[KC2020]

I've owned one for about 6 weeks and absolutely love it. I've been an audiophile for 40 years and an audio engineer for 30+ years. I've owned many amps and this Quicksilver is the best sounding amp I've ever heard, musical, powerful, silent noise floor, all the virtues of tubes without a tube sound.

As I said on the first page of this thread. I think the amp offers all the good characteristics of tube sound, definitely holographic, but at the same time doesn't sound obviously 'tube'. It's as good as it gets IMHO.

 

[Pharmaboy]

As I said on the first page of this thread. I think the amp offers all the good characteristics of tube sound, definitely holographic, but at the same time doesn't sound obviously 'tube'. It's as good as it gets IMHO.

Here's a real-world concern that I wonder if you've encountered: electrical noise, hum, etc. Has your Quicksilver exhibited any of this? Is it prone to that stuff?

I know any/all tube amps are more prone to electrical noise than SS amps, for solid technical reasons. Just thought I'd check your opinion, as one of the few (and proud) owners.

I have a really awful ground-loop that I have to eradicate from my desktop before plunking a Quicksilver amp in the midst of it. Hopefully that will be done in 1-2 weeks...then get more serious about this amp.

 

[KC2020]

Here's a real-world concern that I wonder if you've encountered: electrical noise, hum, etc. Has your Quicksilver exhibited any of this? Is it prone to that stuff?

I know any/all tube amps are more prone to electrical noise than SS amps, for solid technical reasons. Just thought I'd check your opinion, as one of the few (and proud) owners.

I have a really awful ground-loop that I have to eradicate from my desktop before plunking a Quicksilver amp in the midst of it. Hopefully that will be done in 1-2 weeks...then get more serious about this amp.

Sure, it's got the same susceptibility as any tube amp but I haven't had a problem with noise at all. I've got a crazy number of cables all over the place and a lot of components on the same circuit too.

At the moment I have the Benchmark DAC3-B running the HPA4 and a pair of ABH2 amps in mono. The DAC3-B also passes the digital input to my Cranesong Solaris DAC. That is going to to a pair of PMC powered monitors and the fixed level balanced output goes to my Pathos Aurium. That passes the signal unbalanced into the Quicksilver HP amp. I also have a Quicksilver Preamp looped through from the HPA4 so I can put it in line with the ABH2 amps plus it's running my Music Reference RM-9 so I can go all tube if I like.

When I set this all up I took a break every few minutes to breath and look out the window so I didn't screw it up. Everything is on a UPS that outputs a true sine wave. I have an Audioquest Niagra sitting here but I've never needed it and everything is dead silent.

 

[Pharmaboy]

You have an RM-9? What a coincidence. I have two.

Sounds like your system is as complicated as mine. Yet you apparently have no ground loop. That's interesting...

 

[KC2020]

You have an RM-9? What a coincidence. I have two.

Sounds like your system is as complicated as mine. Yet you apparently have no ground loop. That's interesting...

Yes I have an RM-9 that was completely built by Roger when he was still in Santa Barbara. It's amazing. I also have an RM-10, a couple of Pathos amps, a couple of Quicksilvers, a Threshold Stasis, a vintage....... Well I'll just stop there.

I suffer from MAD. Multiple Amp Disorder. It's a lifelong affliction, or so I'm expecting it to be. I'm not looking for a cure ;~)

 

[daytrader]

Yes I have an RM-9 that was completely built by Roger when he was still in Santa Barbara. It's amazing. I also have an RM-10, a couple of Pathos amps, a couple of Quicksilvers, a Threshold Stasis, a vintage....... Well I'll just stop there.

I suffer from MAD. Multiple Amp Disorder. It's a lifelong affliction, or so I'm expecting it to be. I'm not looking for a cure ;~)

Wow, wish you were my neighbor!

 

[Pharmaboy]

Yes I have an RM-9 that was completely built by Roger when he was still in Santa Barbara. It's amazing. I also have an RM-10, a couple of Pathos amps, a couple of Quicksilvers, a Threshold Stasis, a vintage....... Well I'll just stop there.

