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Lon,
For clarification, did you experience the sound difference between 5 and 10 watt resistors with the Duelands, or was it with other resistors? I remember this with wirewounds, but have not tried with others.
Dave,
Likely worth it to experiment with some less expensive cast ceramic resistors first to get closer to what you like before getting more expensive ones. ZYGI may send some with your speakers, but I have a range of 5w (3R-15R) Wirewounds I could send if you want to use them as tests?
Then going for the Duelands would be a different thing, much more refined sound, but you might be in a closer value range, maybe even hit is right-on at first try. In the partsconnexion catalog, the smaller value Dueland caps are 5 watt and then all go to 10 for the larger values. I wonder if this is part of why they had to special order for Lon?
To illustrate Joman's point about subjective, I am using 10w 3R Dueland Standard Silvers in my HR1s as opposed to Lon's 5w 50R in his HRs, and Joman's Cast 1R6 total in his ERRs.
I started with the brown "Standard" Duelands: "Standard Graphite (Carbon)/Silver Resistors." Then, making an order for other things anyway, and still on sale, I got some black Duelands, same 3R value: "CAST-Graphite (Carbon)/Silver Resistors."
As I posted earlier, the Standards to me sounded like "no resistor" or maybe better than none....very open, spacious, and "transparent," yet smooth and "musical." Pretty flawless.
I ran the new black/Cast pair in my Frybaby for several days, and then in the system for several, so they are at least sort of burned in. I immediately noticed they were warmer/denser/darker, yet still with excellent and refined space and detail. These to me are not like "no resistor." Very good...but a different "flavor," that I would not call definitively "transparent."
I have to use the Casts more to be sure they are fully burned in, but at this point, for my preferences and system/room, I prefer the Brown Standards.
The black/cast resistors "signature," though notably better to me than M-Resists, changes the sound in similar directions.... more obviously bigger, warmer, denser than Dueland Standards.
For me, 3R wirewounds having sounded tonally about right value-wise (though not very refined), and Mundorf 3R3s (they did not have 3R) were weighted more toward dark/dense/smooth... good qualities for refinement, but lacking the openness I wanted ...same value, sounding like a different value due to tonal choices. Still they had more refined presentation that clearly revealed openness, textures, air, micro detail with my setup, but not quite enough. So I got some M-Resist 2R7s and .6 less resistance was really "right" here with the caps I had in. Mundorf smooth, but open.
At this point, I am guessing that this may be the case with the Cast Duelands compared to wirewounds. Like the M-resists, to match tonal feeling more closely, a little less resistance with the Casts may more closely create a similar feeling to wirewounds.
My sense is that the Standards are a closer match to wirewounds value for value.
Here, in my early tests, I find the Brown Standard Duelands 3R very, very good...beautifully open, spaciousness and smooth. And I find the Cast beautiful also, but a little too colored for me, too much attempt at warm smoothness...perhaps that trap of trying to create "analog" sound, or perhaps I just need a 2R7!
The Casts actually sound like a bigger wire does in an IC or speaker cable...it sounds like it lets more signal density through, in this case tweaking my "Over-density meter." Again...the tastes/system thing....not better or worse, but different.
My system is already smooth and dense though, so easy to kick into "thick." This may change some with more burnin, but I never got this impression with the Standard Duelands...so I am comfortable about the basics of "signature" comparison here. They share most sound qualities, but are pretty different too, the cast bigger/denser, and the the Standard more open/spacious.
For Mark58, preferring warm/less bright in general in his systems, and liking the darkish/smoothish weighting of the 10R M-resist, the black, Cast might be a better choice than the Standard.
Making it a little more complicated, not only tweeter angle, but the caps and cap values you use will likely effect your ultimately preferred resistor value also, that is if you want to go that deep.
A darker cap at the same value as a brighter one could well require balancing with slightly different resistor values or slightly different resistor tonal values, i.e. Standard versus Cast, or a little less resistance versus more.
For example, I like a bit more cap value than ZYGI had arrived at for the HR1s (at least back when I got them). They originally had 3.3 caps, and I like 3.63 now (a 3.3 with a parallel .33 bypass). This takes the frequency range the caps let through a little further into the lower highs...from about 9600 to about 8700 Hz with this tweeter. In the balance, there is more of the high end played through the tweeter for the resistor work on.
Also, aside from resistor sound, subtly speaking, even with very low value resistors, you will hear the differences and the synergy thing will be different depending on everything else in a system room, ....just like Joman points out. Going further, in my setup, with the right caps, even a straight copper wire was pretty good in my initial tests, no resistor.
My current setup:
I almost got some sale priced Jupiter Flat Stacks based on Joman and others liking them in general, but dragged my feet too long, and they sold out at soniccraft. Talking with Jeff there, he said he liked the newer version, some things better about it, so I got a pair of round 3.3 100v Jupiter VTs.
I don't know if this is specific to this 100v VT cap, but he suggested I check them out the right way, and backwards. Jupiter has a line on the side intended to go closest to ground to help directionally setup their caps the way they like. I started "backwards" and liked it, so left them. Doing some minor tests the other day, I find these caps are more refined with micro information and openness "backwards," yet still very smooth and warmish....very nice indeed. I am sure there is more to come as they have only been in a few weeks, but 3.3 Jupiter VTs (vintage), "bypassed" with .33 Mundorf Silver in Oils, with 3R Dueland Standard silver resistors. This is very nice here in my already modded HR-1s. Warm, detailed, smooth, sweet....altogether very involving, and in a different category that 3.3 Mundorf Supremes bypassed with Mundorf Silver in Oils.
With more time on the Jupiters I will do a direct comparison, but they sound quite promising from only several weeks of play...very good detail complexity, yet warm and smooth.
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