What is the BEST resistor for audio use

Ignore the whole "SNAKE OIL" bit. IF you couldn't hear the difference in my SET monoblocks when I switched from No-Name Caps to Ansar Supersounds, then you don't have ears. Again, when I switched the resistors from standard mil spec to Kiwami in the input line, another huge step occured.

But anyways, the best resistors I've ever heard in a Goldpoint (which was in a highly modified Bottlehead Foreplay) was Vishay/Dale's. Very good match for the tubes. However, in a modded Belles pre with a goldpoint, it didn't sound nearly as good. FAR too etched. In that situation, Holco's sounded MUCH, MUCH better. I agree with Brian Cherry from DIYHIFI on this one. Cheers!

There's nothing wrong with Holcos, and The Parts Connection has the best prices on them that I've seen. If you consider Vishay or Caddock, be aware that there are different types, some very highly regarded, others not. E.g. I was informed by one company president that certain Caddocks aren't much good, though he sees other Caddocks as the best choice for an amplifier upgrade he offers. I have one passive preamp using Shallco switches in which I have tantalum resistors, said to be the ones used in top Audio Note Japan gear. I only need six positions, so the high price didn't kill me. I did very careful comparisons with Holcos, which I like a lot, and liked the tants better--a very "natural" sound, maybe even with tubelike "bloom" compared to metal films. In the end, it's very much a matter of taste. You could do some comparison testing with fixed attenuation networks, as I did before settling on the tants. All you need is two pairs of RCA jacks and four resistors, for such a network.

A great idea from Tom Nice!

If anyone tries his idea I would like to read a report of how various resistors sounded, and in what equipment. Would be a learning experience for everyone.

I second Albert's motion and regret I have neither the skills nor the parts availability to try this!

Perhaps the proper question is what is the best resistor for a particular application. About 10 years ago, a friend constructed three sets of pots for my Crosby modified Spectral DMC 10 preamp, all using 39 position TechLabs silver contact switches, but using three different brands of resistors, Vishay, Holco and Resista. We then substituted them in the preamp, listening to each. The Vishays were clearly the quietest and had the most detail but could sound a little sterile. The Holco's and Resista's both sounded less sterile, but at the expense of some additional noise and loss of low level detail. The Resista's had the best soundstage, particularly with respect to differentiating height (i.e. not everything sounded as if it emanated from the same height), the Vishays were the worst with respect to height. None was perfect.