I would generally prefer using better sounding to my ears resistors than Takman, per example Shinkoh. Or if the power/voltage rating allowed for - Zfoils.
But then my ears are not yours and nor is my system, so any such advice is completely useless.
And another thought: could it be your friend dislikes the 6SN7 sound and is looking for a way to make it more palatable?
Sometimes just hearing something differently might come across as sounding better....for a while. For example, I built two sets of Broskie's Aikido-ized cathode follower unity-gain buffer boards. One with Takman carbon films and the other with Takman metal films. All of the other parts were identical between boards. The first one I finished was the carbon film version and I listened with it for a couple of months before I put up my metal film version. It was a noticeable difference. I liked hearing the change to the metal films but after a couple of more months of listening and then going back to the carbon film board, I decided that I really do like the carbons better.
I'm finishing a 6SN7, line-level preamp. I used Takman REY, metal film resistors in the signal path. A friend listened and suggested that using Takman REX carbon film might enhance the sound: make it less clinical, more tubey
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Your friend's idea has some subtance to it.
I had a tech install ohh, about 10+ carbon comp(film?) res in my Jadis Defy7 , plate voltage circuit,,,,,he swapped out the corn cob stack original Jadis Defy7 res,,with a single carbon comp,,and the sound was wayyy too smooth for my taste,, However in a SS circuit, I can see how it would make a more *tube-y* sonic sound,,but since the Deft7 has 12 6550's, I really did not want even more tube-y sonics added.
tube-y on top of tube-y?? wayyyy too smooth,,So I askd him to install the Takman Metal in place of the Carbon and not re-install the Jadis metal, and the old Jadis sonics returned nicely, more defined, more details, more crisp.
I can understand how some may prefer a smooth sound,, its intregring for sure,,but after some time it would become *fatigueing* to my listening preferences.
I love sharpness, , ice cold, highly detailed.
To me smooth = warmth = which i can't stand.
Smooth seems to cut off the tops to freqencies,, jazz fans love warmth, smoothness.
I listen to classical, i want highly detailed.
tw the Vishay Zfoil resistors werea complete (and very expnsive) disaster. The sound was smushed together, flattened likea pancake, = crappy.
I am about to have the tech employ Takman metal in my Jadis DPL Linestage.
I will pass up Audio Note's Tants as Takman Metal will not sound much dif if any at all, from Audio Note's copper Tantalums.
Now the Silver look interesting, but at $55 each, one must be sure its a worthy gamble.
Takman Metal $1.50 cents vs Audio Note Silver @ $55 each.
+ the amount of silver used is so miniscle,, I'd rather put that $54$ savings into Mundo9rf Silver EVO Supreme caps. where you will actuallu hear a bit more miniscule dif vs the stock film caps..
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Your friend's idea has some subtance to it.
I had a tech install ohh, about 10+ carbon comp(film?) res in my Jadis Defy7 , plate voltage circuit,,,,,he swapped out the corn cob stack original Jadis Defy7 res,,with a single carbon comp,,and the sound was wayyy too smooth for my taste,, However in a SS circuit, I can see how it would make a more *tube-y* sonic sound,,but since the Deft7 has 12 6550's, I really did not want even more tube-y sonics added.
tube-y on top of tube-y?? wayyyy too smooth,,So I askd him to install the Takman Metal in place of the Carbon and not re-install the Jadis metal, and the old Jadis sonics returned nicely, more defined, more details, more crisp.
I can understand how some may prefer a smooth sound,, its intregring for sure,,but after some time it would become *fatigueing* to my listening preferences.
I love sharpness, , ice cold, highly detailed.
To me smooth = warmth = which i can't stand.
Smooth seems to cut off the tops to freqencies,, jazz fans love warmth, smoothness.
I listen to classical, i want highly detailed.
tw the Vishay Zfoil resistors werea complete (and very expnsive) disaster. The sound was smushed together, flattened likea pancake, = crappy.
I am about to have the tech employ Takman metal in my Jadis DPL Linestage.
I will pass up Audio Note's Tants as Takman Metal will not sound much dif if any at all, from Audio Note's copper Tantalums.
Now the Silver look interesting, but at $55 each, one must be sure its a worthy gamble.
Takman Metal $1.50 cents vs Audio Note Silver @ $55 each.
+ the amount of silver used is so miniscle,, I'd rather put that $54$ savings into Mundo9rf Silver EVO Supreme caps. where you will actuallu hear a bit more miniscule dif vs the stock film caps..
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I would generally prefer using better sounding to my ears resistors than Takman, per example Shinkoh. Or if the power/voltage rating allowed for - Zfoils.
But then my ears are not yours and nor is my system, so any such advice is completely useless.
And another thought: could it be your friend dislikes the 6SN7 sound and is looking for a way to make it more palatable?
Thats true, it might bea case the issue is with the 6sn7 tube, less with the resistor... I might not also be a fan of the 6sn7 vs my favs, the 12AX7/12AU7.
I've not heard the 6sn7,, But I do know i love the AX/AU sounics..
I had my Tech put in Takman Metal where Jadis originally had metal in their original design,, and found the sonics near identical, = nice and detaiiled,
Shintoks , can not get in all values, seems Audio Note picked up the Tant series, = copper @ $15, Silver @ $55, vs Takman's Metal $1.50.
