Good Capacitors and Good Resistors: Metal Film vs Carbon & 1% vs 5%

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juanjovincenzo

Well-known member
Joined
Nov 6, 2009
Messages
88
Location
Quito-Ecuador
Hi Guys
When I read the INFO. about some AUDIO DIY proyects, the Parts list don´t said the kind of resistor we need to use, My questions are

In the majority of situations

When I need to use carbon or metal film resistor? and

What is the correct % (1 or 5) for a really good sound quality?.


I know that, in some cases dependig of the circuit design. But What happens when the info looks like very general (no especific)

May is a newbie question but  in my country I found only 5 % carbon resistor!!!!  :mad:  If I need to buy in Mouser USA  or similar stores, I want to get the best components :)

I read a other topic about this in here but it is not enough clear

thanks and regards
Happy New Year
Suerte y chao
Juanjo

Guys if you know links to provide information about this topic, please tell me and I will put the links here in this subject

Information and Links about Good Capacitors and Good Resistors and practical INFO.

META - Passive Components by Samuel Groner
http://www.groupdiy.com/index.php?topic=15803.msg133033#msg133033

The order is not hierarchical, only help to group the INFO.

Capacitors

http://www.reliablecapacitors.com/pickcap.htm
http://www.groupdiy.com/index.php?topic=35566.0
http://www.groupdiy.com/index.php?topic=7536.0
http://www.groupdiy.com/index.php?topic=7536.0
http://www.groupdiy.com/index.php?topic=10844.0
http://www.groupdiy.com/index.php?topic=7748.0
http://www.groupdiy.com/index.php?topic=563.0
http://www.groupdiy.com/index.php?topic=744.0
http://www.groupdiy.com/index.php?topic=14983.0
http://www.groupdiy.com/index.php?topic=8151.0
http://www.groupdiy.com/index.php?topic=18800.0
http://www.groupdiy.com/index.php?topic=5651.0
http://www.groupdiy.com/index.php?topic=12114.0
http://www.groupdiy.com/index.php?topic=36369.0
http://www.groupdiy.com/index.php?topic=31121.0
http://www.groupdiy.com/index.php?topic=6686.0
http://www.groupdiy.com/index.php?topic=11420.0
http://www.groupdiy.com/index.php?topic=36746.0
http://www.groupdiy.com/index.php?topic=35566.0
http://www.groupdiy.com/index.php?topic=31173.0
http://www.groupdiy.com/index.php?topic=20342.0
http://www.groupdiy.com/index.php?topic=24434.0

Capacitor distortion
http://www.groupdiy.com/index.php?topic=36983.msg454592#msg454592



Resistors
http://www.groupdiy.com/index.php?topic=32615.msg429636#msg429636
http://www.groupdiy.com/index.php?topic=7832.0
http://www.groupdiy.com/index.php?topic=13999.0
http://www.groupdiy.com/index.php?topic=27875.0
http://www.groupdiy.com/index.php?topic=4998.0
http://www.groupdiy.com/index.php?topic=663.0
http://www.groupdiy.com/index.php?topic=9643.0
http://www.groupdiy.com/index.php?topic=35861.0
http://www.groupdiy.com/index.php?topic=36965.msg454317#msg454317
http://www.groupdiy.com/index.php?topic=6504.0
http://www.groupdiy.com/index.php?topic=17549.0
http://www.groupdiy.com/index.php?topic=31628.0
 
Metal film 1% is what's most used around here.
However, I build my first DIY project (gssl) with carbon 5% resistors and I don't hear much difference when I compare it to a unit build with 1% metal film. I think that capacitors have a bigger impact on the sound quality.
Today I only use metal film 1% though....
 
Good to know this thanks Radiance

yes I read about capacitors, is better use a polyeste film than a ceramic capacitors , and the electrolitic capacitors quality is the same between Tantalum and aluminiun. But we can find a lot of manufactures, What are the better manufactures for the ProAudio DIY proyects???

I saw in this forum that, the people use this manufactures capacitors: WIMA, Xicon, Panasonic, Nicchion

However, in the PSU circuit, Is really important use a good quality resistors (metal film and 1%) and capacitors (good quality, maybe tantalum instead of aluminium or polyester film instead of ceramic) ??? I think, the good quality in PSUs only give a good circuit but don´t to take part of the good sound, Am I right????
 
good link http://www.reliablecapacitors.com/pickcap.htm, Radiance and Thanks, I will read it.

