Comments please on: NAD M23 vs c298 vs. other newer Class D

I've tried a number of IcePower and Purifi Eigentakt amplifiers (>10) and prefer IcePower IceEdge amps. The latest "shoot out" was for HT, an NAD M28 vs Legacy i8. The NAD, like a C298, had an electronic edge that was not musical. 

Thanks for the additional comments. If I can try something used, I will. 

I am using 2 NAD 268's bridged, the little brother(s) to the 298. I will say that I am impressed with the power and the sound these amps produce. I have other amps, sugden class A for one....but the NAD's do a great job for relatively little money. I wanted a little more slam with my music, particularly with rock, and the NAD's deliver. 300 watts or more per channel on the peaks. Even audio science reviews Amir liked the 268......

Ok, you folks are really inspiring me to get out my wallet and give something a try. I cannot locate any Atmaspheres for trial so I'll likely go up to The Music Room and buy the M23 and try it for a month.

I've owned a NAD M23 for 2 years. I've previously owned many solid state A/B amplifiers, my favorite being a Parasound HCA-1200 (circa 1990). My M23 is running with a NAD M66 and Focal Sopra No. 2 speakers. Plus a bunch of other stuff you can see in my profile. I was running the M23 with KEF R7 Meta speakers initially and it was HIGHLY revealing and detailed. Not to the point of fatigue but, about 0.5% short of that. I will add that I'd never heard a combination of pre-amp/amp (M23/M66) that resolved details so clearly in my 40 years of HiFi. It was quite remarkable. 

I noticed after a couple hundred hours, the pre-amp/amplifier really came into their own, developing a natural and pleasing sound, without harshness. Initially, it sounded a bit thin to me on the bottom end but that isn't the case any more. 

I have my system in the living room of my home. The room is about 450 square feet and has been treated with some acoustic tiles, large rugs and canvas art. I am also running DIRAC Live room compensation for both the main speakers and DIRAC Bass Control for 2 KEF KC-92 subwoofers which makes a HUGE difference in sound. 

As many have pointed out here, room acoustics and dynamics are a significant influence on the sound of any system and should be the first consideration before investing in expensive equipment. Case in point... I once purchased a pair of Definitive Technology tower speakers that each had a 12", powered, side firing subwoofer in them. I had never anticipated the experience with a new set of speakers as much as I did those. I'd previously owned Infinity Kappa 8 towers which were magnificent. At the time (early 2000's) I had no concept of the importance of the room on the overall listening experience. Despite moving those monster speakers about 100 times, and twirling every dial on the rear, they were the worst sounding speakers I'd ever heard. That's what poor placement and corner loading 12" subs will get you. 

As for the M23, I absolutely love the sound of the amp and its ability to drive nearly any speaker. I know that NAD makes their own Class D modules, to their specifications, under license from Purifi/Eigentakt. That may make a difference in terms of overcoming some traditional criticisms of Class D. The M23 measurements are quite remarkable and the power output and current are conservatively rated. Having said that, I've never owned a Class D, audiophile grade, primary amplifier. My past experience with Class D was with powered subwoofers and car audio gear. So, I have no basis for comparison other than Class A/B.

In short I'd say the M23 delivers industry leading measurements and performance for a very good price. I paid, $3,800 USD for mine. Now, it's $5,000 with the tariff increases but, you can find them pre-owned for much less. You'd be hard pressed to find a better amplifier (quality, appearance, performance) for the money than a pre-owned M23 in my opinion. It is the finest amplifier I've ever owned, and I've owned a lot of them. 

Hope that helps!