Res Survey:....... Carbon film ...or... Metal Film ...............??

Status
This old topic is closed. If you want to reopen this topic, contact a moderator using the "Report Post" button.
This is like asking whether you prefer salt or pepper! You should use the one that suits the recipe! ;)

As a rule, I try and mix resistors in a circuit so that the sound of one type doesn't dominate.

The sonic signature of the rest of the items in your hi-fi system will also determine your preference for which type of resistor (and other components) sound best to you. ;)
 
Just a quick survey about your preference on the resister
Thats actually an interesting question, Nina. It would be very usefull with some more oppinions on that subject. I guess, Nuuk is right that it can be implementation dependent.
Some "high-end" companies use only carbon resistors in the signal path, like Holfi. Most of us just use cheap metalfilm, I guess.
Maybe it would be worth it, to experiment a bit with carbonresistors? More oppinions on this subject would be great;)

Steen.:)
 
I'm going to stick my head out of the trenches here and say that I like 'old' carbon films that have been left in the sun in a black bag for as long as possible! Don't ask me why but I feel that 'slow cooking' them like this makes fr a smooth sound!

Of course, I may have inhaled too many solder fumes in which case everybody bar Thorsten will think that I'm mad! :hot:
 
I will have to say nuuk, that sounds like one of the more peculiar aspects of diy i'v ever heard..

black bag-sun cooked old carbonfilms.. where do you buy those? :clown:

As a mater of fact, thats even weirder that peeling the plastic off caps..

as for me, i use metal film resistors, as i have percived it as being the most sonicaly neutral resistor. thats atleast what i'v heard, i havn't made any direct comparasons.
 
Carbon Comp

I have tried the carbon films. Most have steel leads. All lot of the metal film are steel also. Purchased a couple thousand japanese carbon films on-line once. Threw them away after seeing they had steel leads.
My favorite is Allen Bradley. Use the old carbon comps for most solid state projects. The warm rich tone mates well with bipolars and jfets. Just buy a handfull and match them up to 0.1%.
For really critical applications like phono eq, I use AB cermet. These are red bodied 1/4 watters. Marked 2%. Also totally non-magnetic.
The quality of the lead material outweighs the material used as a resistive element. The steel leaded resistors are not good for sonics.

2 cents

George
 
as for me, i use metal film resistors, as i have percived it as being the most sonicaly neutral resistor. thats atleast what i'v heard, i havn't made any direct comparasons.


I tend to agree with whoever is doing the listening tests for you these days. Carbons may be very pleasant and musical but are certainly not neutral. At least in most systems. If you have Lowther speakers carbons may indeed offer salvation. Or at least sanity :)

At some stage i bought a whole lot of Kiwames. Doesn't seem like i've used any so far.
 
Re: Carbon Comp

Nuuk said right. It depends on our taste ( & our system). My system is not hifi - just a set of typical things that make me enjoy the music :D :D


Panelhead said:
I have tried the carbon films. Most have steel leads. All lot of the metal film are steel also. Purchased a couple thousand japanese carbon films on-line once. Threw them away after seeing they had steel leads.
...

Panelhead - You threw it away just only when SEEING it has steel leads? :bigeyes: Could you let me know what wrong with the steel leads? :confused:


analog_sa said:


At some stage i bought a whole lot of Kiwames. Doesn't seem like i've used any so far.


I am thinking of using 2W KIWAME carbon resister soon as it's mostly used in tube amp and claimsed that "
HI-GRADE CABON RESISTORS FOR TOP OF THE AUDIO. Lower noise than metal film resistors, Through the natural sound.
" (See this.)

AFAIK, Kiwame is a prefer choiced by tube fans (seriously) as [they said] it''s very sweet & musical ( probably, it's not the same as what we call HI-FI :D ).

Analog_sa - If you don't like the Kiwame res, I can help you keep it if you don't mind. :D :D :D
 
Nuuk said:
I'm going to stick my head out of the trenches here and say that I like 'old' carbon films that have been left in the sun in a black bag for as long as possible! Don't ask me why but I feel that 'slow cooking' them like this makes fr a smooth sound!

Of course, I may have inhaled too many solder fumes in which case everybody bar Thorsten will think that I'm mad! :hot:

I prefer metal film, but I have been smoking big doses of solder fumes too.:D :D :D

I have a Krell on my bench right now.
Not jokin', it's a Krell KAV-300IL integrated. :dead:
It says "no user serviceable parts inside".:cool:
 
Re: Re: Carbon Comp

nina said:
Panelhead - You threw it away just only when SEEING it has steel leads? :bigeyes: Could you let me know what wrong with the steel leads? :confused:




These were cheap carbon films. Yageo if I remember right. I hoped they were penny each wonder resistors. Once they arrived, it was clear a penny each was all they were worth.
The AB carbon comps I used are not that cheap. They are a dollar fifty for a 50 resistor pack at the local parts houses.
Steel leads are bad for sonics. Avoid if at all possible. I buy most parts locally. Keep a magnet in the car to sort parts. A lot of the silver mica caps now have steel leads also.
It all goes back to what people like. I used to remove old resistors and replace with Holco's fifteen years ago. Then spent years trying to find the crackles, pops, and other strange noises. One day I figured out that the Holcos were the problem. They did not like high voltages, and did not like having the leads bent. Now I would remove Holco's and replace them with Allen Bradleys. But I do not rebuild one equipment anymore, build it all new from scratch.


George
 
demogorgon said:
I will have to say nuuk, that sounds like one of the more peculiar aspects of diy i'v ever heard..

black bag-sun cooked old carbonfilms.. where do you buy those? :clown:

As a mater of fact, thats even weirder that peeling the plastic off caps..


I was just thinking yesterday that I havent heard of anyone "skinning" resistors :)

You know how some have a ceramic or paint coating, and you can crack it off to see the metal underneath?


btw poster forgot C) dont care :whazzat:
 
Status
This old topic is closed. If you want to reopen this topic, contact a moderator using the "Report Post" button.