I saw in this forum that, the people use this manufactures capacitors: WIMA, Xicon, Panasonic, Nicchion

However, in the PSU circuit, Is really important use a good quality resistors (metal film and 1%) and capacitors (good quality, maybe tantalum instead of aluminium or polyester film instead of ceramic) ??? I think, the good quality in PSUs only give a good circuit but don´t to take part of the good sound, Am I right????
 
Well, with a PSU I would think you would want reasonably quality stuff.  But remember, in certain cases what seems "worse" can be better.  For example, I don't see too many PSU with polyester caps - they will use a ceramic with the appropriate value. 

As well, I do believe that ceramics tend to be better than polyester when using them to filter radio frequencies. 

CC
 
As well, I do believe that ceramics tend to be better than polyester when using them to filter radio frequencies.

what about mica? I had the impression that mica are probably the best for filtering higher frequencies... ???
I might be completely wrong though....
 
In order of least distortion to most:

1. teflon
2. styrene
3. polypropylene
4. NPO ceramic
5. mylar(polyester)
6. Bipolar electrolytic
7. X7R ceramic
8. polar Electrolytic
9. tantalum

But the problem is that even the worst electrolytic isn't bad enough to hear.




 
Svart said:
In order of least distortion to most:

1. teflon
2. styrene
3. polypropylene
4. NPO ceramic
5. mylar(polyester)
6. Bipolar electrolytic
7. X7R ceramic
8. polar Electrolytic
9. tantalum

But the problem is that even the worst electrolytic isn't bad enough to hear.

where's the silver mica in this list?  :)
 
juanjovincenzo said:
mmmm  serious! I built a green PSU with polyester film caps., but use a correct value

I'm not saying it's wrong, just not commonly done.  Just an observation.

CC
 
> impression that mica are probably the best for filtering higher frequencies...

No.

First: mica are only (usually) available in very small values. Too small for audio coupling or filtering. Maybe big enough for a treble tone-control capacitor.

When capacitor technology was very crude, mica gave the lowest losses in radio tuned circuits. This type of loss is usually unimportant in audio; sometimes (in supply bypassing) "too low" loss is actually bad.

Mica is a rock, found in odd corners of the earth, and much of the good stuff is already mined. Meanwhile very very good plastics and ceramics have been developed.

These days the main reason to go mica is "nostalgia".

While on the subject: "ceramic" is NOT one single type of cap. You can make flower-pots or engine-pistons with modern mechanical "ceramics", and the range of electrical ceramics is even larger. Below 1,00pFd "ceramic" is usually a glass-like mix, and so very very nearly perfect that it largely replaced both Mica and Glass caps. Above 0.01uFd they use some very different stuff, all doped with polar salts, very goofy electrical properties. I can hear a 0.02uFd ceramic coupling cap, whereas I can't hear most other cap-types. OTOH for many bypass chores, the exact capacitance does not matter and the types of losses are complementary to the needs of bypassing.
 
So with wima caps... is there going to be much of a difference between polypropylene and polyester film? From that little list it seems like NP0 cermics would be better than the polyesters.
 
Sorry Guitarrist, I don´t undestand your point,  may be is the fx of the new year!! please correct me if I ´m  wrong... You say the ceramic is better the polyester ...  when ?...................................... AH!!! OK  .. the list!!to took about the distontion... I dont know if the distortion is a parameter to say if a cap is better than other, but you know more than me , so explain this....please,
 
4. NPO ceramic
5. mylar(polyester)

In that list Svart posted.


You can see my confusion.

I'm kind of surprised to hear that films aren't great/common/ what you should do with a PSU... makes my life difficult, i can't find .1uf in NPO for under $1.50 each for ceramics.
 
oK this for the people how speak Spanish ... is a good reference to found INFO. about Capacitor , Resitors and other components, Theory and  download general electronics proyects (bueno, básico y simple para entender sobre componentes y uno que otro proyecto de electronica básica... bueno para capcitores y resistencia) http://www.profesormolina.com.ar/ ... but all people can take a good piece of knowledge. Watch this...And practice your spanish.. I´m kidding
regards
Juanjo
 
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