NAD 3020 Series 20 mk-3 MOSFET Output Conversion

The transistor should not now be in contact with the heatsink. The FET's have a negative temperature coefficient above around 100 milliamps and so that automatically helps provide all the thermal compensation needed. If the transistor was on the heatsink it would overcompensate and reduce the current to much.
 
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So they are all in now, plus the 2 pre sets, staying put, so now I have to look at the connections and neatest way of connecting it all up
 

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And the final thing for today the additional heatsink.Im Not rushing the next bit, I need plenty of time to get it right and I needed things like the heatsink to be finished so I didn't have to take it apart again, but it looks OK
 

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'Good that you chose to increase the heatsinking. However, the present arrangement probably won't work much better than the plain aluminiun plate unless the fins are vertically aligned so that the "hot air rises" principle can work to speed up airflow and hence cooling. At the much higher dissipation level of any power mosfet in linear hifi mode, cooling can be a challenge when you get to the stage of extended listening tests and I think you'll need a lot more than the little NAD "L" plate and finned booster affords at the moment, before you sign off on this project.

Bob Cordell advises that 100mA bias current is about optimum for each and any type of mosfet output device but most constructors chicken out when the heat level with internal heatsinks becomes a little scary above 50mA. The actual bias level is not critical as it is with bipolar transistors in class AB. The more bias, the merrier in fact - up to a practical limit where you are virtually in class A operation anyway. Skimping on bias at less than 30 mA though, definitely shows up in hi-fi as distortion and unpleasant sound - probably why many low budget attempts at hifi audio products using mosfets haven't been all that popular.
 
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