@asuslover, check with UTC or elsewhere, my information was that they have authority from ST to make those.
I am too busy to chase it down, you can ask either by e-mail if you need to satisfy yourself.
And try to find ST 2050 chips in bulk NOS quantities...I need to listen to music, not worry about chip provenance.
Here same price, 15-20 Rupees for (equivalent substitute) 2030/2050/1875, and same make too.
That is 20-30 cents US.
There are 2 famous Chinese makes here, then a third marked ST, and a fourth with only number, which is not popular.
I am too busy to chase it down, you can ask either by e-mail if you need to satisfy yourself.
And try to find ST 2050 chips in bulk NOS quantities...I need to listen to music, not worry about chip provenance.
Here same price, 15-20 Rupees for (equivalent substitute) 2030/2050/1875, and same make too.
That is 20-30 cents US.
There are 2 famous Chinese makes here, then a third marked ST, and a fourth with only number, which is not popular.
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There is a member here, jbau, he checked out real and fake 1875, found negligible, if any, difference on his equipment, and lost interest.
It was here on this forum.
Not difficult to find, and he did thorough testing.
So don't knock the equivalents before actually using them.
Try the ST and UTC versions, of the 2050 in your possession, in maybe different channels of same amp, and same set of speakers, you are in for a surprise.
It was here on this forum.
Not difficult to find, and he did thorough testing.
So don't knock the equivalents before actually using them.
Try the ST and UTC versions, of the 2050 in your possession, in maybe different channels of same amp, and same set of speakers, you are in for a surprise.
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Asuslover youre making the same mistake you accuse me of that is using a conjecture.
Maybe the copies ive been using are real, or authentic replicas, or the feedback correction of the composite loop swamps out the difference between real and inferior 1875.
You actually know less of this than me since im the one with the physical evidence.
It was really no use even begin debating of it. Peace out.
Maybe the copies ive been using are real, or authentic replicas, or the feedback correction of the composite loop swamps out the difference between real and inferior 1875.
You actually know less of this than me since im the one with the physical evidence.
It was really no use even begin debating of it. Peace out.
As an OEM I have laid in stock for what I anticipate as a year’s needs.
Only one manufacturer has not responded about availability and delivery of their part I use. So I am designing it out. Turns out it can be replaced by the classic NE555 with a few other parts that all seem to be available.
The shortages have forced a rethink on some parts. One item in quantity was $.65 a replacement with a golden oldie is $.07! No performance change. So in some ways the current shortage is sharpening design skills.
Now saving $.58 on a $230 product really isn’t significant but at 10,000 pieces per year I will be happy to pocket that change!
Only one manufacturer has not responded about availability and delivery of their part I use. So I am designing it out. Turns out it can be replaced by the classic NE555 with a few other parts that all seem to be available.
The shortages have forced a rethink on some parts. One item in quantity was $.65 a replacement with a golden oldie is $.07! No performance change. So in some ways the current shortage is sharpening design skills.
Now saving $.58 on a $230 product really isn’t significant but at 10,000 pieces per year I will be happy to pocket that change!
Chips are made in batches, then put on the shelf. If the chip is really succesful, they shelf stock will be replenished by another fab run. If its not sucessful (and/or not automotive approved), obsolescence will occur and they'll run down the shelf stock. Think of it like books: you may get the first edition, or the second or third (with updated front covers, but the same material).
There are only so many fabs in the world, and everyone is competing for the production slots. This means manufacturers are prioritising their most valuable chipsets for fab slots, de-prioritising the lesser ones, then prematurely obsoleting those at the bottom of the list. This also plays with the chip geometry: large geometry chips (the older ones) just aren't as profitable to manufacture than the smaller geometry (newer ones). Again, I had one supplier tell me last week that they've had to obsolete one of their (sucessful) products because they can't find any fab willing to manufacture it: its on old big geometry and its not profitable enough for the fab (compared to others competing for the same slot).
Grey-market/clone chips are usually B-grade originals which should have been disposed of in the fab, but got squirreled away and resold. It's roulette territory: you might find it's simply over-manufacture (fabs produce excess wafers at the beginning of the run to setup the machines), or you may find you've got yourself a duffer on a bad batch. You can literally buy two chips next to each other in the same tape/reel and they'll operately differently: one may be perfect, one may be defective. Takes your chances...
