I wouldn't put it past TI or perhaps Analog Devices to buy the corporate assets after bankruptcy: that way they could get them for pennies on the dollar without encumbering themselves with Tripath's obligations.
TI already has Class-D silicon so they might not want to dilute their offerings, but AFAIK Analog and Freescale (formerly Motorola) don't have anything like that.
TI already has Class-D silicon so they might not want to dilute their offerings, but AFAIK Analog and Freescale (formerly Motorola) don't have anything like that.
The world is growing to a place where people have less and less opportunity to sit back and relax. In earlier decades this was different, some speaker brands for instance made millions back than. This seems to be part of the 'not caring for quality' by the masses. Most of these people do appreciate quality but don't have much time anymore to appreciate it or payed for quality in the past (as I've stated before) but didn't get it and never want to spend much money again. Anyway, they don't want to spend much and don't want to do much trouble for it. Some people The few who discovered the T-amp proved this, they DO scream from the top of their lungs how much they appreciate the quality. They didn't pay enough 
or bought enough of them to keep the share-holding company alive obviously...
But Tripath does still cause the awakening of new listeners every day, and has caused good developments in the world. Enjoying arts and music have very positive influences on the human psyche and brings people together in many ways. From the short time I've been familiar with Tripath I much less worry about audio technology and started to enjoy music much more. All my friends tell other friends and many have come to listen at my home and brought their music and made obvious they also want this sound and don't mind to pay.....
I think the technology will catch on and would love to see Tripath get the honors, they make it very accessable for DIYers with the great pdf datasheets they make available...
I also smell conspiracy, all these share holders/investors funds. The technology that shocked the audio world, I wouldn't be surprised if some people get very rich out of this and maybe even 'rename' the technology to make even more money out of it... A nifty way to get rid of the R&D losses and buy the company at cost price, the only way to produce the chips profitable....
Bottom line, I DO think nothing much will change, unless they don't want DIYers to have access.....and unless they want to shake our pockets disproportionally....
or bought enough of them to keep the share-holding company alive obviously...But Tripath does still cause the awakening of new listeners every day, and has caused good developments in the world. Enjoying arts and music have very positive influences on the human psyche and brings people together in many ways. From the short time I've been familiar with Tripath I much less worry about audio technology and started to enjoy music much more. All my friends tell other friends and many have come to listen at my home and brought their music and made obvious they also want this sound and don't mind to pay.....
I think the technology will catch on and would love to see Tripath get the honors, they make it very accessable for DIYers with the great pdf datasheets they make available...
I also smell conspiracy, all these share holders/investors funds. The technology that shocked the audio world, I wouldn't be surprised if some people get very rich out of this and maybe even 'rename' the technology to make even more money out of it... A nifty way to get rid of the R&D losses and buy the company at cost price, the only way to produce the chips profitable....
Bottom line, I DO think nothing much will change, unless they don't want DIYers to have access.....and unless they want to shake our pockets disproportionally....
IIRC it is about ten years since I first heard of Tripath. For many years they just seemed to offer vapourware. They made very bold claims about their "revolutionary" technology without actually having anything for sale.
No wonder one gets into trouble that way even after getting into market with reasonable products.
Just my $ 0.02
Regards
Charles
No wonder one gets into trouble that way even after getting into market with reasonable products.
Just my $ 0.02
Regards
Charles
v-bro said:
more precisely, the technology that shocked a few off-beat reviewers and a few diyers who followed the off-beat reviewers.
that chip certainly wasn't designed by tripath for hi-fi applications, and that amp certainly wasn't designed by SI for hi-fi applications.
and I would venture that when you put those off-beat reviewers to a dbt between a si amp and a $25 boombox, they wouldn't be able to tell the difference.
the si is a good amp for the money. but it certainly isn't a good amp.
fokker said:
And those silly Japanese who listen to the Western Electric 91A. The WE91A, like all cinema amps at the time, was designed for this frequency response.
An externally hosted image should be here but it was not working when we last tested it.
