Paralleled Transistors


Is there any truth to the argument that many paralleled output transistors, despite strong attempts to match closely, will smear music signals as they are not identical. How about those designers. using only N channel mosfet pairs rather than complimentary P Channel devices? Just curious whether using larger more powerful Mosfets, and thus fewer pairs, is better in any way than let’s say 12 smaller pairs (24) per channel? Thanks for helping me to understand.
audiobrian

Showing 2 responses by itsjustme

Short answer: no. Everyone parallels devices. Also paralleling them is not really related to complementary pairs (NPN and PNP) which are used to achieve DC coupling to speakers. Which almost everyone does.
Exceptions: tubes and some really oddball, very low power FET amps.
I’d argue that if you want to go to the trouble and cost to parallel up a gazillion devices, you could get some theoretical benefits. Nelson Pass certainly thinks so.
G
Ps: after posting this i saw that Nelson's name was being bantered about above, but for the opposite reasons i was. Nelson once designed, or tried to, a power amp using hundreds of tiny N-channel JFET TO-92 devices that he really liked.
pps: In sane-land, i recently completed  a design for a headphone amplifier with no loop/global feedback. This adds to the output impedance issue noted above, but is inherently stable into any load (including some crazy impedance 'phones). Among other things, it parallels quite a few to-92 NPN and PNP devices to achieve power handling temperature margin, and linearity. And it just rocks.

I wonder if someone can briefly explain why my high power class A Clayton S-2000 amplifier draws 6.2 amps when first turned on and then drops to 4.2 amp draw after 25-30 minutes....perhaps it is stabilizing its class A bias?
That is kinda strange, i would be normal to be very high for 1-2 seconds as the inrush charges the capacitors int he LPS, but 20 minutes must be some kind of system governance. I would venture a pure guess: i runs very high bias until it hits a thermal level and then the bias is turned down to protect it from excess heat or possibly thermal runaway.
My designs employ a thermal loop as well, but it constantly hunts within a preset range - no big jumps.
G