caveats apply.
FWIW, my local dealers system that uses high quality Rogue and ARC tube amplification (also high quality Rowland Class D amps) is one of the references I have used to get my system sounding the way I want using a CLass D amp best suited to get the most out of my particular speakers. So I palce way more value in getting the right combination of components in place and tweaking that from there as needed than I do in banking solely on tube versus SS amplification. I've found the best of each tend to sound more similar than not. THen there are all different flavors, many quite tasty, possible from there, in some cases flavors unique to the specific technology used.