The game has changed, the TPA3251 has landed. Several days ago I received this:
http://www.aliexpress.com/store/pro...32691101196.html?spm=2114.8147860.0.57.xnnZp9
It is significantly more expensive than any of the TPA3116 amps that I've seen available, but it is also completely self-contained and sports a very nice Alps volume pot. The casework is generic Chinese, but of good quality. Yuan-Jing has a placeholder on their website for a TPA3251 board, but so far nothing else. And they haven't responded to my requests for information as to when it will be available. So right now, the "CSinewave" seems to be the only game in town, either in a'la carte or completed amp configurations.
I was excited when I first read up on the 3251, because of the great sound of the 3116 family. If TI could bottle it up, and give it more power, it could be AMAZING. And, I believe they have thoroughly succeeded. This 2-channel amp runs in full-time BTL mode, as the chip natively has 4 channels. This means that a true balanced amp is a possibility, and that is one of CSinewave's options (actually the only option).
With my Vandersteen 2ce speakers the TPA3116 sounded great, but ran out of steam fairly quickly as the volume was raised, even used in a true bi-amp configuration. The TPA3251 has not run out of steam at all, although I haven't probed the highest volume levels...yet. The sound is as you would expect from the 3116; there's just MORE--which is exactly what I was hoping for. I hope more manufacturers get on board the 3251 bandwagon, like they have with the 3116. The bar could be raised even higher, which should make every mid-powered SS amp on the market afraid. VERY afraid.