john curl said:
It is always surprising to me when people who should know better refer authoritatively to something that they don't have evidence for. "The general consensus is..." Just how many were there in the sample that provided this consensus? And how many who heard no difference at all, and was this a random sample or just some anecdote or maybe just invention in support of a proposition.
There goes my pitch fork being waved again. No actually I don't have a pitchfork so please don't accuse me of waving one.
Well, I gave a GENERAL appraisal of resistor differences that we have normally encountered over the decades. There are more devices already mentioned here, that I have not personally evaluated.
A more complete evaluation is available in an article on resistors and capacitors published in 'Hi Fi News' in the middle '80's, by Martin Colloms.
A more complete evaluation is available in an article on resistors and capacitors published in 'Hi Fi News' in the middle '80's, by Martin Colloms.
I think the issue of channel-channel balance is more important than attenuator step size, although of course the two can be equivalent. Or at least, balance is not being discussed directly here. At least for myself, balance is more important than "volume".
I use two 45-position ladder attenuators, one for each channel. I have adjusted overall system gain so that my usual listening level is when the attenuators are at "12 o'clock" and I built the attenuators to switch in 1 dB steps in mid-position with larger steps at either end.
I use two 45-position ladder attenuators, one for each channel. I have adjusted overall system gain so that my usual listening level is when the attenuators are at "12 o'clock" and I built the attenuators to switch in 1 dB steps in mid-position with larger steps at either end.
i've noticed different temp. coefficients.john curl said:It is always surprising to me the subjective correlation of resistor sonic quality from people who have never even met each other. The general consensus is: Holco (old) soft., Holco (new) problematic, Resista (balanced, but imperfect), Vishay bulk metal standard, overly etched, but better, if ordered without case. Etc.
I have 100's of different resistors that look good and measure OK, BUT don't sound good. I do wish that I could find the reason, or at least be able to sell off my excess to the hear-no-difference group, so that they can use them with impunity. Scott, Cordell, let's make a deal!
i guess we just don't yet measure all the parameters
for instance , what does a 60dB transient do to the resistance value?
what is the recovery time of the change?
etc.
john curl said:
Hi,
I already distributed this article and Ben Duncan's "Piece of resistance" to many of you. Email me to get them.
myhrrhleine said:
TC of resistors is carefully characterized as well as thermal time constants by most if not all major brands and their QC departments will bury you in documentation if you are a big customer. In fact the small audiophile outfits are the most likely to not care about any of the actual physical properties of the resistors.
If in doubt, use a larger resistor, with more dissipation, for critical applications, like feedback resistors.
I would again vote for unwanted "noises" (HF, EMI, possible parasitic inductances of switched attenuators etc.). Shielding makes difference, and also compensated damped divider, like R//R-C : R//R-C.
scott wurcer said:
yes.
but what is the audibility of transient tempco recovery times?
what other variables might effect sound quality?
is it just a coincidence that the highly praised resistors have tempcos up to 100 times better than other resistors?
john curl said:
Thanks, John.
BTW, I remember that when I was younger I used to chase girls, however, I cannot remember what the hack I was chasing them for … 😀
It might sound better
Why?Whats critical about a feedback resistor,loop area,surely smaller is better,or maybe the technology of resistors is now a bit Victorian,Electrons crack our nuts,why not coerce them with a little quantum mechanics
regards
Max
Hellojohn curl said:
Why?Whats critical about a feedback resistor,loop area,surely smaller is better,or maybe the technology of resistors is now a bit Victorian,Electrons crack our nuts,why not coerce them with a little quantum mechanics
regards
Max
0 to 80V in 10uS. Then -80V in the next 10us. It is SUPER RESISTOR! Unfazed by extreme voltage swings, able to stay at EXACTLY the same resistor value, no matter what! No excess noise!
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