It was motion picture standard in America from 1938 to the early 1970s, when Dolby emerged.
Thank god for the mainstream high-end audio press. Without Stereophile, how would we have known that the Garrard 301 is a good turntable by 1950s standard, but cannot compete with modern decks like those by Rega? Without Stereophile people could otherwise have been fooled by this off-beat reviewer: http://www.positive-feedback.com/Issue25/garrard_401.htm
And lets not forget to thank Stereophile for helping making sure there has been zero progress and development in high-end audio the last half century. Thanks to Stereophile we know that a $500 teflon cap constitutes technological advancement. Thanks to Stereophile we know that progress means ever higher prices.
All hail to the almighty Church of Stereophile for protecting us from the evils of the secular world.
fokker said:
Hi Fokker,
to say that I love Tripath amps and you hate them, add nothing to discussion, and make it somewhat boring.
More interesting would be to share facts: a comparison, for instance, or a blind test or whatever negative listening experience.
Let me share this fact: following guys have put their reputation and money on Tripath chips:
Audio Research
Bel Canto
Elan
Carver
Panasonic
Marantz
http://www.tripathpower.com/page3.html
How to explain it?
PHN,
there is a logic error in your arguments: from the fact that Stereophile tell lies, doesn't follow that its positive rewies are about bad products. Simply you can't believe in Stereophile review, while products reviewed can be good or bad.
Regards
Thomas
Some of the continuing arguments that Tripath are good/bad seem to ignore one common fact.
Some people, me included, do like the sound that issues forth from amplification that is based upon their chips.
Whether that makes me and the others cloth-eared I care not, all I do know for sure is that to obtain the same level of performance and sound quality that I now enjoy would require a considerable amont of financial outlay.
Why price keeps getting brought into the equation is beyond me at times, I've heard considerable amounts of what some would call high-end gear, tons and tons of what is usually offered in most specialist stores and still think that the little modified Amp 3 I currently use is far and away the best sounds for me, my tastes and system.
I don't like much of what Mission sells as product nowadays but no way would I have the gall to attack them, their product or the countless hundreds of thousands who use it, let alone insult their intelligence with some notion that they are all wrong because they are stupid in some way.
Geez, no wonder Joe Public thinks we are all crazy.!
Some people, me included, do like the sound that issues forth from amplification that is based upon their chips.
Whether that makes me and the others cloth-eared I care not, all I do know for sure is that to obtain the same level of performance and sound quality that I now enjoy would require a considerable amont of financial outlay.
Why price keeps getting brought into the equation is beyond me at times, I've heard considerable amounts of what some would call high-end gear, tons and tons of what is usually offered in most specialist stores and still think that the little modified Amp 3 I currently use is far and away the best sounds for me, my tastes and system.
I don't like much of what Mission sells as product nowadays but no way would I have the gall to attack them, their product or the countless hundreds of thousands who use it, let alone insult their intelligence with some notion that they are all wrong because they are stupid in some way.
Geez, no wonder Joe Public thinks we are all crazy.!
Cannot stay quiet any longer either...
Fokker - can you add something positive to this thread? Why hang and continue you negative interjections? Noone doubts your dislike for all things Tripath, and we accept your view, but its getting annoying.
I will honestly say that I, as well as a few here on this forum, will be quite sad to see Tripath go under.
Fokker - can you add something positive to this thread? Why hang and continue you negative interjections? Noone doubts your dislike for all things Tripath, and we accept your view, but its getting annoying.
I will honestly say that I, as well as a few here on this forum, will be quite sad to see Tripath go under.
stroop said:
Most people that are negative about Tripath only know their bad products, I don't like the SI- T-amp much to be honest.
I've read posts of people claiming these chips are only good enough for automotive purposes, like Thomaseliot posted, brands like AR know what quality is and Tripath sound in my vision has never been equalled yet. Not even by UCD....not even by GC, not by class A, nor by tubes....
