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"bundle" of resistors?

96.42.27.201
Posted on February 3, 2017 at 21:30:06
madisonears
Audiophile

Posts: 1587
Location: midwest
Joined: September 6, 2006
 I am considering constructing a bundle of 22 or so 1/2 watt resistors to use in my speaker xover. I like the sound of Vishay CMF metal film resistors compared to other types, but power handling is limited. Twenty plus paralleled gives me 10 watts capacity. Cost is comparable to boutique wirewounds, which I don't really like. Duelund also left me unimpressed, especially for their cost and awkward size. I see this xover resistor topic discussed here, but I've never seen this suggested.

Anyone ever tried it?

Peace,
Tom E
berate is 8 and benign is 9

 

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RE: "bundle" of resistors?, posted on February 4, 2017 at 08:31:31
jad
Audiophile

Posts: 228
Location: OH
Joined: August 23, 2002
 I've done that before using on-hand resistors to help determine crossover frequencies. It does the job but once the frequency was determined I re-placed them with non-inductive wire wound resistors which always improved the sound quality. You would be using metal film (I used anything I had on-hand) so don't know if that will be better than a single value wire wound.

 

RE: "bundle" of resistors?, posted on February 4, 2017 at 12:36:14
Awe-d-o-file
Dealer

Posts: 21037
Location: 50 miles west of DC
Joined: January 10, 2004
 While I haven't done it I would try it. So Duelands didn't thrill you even after many hours? Just make sure you use some steel wool on the leads make em shiney. Do you plan on soldering them together across a buss bar kinda thing or similar? To an existing board or one you are making. Inquiring minds want to know. If the resistor is mounted through hole you can extend a good piece of wire straight up then put the new resistors between them with a small fold over and crimp then solder as kinda like the drawing below






|------[###]-------|
|------[###}-------|
|------{###}-------|
|------{###}-------|


ET

"If at first you don't succeed, keep on sucking till you do suck seed" - Curly Howard 1936

 

RE: "bundle" of resistors?, posted on February 4, 2017 at 13:50:12
sideliner
Audiophile

Posts: 208
Location: NYC
Joined: August 22, 2013
Contributor
  Since: December 15, 2023
 If it's film resistors you want, try Caddock's MP-820 / MP-930 series of non-inductive power resistors. They're available through Mouser and Michael Percy and cost well under $10 each. They use the same film type resistive element as the smaller MK-132's that to many are superior to the Vishay CMF series. The MK-132's are actually nearer in quality to Vishay S-102's. Whichever way you decide to go, please let us know how it turns out.

 

RE: "bundle" of resistors?, posted on February 4, 2017 at 15:00:06
madisonears
Audiophile

Posts: 1587
Location: midwest
Joined: September 6, 2006
 Thanks for the suggestion.

The xover components are all connected directly to one another by their leads. The resistor bundle would consist of all leads twisted and soldered together, then soldered directly to other components.

Duelunds were okay, just nothing special for their cost, fragility, and awkward configuration. I am considering trying them again, but only after all other options are explored. Do you use and like them?

Peace,
Tom E
berate is 8 and benign is 9

 

RE: "bundle" of resistors?, posted on February 4, 2017 at 15:08:45
madisonears
Audiophile

Posts: 1587
Location: midwest
Joined: September 6, 2006
 I have previously made the same recommendation to others here, and I currently use all Caddock thick films, the MP9xx series with heatsinks, at every position in the xovers. I find them to be very transparent, but somewhat lacking in midrange fullness. My STOP is to mix different brand components within a single circuit to avoid exaggeration of their various colorations. Maybe there are just too many Caddocks here, so I'm exploring other options.

Peace,
Tom E
berate is 8 and benign is 9

 

RE: "bundle" of resistors?, posted on February 4, 2017 at 15:09:49
madisonears
Audiophile

Posts: 1587
Location: midwest
Joined: September 6, 2006
 What wirewound did you use?
berate is 8 and benign is 9

 

RE: "bundle" of resistors?, posted on February 4, 2017 at 15:15:28
jad
Audiophile

Posts: 228
Location: OH
Joined: August 23, 2002
 Mills wire wound non inductive 12watt

 

RE: "bundle" of resistors?, posted on February 4, 2017 at 15:33:57
sideliner
Audiophile

Posts: 208
Location: NYC
Joined: August 22, 2013
Contributor
  Since: December 15, 2023
 Cool, I get what you're trying to accomplish and I'll agree with your mix and match method. It's a very good practice that applies to all audio electronics be it source components, amplifiers, speakers etc.

Having said that, I'll go one step further and suggest that you parallel two different types of resistors in your bundle scheme and use, say half Vishay CMF's and half carbon films or carbon comp's. Kiwame, Arcol and Takman come to mind not to mention the old favorites such as NOS Allen Bradley, Stackpole etc.

I think that that should take away some of the dryness and give you perhaps a bit more 'meat on the bones' kind of sound or sweeter if you will, while the metal film resistors should allow the extended highs to come through.

Hmm... the more I think about it the more I like the idea.

 

RE: "bundle" of resistors?, posted on February 4, 2017 at 16:29:21
madisonears
Audiophile

Posts: 1587
Location: midwest
Joined: September 6, 2006
 Wow, that's really complicating things with another set of variables. Could be interesting but a lot of work to sort out. One thing for sure, I would never consider using carbon comp anywhere in my system. They're outdated technology and too unreliable. In tube circuits, they might be of use. In any modern electronics, they are an impediment (ha!).

Thing is, I know and do like the sound of CMF's, and I think they might work well and sound good as a bundle by themselves, then that bundle mixed with other resistors in the xover.

Peace,
Tom E
berate is 8 and benign is 9

 

Here is what I have used and like:, posted on February 4, 2017 at 20:55:29
Ric Schultz
Manufacturer

Posts: 844
Joined: August 7, 2000
 Caddock power resistor bypassed by a single larger value nude Vishay (something like 30 ohm). Both resistors damped using EARSD40AL just on the edge of each to a solid damped support. Caddocks by themselves sound sort of "Grey". The Vishay bypass really makes it come alive....very nice sound. I had this on a planar mid/tweet that was running open baffle from about 300hz on up. Very transparent.

 

RE: "bundle" of resistors?, posted on February 6, 2017 at 11:05:47
Lew
Audiophile

Posts: 10911
Location: Bethesda, Maryland
Joined: December 11, 2000
 The idea of using vastly over-rated resistors in a speaker crossover was batted around extensively in a now old Sound Lab Owners Group discussion. Most guys felt that they could hear a difference between using resistors with power ratings that ought to be "more than adequate", e.g., 12W when maybe 5W was the max power generated across the resistor, was not quite as good as using resistors rated at 10X or even 100X the required power rating. I was a sceptic at first, but my own home trials indicated there was something to it, and I ended up with a monster home-made 10 ohm resistor in the crossover of my Sound Lab speakers. It probably could have handled hundreds of Watts. The difference was not huge, IMO, but worth the extra effort. I don't know if that's where the OP is going with his idea of paralleling a bundle of resistors.

 

RE: "bundle" of resistors?, posted on February 6, 2017 at 16:44:32
Awe-d-o-file
Dealer

Posts: 21037
Location: 50 miles west of DC
Joined: January 10, 2004
 I was/am too cheap and never spent more than Mills money.


ET

"If at first you don't succeed, keep on sucking till you do suck seed" - Curly Howard 1936

 

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