Who tried Class D only to return to S/S or Tube

Excellent post as usual Guido.
I'm another who has been in and out of class D for the past 7 or 8 years. My first foray was with the inexpensive PS Audio Trio A-100. This little amp blew me away with it's small size, no heat, and most of all relaxed and engaging sound. How much of this positive impression was based on the excitement of the new product is a question I still ask myself.
I liked the amp so much I bought another and used them to bi-amp. After a few months though, I couldn't say I preferred bi-amping to a single amp.
Without going into the different types of modules used in the different amps, I'll just say the Trio A-100 did not use what were considered "audiophile" quality modules. As that was the case I went searching for better class D.
There were several attempts at bettering the little PS Audio amp without success until I bought a Bel Canto Ref 500S amp. This amp seemed like the absolute "straight wire with gain" amp, in other words, perfect sound. Should'a quit then? Not on your life.
As like most of us, I had several amps to switch in and out just for the heck of it and to keep audio boredom at bay. Mostly standard class A/B amps; none of which were better than the Ref S500, only different. One day, on a whim I placed $100 ebay bid on an old Harman Kardon PA2200 amp. As luck would have it, I won the bud and a few days later I hooked this amp in to my system. Was it better than 20 times more expensive Bel Canto? No. But there was something about this amp I really liked. It stayed in my system for about a month and I couldn't find reason to remove it.
I did remove it to recap the amp and do some rewiring. I also adjusted the DC balance and bias on the amp. After all my fiddling the amp still sounded wonderful. I sold the Bel Canto.
A few years and many amps later, (including a few tube trials) I wanted something very compact for my system. I ended up with a Wyred4Sound mAMP mono blocks. This amp uses the same module as the Bel Canto I found perfect so I figured it would be perfect for me. I found a good deal an a pair and hooked them up. Clean, quiet, perfect(?), but somehow lifeless. Unfortunate as they really fit my space perfectly.
I'm now using an Aura Vita integrated amp as it also fits (barely) my space. I think I'm done trying the class D thing. Although I understand the allure, I also understand, it's not to my taste. And that's really what it's about.

I owned Gilmore Raven stereo amp for a few years, then upgraded to the Raptor monoblocks. Was happy with them for several years as well.

Then I built a pair of two stage, direct-coupled SET monoblocks, with 6E5P driver and 833C power tubes, producing 200wpc. These are so much better from bass through treble that I was stunned. More real-sounding, more musical, and more authoritative. They make me want to listen to music as often as possible. I'll not go back.

Oh, and prior to the Gilmore Class D amps I owned Flying Mole Class D monos. The Gilmores were better than those, but the FMs were still nice sounding. I also auditioned NuForce Ref9 SE monos and thought they sounded awful - harsh and screeching are the descriptors that come to mind.

I don't see myself with anything but my 833 SET amps from now until I will them to my son.

I have 2 Class D setups currently.

My main system with Bel Canto ref1000m amps and ARC sp16 tube pre-amp that run a variety of speakers and my second family room system built around a Bel Canto C5i integrated.

I added the C5i recently to test the waters of a digital /Class D amp versus the tube/Class D hybrid approach.

My take is on Class D is that the technology delivers again perhaps the most neutral, dimensional and seemingly "perfect" sound.

Will that alone float everyone's boat?

Not likely. I suspect no one particular sound will.

But I will say I think building around a Class D amp to tailor the sound to what one will like is perhaps the most versatile and prudent approach out there today.

Reason is Class D is so clean neutral and dimensional. It's the best place to start, kind of like starting with vanilla ice cream. From there, no way to know what "flavor" will be preferred.

My two Class D setups sound nothing alike, even when using the same speakers essentially with both. But each is musical and enticing in its own unique way. If I had to choose just one, it would a very tough choice.

I have auditioned many tube amps in teh process but have never owned one. The Ci did replace Tube Audio Design Hibachi monoblocks which were SS amps designed by a tube guy as a reasonable alternative and those very quite nice in their own way as well.

I have gone back and forth about once a week for the past year. The only Class D I have owned is my current NC1200 Acoustic Imagery Atsahs. I also own a McCormack DNA-2 LAE that received Steve's Signature Edition upgrades (the best) in 2014. Before that, solid state with Clayton Class A M300s and M200s, Lamm Hybrid M1.1s, and top SS amps from Cary, Herron, BAT, and McCormack (DNA-500).

It has been difficult to decide whether I like the McCormack or the Atsahs better and I am set up so I can easily switch between them, which has been interesting. From a purely sonic standpoint, the Clayton M300s were the best I have owned but the Atsahs and McCormack are close, and have ergonomic advantages over the Claytons. The McCormack and the Atsahs have slightly different sonic presentations but the differences are not large and both sound great. I would say the McCormack sounds a bit cleaner and more extended while the Atsahs have a touch more tonal density. Both have great bass and, again, the differences are small.