Any scientific proof that good pots sound better

[Jim C]

Did the forum search and FAQ's.
Many opposing opinions regarding if one can hear a difference in pot quality when turned up full.
- Not interested in by-passing the pot for ultra bright but rather quality of tone -

Could you hear a difference in replacing pots in say an SX with either CTS or Allen Bradley units?

If so what would the difference be and why?

 

[santucci218]

i just think they function better is all. Example. the dump pots that came in my Ibanez Prestige guitar vs the Dimarzio pot i replaced it with. it was at like 90% volume when i turned it to 2, and 100% at 10. The Dimarzio pot ACTUALLY changes the volume, lol.

 

[Jefenator]

I just gutted the stock electronics in my MIJ '51 P RI & replaced them with CTS/Switchcraft. I notice a slight difference to what I would say is better. I'd say a little fuller & more natural. Absolutely worth doing IMO/E, especially given the very reasonable cost if you do it yourself.

Ditto my Musicmaster, whose stock wiring harness is notorious for killing tone. (In this case I did the pickup at the same time so I couldn't speculate as to what role the pots played. The manufacturer [Aero] does advise new wiring, however, and they're pretty methodical and fastidious.)

 

[svirfnebli]

In theory, a standard carbon wiper potentiometer shouldnt sound any different. It's a basic resistor.

Most likely what people perceive as different, or better sounding, is a change in the VALUE of a pot. So for example if you removed a pot that read 450kohms, and replaced it with a pot that read 550, you'll hear a sound difference because the values are different. A standard 500K has a tolerance of 20%. That means a 400kohm pot and a 600kohm pot are both technically 500k pots.

svirf

 

[walterw]

In theory, a standard carbon wiper potentiometer shouldnt sound any different. It's a basic resistor.

Most likely what people perceive as different, or better sounding, is a change in the VALUE of a pot. So for example if you removed a pot that read 450kohms, and replaced it with a pot that read 550, you'll hear a sound difference because the values are different. A standard 500K has a tolerance of 20%. That means a 400kohm pot and a 600kohm pot are both technically 500k pots.

svirf

bingo. it's a different resistance and a different taper that will make for a different sound.

and FWIW, there's no such thing as "scientific proof" that anything "sounds better". you can certainly prove that something sounds different, but "better" is entirely a subjective concept.

 

[higgi]

In theory, a standard carbon wiper potentiometer shouldnt sound any different. It's a basic resistor.

Most likely what people perceive as different, or better sounding, is a change in the VALUE of a pot. So for example if you removed a pot that read 450kohms, and replaced it with a pot that read 550, you'll hear a sound difference because the values are different. A standard 500K has a tolerance of 20%. That means a 400kohm pot and a 600kohm pot are both technically 500k pots.

svirf

+1

 

[Jefenator]

In the volume pot, the signal would actually pass through the "wiper" and the carbon strip. I have some hypotheses for how a pot with sloppier build tolerances & cheaper materials might deteriorate said signal. (Unwanted capacitance / certain freq's bleeding to ground? Weak contact adding resistance and/or behaving like a built-in cheap cable?)

Even if the above can't be proven, I can think of another good reason to upgrade: reliability. I've seen a cheap pot break down in a way that completely cut the signal off.