I was going to replace some transistors on my 700m's driver boards but that plan ground to a halt upon close inspection of the slabs of silicon I received from MCM Electronics.

The originals were NEC B536 while the devices MCM stuck me with were labeled "NSC B536" WTF? The script on the suspect devices is close enough to NEC that I think they were trying to imitate the NEC logo and failed miserably.

Are the people over at MCM so mind-numbingly incompetent that they let something like this slip?

Anybody have a *real* source for NEC 2SB536 drivers (TO-220 package)?

I don't believe NEC has made those transistors in a loooong time. However, they are really nothing special, and rather slow by 70's Jap vintage standards (60MHz).

I also have a pile 'O transistors labled NSC. At first you'd think that they might mean "National Semiconductor", and hell, who knows, they might be. But I rather suspect that they are manufactured by a Japanese company that also goes by 'NSC', and I'll be damned if I can remember who it was now, and I'm too busy to track them down again.

The NSC devices I've used worked fine. There just isn't any profit margin in faking a TO-220 device, so although what you have is likely a cheaply made transistor, I use 'em too and so far no problemo... (Yeah, I like original devices too where I know who the hell made 'em, which is why I buy Panasonic transistors whenever I can).

If it really really bothers you, there are substitutes (but for the best substututes, it means ordering from Singapore, but I've done this lots of times and the guy I get them from is great to deal with...let me know if you want more info). However, I have several of my personal amps/receivers running with these 'NSC' devices and have seen or experianced no problems.

I was thinking the same thing - How could you make anything faking to-220 devices?

Anyways the complimentary device MCM sent me was labeled NEC and had the exact same package as the original (no notches on the tab & such). MCM listed both devices as NEC so that's what I expected. I guess I'm just a little paranoid about bogus semis since I got burned.

I will use the NSC devices in the amp after all since you've had no problems with 'em. Thanks again EW.