What shills do often is to provoke certain response from the critics and when they see one, they report it to the authority. That's one of the ways to silence the critics. After all, criticism is one of the major roadblocks against boutique audio business.
"...there is one very interesting result, “Voter 2” preferred the parts just according their parameters with one exception, two takes of OPA2134. Great job, Mark!"
https://www.diyaudio.com/community/threads/hires-96-24-listening-test-of-opamps.309098/post-5118221 ...Post #210
@PMA, You may recall I sent you my list of opamps in order by PM. As I explained at the time, I was trying to find the two that differed the most in sound so that I might try comparing them by ABX. Lost interest before going that far, since I expected someone else would nail it anyway.
At the time I think I was using the old Benchmark DAC-1, a 20-year old original Bryston 4B, and a pair of NS-10 speakers. It was very hard to tell the files apart by ear with that system. It tool a lot of sustained concentration and blinding myself as to which two files I was bubble sorting at the time. I kept the files, by the way. Haven't listened to them again but I suspect telling them apart would be much easier on the current system.
https://www.diyaudio.com/community/threads/hires-96-24-listening-test-of-opamps.309098/post-5118221 ...Post #210
@PMA, You may recall I sent you my list of opamps in order by PM. As I explained at the time, I was trying to find the two that differed the most in sound so that I might try comparing them by ABX. Lost interest before going that far, since I expected someone else would nail it anyway.
At the time I think I was using the old Benchmark DAC-1, a 20-year old original Bryston 4B, and a pair of NS-10 speakers. It was very hard to tell the files apart by ear with that system. It tool a lot of sustained concentration and blinding myself as to which two files I was bubble sorting at the time. I kept the files, by the way. Haven't listened to them again but I suspect telling them apart would be much easier on the current system.
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Thank you Mark, I can recall that. I thought there was something out of my viewing scope. So this was a sighted test result, not a correctly performed DBT with statistically significant result, right.
I am afraid I do not have this hires.zip file anymore, but I do have the files from the 48/16 opamp test (another one), this one:
https://www.diyaudio.com/community/threads/another-big-opamp-listening-test.308514/
I have also passed some voyage since the days the test was posted, which resulted in my biggest scepticism to all sighted sound descriptions not supported by the DBT.
Re file analysis, I can cordially suggest this software
https://deltaw.org/
by Paul from ASR. I have just analysed the files from the opamptest.zip and the only significant difference between the files recorded through various opamps is just noise, plain noise. I would really be interested if someone was able to get a statistically significant positive result from those files comparison.
What I still have from that is in my dropbox: https://www.dropbox.com/sh/e7iy18df3vg0e3j/AADUjBU6ka_UEpHZfreN3t6ya?dl=0
Can somebody give me some useful practical advice here. I have a simple input stage in my 2a3 SE amp with a bypassed cathode resistor. Half a watt is adequate here for 6mA current. I'm in the UK and have access to typical sources like Farnell and RS but not much access to boutique resistors. I could buy in Europe, however.
I have some values in the older black Holco 1W resistors, but I'm looking for something like 270R, 300R or 330R which I don't have and could only make up with // or series resistors. I'd like to try something better than generic metal film resistors, so what are my options please? Please no theoretical comments about what's audible and not audible, this is of no value to me - I just want to get some good resistors in these values and listen for myself. I'm happy to try out resistors that others have preferred in listening tests. So recommendations please!
I have some values in the older black Holco 1W resistors, but I'm looking for something like 270R, 300R or 330R which I don't have and could only make up with // or series resistors. I'd like to try something better than generic metal film resistors, so what are my options please? Please no theoretical comments about what's audible and not audible, this is of no value to me - I just want to get some good resistors in these values and listen for myself. I'm happy to try out resistors that others have preferred in listening tests. So recommendations please!
I would suggest you go the other way and uses some old carbon composition resistors. These tend to provide the most colored sound. If you can’t hear that difference then the circuit probably won’t be changed by any resistor choice.
My bet would be in that circuit position (bypassed cathode resistor ) the difference would not show up in a double blind test. As these are some of the least expensive parts, you should be able to save time and money.
