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FS: Vintage genuine Motorola 2N3055 transistors
- Thread starter beatnik
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Newmarket
Well-known member
Is there any suggestion in general that 'Vintage' 2N3055 are better than current production ?
ruffrecords
Well-known member
I would normally say a definite no, but I recently read that early 2N3055s used a particular semiconductor process the result of which was a relatively low fT. Later ones used a different process that vastly increased fT. I wish I could remember where I read it and the timeframe over which the change occured. Whther or not the higher fT type were available in the mid 70s when Neve was using the 2N3055 I do not know.
It was only a couple of days ago I was reading this - I just happened upon it by accident.
Edit: I do remember one process was epitaxial.
Edit, edit: Wikipedia to the rescue. RCA introduced the 2N3055 in the 60s using a hometaxial power semiconductor process and transitioned to an epitaxial base in the mid-1970s. I joined Neve in 1974 and BA283 was in full production but where they got the 2N3055s from I do not know. For more detail on the changes to fT and other parameters see here:
2N3055 - Wikipedia
Cheers
Ian
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ruffrecords
Well-known member
Me neither. I will ask my old colleagues at Neve if they can throw any light on it.
Cheers
Ian
corgan4321
Well-known member
Wines and tubes. Wines and tubes…
No, no suggestion in general.
I use new production 2N3055 from Toshiba or ST in all my Neve builds, always work great
Newmarket
Well-known member
Thanks. Part of my interest is that I think my Trace Elliot head may use them. And it's now turned into a "Now I'm loud / Now I'm quiet" machine. A few years since I resoldered and replaced thermal grease things after a professional repair proved not to be the answer
In amplifiers the problem you described is normally due to bad contacts or bad/cold solder joints.
Normally it's an easy fix after you find the Gremlin/s
Seems quite a subjective statement and the way you present it not backed by an actual a/b test between the vintage and the modern counterparts, leave alone any audio measurements.
Personally I wouldn't believe your personal experience (and you don't actually specify whether you compared the vintage parts to the modern or not) automatically becomes the "general" suggestion. This kind of mentality is the plague on internet forums, people giving unsubstantiated opinions which repeated a few times become the "general" truth. This is not a personal attack, actually if you made a proper comparison with audio measurements, that would eventually demystify the subject and provide an actual meter of comparison the whole community would benefit from. Myself I would very much prefer to learn the truth rather than selling a few transistors.
You are completely out of your mind and your post is ridiculous
Newmarket asked a question and I replied to him, I can only tell him my opinion based on my experience which has always been great with new production 2N3055.
I’m not here selling anything just helping and giving my advice to a fellow member that posted a question.
And I repeat there’s no “general suggestion” or a “generalized opinion” that vintage 2N3055s are better than current production ones!
I have no needs or intentions in doing any measurements as I’m pretty sorted and happy with Toshiba 2N3055 transistors.
You are the one that is interested in making profit selling overpriced transistors, so if you think those are better you should be the one to post proof of that
Newmarket asked a question and I replied to him, I can only tell him my opinion based on my experience which has always been great with new production 2N3055.
I’m not here selling anything just helping and giving my advice to a fellow member that posted a question.
And I repeat there’s no “general suggestion” or a “generalized opinion” that vintage 2N3055s are better than current production ones!
I have no needs or intentions in doing any measurements as I’m pretty sorted and happy with Toshiba 2N3055 transistors.
You are the one that is interested in making profit selling overpriced transistors, so if you think those are better you should be the one to post proof of that
Where did I say that the vintage transistors are better ?
Personally if I am giving my opinion it's because I actually have some kind of supporting evidence, I don't just make things up without knowing what I am talking about and on top of that try convince someone who knows even less than I do.
I think it's your postings that are a bit ridiculous to be honest...
Personally if I am giving my opinion it's because I actually have some kind of supporting evidence, I don't just make things up without knowing what I am talking about and on top of that try convince someone who knows even less than I do.
I think it's your postings that are a bit ridiculous to be honest...
I have evidence to support all I've said that there's no "suggestion in general" that vintage transistors are better and also that Toshiba or ST 2N3055 transistors always work and worked great in all my Neve builds.
I'm out of your ridiculous comments, you are probably having problems in your life which make you not read and reason correctly.
I wish you all the best and that things get better to you soon
I'm out
I'm out of your ridiculous comments, you are probably having problems in your life which make you not read and reason correctly.
I wish you all the best and that things get better to you soon
I'm out
moamps
Well-known member
This is really not a way to talk to forum members and moderators need to warn you. As far as the 2N3055 transistor is concerned, the old RCA and Siemens 2N3055 sound best to me in Neve preamplifiers. The new variants are actually no longer 2N3055 as I have known them since my youth. And it doesn't sound good to me. The price offered may be a little too high, but no one has to buy it, it’s not bread and milk.
Whoever wants, can study a little history of 2N3055.
https://www.richis-lab.de/2N3055.htm
Golgoth
Well-known member
Newmarket
Well-known member
Yeah - I know. But this amp has been rather defiant over a number of years.
It went to some ex Trace Elliot people here in the UK (as in the 'original' TE before being taken over etc.) a good few years back.
Lots of resoldering in the power amp section and it seemed fine but the problem reappeared. And yes - I replaced the PSU electrolytics.
Actually it's a bit different now - I didn't switch it on for some months - It now also tends to fade slowly in volume.
I'll need to get the case off and have a check including the thermal cut-out.
It's quite an early unit so that's why I was asking here about the 2N3055s.
Thanks for your reply and sorry it somehow ended up in a 'e-tussle' !
Golgoth
Well-known member
@Newmarket By the way is your pseudo a reference to the brand used by Neve in the 70's? I have Newmarket's 2N3055s on some cards
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Newmarket
Well-known member
No. I didn't know about that brand. It's a reference to my address.
It's not in Newmarket but the street name refers to the "Home of British Horseracing" due to being not far from a racecourse.
Cheers.
OK then post the evidence of a/b comparisons with audio measurements between the vintage and modern transistor... without this element any "general suggestion" is just subjective uneducated opinion and your opinion and experience has the same value as anybody else's... or is yours better for some reason ?
Feels to me you are the one having a big problem in your life, which is thinking that you are better than what you actually are, that leads you to make this kind of comments that ultimately escalate to personal attacks when your baseless claims are being challenged.
