Vacuum Tube Amplifiers & Vacuum Tube Preamps

QuickSilver Audio History

Letter from Founder - Mike Sanders

The Experience

As the founder and owner of Quicksilver Audio, I am first and foremost a music lover. I believe the equipment should serve and honor the music, conveying the emotion of the experience to the listener.

Simplicity is my approach to all engineering at Quicksilver Audio. For 35 years I have been involved in the audio industry, intent on reproducing music in its clearest form. By the time I founded Quicksilver Audio, I realized the fewer parts, connections, and wires that the signal goes through, the more the essence of the music comes through. This also makes great audio gear affordable and reliable.

Adjustments that are simple to use are also characteristic of Quicksilver Audio products. All of our current amplifiers come with built-in meters to check and adjust bias, or are self-biasing.
Each part we use is chosen for the specific application from the best quality parts available. We then hand wire our amplifiers to obtain the highest sound quality and to maintain the build quality that Quicksilver is known for throughout the world. Quicksilver Audio’s transformers are custom built to my specifications. I personally check each amp and preamp before it leaves the factory to ensure correct operation and so that you, our customer, will enjoy your Quicksilver Audio product for many years to come.
Our testing facility includes:

• two Brüel & Kjaer 2033 High-Resolution Signal Analyzers
• Hewlett-Packard 3580 Spectrum Analyzer
• three Sound Technology Harmonic and Intermodulation Distortion Analyzers
• two Heath IM 5248 IM distortion analyzers
• three Tektronix Oscilloscopes
• Hewlett-Packard Harmonic Distortion Analyzer
• Panasonic Low Distortion Oscillator
• three Wavetek Function generators
• two Tektronix 570 Tube Curve Tracers
• two Tektronix Transistor Curve Tracers
• three custom-made Tube Burn-in Machines for burning-in and DC matching power output tubes
• General Radio Pink Noise Generator
• B&K Precision 885 LCR meter
• SMD wideband impedance meter
• Audio Control Third Octave Real-time Analyzer
• Computer-controlled 24th Octave Real-time Analyzer
• two Brüel & Kjaer 4133 Microphones, 2619 Microphone Preamps, and 2807 power supply

At Quicksilver Audio we have the knowledge and the equipment to ensure that all our audio gear is working optimally. This provides a solid foundation for the reproduction of music.

Mike Sanders

The Experience ...

You find yourself drawn to the listening room; you can’t wait to get home from work to turn on the stereo; you forget to eat and sleep while listening to your hi-fi–these are some of the symptoms of the Quicksilver Experience.

During the 35 years, Quicksilver Audio has been making tube-type mono amps, we have gained a worldwide reputation for clean, uncolored musical sound. Our customers report the presence of the Quicksilver “magical midrange” in all our amplifiers, from the least to most expensive. Perhaps it is this; perhaps it is the direct clear highs, the defined but never “boomy” bass; perhaps it is something even less tangible. But the emotional experience of musical performance is conveyed through Quicksilver electronics in a way that is totally involving.

What our customers say …
“The Quicksilver Audio phono preamplifier is an amazing value. When it arrived on our doorstep, I hooked it up immediately, let it cook for a while, while I started digging out almost our entire record collection. This unit really sings! If I had to describe the preamp’s qualities in one word, that word would definitely be: WOW!”

Fam. Michiels-Van den Steen, Belgium
“I have listened to a lot of high-end equipment that dealers have loaned me. I have owned a lot of vintage and modern tube equipment. Nothing sounds better than Quicksilver amps and preamps.”

Tony Mauldin, Lewisville, Texas
“I am not in the habit of sending manufacturers love letters, but I had to tell you how much I’m enjoying this unit. My record collection has been reborn!”

Jeffrey Sorensen, Chehalis, Washington
“Mike–thanks for all your time. Your reputation in the business is the best of them all. Keep up the good work.”

Mike Gerardi, WINY, Putnam, Connecticut

Reviews …
Quicksilver Audio does not purchase magazine reviews. Listed are reviews that have been done on Quicksilver Audio products.

