What's your favorite resistor brand?

[Dennis Murphy]

That's your opinion, but I disagree. Audio design is a combination of science and art. Otherwise everyone would be doing the same thing.


We're probably getting hung up on semantics. I agree that you have to have a good ear and a knowledge of live music to design consistently successful crossovers. I'm not sure that's an art. I still use basic rules. And then I choose among them. But all this talk of resistor differences without any theorectical or empirical support--that's not science, that's not art, it's basically just chatter. Which is fine--but it's nothing I place much confidence in.

 

[KBK]

Re: The need to be open minded...........

I've kept away from exotic or DIY interconnects because of the types that I could get hold of , the measured differences in electrical characteristics "seemed" too insignificant to cause any audible differences. For quite a long time I ignored them. ( data thrown out because it seemed insignificant or unimportant ).
Lots of 'cables make no difference' opinions also made me skeptical................until..........

Recently I heard an incredible system where the only unknown factor was the interconnect. We exchanged the interconnect and it made a huge negative difference.
When I got back home I made up an RCA interconnect with a Cat5e cable and replaced my 'air core cable' with it. The difference was HUGE . Both in bass and treble. I' didn't need an A/B test to confirm it. I can't explain why there is such a huge difference especially in the bass. So nothing can be cast aside no matter how trivial or meaningless it might seem...... not until it has been thoroughly evaluated.

It's the incomplete and unacknowledged point that the model of the 'human hearing mechanism' is almost NEVER..heck it is NEVER taken into account when measuring audio equipment.

Other than that one single point..there isn't much to say.

That's it in a nutshell.

The whole bloody thing.

All of it.


Basically..the WRONG tests are being conducted. Period. This is why they are always inconclusive.

This is the simple point, and it has always been the same: If one is trying to solve a problem..and the answer will not resolve itself, over extended periods of time, and through mounumental piles of differing work..then the mistake made in the asking of the question is fundamental and grossly serious.

The harder it is to find the answer to a given question..the more basic and fundamental the mistake in the asking of the question itself. The history of answers and questions shows this point abundantly. To a ridiculous level. Clarity always comes when the question is -finally- properly understood.

And this question on/about audiophiles and their choices has been asked for years.. and years... and years... and years...and NEVER resolved.

So go back to square one and ask the damned question properly.

OK? 🙂 🙂

 

[audiobomber]

But all this talk of resistor differences without any theorectical or empirical support--that's not science, that's not art, it's basically just chatter. Which is fine--but it's nothing I place much confidence in.

I place my confidence in extended listening, in my room, with my system, and my music. I hear clear differences in resistors. If whatever simplistic distortion test doesn't differentiate, then it's the wrong test, or it's not sensitive enough. And a run-of-the-mill DBT is definitely not sensitive enough. Then there's the question of what one individual is capable of resolving. And then there's how much it even matters to a given individual.

You've stated your "scientific" opinion. I've stated my experiential opinion. I hear differences in resistors, caps and inductors. I find it worthwhile to spend a bit of money on the best parts. It's up to anyone else who cares, to do whatever tests they feel are valid, and make up their own minds.

 

[tktran]

IMHO this has become banter.

No offence intended, but this thread would be more constructive if there was some research and better understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of testimonials, double blind tests, validity and reliability and the scientific method, before arguing over semantics and poking each others in the ribs.

Believe it or not, Google can answer these questions.

 

[Dennis Murphy]

IMHO this has become banter.

99% of the posts here are banter. So that's not an issue. The truth is simply that there is no reliable evidence as to whether one particular brand of resistors is better for crossovers. So the original question doesn't have an answer. I agree--time to move on.