Do you indulge in "silly" or "fancy" components anywhere in your builds?

[SoaDMTGguy]

Do you indulge in "silly" or "fancy" components anywhere in your builds?

By this I mean a part that quantifiably does not offer any meaningful benefit, but that you include because its "fancy" or gives you "warm fuzzy feelings" inside. This could include exotic capacitors, NOS Dale resistors, silver wire, gold over copper connectors, etc.

 

[VeightTripleDivision]

Yes, but mostly cheap side, I swear that germanium trannies are giving me better heart rythm, and that old russian MLT resistors are just "normal-rugged resistors", while modern alternatives must be "neurotic new kids".

Honestly I force oldies, because of money, as I can not afford my hobbie. Yet there are so many "specialty" parts that I can assimilate, asign character to and etc..

 

[Mark Johnson]

Yes, for projects that I publish on diyAudio, I tend to choose Zetex transistors because they are seldom counterfeited. That reduces heartache among builders who might otherwise have purchased from sketchy websites that are flooded with counterfeit crapoleon. I also tend to specify Panasonic EEU-FR electrolytic capacitors because they have extremely low ESR...and they're not much more expensive. I want builders to wind up with really good capacitors in their "leftover parts" box. Then, sometime later when the urge to "use whatever you've got" becomes overwhelming, what they've got is actually quite excellent.

 

[ticknpop]

I’m the biggest sinner of them all - silver wire, Blackgate Bipolar caps, Teflon caps, nude TX 2575 resistors, Quasimodo snubbed soft recovery bridges, even a couple of Bybees - my children will inherit nothing…..l

 

[NickKUK]

Simple, reliable supply so from places like mouser.

Toroid transformers.
Vishay CMF/RN metal foil resistors or omite wire wound
WIMA FKP caps
Nichicon power and bipolar or Panasonic
PTFE wire 1000V

 

[MarcelvdG]

I've built three audio circuits with valves. The first was a transistor-valve hybrid high-voltage amplifier where there were clear technical advantages to using valves in the output stage. In the other two cases, a phono amplifier and a DAC, I chose valves for non-technical reasons. Does that count as silly or fancy or does it depend on what the non-technical reasons were?

 

[Simon1972]

I only use neotech upfccocccvfccocc or whatever its called .5mm in Teflon hookup wire. But not because its single grain or any of that bollox but because its the easiest solid core in Teflon wire to strip.

 

[waxx]

I do recycle parts from other builds, also from stuff i fixed. So i have some expensive mundorf caps in some crossovers that i took from a bad designed crossover by someone else that i fixed (and then sold the speaker for more money than i put in). And i have some QED interconnects that normal price is way to expensive, but i got them very cheap (and they are good build). But for the rest it's no-nonsens for me. Good filmcaps are those that are well build and with little tollerances, not a fancy brand name that audiophools need to feed their ego. Resistors idem.

I like tubes and class A and fullrange drivers, but i'm not spending tons of money on those (find the good cheap) and i know it's not the most neutral thing, but i like the sound. If you include that i do.

 

[Fast Eddie D]

Does using a $12 solid aluminum volume control knob count? Because I've done that a few times. It does nothing for the sound, but I like it and so do other people.

Wima film caps, Dale CMF resistors, Nichicon or Panasonic electrolytic capacitors... I don't think it's too extravagant. It definitely is part of the reason my circuits work so well. And Alps Blue Velvet potentiometers? Well, I've never had so much as a crackle out of one... worth it to me.

If you're not going to build better, then you might as well cobble stuff together from the resale shop.

 

[Enzo]

I used to work with a guy who thought a;; parts were special. Even to the point of ordering (then) common parts like 4558 from each OEM that used them. Identical parts, but he felt somehow that the ones from Fender would be different from the ones from Marshall. I came into a large supply of surplus precision resistors, and I liked replacing a bad 1500 ohm resistor with one say 1480 ohms, or 1550. I knew he would go nuts trying to figure why the OEM chose such odd values.

 

[MarcelvdG]

If I remember well, there used to be a 5.04 uF +/- 5 % capacitor in Philips black-and-white televisions for whatever reason. I probably still have one in the attic somewhere.

 

[Fast Eddie D]

Odd value resistors were often specified when that particular resistor was different (like metal film vs carbon film) from the other resistors. They did this so the assemblers wouldn't put in the wrong type of resistor. Example: specify a 1.02K resistor so the assembler doesn't stick a 1K carbon resistor in when the design specifies metal film.

 

[Boulder]

Valves. *ducks and covers*

They have their uses, but I love them just for the sentimentality. But for things that add pretty much no quantifiable benefit, gas voltage stabilisers. They look pretty though

 

[SoaDMTGguy]

They have their uses, but I love them just for the sentimentality.

Where else can you use a part from a Soviet ICBM in your living room?

 

[MarcelvdG]

Actually glow discharge voltage reference tubes have a technical advantage: they are very good when you look at the ratio of their unfiltered noise level to the reference voltage they provide, see https://www.diyaudio.com/forums/power-supplies/359652-fine-ic-voltage-regulators-12.html#post6334678

 

[Boulder]

Oh, well, I'm happy to be wrong in that, because they certainly look awesome. The fact that they're incredibly temperature stable slipped my mind too

 

[JMFahey]

Even to the point of ordering (then) common parts like 4558 from each OEM that used them. Identical parts, but he felt somehow that the ones from Fender would be different from the ones from Marshall.

I do that for *one* type of components: Tubes.

Here in Argentina greedy importers buy bottom of the barrel and swept from the floor junk to maximize profits, so dud rate is incredibly high.
Even when buying apparently "serious" Brands such as JJ

So to avid getting burnt and "married to" (warranty) dubious tubes, I send customers to buy (on their dime) Fender tubes straight from official Fender importer shop.

Not the best, not the worst, at least I know at some time they were tested by Fender for their own use, good enough for me.

And I brush off my shoulders any warranty claim: "you bought it from Todo Música? go argue with THEM!"

 

[kodabmx]

I use a VR glow tube instead of a zener for regulating the grid bias in my MA-1 designs. Mostly because of it's appearance. I use nixies for indication for the same reason, and it's easier than 7 segment to implement because there's no extra circuitry involved. My preamps all have 6E2 level meters as well.

 

[nigelwright7557]

I tend to buy from RS Components as their stuff is genuine or if it is Chinese the quality control is good.

 

[K.A.B]

Only fancy product i use are Elnas Silmic 2 exept from OPT if i find used Lundalhs wich i prefer and lot of ussr surplus.