There are only so many fabs in the world, and everyone is competing for the production slots. This means manufacturers are prioritising their most valuable chipsets for fab slots, de-prioritising the lesser ones, then prematurely obsoleting those at the bottom of the list. This also plays with the chip geometry: large geometry chips (the older ones) just aren't as profitable to manufacture than the smaller geometry (newer ones). Again, I had one supplier tell me last week that they've had to obsolete one of their (sucessful) products because they can't find any fab willing to manufacture it: its on old big geometry and its not profitable enough for the fab (compared to others competing for the same slot).
Grey-market/clone chips are usually B-grade originals which should have been disposed of in the fab, but got squirreled away and resold. It's roulette territory: you might find it's simply over-manufacture (fabs produce excess wafers at the beginning of the run to setup the machines), or you may find you've got yourself a duffer on a bad batch. You can literally buy two chips next to each other in the same tape/reel and they'll operately differently: one may be perfect, one may be defective. Takes your chances...
You mean the factories which can supply 200k/week or more are really making many more, and these are duff pieces, factory rejects?
From storage?
And pray tell what do they do with the good ones, who sells those, and under which mark?
And how many, where?
FYI, the last real ST TDA2050 were made in 1998 or so, maybe you were in shorts at that time.
Find me fresh stock of 2030 or 2050 (apart from UTC), which is made in these fabs, sold by leading names, and you say the fabs are putting Chinese marks on the duff pieces.
Look up China Resources Corp., and CRC-Micro, you are not in touch with reality.
Also, search silicon foundries...
The big line spacing chips are made on different machines, with a different grade of silicon, than the newer ones with finer spacing, which need different silicon, and different machines.
For etching or photo-lithography, machines called 'steppers' are used, and the old ones are good enough for most Class AB chips, which were designed long back.
No need to use later or newer equipment.
And the silicon foundries making old style silicon are doing well, thanks for the concern.
From storage?
And pray tell what do they do with the good ones, who sells those, and under which mark?
And how many, where?
FYI, the last real ST TDA2050 were made in 1998 or so, maybe you were in shorts at that time.
Find me fresh stock of 2030 or 2050 (apart from UTC), which is made in these fabs, sold by leading names, and you say the fabs are putting Chinese marks on the duff pieces.
Look up China Resources Corp., and CRC-Micro, you are not in touch with reality.
Also, search silicon foundries...
The big line spacing chips are made on different machines, with a different grade of silicon, than the newer ones with finer spacing, which need different silicon, and different machines.
For etching or photo-lithography, machines called 'steppers' are used, and the old ones are good enough for most Class AB chips, which were designed long back.
No need to use later or newer equipment.
And the silicon foundries making old style silicon are doing well, thanks for the concern.
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Can´t tell beforehand, but as always, "measuring/testing RULES"
No preconceived ideas, just grab a couple (to avoid designing around a freak one), mount to heatsink, apply proper supply , load, signal, drive them to just below clipping and let them cook for hours.
IF it stays alive and provides proper power out, what else do I need?
For example I got burnt by a purchase of obviously FAKE TDA2050, ST labelled, looking just like the real thing, bought from a "respected vendor"
, which overheat and thermally runaway under +/- 22V rails, even without signal , at least 1 in 5 which makes them unusable, but are perfectly happy and last forever under +/-16 or 18V rails.To use them, besides I needed a 25-30W class Guitar amp in my catalog, instead of using one into 4 ohm speaker, (which a real one would do fine) I redesigned to use two of them, bridged into 8 ohm speaker. obviously under lower safe rails ... they work fine.
Now selling very little because of Covid, restarting slllooowww, , but when those run out maybe I´ll import a batch of those UTC?? 2050 sold by Profusion from their UK site, which "should" be trustable.
Yet again, testing rules.
Thanks Naresh, but Brazilian Industry is well protected, meaning imports (including chipamps) pay murderous tariff, go through lots of red tape, delays, etc.
Which is fine for me, as a local manufacturer.
So re importing from Brazil is a deal killer.
When/if I buy more, I´ll ask you for contacts and buy straight from Asia, either India or China/Taiwan.
Thanks.
Which is fine for me, as a local manufacturer.
So re importing from Brazil is a deal killer.
When/if I buy more, I´ll ask you for contacts and buy straight from Asia, either India or China/Taiwan.
Thanks.
