resistor questions

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jaycee said:
should be fine as long as they fit the same spacing, but why?

Because it's entertaining to buy brand-name fashion parts, put them in circuit positions where they can't make any difference, then pretend that they do.

As part of a book deal, I received some old copies of a British magazine called "Hi-Fi World Supplement," full of ads for such components and breathless text describing how you can use them to achieve massive imaginary improvements in poorly conceived and executed designs.
 
Are the cement ones inductive / wirewound ?

It is possible the a non-inductive type could cause issues IF the original circuitry depends on this small inductance ... Is this an emitter resistor ??

Does this company actually make 0.22 in 5W ?

/dave
 
If the more expensive resistor helps lower the noise floor of the device, then by all means use it. I'm all for eliminating noise. As a matter of fact, in my own experience listening to a really good system, components that lowered the noise floor, whether they were tubes, interconnects, umbilical cords, etc., always had a positive impact on the music.

I have in my possession many resistors made by companies such as Shallcross and Daven that somebody obviously spent a lot of time designing and manufacturing for some reason, whether for noise reduction, reliability, or bandwidth. Why not avoid trouble in the future and use them?

Back when he was still alive and still doing such things, John Camille once told me the quietest resistors he'd tested were Corning metal films. I still believe that there is something to be said for picking components that produce the least amount of noise.

John
 
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Hi Chris,
does anyone know of any reason why i cannot change some old cement .22 5 watt resistors to some shiney new kiwame 5 watt ones for the sme value of course?
The cement type are wire wound. They can handle large surges of current. They are also very quiet (being wire wound and all).

Personally, I would leave them be. In cases where the inductance is a problem, you can use the non-inductive film types that Nobel and others make. Those are the flat white resistors.

In this position you will not hear any difference unless the replacements cause a problem (or the originals are a problem). That is the complete truth.

-Chris
 
anatech said:
In this position you will not hear any difference unless the replacements cause a problem (or the originals are a problem). That is the complete truth.

Maybe I did miss something, so I re-read the thread again.

But I couldn't find what exactly is the position of those resistors and what equipment we are talking about here, that we will not hear any difference and that this is complete truth?
 
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Hi Peter,
But I couldn't find what exactly is the position of those resistors and what equipment we are talking about here
True. However, the only place you would normally ever see a ceramic 0.22 ohm resistor is in series with the transistor emitters in a non-switching amplifier. The emitter resistors. Would you agree with that?

These resistors would be exposed to possible high surge currents at times. They are also in an area were there is no more gain. They would also normally be enclosed in the feedback loop of a standard amplifier.

Those would be my assumptions. Did you have a different take on things?

Given that these parts are a losser element at best, and enclosed in the feedback loop, they will not have as much of an effect on sound quality compared to a part in the input stage with all the gain occurring after their location. I must admit that I've never seen any ceramic resistors used in an input stage (save a circuit built by an acquaintance that shorted and burned the first time it was powered up in class).

Hey Shin!,
Spoken like a true janitor! That's what I've been saying all along as well (for those who want to know).

-Chris
 
Thank you ShinOBIWAN and others.

I believe different resistors sometimes can sound different in crossovers with ceramic wirewounds not being my general preference.

They may be quiet but I suspect their linearity.

Naturally, the lack of DC offset might be the reason I am singling out crossovers.
 
yep anatech you are correct they are in series with transistor emitters in an nakamichi amplifier 1.

this was just intended to be a simple post to assertain whether i could use another type of resistor instead of these cement ones, (admitidly i'm quite new to electronics but learning well!) regardless of cost, i intended the kiwames to be an example but my poor written explaination and lack of reasearch on values was probably not the best on my part.

However to all the people who are of the opinion that exotic parts don't make a difference (you are totally allowed your own opinion btw i dont want to start a flame war here) surely thats up to the person who is buying said parts if he belives that it will make an audible difference? and not up to anyone who is of the opinion and rant that they don't, and although all advice is welcome, surly just the simple answer is more appropiate than another debate that has probably been covered many times before?
 
Mills would be first choice I'll try in that location. And only after I try them I would be able to comment if they make difference or not. Because right now I honestly don't know.

To all those who think it's about being nutz, no, it's not. It's about not taking everything for granted, including commenting about part choices and their influence without knowing specific location and audio component in question.

SY started the whole thing with his "entertaining" comment, while I long ago abandoned those silly games and my signature says it all.

I will not speculate if resistor A sounds better than resistor B, but I choose whatever pleases me and I reserve the right to share that experience without being ridiculed by comments that it's only "pretending".
 
surely thats up to the person who is buying said parts

Of course. Who could disagree with that?

But please understand the spirit in which my comments were intended- I'd just rather see you (and the others who read this thread, not just the participants) put money and effort where you're likely to get a real sonic payoff, assuming that like the rest of us, you have finite time and money resources to spend. I'd say the same thing to someone about to spend money for an astrologer for financial advice instead of studying some economics books. If that sentiment did not come across, I certainly apologize.
 
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Hi Peter,
Here's another application for 0.22R resistors. Would I use cement resistors there? Probably not.
I gathered you wouldn't, but there would be no problem in that location except at radio frequencies, certainly not at audio frequencies. I would as long as we are running those amps in an audible range. Besides, the inductance might keep them in a more stable region. Most amps do have an output inductor, right?

Hi reddish75,
For what it's worth, I was authorized warranty for Nakamichi. A different resistor in that location will not sound any better than the original parts. I actually know this from repairing stuff other people have degraded through the mindless process of upgrading parts.

Do parts sound different? A qualified yes. It depends on where they are in the circuit and what their construction is. Most off all, they must be suitable for that location. You must also keep in mind that when you swap parts, adjustments might be required or that compensation capacitors may need to be recalculated. Most "upgraders" I have met over the years do not know enough to understand what they are doing or the effects of the changes they make. The more you know, the more you will understand that you don't know everything. Someone who carries themselves as if they do know everything are normally dangerously under educated.

-Chris
 
Well,

The smartest comments here thus far have been centered around the issue of parasitic inductance in said resistor. Having made a decent career out of building oscillators that won't start and amplifiers that oscillate, I can say this: if it ain't broke... don't fix it.

I wouldn't change an inductive resistor without having a solid reason for doing so.

Carbon comps and Johnson noise aside... the most noise I've gotten from a resistor lately happened when I dropped a 250 Watt thingy on the kitchen floor... broke the tile too.

:mad:
 
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