NuForce loses their head designer...

[kuribo]

which makes one wonder, how much of the success of a class d amp is dependant on the chief designer and how much on the other people in the company? How much of a team effort is designing a class d product?

[fokker]

do we know why s/he left?

didn't someone here review the unit and found it to be poorly designed / manufactured and didn't perform well?

[classd4sure]

I'm not sure this topic is at all worthy of a headline, we aren't even aware of the intricacies of the situation, and it seems too much to me like kicking someone when they're down.

From the sounds of things though it seems like perhaps his share of things was sold.. and that he did well in the deal. So good for him.

As to the question I think it only takes one competent designer, who may have any number of guru's or advisers, but one guy to steer the ship. I don't imagine you can build a decent class d amp while conforming to say.. what the marketing department's whims are.

You also can't build a decent amp with a team of incompetents. Even if each has their own partial niche that sums to a half decent knowledge base/skill level, the product will obviously still depend on how well they work as a team, share and integrate ideas and technologies... typical team dynamics are **** and so would their amp be.

No, the ideal class d will be designed by the lone engineer, working into the wee hours in his basement only by the light of his oscilloscope, he who see's PWM waves in his dreams... and speaks in tongues long lost.

This amp will be the end to all other amps, for in the end, there can be only one.

[Robert F]

Sometimes the "head designer" has more to do with concept and circuit development than implementation, John Curl with Parasound is a good example. I think he designs the circuit and klets Parasound develop the product with parts choices pcb design etc. With the Nuforce maybe it is implementation more than design that is the problem. If the thing produces rf and needs to be "band-aided" as successive versions of their amps seem to offer then the real solution appears to necessitate at least a redesign of the circuit board with better rf practices. Maybe the Nuforce circuit is good?

Rob.

[classd4sure]

Yup it's very possible. A good PCB for class d is the other 50% of making it a good amp, and an aspect that can't go ignored for class d. Bandaides as you said are just that and in my opinion not worthy of calling it a revision. They should have addressed the problem at the root, tried to learn more about it in order to tackle it intelligently.

ColdAmp are a fine example of this I think, they don't have any kind of revolutionary design, basic class d stuff, and it had high EMI originally. They took a good close look at it though and improved it a good deal, I'd imagine, at the very roots of the problem. I find that very respectable and their amp can only be that much better for it.

[koolkid731]

The truth of the matter is there's nothing to gain for a "public" figure to go public. Having a name helps bring a lot of new businesses at no sales cost, so the logical thing to do is to work on what gives the most return for time spent.

Very often "business" guys make dumb decisions via ignorance or stupidity. I find work to be most rewarding when I make all the major decisions and not having to support someone else's stupid decisions. I have never enjoyed work as much as nowaday. So don't any of you worry. Some great things will be coming to the market however igconito this time.

[kartino]

Hi Chris,

Does ColdAmp designed by Sergio (ssanmor) who asked his design for patent several years ago in this forum?

I remember that the arrangement is using: triangle generator, comparator, ic gate driver.

[kartino]

BTW I agree with you, a class D amp will be succesfully designed by capable one person, with a simulation PC, scope, latest component on desk with more than 8 hour per day works and long development trial and fixing problem.

Then the other problem is money. Who pay the designer with no limit working hour? Supply material?

[Pano]

What? Who left?

I thought Tranh Nguyen was the top guy at NuForce.
Are we talking about someone else? I thought it was Tranh's company and his designs.

[kuribo]

My understanding is he is indeed the one no longer with Nuforce. I believe he was the chief designer, not the CEO.....

One would think that this would be a major blow to nuforce, but by their replies they contend it is a positive step, not a negative....who knows what the full story is....