Class D amps

I am using an Audio Research Reference 5 to partner with my Bel Canto REF1000Ms driving Thiel CS3.7s.

I think the tube/Class D combo works great. The ARC Ref5 adds a lushness and dimensionality that I found wanting in the REF1000Ms.

H20 Audio's latest iteration of amps are pretty spiffy. The man has finally begun to mix artisan flavor in with solid engineering - and the results "speak" for themselves. You'll find no 10lb light weights in his lineup - and I like that.

I was recently putting together my system and couldn't decide between two used amps: Wyred 4 Sound ST500 and Conrad Johnson MF2500. They were both used and almost the same price, so I bought both in my own little "shootout". The sound of the two was very close in the short 3 days I compared the two. I sold the Conrad Johnson in the end because it was so big and didn't fit into the cabinet my wife wanted to buy. The Wyred 4 Sound amp also didn't have the hum that the Conrad Johnson had, especially when using the balanced interconnects.

I can understand the draw to traditional amps. I really liked the big, solid SS amps and I really felt that it was like owning a big mercedes compared to a VW. In the end I could not get over the lack of difference in the sound. Some of it could be chalked up to using balanced cables with the W4S, I suppose. It was not a hard choice to make.

Similar to Doggie, I run a tubed TRL Dude preamp with a pair of NuForce
Ref9 V2SE's, the sound is sublime.

Might want to do some homework on the latest Hypex NCore amps. They have kicked a lot of big names out of some very high-end systems.