Stereos, personal computers, and other consumer electronics still depend on analog technology to amplify digital signals. By using digital technology to process power, Tripath's chip allows consumer electronics to be much smaller and more energy efficient. Tripath claims that its DPP-enhanced amplifiers, which it will market under the brand name Combinant Digital, will deliver high fidelity while remaining small and extremely energy efficient. The first commercial product using DPP chips, a car stereo enhanced with Combinant Digital amplifiers, will be launched early this year through a partnership between Tripath and Alpine of America, a leading maker of car stereos. A stereo with Combinant Digital technology can squeeze more power out of a car's electrical system while remaining the same size as a stereo with an analog amplifier.
Many companies make the mistake of spreading themselves too thin, too quickly.
Next on the company's agenda is home stereo and home theater sound equipment. The technology applies to a really large number of vertical markets. For example, in addition to consumer electronics, Tripath's DPP has direct applications in the high-speed networking and cellular phone markets. Though the company's plans beyond consumer electronics are still vague, if it succeeds in that industry, it probably won't be long before Tripath is preaching its gospel far and wide. Riding out the cycle 2.