Class T ?

[Mass Car Audio]

Is a class T amplifier more efficient than a class D ?

[DcibeL]

Typing "Class-T" into google and clicking the first link will get you here.

[classdphile]

is that your final answer

[Mass Car Audio]

that still does'nt tell me that much about a class-t amplifier.

[Lsharptec1]

Mass Car,

It should tell you that "Class T" is a registered trademark of Tripath Corporation, a now defunct entity.

You may still find "Class T" ICs on the market, but supplies are limited.

Class D is essentially the same technology, but it is the generic version, not a company trademarked name.

Larry

[DcibeL]

As with what Larry said, as quick internet search should have told you that class-D and T are one and the same, one being an actual amplifier class, and one being marketing fluff. Thus, your question is moot.

[Mass Car Audio]

I did a internet search and Class-T amplifiers provide the signal fidelity of sophisticated discrete-component linear Class-A and
-AB designs, while offering high power efficiencies while achieveing high-end audiophile performance and provides power conversion efficiencies of 80 percent to more than 90 percent, which is equal to or better than Class-D amplifiers.

That is not the same as a class D amplifier. Why did they go bankrupt ? Its sounds like a great design.

[Saturnus]

Originally posted by Mass Car Audio
That is not the same as a class D amplifier. Why did they go bankrupt ? Its sounds like a great design.

I beg to differ. It is exactly a class D amp, it's just one of many variants on those. The only difference is that "class T" adds some undisclosed signal processing to the feedback as many other class D designs out there does, and that the company trademarked the name to make it sound special.

It is a great design and many (like me) still swear by them. I think they're some of the best sounding integrated chip amps ever made regardless of cost, which moves us to why it went bankrupt. It is extremely expensive to design and manufacture chips, and for a small, tiny even, company like Tripath they simply sold the chips too cheap to be profitable, probably due to nescessity because they didn't have the cash fund of a large company like Motorola or TI, to wait until the chips got their current fame to sell them at a price closer to their actual performance level.

So basically their downfall was that they sold too high quality and too low a price.

[lce]

Originally posted by Saturnus
The only difference is that "class T" adds some undisclosed signal processing to the feedback as many other class D designs out there does, and that the company trademarked the name to make it sound special.

Undisclosed , yes, but their patent give some interesting ideas :
http://www.google.com/patents?vid=USPAT5777512

[p-macaudio]

I agree with Saturnus. Class T is simply a proprietary Class D amp and refers to amps with chips made by Tripath, which certainly do have some of their own specific design features that somehow lend to a fabulous sound. I too swear by them, and despite the demise of Tripath, there seems to be a lot of chips remaining in the world judging by the number of new products being sold that still use the chips!