Tant is a metal, I am not so sure you will even hear a minisclue dif AN vs Takman.
Thus IMHO Takman Metal is the best resistor offered on the market.
You know there is a theory amony DIYers,, which goes something like, : The more money you spend on a component may not result in equal sonic gains.
= Tak's $1.50 vs AN $15/$55.
Think about it,, the amt of silver used in the AN Silver is so tiny, how could this possible may a sonic gain to anyones total stereo system?
Now carbon = smooth, less deatiled, perfect for jazz fans.
metal(Nickle or tant, same thing) = detailed, defined frequencies, sharpness, perfect for any music.
But then my ears are not yours and nor is my system, so any such advice is completely useless.
And another thought: could it be your friend dislikes the 6SN7 sound and is looking for a way to make it more palatable?
Thats true, it might bea case the issue is with the 6sn7 tube, less with the resistor... I might not also be a fan of the 6sn7 vs my favs, the 12AX7/12AU7.
I've not heard the 6sn7,, But I do know i love the AX/AU sounics..
I had my Tech put in Takman Metal where Jadis originally had metal in their original design,, and found the sonics near identical, = nice and detaiiled,
Shintoks , can not get in all values, seems Audio Note picked up the Tant series, = copper @ $15, Silver @ $55, vs Takman's Metal $1.50.
Tant is a metal, I am not so sure you will even hear a minisclue dif AN vs Takman.
Thus IMHO Takman Metal is the best resistor offered on the market.
You know there is a theory amony DIYers,, which goes something like, : The more money you spend on a component may not result in equal sonic gains.
= Tak's $1.50 vs AN $15/$55.
Think about it,, the amt of silver used in the AN Silver is so tiny, how could this possible may a sonic gain to anyones total stereo system?
Now carbon = smooth, less deatiled, perfect for jazz fans.
metal(Nickle or tant, same thing) = detailed, defined frequencies, sharpness, perfect for any music.
Sometimes just hearing something differently might come across as sounding better....for a while. For example, I built two sets of Broskie's Aikido-ized cathode follower unity-gain buffer boards. One with Takman carbon films and the other with Takman metal films. All of the other parts were identical between boards. The first one I finished was the carbon film version and I listened with it for a couple of months before I put up my metal film version. It was a noticeable difference. I liked hearing the change to the metal films but after a couple of more months of listening and then going back to the carbon film board, I decided that I really do like the carbons better.
^^^^ My tech installed some Carbon (films or Comp??) in my Jadis Def7 plate section,, I kindly requested he replaced with Takman metal we had also order along with the carbon comps,,,, The old Jadis detailed, definition sound returned nicely...
I could indeed hear how carbon are smooth and offer a interesting sound,, but not in my 12 output tube amp.
Jadis had metal for a reason, as the tubes already reproduce smoothness, why add any more smoothness = warmth??
IMHO the Takman Metal are the resistor to beat.
It is natural sounding, neutral sonics, whereas carbon adds to the sonics, by cutting off the tops of the high frequencies,,and mushes things out, like a rich pudding.
So its like a chocolate moouse(light airy) vs a chocolate pudding(dense warm, heavy).
^^^^ My tech installed some Carbon (films or Comp??) in my Jadis Def7 plate section,, I kindly requested he replaced with Takman metal we had also order along with the carbon comps,,,, The old Jadis detailed, definition sound returned nicely...
I could indeed hear how carbon are smooth and offer a interesting sound,, but not in my 12 output tube amp.
Jadis had metal for a reason, as the tubes already reproduce smoothness, why add any more smoothness = warmth??
IMHO the Takman Metal are the resistor to beat.
It is natural sounding, neutral sonics, whereas carbon adds to the sonics, by cutting off the tops of the high frequencies,,and mushes things out, like a rich pudding.
So its like a chocolate moouse(light airy) vs a chocolate pudding(dense warm, heavy).
Called back to the thread by a notification , I ended up reading your post again. . . . .
One listens as long as one listens. It's not that the effect has to manifest itself, it's that you have to notice it. If as you say , you have seniority in years , then I would imagine at least once in your life you have had the experience of suddenly cognizing something that has to that moment been unnoticed yet you know must have been there all along, or perhaps developed over time without your having noticed it. This can be something perceived through any of the sense doors.
Do you like soccer? Perhaps you can imagine going to a game and taking in a spectacular scoring of a goal and missing the argument the linesman is having with a spectator at the other end of the field. It would have been perfectly easy to see had someone/something called your attention to it but you were focussed on one aspect of the goings on and not looking for the other.
If you listen without any agenda, uneducated, then things come to mind in a sort of sequence , a hierarchy with most sensorily noticeable first. The educated user of the senses has an agenda and is looking for things on a mental list. It's natural to work that way too, but the two processes are quite different in the way they dig up results.
Absolutely, use a carbon film like the REX Carbon or similar. The audio note tantalum are also very nice as are Kiwame / KOA SPR2 and SPR5, Used the highest wattage you can reasonably fit and afford for your application like 1W/2W or 5W. Your friend is right. Don't listen to the ***** on this forum that spend more time looking at oscilloscopes then listening to actual music.
If you can't measure and want to stick with subjective comparisons, it's best to make a recording before and after the modifications you do and A/B them. Listening time: short, preferably under 30 seconds, so you don't get used to whatever you listen to.