They really have the highest resolution I've ever heard (and I've A/B tested thousands of amps and other equipment)...
I respect peoples opinions and can understand some don't like this sound, I also find many Tripath products over-hyped. But I make up my own mind and don't mind to go into details on my experiences. I would like to read profound opinions based upon experiences, not prejudice. Otherwise you're guilty of the same thing...I would call anti-hyping...
Right there with you V-bro!
Tripath have given me the chance to experiment without blowing the bank and more importantly without frying myself to a crisp with high voltages! A tremendous value for money and I would never have begun in DIY without them I think!
They have also begun another thread of interest and development eg. people are now using and exploring the use of SMPS and batteries for power amp supplies because efficiency of these chips is such that it is possible. (I know there was of course SMPS used before but it is much more widespread and accepted even over the last 6 months!)
Stroop
Tripath have given me the chance to experiment without blowing the bank and more importantly without frying myself to a crisp with high voltages! A tremendous value for money and I would never have begun in DIY without them I think!
They have also begun another thread of interest and development eg. people are now using and exploring the use of SMPS and batteries for power amp supplies because efficiency of these chips is such that it is possible. (I know there was of course SMPS used before but it is much more widespread and accepted even over the last 6 months!)
Stroop
v-bro said:
A person's opinion is where I have a problem of philosophical nature: others have different opinions.
For example, how does one quantify "resolution"? Meaning bandwidth? or low THD? or impulse response? Remark that BW and impulse response are related.
What considered as "high resolution" may be caused by high out-of-band noise of Tripath IC. I personally can't bear their sound over 10 minutes (TK2051 EVAL)
I don't mean to be critical of anyone. I just want to correlate English words with quantifying measurementx, beyond my own perception.
Lostcause said:
I did but the mod apparently believed that it belonged to Texas. I like most of the pass designs, jlh class A and quasi complimentary amps (citation 12).
I am experimenting with class d but haven't found a class d that sounds good.
however, I don't have any bias against class d, in case anyone wants to moronically extropolate to that conclusion based on the abvoe statement.
thomaseliot said:
those companies exit to make money first, and make good products second (or third or fourth etc.). the use of a product by those guys by no means means that product is great: think about the use of poor quality mosfets, electrolytic caps, ceramic caps, slow diodes, etc. by those companies.
john65b said:
lots of it. you just need to read about what I wrote.
v-bro said:
I *am* guilty of it.
koolkid731 said:
I agree with v-bro about Tripath resolution. Though I don't know if it is the best, it is what I like best in Tripath amps and let me forgive its defects.
What is this special Tripath "resolution"? Well, it is not shown in standard measurements, otherwise we would not be here to discuss about it. It is only a perceived quality, not yet measured AFAIK.
From a philosophical point of view, it would be wonderful to correlate each perception to a measurable quantity but, from this, doesn't follow that what is not measurable doesn't exist, otherwise love and friendship would have no meaning.
Here is my definition of Tripath amps "resolution" taken in the perception domain:
Listen to a chamber orchestra piece and you'll find that each instrument has its own volume. Low volume notes and resonances of each instrument don't mix with that of others. Even when some instruments sound loud you always can hear small sounds of a flute or the "pizzicato" of a violin.
A nice experiment by a friend of mine is with voices "a cappella" recordings. In a A/B test you must just count the voices you can distinguish: in this game Tripath always wins.
I tried to read through Tripath patents to find something objective to explain this "resolution", but I've not enough technical background. Maybe you.
P.S.
My experiences are with 96dB FR speakers. I suspect high sensitivity is needed to experience Tripath resolution.
fokker said:
By only reading you WILL be guilty of it...as audio is something you can hear, isn't it Lineup (you 'round?)....
Poor parts by the way can function good enough for a lot of purposes, like it's not much use to use MKP caps in a lowpass loudspeaker filter. It will only be very expensive....
thomaseliot said:
I use ESL speakers with quite low sensitivity on AMP9, no complaints about shortage of power...resolution nirvana...
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