John,
I won't diagree with you that metal films are a big step up in most cases from carbon composition. I guess we are spoilt for choice today in this area.
Pity we cannot say the same about JFETs (especially N&P matched pairs) which seem to be getting harder to source by the day.
I won't diagree with you that metal films are a big step up in most cases from carbon composition. I guess we are spoilt for choice today in this area.
Pity we cannot say the same about JFETs (especially N&P matched pairs) which seem to be getting harder to source by the day.
Thanks for the information.
I built 2 sets of gainclones. One using metal film, one using carbon and honestly cannot differentiate between the two. Admitedly these ar not the more expensive vishays etc.
I built 2 sets of gainclones. One using metal film, one using carbon and honestly cannot differentiate between the two. Admitedly these ar not the more expensive vishays etc.
resistors
John, I'd be delighted to try them out. I've been playing with a couple versions of a phono preamp, and that's a perfect platform for testing components. If I can convince Wavebourn to loan me a couple of the ones he was talking about (which are either superb or awful, depending on who posted), that would make an interesting comparison.
John, I'd be delighted to try them out. I've been playing with a couple versions of a phono preamp, and that's a perfect platform for testing components. If I can convince Wavebourn to loan me a couple of the ones he was talking about (which are either superb or awful, depending on who posted), that would make an interesting comparison.
I've always been a skeptic on resistors, but when this topic came up here many months back, someone posted very specific technical reasons why a carbon composition resistor was necessary in a certain tube circuit. That's the only argument based on real measurable parameters that ever made sense to me. It was also quite surprising how significant the difference was, not some grasping-at-straws argument. In most locations I can't hear a difference, though at one time I was sure that Radio Shack vol pots made by Alps sounded better than AB carbon controls.
As far as those military or space program resistors go, glass encapsulated, with gold leads, your tax dollars were paying for documentation and proof of reliability, not any audio magic. I have a few and hold them in low regard. Though they probably can be had with the same specs as any other resistors, mine have high tempco, no tighter tolerance than any other 1% resistor, and are very odd values. I mostly use them in circuits for other people, where the gold leads and glass see-thru bodies count for more than the actual performance.
As far as those military or space program resistors go, glass encapsulated, with gold leads, your tax dollars were paying for documentation and proof of reliability, not any audio magic. I have a few and hold them in low regard. Though they probably can be had with the same specs as any other resistors, mine have high tempco, no tighter tolerance than any other 1% resistor, and are very odd values. I mostly use them in circuits for other people, where the gold leads and glass see-thru bodies count for more than the actual performance.
I'm a skeptic on everything, but resistors are a real issue. Non-mystical things like excess noise, inductance, and voltage coefficient can make a real measurable and audible difference.
Re: resistors
No problem! Come August, 30 and grab some!
Hmmm... Can you translate? And what is an exchange rate?
SY said:
No problem! Come August, 30 and grab some!
PMA said:
Hmmm... Can you translate? And what is an exchange rate?
John, if you want to try MLT resistors, welcome on concert! 😉
PMA, I'm interested in Chech resistors, for 1,2,3 W ratings. Can you help with the info?
PMA, I'm interested in Chech resistors, for 1,2,3 W ratings. Can you help with the info?
Some companies here still have an old stock.
The TR144 was large, but only 1/2W, carbon. Discontinued in the seventies.
Metal were TR192 (1/2W), TR193 (1W), TR194 (1.6W) Avoid TR191.
Older metal range were TR151-TR154.
The TR144 was large, but only 1/2W, carbon. Discontinued in the seventies.
Metal were TR192 (1/2W), TR193 (1W), TR194 (1.6W) Avoid TR191.
Older metal range were TR151-TR154.
In general, I don’t agree that music sounds better through very expensive exotic components. However I deal with manufactures almost daily at work and I can safely say that most use low quality material to cut their costs. Especially now with the price of metal going through the roof. (There are notable exceptions eg Murata, Vishay etc etc). Surely the use of different materials and or impure materials will affect the signal.
What about corrosion on the leads after say one year?
There are other areas to look at such as how the component is made. For large resistors are the leads crimped or welded. For wire wound resistors, inductive or non inductive etc. Usually important in the output stage of large amps.
In general I find the ratings of resistors as being miss leading. Here in Australia the generic 0.6 Watt, metal film 1% is very popular but under what conditions is it 0.6 Watts? When you buy a 0.5 watt resistor from a reputable manufacturer the size is almost double the 0.6 Watt resistor. Same technology being used but marketing have fudged the data. Surely the heat and or high voltage will change the parameters of a component and have an affect on the signal.
Just food for thought or flaming.
What about corrosion on the leads after say one year?
There are other areas to look at such as how the component is made. For large resistors are the leads crimped or welded. For wire wound resistors, inductive or non inductive etc. Usually important in the output stage of large amps.
In general I find the ratings of resistors as being miss leading. Here in Australia the generic 0.6 Watt, metal film 1% is very popular but under what conditions is it 0.6 Watts? When you buy a 0.5 watt resistor from a reputable manufacturer the size is almost double the 0.6 Watt resistor. Same technology being used but marketing have fudged the data. Surely the heat and or high voltage will change the parameters of a component and have an affect on the signal.
Just food for thought or flaming.
Wavebourn said:
I still have some of these parts. They were interesting when repeatedly exposed to impulse overload 😉
PMA said:
True. I used them when was out of matches. One resistor, peace of cotton, pliers, and one cigarette...
Wavebourn said:
PEV resistors were used to boil water for tea. Thick film oven was used to bake potato. Peltier thermo-stable camera was used for beer...
Darn, I should have used my oven/ refrigerator for similar uses, back in 1966. Never thought of that, but it would not have been happy sharing with the uA709 op amps that I was evaluating at the time, I should think.
john curl said:
Do you think we tested electronics equipment and beer simultaneously? 😀
We were creative engineers who got used to figure out how to make impossible results with resources we had in hands.
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