Metal resistors -all the same?

[Vladco]

Is all non magnetic metal resistors sound pretty much the same? Or should I use only RN55 or RN60 as a safe bet? I’ve got some metal resistor with 5% tolerance but I’m not very good with desoldering. Please share you experience

[Peter Daniel]

Check this thread for some discussion on resistors http://www.diyaudio.com/forums/showt...328#post458328

[Vladco]

Thank you for the replay.
As usual I didn’t phrase myself properly. I read many posts about differences between metal film resistors and exotic types of resistors or plain garden variety carbon film but can’t really remember comparison different brands of standard metal film resistors.
Does any one have experience with badly sounding metal film non magnetic resistors?
Or they sound pretty much the same? Or you got preferences for specific type of resistors? Or tolerance is very important to sound?
If I understand right vishay/dale RN55 or RN60 considered standard. Do you use them in the reference level of equipment? Or any metal film resistor will do?
Is it a bad idea to mix different brands of resistors?
Yours responces will be really appreciated

[analog_sa]

Vladco

These are decisions of taste that no one can take on your behalf. Buy a selection of resistors and listen. Chances are you won't hear any difference as many members of this forum don't.

The magnetic properties are also not worth paying too much attention to. Some great sounding resistors are magnetic.

[serengetiplains]

Originally posted by analog_sa
Chances are you won't hear any difference as many members of this forum don't.

If you have trained your ear to listen critically, I bet chances are you will hear a difference, though I'd be surprised if you heard a difference A/Bing two unfamiliar resistor types in a circuit+amp with which you are otherwise familiar. I agree with what Doug Sax says about A/B tests for audio: five or ten minute A/B tests are perhaps mostly worthless, and something you might not hear in the short term could be plainly audible in the long term. Give me a preamp to listen to for six months using run of the mill resistors and I'd be willing to bet anyone who'd want to bet me several digits of dollars I could hear an audible difference having swapped Vishays or some comparably good resistor into the circuit.

[Peter Daniel]

Originally posted by Vladco

Or they sound pretty much the same? Or you got preferences for specific type of resistors? Or tolerance is very important to sound?
If I understand right vishay/dale RN55 or RN60 considered standard. Do you use them in the reference level of equipment? Or any metal film resistor will do?
Is it a bad idea to mix different brands of resistors?

RN55 or RN60 are pretty much standard. You might notice that ML, Krell and Cello are/were using those resistors. Also PassLabs are not fussy about exotic brands and their equipment gets very good reviews. So it's hard to say how much resistors really effect overall sound. If I change a single resistors in a circuit and compare, I can hear the difference and I know which sound I prefer. But it shouldn't necessary mean that if I change all the resistors in a circuit, I will achieve even more improvement. Sometimes it may actually go the other way, depending on a circuit

It is not bad to mix different brands, it's actually recommended, but you also have to listen while doing it

And tolerance is rarely important to the sound, unless you use the resistors in correction networks, then it is important.

I don't really have a preferrence for any specific type of resistor. I started to build X0 preamp, and I was deliberating what to use. But one can't really decide without testing resistors in a circuit. So eventually I ordered all Holcos, as they are one of the cheapest around (from Percy) and eventually I might substitude some of them for better ones, but only when I actually put them in a circuit and I will know that this specific type brings an improvement. I will compare the usual suspects as I usually have some stock of similar values: Caddocks, Vishays< Rikens and AN tantalums. Might check RN55 as well, but I don't expect much

[fdegrove]

Hi,

The magnetic properties are also not worth paying too much attention to. Some great sounding resistors are magnetic.

Don't you have to keep them well away from magnetic fields?

If a leadout wire is magnetic it also implies it contains some ferrous material.
This is mainly added to increase tensile strength, the electronic component industry in general doesn't give a rat's *ss about sound quality and it would surprise me to hear any ferrous mareial actually improving anything soundwise.

I do find it odd to see at least one German vendor touting their magnetic resistors as being the next best thing since sliced bread....

Regarding using the same type/brand of resistor throughout a design, I'd say that would be fine if the resistor didn't have a sound of its own...Unfortunately most do so the more you use the same one the more the sonic fingerprint shines through.
Much the same way as if you'd be using the same tube type or circuit topology cascaded throughout a design.

The art of designing for transparancy (assuming that's the ultimate goal) IMHO is to know your passive components among a dozen other things, so you can balance the end result for neutrality, hence fidelity.

Cheers,

[Peter Daniel]

So, Frank, you finally made it

[Peter Daniel]

Some links to older threads discussing resistors: http://www.diyaudio.com/forums/searc...der=descending