My Transistors, original or copy?

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#1,141
Good evening everyone. I am new to this wonderful forum and I need your help.
I bought Toshiba transistors, which have been out of production for years, in a shop in Rome, Italy, for the construction of an amplifier.
This is the 2sc2238 and 2sa968 pair, which I would use as drivers.
Can you tell me from the photos if they are fake or original?
The logo looks like the new Toshiba one but I'm not sure they ever used it for this old type of transistor.
Who has experience on these transistors?
Thank you.
Valerio

https://i.postimg.cc/SsQp60TM/IMG-20210103-132538.jpg
 

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#1,142
:cop:

VDN, please do not keep posting the same content.

As a newbie all your posts must be read and approved before appearing on the forum. Sometimes that happens almost instantly as now, other times it may take a while if no moderators are around.
 
#1,144
VDN said:
Good evening everyone. I am new to this wonderful forum and I need your help.
I bought Toshiba transistors, which have been out of production for years, in a shop in Rome, Italy, for the construction of an amplifier.
This is the 2sc2238 and 2sa968 pair, which I would use as drivers.
Can you tell me from the photos if they are fake or original?
The logo looks like the new Toshiba one but I'm not sure they ever used it for this old type of transistor.
Who has experience on these transistors?
Thank you.
Valerio

https://i.postimg.cc/SsQp60TM/IMG-20210103-132538.jpg
Click to expand...

Fake! These like yours, you can also find at Chinese sellers on ebay. Genuine Toshibas is hard to find.
 
#1,152
Be aware of a very important thing: There appears to be either one seller with a large network of stores under different names on Ebay (all selling the same stuff with slightly varying pictures and listings). Or there is a network of sellers working together. Same on AliExpress. So it looks like competition but really you are just offered a choice of a variety of different named sellers who will rip you off the same way. You can get ripped off by seller x, reorder from seller y, get ripped off again and reorder from z, get ripped off again and then start to realize they are all the same. If you study the listings you start to see the pattern and similarity.

I have bought many fake power transistors and op-amps. Including TIP series transistors, TL072, NE5532. Even fake voltage regulators.

Those items I only get from authorized distributors now. Don't get power transistors op-amps, voltage regulators or capacitors from you know where. Even got 50V ceramic bypassing capacitors that failed at +/-15V bypassing op-amps. Ceramic caps are not marked with voltage rating or dielectric constant. So they can sell you 10V Y5U as 50V X7R and then you have problems. You have been warned. Not kidding.



Found this with google search including "diyaudio" in my search:

Genuine Sanken 2SA909 / 2SC1586 - 2SA1116 / 2SC2607 - 2SA1117 / 2SC2608 For Sale

https://www.diyaudio.com/forums/par...2922-genuine-fake-pictures-6.html#post5757365

POLIDA2008 A Real Thi.ef on eBay! Fake MOSFETS!

Sanken fake transistors
 
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#1,154
Also be aware that the fake specialists have great ratings on Ebay and Aliexpress. And the online marketplaces have absolutely no interest in doing anything about the problem. The same fake specialists have sold the same fake Toshiba and Sanken output transistors for many years. And the same fake specialists have sold the same fake Elna, Wima, Nichicon & Hitachi capacitors for many years. Same with the fake lithium ion batteries.

Unfortunately many buyers seem to leave feedback without testing or having any idea that what they bought was fake and often unreliable and/or dangerous. It is annoying to see people leaving five star ratings for fakes and thus they mislead many others who get ripped off.

Also I have seen fake specialists delete accurate and appropriate feedback on fakes. (Both on Ebay and Aliexpress.) This seems to be a newer phenomena. At least I did not notice it years ago.

Fake Hitachi Caps

Counterfeit Transistors

Strangely every kit that comes with "Wima" caps comes with magnetic "Wima" caps. That is odd because when I order the same Wima caps from an authorized distributor they are not magnetic.

The fake power transistors were magnetic in the past. Now they look like they are made with the same lead frames as the real devices. Maybe the fakes are packaged at the same subcon or maybe the lead frames are bought from the same supplier.
 
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#1,155
What does the group say about these 1943/5200 looking at the rears? Its from a Chinese A-60 clone kit... the leg connections seem dodgy when I compare it to known OEM's from ON in the 264 pack. Those have rectangular cuts, these seem to have 45 degree cuts at the join to the case tabs.
 

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#1,157
K-amps said:
What does the group say about these 1943/5200 looking at the rears? Its from a Chinese A-60 clone kit... the leg connections seem dodgy when I compare it to known OEM's from ON in the 264 pack. Those have rectangular cuts, these seem to have 45 degree cuts at the join to the case tabs.
Click to expand...

Compare them to the enclosed photos of Toshiba TTA1943 and TTC5200 that I ordered from the Chinese distributor LCSC. Electrically they compare with the Toshiba 2SC5200N and 2SA1943N that I bought from Mouser.

I bought a couple Chinese kits (such as my KSA-50 clone) that came with genuine Toshiba 1943/5200 devices. Also my nice uPC1342V kit. Some kit designers use genuine components. It depends on the supplier of the kit.
 

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