Resistor Sound Quality?

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Converting my apogee centaurs to active. Amps are TomChr's LM3886 composites that will go inside the stands driven by miniDSP. but I keep spending the project funds on music. No regrets :)

Can't argue with that, I have spent some time watching stuff at the moment.
But the system is on probably for 8 hrs+ most days..:)

I must admit I do listen to more music since I wireless connected the PC.

But I have to confess I choose components..each to their own I guess.

Regards
M. Gregg
 
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Took me nearly 20 years to stop being an audiophile and become a music lover based on the normal metric. Trying to keep it that way for now :) Today it was a good deal on the complete jacqueline du pre on EMI. 17 CDs for £18.60 which comes out the transformer fund.
 
billshurv said:
It was humour, but clearly missed its mark.
You asked about voicing. I answered.

meles2 said:
Ugh! Complex trolling I see since the author recommends a high output impedance driving a low input impedance.
Answering a question is now trolling?

So, the important differences I hear rolling 12ax7 types in a Lambda tube power supplies of my preamp are due to its poor design?
If rolling 12AX7 in a power supply affect the sound from a preamp then there is probably something wrong with the design or the valves. It could be either or both.

Tube rolling does add up and really should be part of any design.
Eliminating the need for tube rolling really should be part of any design. It is usually a sign of poor workmanship, expecially in an uncritical application like audio.
 
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Hi billshurv,
I can pension it off for a rebuild as and when Chris finds some time.
Well, I'm going to start working on the SA-100 to finalize it soon. It's lasted all this time out in the wild in use, and it's coming back so I can finish it. There is a bias current thing to work on. It was a job to retain the "Counterpoint sound" while killing the distortion, and that was a half cocked fix in the tube section. Overall it has come a long way, but still has a way to go yet. Bipolar output transistors though, and that solves one nasty issue with getting mosfet transistors matched tightly enough. SY heard it compared to the original factory amplifier I think. Many years ago.

To stay on topic, I was careful what resistors I used, and will select the final ones at the conclusion of this build. Some resistors (carbon comp) are sensitive to the voltage across their terminals. Not nice!

-Chris
 
As a cartridge termination just about any.

Not quite any. Any of the ones that only show thermal thirds perhaps. There are some such as carbon comp, very small carbon film, thick film surface mount and even magnetic types that really will not perform as well. Then there are the inductive wire wound types that really would be a bad choice.

Tempco distortion does drop with level squared. Many of the other distortions do not. Carbon comp is the best example of a lousy resistor at all levels.

So that leaves well made metal film resistors such as the brown Dales' or black IRCs'.

Other issues include loop area, type of termination and even in some cases such as thermionic preamplifiers, thermoelectric issues.

But you knew that.

Still waiting for SY's cite.
 
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thermionic preamplifiers.

But you knew that.

What are those, tube preamps?

You insist on taking me literally, there are many choices of very cheap readily available resistors for cartridge termination.

I disagree on the thick film SMT resistors, you would have to show me some evidence at mV levels with no confounders. We build breadboards that tax the AP with them all the time. I put a tech through he exercise of stacking/seriesing multiple R's with no change in THD levels (~-130dB part limited).

I'll remind you there are numerous mV level signals at very low frequencies in life support equipment/ultrasound/CT etc. this has never come up as an issue nor has any of the other audio tweeks.
 
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Scott

My measurements on the small sample of thick film resistors I tried showed second harmonic so as that is non thermal distortion and suggests another distortion mechanism I would not use them.

For oncies twocies the cost difference is so small I would stick to the better parts.

As to what never shows up elsewhere, my bit on measuring resistor distortion certainly has shown up in not just the precision test equipment but there are also folks using the method to tweak thick film formulas.

Now does which other applications have 130+ dB resolution?
 
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Scott,

That is great. What make and values?

(I will laugh if it is the folks who are using my technique.)

SG uses a slightly modified version. Same principle. But to get startered you do have to begin with reciprocity.

Someone here is the one who impinged the method. Unfortunately he is a "True Believer". Those who just know or misquote issues and then conduct AB tests that yield negative results. Ignoring that in order to do a valid test you must control all the variables not just the ones you believe in and of course the fundamental folly of trying to prove a negative result.

Measurements of simple harmonic distortion show differences in resistors, one of the best performing components. If you ignore that where could you start?


Turns out there may be two more issues. But before I get into making those measurements I need to get a few other things done.

Just for fun with your SR530 (?) why don't you try measuring 2nd & 3rd harmonic across a 100 ohm 1/4 metal film resistor at .005 volts? Might be interesting to see if there are any unnoticed issues at low levels. And just to insure sanity flip the resistor under test to be sure it isn't directional. :)

We both assume that what is true at high levels holds for lower levels. Probably true but uncertified. Finding interesting stuff also requires lots of not finding stuff.
 
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