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Top resistors

Many threads with opinions on boutique coupling capacitors, but very little consolidated information on the sonics of resistors. Anyone care to share their thoughts on the attributes of their favorite brands & types for specific tube and SS applications? How much of a difference does a good resistor make?

My interest in the topic increased after recently installing the latest Texas Components nude Vishay TX2575 in several SS and tube phono & LS components. This was a proverbial "Ah-ha" moment-- a stray resistor dropped into signal path here or there, surprising with an improvement that equalled or surpassed the impact of a switch to a top coupling cap like V-Cap or Mundorf.
dgarretson

Showing 5 responses by johnss

johnss
564 posts
 
The top vishays are the S102 and the VSR.

They are measureably quieter than anything else out there, and have an openness to the sound. If you install Vishays and your piece now sounds bright, the brightness is due to something else; not the vishays.

I have been using Vishay bulk foil for over 12 years. They make a huge sonic improvement in any piece I Have installed them in.
johnss
564 posts
 
Vishay VSRs.

Similar to the S104.
the biggest improvement are the shunt resistors (47K, 100K etc) where they are loading the output of one of the stages.

http://www.datasheetcatalog.org/datasheet/vishay/vsr.pdf

Also keep in mind they will let through what ever is in the signal path, so if you are using in SS gear, you likely will need to add bypass caps to the power supply if not already there.
johnss
564 posts
 
I have used the Vishay bulk foil for years, in both tube and SS gear. They add no character of their own to the sound. If a user installs them and finds them bright, all the Vishays are doing is letting through the sonics of that circuitry or device. Using carbons is a band-aid for a different problem. You have never heard LP playback unless you have listened to a phono stage all done with vishays. see link below. best.

http://www.vishaypg.com/docs/49997/49997.pdf
johnss
564 posts
 
you'll get the biggest bang for the buck using them in the shunt positions or interstage loading points. If you really want to hear what they sound like, solder an RCA on each end and instert in a length of interconnect betwen a source and pre amp.

dont forget, as the level of the noise floor is reduced, any low level details will come through (good or bad). These are among the quietest (lowest noise) resistors available.

best
johnss
564 posts
 
if a person installs the Vishays and hears too lean a sound, you are hearing what the circuit is really doing. hard to argue with a 30 db improvement in signal to noise. The main purpose of using vishay is to get a blacker background.

I have re-wroked 5 pre amps of diffrent makes with vishays resistors and have always had stunning results.

Also agree the older copper end cap HOlcos are great for warming up a lean sounding SS amp or pre amp. Also dont forget the PS filter caps are in the signal path, so if you have not added any bypasses on those big caps, you are listening to the sound of the filter caps too.

happy soldering.
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