Top resistors

I've been using Vishay Bulk Foils for a number of years, and have had excellent results. Supposedly wire-wounds are actually quieter, but there are other factors involved in the transparency of a resistor as well. Michael percy will match parts within 1% tolerance for you. (http://www.percyaudio.com/Catalog.pdf) A good person to do business with.

I'm in the process of building a phono stage with TX2352 in the signal path. It'll be hard for me to say "ah ha" since I haven't heard it any other way, but everything I've read says bulk foils and nude Vishays are quieter. In my opinion, it makes sense to use them when dealing with small voltages like in a phono stage or preamp. I'm sure you've seen Michael Elliott's comments on the subject:

About Vishay resistors

When I asked for help to tweak my amps, most of the tube DIYers at Audio Asylum said Vishay's in the signal path would be overkill and/or sound sterile. They recommended carbon comps in that situation. FWIW, I don't know if these same folks would ever use bulk foils. They may approach things from a more budget-conscious perspective. It would be useful for me to try it both ways to find out for myself.

What is remarkable about TX2575 in signal path(replacing Caddock MK132 and Caddock TF020/USF340, which had previously replaced Roederstein and generic carbon comp), is how much more detail & nuance of pitch & timbre TX2575 reveals across the entire spectrum, without sounding in any way thin or sterile. That said, these resistors eliminated bass slurring that some might consider warmth. There is also a blackness behind an airy, resolving yet smooth HF, that I want to believe is an attribute of a quieter resistor.

TX2575 is a lower noise version of TX2352. I have not yet compared the two types in the same application. The only commercial component I'm aware of the uses TX2575 is the Aria phono pre. That manufacturer offers it as an upgrade to TX2352.

I agree that AA is a more technical forum, but may be biased somewhat by budget-conscious perspective. It would be nice to have some manufacturers' opinions on these resistors.

Carbon composition resistors are some of the worst as far as noise. Here's a decent treatise on the subject: (http://www.aikenamps.com/ResistorNoise.htm) Note what he says about wire-wounds and inductance. As you mentioned Mr D: The carbon comps DO add colorations that some find appealing. That's generally what I found on the AA forums- Lots of folks with lots of opinions/tastes, but very few that compared what they were hearing with actual music. I believe there are more individuals in here that are familiar with live music, and seek to capture those flavors at home, or(at least) do as little harm to the signal from their recordings as possible.

I like Yamamura(made by Sfernice France) very hard to find, but you may be lucky!