Metal or Carbon Resistors - Which is better?


A passive preamp paired with 300B amplifier and TT as main source. 

Passive preamp comes with two options,

a) Metal film resistor - 1% accuracy 0.5W type

OR

b) Carbon composition resistor - 5% accuracy 0.5W type

Which one would you choose and why? 

lalitk

Showing 2 responses by alexberger

I wanted to share my resistor preferences for different applications.

I prefer using tantalum resistors in signal paths and cathodes.

For power supplies, I opt for metal film resistors.

Lastly, for loads, stoppers, and speaker crossovers, I find carbon resistors to be most suitable.

A 300B amplifier can sound dynamic if it has a properly designed driver circuit.

The 300B tube is much more difficult to drive than 2a3, 45 and px25. It needs more voltage amplitude and current. The interstage transformer or direct coupling cathode follower driver (Ralph's suggested it) is a must. And in case an interstage transformer needs a powerful driver not like 6sn7.I have a DIY 300B amplifier. In the beginning it had a 6f6 driver in triode mode with RC coupling. Then I changed RC to an interstage transformer Hashimoto A-305. The improvement in dynamics, bass and resolution was huge. Like a completely different amplifier. Then I changed the 6f6 driver tube for a more powerful 6v6 and then for an even more powerful 5881 (6L6). Each time a more powerful driver made the sound bigger, more dynamic and improved instrument separation on more complex music.