My bet would be in that circuit position (bypassed cathode resistor ) the difference would not show up in a double blind test. As these are some of the least expensive parts, you should be able to save time and money.
I'm not interested in trying anything worse, just a resistor that might or might not sound better than metal film. I'm not trying to "prove" anything and I'm totally open to the idea that I won't hear a difference, and this may well be the case - I call it as I hear it. I can't do a double blind test, just a straight A-B. I'm after a good sensible priced resistor but I'm not buying Vishay bulk foil at £30 each or more. If I find a good option I might buy more of them for other locations.
Early Holcos were good resistors but were often not up to their power rating. The 5 watt Mills as well. They were the ones that got me onto my present rule of thumb , try to spec resistors for at least twice the anticipated dissipation . (Depending on the circuit and resistor type sometimes as high as 4x) In short, if you can, making a composite value with your Holcos is not a bad idea but you'd need a few to get the power without fear of nixing any.
Looking at the Farnell site, you have tonnes of possibilities. Surprising to see Alpha there. Even more surprising to see the price ! ! !
From early good luck with them I have a fondness for RCD wirewounds but there are a LOT of quality resistors listed. Some from originally UK manufacturers. Rod likes Welwyn (TT Electronics) W2- series wirewounds. (For 2.7 Watts at 2a3's book operating point I'd use at least a 7 watt resistor. )
Eenie Meenie , Buy and try I guess.
Looking at the Farnell site, you have tonnes of possibilities. Surprising to see Alpha there. Even more surprising to see the price ! ! !
From early good luck with them I have a fondness for RCD wirewounds but there are a LOT of quality resistors listed. Some from originally UK manufacturers. Rod likes Welwyn (TT Electronics) W2- series wirewounds. (For 2.7 Watts at 2a3's book operating point I'd use at least a 7 watt resistor. )
Eenie Meenie , Buy and try I guess.
Thanks for that - informative! I looked at Farnell. In metal foils in 350R which is what I want at present, they have Alpha at £11.93+ and Vishay at £17.91+
I'm not sure I want to experiment at these prices, thinking about it. This is for the input stage, 6mA current.
For higher currents e.g. the output stage I have Russian wirewounds that sound better than Welwyns.
I'm not sure I want to experiment at these prices, thinking about it. This is for the input stage, 6mA current.
For higher currents e.g. the output stage I have Russian wirewounds that sound better than Welwyns.
Thanks for that. Usual cheap prices. I imagine it's impossible to tell the difference in sound between these two or indeed most metal films. Correct me if I'm wrong. I'm assuming that if it's possible to hear any difference at all it would be with metal foil versus metal film. Haven't auditioned any metal foil.
They are available in the UK through HiFi Collective, which does the boutique stuff.
https://www.hificollective.co.uk/components/prp_pr9372_metal_film_resistors.html
It seems to me that if anything the capacitor used for bypass would have more effect on sound, as the capacitor bypasses any audio across it and there's virtually no audio across the resistor. It should only affect the sound if it's a different value, causing the bias to change. If you're going to compare resistors, make sure they're as close to the same value as you can get/make them, so it's not actually a bias change you're hearing. Or maybe you want to try the sound of different bias.
Thanks, the indications are that it will be hard to perceive any real difference so I'll go with a good metal film type like those mentioned.
Andy, just for my education. If you accept that there most probably will not be any audible differences, why go ahead and spend the money?
Is this for a picture?
Jan
Hello Jan. Picture......? Hard to make a movie out of a resistor choice. Maybe a Film Noir...
No, the decent metal films like Holco, PRP, Takman REY are cheap - usual prices. I could do with a few resistors in 350 ohms anyway.
I talked myself out of metal foils with the helpful contributions of you guys. Just a mirage, a Fata Morgana.....
Well, obviously the usual story. A small increase in perceived sound quality. I did some tests with wire-wound cathode resistors in the outputs of my 2a3 amps and I could hear a difference there. So I'm open to the idea that there might be some audible difference in the input stage. But not experiments at boutique prices like £20 per resistor. I think there was more of a difference with wirewounds then there might be with 0.5W resistors.