I suffer from MAD. Multiple Amp Disorder. It's a lifelong affliction, or so I'm expecting it to be. I'm not looking for a cure ;~)

Roger was really good to me, despite the fact both amps I had were "gently used" (no profit for him). He still took my newbie calls, then made out OK by selling me a bunch of tubes at my insistence. I also paid him to mod each RM-9 by adding pentode/triode switches next to each of the 8 power tubes. Those were normally run in pentode mode, thus 100WPC. By switching all 8 to triode, power went down by 50%, and the already pretty amazing sound quality went through the roof.

One of those RM-9s + a big SS amp driving Vandersteen 4s (SS for bass modules only)--I never had it that good again in audio.

 

[KC2020]

Roger was really good to me, despite the fact both amps I had were "gently used" (no profit for him). He still took my newbie calls, then made out OK by selling me a bunch of tubes at my insistence. I also paid him to mod each RM-9 by adding pentode/triode switches next to each of the 8 power tubes. Those were normally run in pentode mode, thus 100WPC. By switching all 8 to triode, power went down by 50%, and the already pretty amazing sound quality went through the roof.

One of those RM-9s + a big SS amp driving Vandersteen 4s (SS for bass modules only)--I never had it that good again in audio.

Roger was an amazing designer and a very generous guy. Fortunately he turned to the company over to people who continue to support his ethics and fine products.

My RM-9 is a first generation amp that he updated to what he called a MK II+ and he did it for a very fair price. It's running his RAM KT-88s that he matched. The upgrade and the 88s just opened up the amp to a new level of glory. I run it only when I have time to really listen and enjoy it.

I have not heard an RM-9 modded as yours have been. I guess I'll have to look for one of those or a donor to have the mod ;~)

FWIW: Roger didn't believe in high-end wire. We compared a few very pricey interconnects and speaker cables to Canare and Mogami. The differences that were barely audible were not an improvement. So it comes as no surprise to me that Benchmark is using the same Canare stock for their cables.

Mike Sanders at Quicksilver is an equally generous guy and an outstanding amp designer. I have a pair of his Silver 60 mono-blocks that give me a wonderful EL-34 sound. I've had those amps 20 years and they've never needed anything. I'm on just the second set of tubes. So when I heard he was going to build a HP amp I just called him up and ordered it. It's truly a great amp and I think you'll be very pleased with it.

 

[snatex]

A few members asked me to post impressions of my new amplifier. I am not the most seasoned reviewer so I will do my best to convey something useful and interesting.

I don't have a ton of experience with tube amps. I have always stuck with solid state in my 2 channel (Linn) and headphone rigs until very recently. A couple of years ago I started getting into this headphone hobby and have gone through the following progressions in my chain:

HP: HD600, HD58X, Amiron Home, DT1990, Elex, Quad Era-1, LCD2, Arya, Verite, LCD4, Ananda, Aeolus
Source/DAC: Meridian Explorer2, SOtM sMS-200, Mac Mini, V850, Qutest, A18, Codex, Bitfrost2, Linn Sekrit
Amps: V280, H16, Lyr3, Quicksilver Audio

I also had ZMF Pendant for a day but there were issues with it so I could not get a great feel for its capabilities. I had the MacMini/Qutest/V280/LCD4 chain for the longest period of time. If you have any questions about any of the gear above feel free to ask.

When I decided to sell my LCD4 and switch to the Aeolus as my primary driver I figured it would be a good time to explore tube amplification. I had heard that tubes had great synergies with the ZMF line. One amp that intrigued me was the Decware Zen Triode OTL. I took advantage of the Black Friday Sale and ordered one. The only hitch is that they have about a 6 month backlog of orders. I figured I would get another tube amp in the meantime and sell one after comparing them. I first picked up a used ZMF Pendant but one tube socket was loose and the amp was noisy so I gave it back. Then I ordered a used HA2SE that got damaged during shipping. I bought a new Lyr3 and thought it was ok but decided to send it back before the trial period expired. Finally, after reading a bunch of positive feedback I decided to order the Quicksilver Audio Headphone Amp. I had considered it earlier but was not crazy about the aesthetics. As more positive comments poured in, I decided that it was good enough looking to try.

