Quicksilver Audio
Tube Amplifiers and Preamplifiers

     For over twenty years (founded in 1981), Quicksilver Audio has been supplying some of the industry's most reliable full-tube products. Owner/designer Mike Sanders has built a loyal following of devoted clientele who appreciate the practical, well built and great sounding gear he designs.
      Not exactly a household name, Quicksilver still enjoys a strong reputation. Mr. Sanders believes in establishing his reputation based solely on word of mouth. You will not find expensive advertising in the trade publications trumpeting the Quicksilver name. Rather, this money is returned in the form of lower prices on its offerings. Compare and you'll find Quicksilver products are among the most competitive brands available. Quite a feat when you consider all their amplifiers feature expensive hand-built, point to point wiring, assembled with American labor.
      Mike Sanders oversees the quality of his product like few others in the industry, personally checking each and every Quicksilver product before it leaves the factory. Inside each amp or preamp you'll find a tag with the initials of each person responsible for assembly - M.S. are the last set that appears on each and every one.

V4 Mono Amplifiers

• Hand wired, point to point circuitry
• 120 watts into four or eight Ohms
• Ability to use KT-88, 6550, EL-34 or 6L6 Output tubes
• Extremely low screen voltages insure exceptionally long tube life 
• Nickel chrome chassis
• On-board bias meter
• High quality parts
• Handcrafted in the U.S.A.
• $4895pr

"The Quicksilver V4 is a great music making product. It is completely reliable, a fact that will hopefully make the V4s attractive to those of you who are reluctant to allow tubes into your homes because of the concern for maintenance. It is relatively small and light weight, and looks great but without needless and expensive frills. It sounds superb with all types of music and with any associated gear I connected to it. It is extremely neutral in character. It is powerful and dynamic as required but also has great finesse and impeccable resolution. You can spend a lot more for similar power, but in my experience, you probably will not get anything better in a tube amplifier than the wonderfully musical Quicksilver V4." 10audio.com -  Overall Rating: 10 LPs

Mid Mono Mono Amplifiers

• Hand wired, point to point circuitry
• 50 watts into four or eight Ohms using EL-34, 55 watts using KT-88 and 60 watts with KT-90 tubes
• Optional nickel chrome chassis (shown)
• Easy bias circuitry with LED indicator
• Handcrafted in the U.S.A.
• $1895pr  with black chassis, $2195pr with chrome (as shown)

SET Mono Amplifiers

      The Quicksilver entry into single-ended amplifier design uses no global feedback and yet offers lower distortion, wider frequency response and higher damping than standard single-ended designs. The parts list includes polypropylene and foil capacitors, non-inductive wirewound resistors, nickel-core chokes and Quicksilver-designed power and output transformers. As with all Quicksilver amplifiers, many different output tubes may be used. The power bandwidth extends to 20 Hz and the 9 watts output has less than 1 db of compression. Each output transformer is individually tested and categorized so that each pair of amps will have closely matched output characteristics. The amplifiers are finished in carbide black with nickel chrome transformer covers.

• Hand wired, point to point circuitry
• Handcrafted in the U.S.A.
• 9 watts into four or eight Ohms
• KT-88 output tubes, 6H30 driver/input, 5AR4 regulator
• Low (2.4V) input sensitivity will not amplify noise from front-end components
• Optional nickel chrome chassis
• Handcrafted in the U.S.A.
• $2800 pair

