Top resistors


Many threads with opinions on boutique coupling capacitors, but very little consolidated information on the sonics of resistors. Anyone care to share their thoughts on the attributes of their favorite brands & types for specific tube and SS applications? How much of a difference does a good resistor make?

My interest in the topic increased after recently installing the latest Texas Components nude Vishay TX2575 in several SS and tube phono & LS components. This was a proverbial "Ah-ha" moment-- a stray resistor dropped into signal path here or there, surprising with an improvement that equalled or surpassed the impact of a switch to a top coupling cap like V-Cap or Mundorf.
dgarretson

I built n-1500 crossover for Altec 604E.

DIY Altec N1500A (audioheritage.org)

I use constant resistors instead of potentiometers 36 Ohm and 7.5 Ohm. I also use resistors 1.2 Ohm - 1.8 Ohm for super tweeter crossover.

I tried Duelund Regular and Custom, 12 Watt Mills Black and Brown and 20 year old Dale CW-5-500 5 Watt.

Dales are worst not smooth not transparent.

Both Mills are very clean and transparent but a bit bright and not very natural tone. Mills are best in term of focus.

Duelunds are best. Natural tone and more calm, less ringing vs Mills.

 

I did more comparison between Duelund Custom resistors and old "black" Mills in Altec crossover. In my case 7.5 Ohm resistor is connected to compression driver.

At first I used 3.9 Ohm Duelund and 3.5 Ohm Mills in series. Then I changed it to single Duelund Custom 7.5 Ohm resistor.

The difference is huge! On first glance, Mills-Duelund combination sounded transparent on simple music. But on complex music sound become congested, messy and unpleasant (the same was happened when I used 6.8 Ohm single Mills resistor before). 
With single Duelund, In beginning, the sound was too forward with highliting upper midrange, but after @zipost suggested me to change direction of resistors everything started sound in spot.  Most  complex music, sounded separated and organic! Duelund also have much more natural, less artificial tone.

I don't understand why most of audiophile call artificial, synthetic, mechanical sound "neutral" ?
So I'm very happy and impressed by Duelund Custom resistor in my system.