With all the mention of the Rowland products I'll chime in here with my experience. I use the CONCERTO integrated with outboard PC-1. Amps before this include the McIntosh MA-6900, Cary Cinema 5 (excellent by the way), Rowland Concentra, and McIntosh MC-300. I've had the same speakers across all of these amps save the MC-300. Speakers are Tyler Linbrook monitors.
The Rowland Concerto is superb. Compared to all of the other amps I've had it loses nothing. Detailed, not cold, not warm, excellent noise floor (low) and dynamics. I will say that when I added a Shunyata Hydra things improved even moreso. I have read here from other posters the same experience. Not sure why, but it did. With the PC-1 and Hydra, the Concerto is fantastic. I have tried the Concerto without either the PC-1 or the Hydra, and it's still 95% (speculative enumeration!)of the way there.
I recently tried this system with a pair of Proac D25's, and the sound was similarly fantastic in all the areas you would ask about - soundstaging, midrange, etc, however the treble was too 'hot' for my tastes. I breathed easier when I put the Tyler's back in. Now lest someone say obviously the Tyler's somehow are not up to the task, I'll add that the last head-to-head I had in my system was the Harbeth SHL-5, which did NOT have any bright treble issues with this amp. It was truly spectacular. (My post is here elsewhere on the differences between the Harbeths and Tylers). I have yet to find a speaker that I have auditioned (save some bigger Wilsons and ML Summits) that did more for me than the Tyler's, and many less. Anyway, as far as the class D amps in my experience, I recommend them. If mine was cold, analytical, bright, or not 'full bodied', I could not live with it.
Criticisms? People have said they work better with some speakers more than others, that they could use a 'good line conditioner', and they may have a flatter soundstage from front to back than tube amps. From my experience, I could not argue with any of these points. However, given my experience with amps the Rowland is still the best I have enjoyed.
The Rowland Concerto is superb. Compared to all of the other amps I've had it loses nothing. Detailed, not cold, not warm, excellent noise floor (low) and dynamics. I will say that when I added a Shunyata Hydra things improved even moreso. I have read here from other posters the same experience. Not sure why, but it did. With the PC-1 and Hydra, the Concerto is fantastic. I have tried the Concerto without either the PC-1 or the Hydra, and it's still 95% (speculative enumeration!)of the way there.
I recently tried this system with a pair of Proac D25's, and the sound was similarly fantastic in all the areas you would ask about - soundstaging, midrange, etc, however the treble was too 'hot' for my tastes. I breathed easier when I put the Tyler's back in. Now lest someone say obviously the Tyler's somehow are not up to the task, I'll add that the last head-to-head I had in my system was the Harbeth SHL-5, which did NOT have any bright treble issues with this amp. It was truly spectacular. (My post is here elsewhere on the differences between the Harbeths and Tylers). I have yet to find a speaker that I have auditioned (save some bigger Wilsons and ML Summits) that did more for me than the Tyler's, and many less. Anyway, as far as the class D amps in my experience, I recommend them. If mine was cold, analytical, bright, or not 'full bodied', I could not live with it.
Criticisms? People have said they work better with some speakers more than others, that they could use a 'good line conditioner', and they may have a flatter soundstage from front to back than tube amps. From my experience, I could not argue with any of these points. However, given my experience with amps the Rowland is still the best I have enjoyed.