High-quality resistors

[Mike]

does anybody know of some companies who make high-quality resistors?

[cato]

Define High Quality.

[Mike]

who make precision resistors, audio resistors, etc.<p>Not just cheap carbon film resistors.

[cato]

Dale / Vishay make precision resistors. I don't know what audio resistors are.<p>[ June 27, 2004: Message edited by: cato ]</p>

[Mike]

I don't know either. I was reding about them and I heard that they are designed to reduce noise and stuff in amps.

[sofaspud]

I'm going to guess that what you are looking for are metal film resistors.

[Dimbulb]

I purchased some nichrome wire samples with various ohms per foot. I used a length times ten approach to try to get an extra digit.( I'm not sure this is helpful) For example ten feet measures N ohms so one foot should be 1/10 N ohms. The temperature a this point was a big factor. A larger diameter wire in a oil bath might be better if a calibration source is available.

[haklesup]

Caddock makes power resistors in 1% or better tol in a range or wattage. Digikey and Mouser both carry them. I just bought some 1, 10 and 100 ohm 60W in TO-220 Package.<p>Dale/Vishay is one of the major manufacturers and they make some fine precision matched pair resistors we also use.<p>For audio applications you want low inductance so it does not act like a filter at any frequency.<p>[ June 29, 2004: Message edited by: haklesup ]</p>

[russlk]

All resistors produce noise, depending on the temperature and bandwidth and resistance. Metal film resistors are probably close to the theoretical noise while carbon composition resistors are more noisy.

[toejam]

This whole high end audio thing is totally nuts.There are people who will swear they can hear the differance between two brands of mylar caps, some components sound warmer than others and they describe the sound of amplifiers as if they were describing the taste of wine.There was a big demand for allen bradley composition resistors a few years ago because some of the earlier hi end amps like marantz or macintosh used them.The funny thing is if they had metal film resistors, those companies surely would have used them for it would have made designing them for low noise much simpler.

[Will]

Hi Dimbulb,
Where did you get the Nichrome Wire from ? - I need some to lower the output of my battery charger which tends to overheat when connected to to a fairly well discharged battery ? Thanx

[Chris Smith]

MIL spec Resistors are usually the best.

[Edd]

In the interim,waiting 'til dimbulb pops back.
From the current requirements/vs/wire gauge which your utilization suggests, might I suggest salvage from a scrap electric clothes dryer heating element. Very often to be free for the asking from the veritable storage dump behind an appliance store.
One termination to the nichrome wire will be automatic at its attatched terminal and the other can be made by silver soldering to the another terminal that has beeen clipped free. Preferably with a cut off wheel or heavy industrial size castration clamps, as it will do a number on your diagonal cutters cutting faces. Initially use the one attached terminal and make connection into the bare nichrome coil at different points with a HEAVY duty alligator clip(s) to see what length of that wire length your situation demands by an actual dynamic in line test. Then make into the actual length as required as mentioned above. There are several other sources of nichrome,space heaters,other appliances heating elements and for lower power requirements, don't forget the flat nichrome strips in thrift store/scrap toasters which are also nice.<p>Mike
Since you initiated this query; from second one I also had thought snake-oil,snake-oil, snake oil...more precisely after your application comeback.
Those resistive component low noise requirements were of more import back in the days of tubes with 100-200vdc levels in the circuitry in the input high gain stages of AF amps. I believe the other uses you referred to was by the quirky audiofools
"hearing the unknown".<p>73's de Edd

[Chris Smith]

Noiseless [Audio] Resistors once upon a time were called “something ....Stats”? <p>I still have some, I'll try to find them? <p>They were a combo of two types of resistors combined to be efficient and quiet.

[Will]

Good idea Ed - thanks - I will see if I can find an appliance store somewhere around (I live sort of half way out in the country (Do you know where Katy is ?) but I should be able to fiind such a place - and the Nichrome wire will probably be much cheaper. As a matter of general interest and Mikes requirements I did discover some good precision resistors which (Because of low wattage ratings) were no use for my application ut seemed reasonable - from page 275 of the Digikey catalog you could get 1% resistors from 0.005 to 0.3 ohms at about $1.60 ea (2 to 5 watt) and 3% 0.005 to 0.05 ohms - up to 1 watt at 42 cents each