Home Tweakers' Asylum

Tweaks for systems, rooms and Do It Yourself (DIY) help. FAQ.

RE: agree 100% with Agree 100%......

We have remarkably similar taste in resistors. List below is drawn from my own trials in several different high and low power apps. In general, carbon films tend to provide a bit of smoothing, or enhancement of musicality with some loss of transparency compared to metal films, which can tend to brightness. I have found all resistors with non-magnetic end caps to sound better than any with magnetic end caps or leads.

I have found that any exclusive application of any single type of part throughout an entire circuit can make for a coloring of sound. I believe this is what typically lends a "house sound" to most commercial equipment. Lift the lid and you'll see a single type of resistor and most caps.

I have also found that the contribution of a resistor to the overall sound of a component is most significant directly in the signal path, and even more so in the feedback loop of opamps.

In order of high frequency transparency and overall tonal fidelity, IMO:
Vishay VAR series naked Z-foil
Susumu for SMT apps
Caddock MK132
Caddock MP series (with heatsink for high power apps such as xover)
Duelund graphite
Shinkoh tantalum (sweet) (NOT Audio Note tant)
Mundorf MOX
Amtrans carbon film (sweeter)
Takman MF and CF in here somewhere
PRP
Vishay/Dale CMF
Mills ww
"cement" ww
Riken carbon film (too sweet, almost dull)
KOA Speer
Xicon

The opposite ends of the spectrum are where the differences really become significant. The Vishay VAR is quite a remarkable achievement, and worth every penny in a critical application. Avoid the bottom two; it's just not worth saving a few cents. All the middle brands are, well, in the middle.

Peace,
Tom E

berate is 8 and benign is 9


This post is made possible by the generous support of people like you and our sponsors:
  Analog Engineering Associates  


Follow Ups Full Thread
Follow Ups

FAQ

Post a Message!

Forgot Password?
Moniker (Username):
Password (Optional):
  Remember my Moniker & Password  (What's this?)    Eat Me
E-Mail (Optional):
Subject:
Message:   (Posts are subject to Content Rules)
Optional Link URL:
Optional Link Title:
Optional Image URL:
Upload Image:
E-mail Replies:  Automagically notify you when someone responds.