• Mid Mono Amplifiers STEREOPHILE Vol. 28, No. 8, August 2005, p.27
• Moving Coil Transformer HI-FI NEWS Vol. 48, No. 4, April 2003, p.43
• Horn Mono Amplifiers STEREOPHILE Vol. 25, No. 5, May 2002, p.83
• Mini-Mite Mono Amplifiers STEREOPHILE Vol. 24, No. 3, March 2001, p.33
• V4 Mono Amplifiers THE ABSOLUTE SOUND October 2002 AUDIO February 1998, p. 58
• Silver Sixty Mono Amplifiers AUDIO February 1999, p.69
• M135 Mono Amplifiers AUDIO December 1993, p. 56 THE ABSOLUTE SOUND Vol. 19, Issue 97, August 1994, p.75 STEREOPHILE December 1995

Quicksilver Audio entered the high-end audio market in 1981 when we began selling the MS190 Stereo Amplifier. Mike Sanders, the founder, and owner of Quicksilver Audio has been an avid audiophile since his early teen years. He went on to earn his Electrical Engineering baccalaureate degree from the University of the Pacific and then worked for Magnepan Incorporated in Minnesota. He decided to do things his own way and designed the MS190 Power Amplifier. Only 100 of these units were made, all done lovingly by hand. Serial numbers 75, changes were made to the output transformer and the model number was changed to MX190. Many years later, we still get calls from customers looking for these units.

The Philips 8417 Mono Amplifiers were developed in 1984 to bring great sound to the average consumer. Harry Pearson published a positive review in The Absolute Sound and the audiophile world caught on. We manufactured this unit until 1988 when Philips stopped manufacturing the 8417 output tube. We bought all Philips’ 8417 tubes at that time so that we could keep our customers supplied for years to come. The 8417 tube was one of the last tubes to be developed and is quite different than most other tubes on the market. There is no tube that can be directly plugged in to replace these. The GE8417 Mono Amplifier was manufactured for two years, 1990-92, in response to customer and dealer requests for another 8417 amp.

As many customers know, Mike was really resistant to modifying the 8417 Mono Amplifiers. He loved the 8417 output tube, and felt that it was one of the best tubes ever manufactured. When we finally ran out of all 8417 tubes in 1999 and could no longer supply our customers, Mike relented and went to work on a modification that would keep the original mono amps alive. We are all blown away by the result! The modification allows the amp to work with EL34 output tubes, and includes changes in the front end circuit and driver tube. It costs $250 (plus tubes) and sounds awesome!
In the meantime, in 1988 Mike developed the 60 watt KT88 Mono Amplifier as a replacement for the original Mono Amplifier. This was manufactured until December of 1995.

The Silver Monos (90 watts) were designed in 1991 in response to customers wanting more power. Giving 90 watts out of two KT88 output tubes, they were amazingly affordable and, with their low output impedance, were quite adept at driving the more difficult loads that the many electrostatic speakers on the market presented. These were the best seller for four years and are still popular on the used market.

In 1992, Quicksilver came out with its first really powerful amp since the MX190, the M135 Mono Amplifier. It was the first Quicksilver amp to be able to use different output tubes and it was the flagship of the Quicksilver line for eight years. The V4 is our current flagship and best seller. In keeping with our philosophy of making great Hi-Fi affordable, the V4 is 120 watts of awesome musical sound for a very reasonable price. And, it’s Mike’s favorite amp ever.

After many years of dealers and customers asking for a Quicksilver preamp, Mike finally designed the Full Function Preamplifier in 1988. It has an extremely low output impedance and a massive power supply, enabling it to drive long interconnects and any amplifier, and providing really low distortion and a wide dynamic range. The Line Stage and the Phono Stage Preamplifiers were introduced in 1995 and 1996, respectively. Customers are pleased to find that Quicksilver also builds great-sounding preamplifiers.

Locations:
Stockton, CA:

Contact Information

EMAIL: info@kaplanhtdesign.com include your phone number and I will call you.

Copyright: Kaplan Design 2024