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Re: But how about wire-wound resistors? How does your argument apply to that case?(NT)

Posted by Steve Eddy on April 2, 2002 at 19:19:50

In Reply to: Re: But how about wire-wound resistors? How does your argument apply to that case?(NT) posted by dave slagle on April 2, 2002 at 15:12:06:

so my question is why when we go to extreme lengths for ultrapure wire, do we apply far less science to the selection of resistors (if you choose to use them)

thats where the contradiction is... we get real scientiffic about wire many 9's, oxygen free, teflon coating.... yet resistors are just a name... caddock, mills, holco, AB....

Yes, I understand what you're saying in that regard. And I agree that for those who otherwise obsess over specs and decimal points there seems to be something of a contradiction. Though they still often obsess over specs such as TCR and such.

Personally I haven't found any consistent correlation between objective specs and my own subjective preference except at the extreme bottom end of the scale so I really don't chase after specs and don't fall into that category you describe above. I've come to adopt a more Taoist approach, by avoiding extremes and trying to achieve a balance of complimentary elements. It's worked well so far for me. Emphasis on "for me."

in any event my arguement was all resistors butcher the sound, and i'll take a longer length of good conductor over a shorter length of crappy conductor any day... (based on experience... justified by my logic above... and yes it is an opinion.... just not one many people like)

Well, I guess it depends upon what your argument is based. If it's based ultimately on your personal, subjective preferences, then it's simply not an argument as far as I'm concerned. If you're basing it on objective criteria, then that's another matter which can be argued.

if i still used cathode resistors, i would wind them out of magnet wire... use a bifilar pair and series them up to cancel inductance... and wow... this is how some noninductive resistors are wound... the catch is if you don't use a crappy conductor the capcitance kills you... why not use copper and put all those extra turns of wire and capcitance to work for you in the form of a bypass :-)

Hehehe. Though you're not just getting more capacitance, you're getting more inductance as well relative to a "crappy conductor" all else being equal which may leave you with a resonant circuit whose resonant frequency might actually fall within the audio band. This of course only being pertinent if one places considerable value on specs.

And now let me turn your own question around on you if I may. Why go through all that only to turn around and send the signal through a vacuum tube which is loaded with "crappy conductors"? Steel. Nickel. Tungsten. Aluminum. Thorium. Various oxides. Etc. If "crappy conductors" butcher the sound, and even a 94/6 copper/nickel alloy kills the sound as you say, why would anyone want to let an audio signal get anywhere a vacuum tube?

Is this not also a contradiction? I mean, you're the one who seems to be arguing for some sort of consistency here.

i have on a number of occasions offered this to people who wanted to try it, and the respnse was... no this resistor sounds good....

Great. I'm sure that's helpful for those who are guided by opinion polls and popularity contests. Beyond that, it's simply just an alternative for others to try and decide for themselves.

dave... who prefers to use good conductors, but does occasionally sneak a evil resistor into a circuit (hint in places it will be isolated from AC).

Now if you could only get those evil vacuum tubes with their crappy conductors isolated from AC signals... :)

se

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