Quicksilver manufactures these amps in Stockton, CA and have been in business since 1981. Mike Sanders, the owner and founder, personally tests each product to ensure it is performing optimally before it leaves the factory. Quicksilver Audio’s transformers are custom built to his specifications. The amps come with a 3 year parts and labor warranty.

The Quicksilver Headphone Amp is a transformer coupled single ended class A triode using (2) 12AX7 and (2)
6BQ5 tubes. It has one single ended input and one single ended output. It retails for $998. I ordered it directly from Mike and received it within one week of ordering it. The amp and tubes were packaged nicely. Aesthetically it looks much better in person than it does in photos. It seems like it is build very well.

I have spent a few weeks breaking it in and getting acclimated to how it sounds. Even though the Pendant I tried had some issues, I immediately noticed an energy or feeling that I didn't get from my V280. The V280 is a great, powerful amp but can sometimes be little tame in the treble. It also has images well but gives a somewhat distant presentation. There is a something very organic and live sounding that tube amps seem to be able to impart. I felt the Lyr3 only gave a small taste of that special sauce. This is probably due to the fact that it is a hybrid amp. The Quicksilver immediately impressed me with its sense of space, power, and that magical sound that instruments and voices can make.

Power - I typically have the volume pot between 10-11 if it was a clock. The Aeolus are fairly easy to drive but it seems like this amp has enough power for just about anything out there. Additionally, the speed and power of the music is great. I am not missing the outstanding bass response on the V280.

Soundstage - The different parts of the band have nice spacing and there is a nice height and width to the soundstage. It definitely has bigger soundstage than the Lyr3 or the V280. The Aeolus is not a soundstage monster so I feel like the Quicksilver is maximizing its abilities. I felt the Arya had an abnormally large soundstage that at first was impressive but ultimately sounded like a parlor trick. It didn't sound realistic.

Sound - The Quicksilver/ZMF Aeolus combo is leaps and bounds better in timbre than anything else I have owned. Guitar plucks give goosebumps. Vocals are pure and are not too far or close in the mix. You can feel the weight and textures on the piano and drum strikes. There is some sort of subtle reverb in everything that gives an energy and live feeling to the music that makes it more fun and interesting. Ultimately, it is incredibly balanced and puts a smile on my face when I listen to music.

Outlook - I've been so impressed by the Quicksilver that I considered cancelling my Decware order but ultimately decided to let it ride. I will give both a shot when the Decware arrives. Im curious to see how an OTL and a SET amp differ.

Let me know if there is anything I didn't cover that you want answered.

 

[paradoxper]

Do we have impressions with how this fairs driving planars?

I was immediately shot down when inquiring to Mike about a custom amplifier for the TC.

His words were expensive headamps aren't real world products.

Interesting response.

 

[tunes]

Yes I have an RM-9 that was completely built by Roger when he was still in Santa Barbara. It's amazing. I also have an RM-10, a couple of Pathos amps, a couple of Quicksilvers, a Threshold Stasis, a vintage....... Well I'll just stop there.

I suffer from MAD. Multiple Amp Disorder. It's a lifelong affliction, or so I'm expecting it to be. I'm not looking for a cure ;~)

 

[tunes]

Can the amp be bought directly from Quicksilver?

 

[tunes]

As I said on the first page of this thread. I think the amp offers all the good characteristics of tube sound, definitely holographic, but at the same time doesn't sound obviously 'tube'. It's as good as it gets IMHO.

How hot does the chassis get after an hour or two? I had a Zana Deux that I eventually sold that could fry an egg.

 

[tunes]

I've owned one for about 6 weeks and absolutely love it. I've been an audiophile for 40 years and an audio engineer for 30+ years. I've owned many amps and this Quicksilver is the best sounding amp I've ever heard, musical, powerful, silent noise floor, all the virtues of tubes without a tube sound.

I use this one at home with a Crane Song Solaris and Sennheiser HD800S. They are the perfect combination.

While tracking in the studio I use the Little Labs Monotor and the Benchmark HP amps but I'll be buying another Quicksilver for studio too.

There's a Pathos sitting on the shelf in the other room, great amp, but his is much better for less money so it'll be going soon.

How does the Quicksilver compare to the Elekit TU-8600S and DNA Starlett amps?

 

[snatex]

Can the amp be bought directly from Quicksilver?

Yes. I did.