Resistor Sound Quality?

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arnyk you need a better phono

Actually, I currently have the best phono of all, which is no phono. 100% digital, baby! ;-)

I'll freely admit that my audio system in the late 60s when carbon comps were the rule, was pretty poor by modern standards. For openers the source material was all analog, and that implies what we would now consider to be massive audible distortion in that part of the reproduction chain.

If you put the objective information in recent posts together, you may find that the noise and distortion in commodity resistors has improved by maybe 40-50 dB. That's pretty darn impressive!

The human thresholds of audible noise and distortion have remained appreciably poorer than even the garbage parts we had back in the 60s.
 
I seem to recall seeing some test info that suggested that the old nasty carbon comp resistors from the 1940's to the 1970s had noise and distortion floors that were like 90 or 100 dB down in typical circuits.

Sometimes, not always. See the Audio article from the 1950s, "The Sad Tale of a One Half Watt resistor."

These days, it's a non-issue except mentally.
 
Sometimes, not always. See the Audio article from the 1950s, "The Sad Tale of a One Half Watt resistor."

This can be read at: http://www.tubecad.com/2007/12/23/The%20Sad%20Tale%20of%20a%20Half-Watt%20Resistor.pdf

A 1/2 watt carbon comp resistor with 4% THD is more of the exception than the rule.

Bad resistors were much more of a maintenance problem when they were carbon comps.

The article specifically says that the resistor measured about 100 ohms despite a schematic that said 47 ohms. It was broken, so this is obviously not how carbon comps performed as a rule. When replaced (presumably with a good carbon comp) the THD dropped to the expected value.

So, as you say sometimes and I might add a whale of a lot more commonly than these days.

IME bad carbon comp resistors can be produced on cue by simple non-destructively overheating them. This also has the usual effect of permanently significantly increasing their resistance.

These days, it's a non-issue except mentally.

Agreed.
 
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I'm trying to help you, since I've been designing and building phono stages for many decades, and have in recent years concentrated particularly on input stage loading effects, which are too often ignored. I'm not sure why that seems to upset you, but if you want to troubleshoot on your own, go for it.
 
SY thanks but my koetsu with Borbley phono sound very good ...
i'ts not difficult to understain that a resistor is a cap and ind. at the same time plus material and construction difference make for sure a difference in the sound , if is not the same cannot work the same . I use to taste ...I ear clear difference ,glad that I do
PS my cartridge setup and load are perfect!
 
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i'ts not difficult to understain that a resistor is a cap and ind. at the same time

If the capacitance and inductance are significant for that position, it's defective. Even a cheap metal film resistor will have capacitance several orders of magnitude lower than the input capacitance of a FET (even in cascode) and inductance orders of magnitude lower than the cartridge. So if changing the resistor makes a difference, you're either using some really terrible resistors or something is broken. Time to start troubleshooting.
 
SY my are general consideration ...don't tray with me please
if you can't accept that good resistor sound better is your problem

PS and please quote all:
"i'ts not difficult to understain that a resistor is a cap and ind. at the same time plus material and construction difference make for sure a difference in the sound , if is not the same cannot work the same ."
 
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