2N5457 JFET

The 2N5457 is perhaps the most commonly-used general purpose JFET for audio. It works great for buffers and clean boosts, but its Vgs(off) value is low enough that it can also be overdriven easily, particularly in a mu-amp configuration such as Jack Orman’s Mini Booster. It’s a cross-reference for nearly everything, but it’s been discontinued for awhile in through-hole format.

These are genuine MMBF5457 (SMD equivalent) parts from ON Semiconductor that have been pre-soldered onto an adapter so they can be used in through-hole layouts. Nearly all of them are within the Vgs(off) range of -1.0V to -1.5V (average: 1.21V) and will perform exactly the same as the through-hole 2N5457. They also have a blank white screenprint on the reverse side so that you can write in the Vgs(off) value, for example if you need to match them for a specific application.

You’ll have to solder in the legs yourself (clipped leads from resistors or diodes work great). The JFETs are panelized, so they will need to be manually broken apart and tabs removed before use.

Note: Per the datasheet, the source (S) and drain (D) pins are interchangeable and can be used in either direction. Cheap component testers will sometimes show the D and S reversed from the silkscreen, but a Peak DCA75 will correctly label them as interchangeable.