Triode Mono Amplifiers

        An all new Quicksilver amplifier makes its debut. The only amplifier of its kind in their lineup, the new model runs in triode configuration. The aptly named Triode Amplifier uses a pair of KT-88 tubes producing 50 delicious triode watts, enough to drive a wide range of speakers.
        Designer, Mike Sanders believes in solid engineering and proven concepts over current fads. His amplifiers are simple in design, conservative in execution and constructed using the time honored concept of point to point wiring - all by hand, and 100% made in the USA. It’s this no nonsense approach that has earned him the respect of many and established a large group of devoted fans. No question, the new Triode Amp will further his reputation!
        The Quicksilver Triode Amp operates with a wider selection of tubes than any previous Quicksilver amplifier. Fit it with 6550s, EL34s, 6L6s, or any of the KT-series output tubes, and use any input or driver tube with a 12-volt filament and standard plate-grid cathode connections (12AX7, 12AT7, 12AU7, etc.). An on-board bias meter allows individual adjustment of each output tube, and the driver stage, direct-coupled to the output tubes, holds each tube to the selected bias, reducing fluctuations and improving tube life. With low-noise power supplies and circuitry, the Triode Amp sounds clean even with very efficient speakers, and triode operation from input to output makes for pristine sound quality at very low levels but still provides enough power to drive less efficient speakers. The wide range of output tube bias settings lets you adjust the Triode Amp to a variety of speakers. A power supply with two power transformers and 180 Joules of energy storage provides effortless dynamic response, transmitting the full musical impact of sudden shifts from soft to loud. A modification of the sleek look of the V4, the Triode Amp has a chrome-plated chassis and carbide black transformer cover.

• Hand wired, point to point circuitry
• Handcrafted in the U.S.A.
• 50 watts into four or eight Ohms
• Ability to use KT-88, 6550, EL-34, KT-90, KT-77, KT-66 or 6L6 Output tubes
• 12AX7 and 12BH7 input tubes
• Optional nickel chrome chassis
• On board bias meter
• Over 100 joules of power supply storage
• Handcrafted in the U.S.A.
• $3595 pair

Horn Mono Amplifiers

     The Horn mono amplifiers are a unique adaptation of the Quicksilver design philosophies that have been tuned for use with very high sensitivity speakers. Unlike most other tube amplifiers, the Horn Mono's are exceptionally clean at the ultra low (milliwatts) levels often encountered with horn speakers.

• Hand wired, point to point circuitry
• 25 watts into four or eight Ohms
• Ability to use KT-88, 6550, EL-34, KT-90, KT-77, KT-66 or 6L6 Output tubes
• Ultra-low (9V) input sensitivity will not amplify noise from front-end components
• Optional nickel chrome chassis (photo made on blue background and is not representative. See photos of other amps)
• Auto-bias circuitry
• Over 100 joules of power supply storage
• Handcrafted in the U.S.A.
• $1595pr

Full Function Preamplifier

Quicksilver's new phono-inclusive preamp is a technical tour de force.  Mike Sanders' unique design delivers the pure tube sound Quicksilver is known for, without the limitations common in other tube preamps. The high output impedance common with tube preamps can cause problems when mating to many solid state amplifiers.  The ultra-low 1.5 Ohm output impedance of the Full Function preamp allows it to drive any amplifier known and using virtually any length or type of cabling.
          Sonic performance is maximized through the use of extremely short signal paths, minimal switching and no transistors, regulators or circuit boards. A massive power supply resides in a isolated subchassis within the main preamp.

• Hand wired, point to point circuitry
• Passive and active RIAA Phono Equalization
• Ultra low 1.5 Ohm output impedance
• 18dB Gain - Line, 47dB - Phono
• Line Tubes: 2 x 12AX7, 2 x 6H30
• Phono Tubes: 1 x 12AX&, 1 x 6N1P
• 60 V Maximum Output
• 17"W x 5.25"H x 11"D
• Handcrafted in the U.S.A.
• $3200

Line Stage Preamplifier

A really outstanding preamp for the money. Tonal balance tends toward the warm side, with excellent soundstaging and resolution of subtle detail.

• Ultra simple design utilizing a single 12AX7A per channel
• Precision 41 step Alps volume control
• Silver only
• Handcrafted in the U.S.A.
• $1095.00

Remote Controlled Line Stage Preamplifier

A really outstanding preamp for the money. Tonal balance tends toward the warm side, with excellent soundstaging and resolution of subtle detail. The remote preamp is only available in black.

• Ultra simple design utilizing a single 6DJ8 (6922) per channel
• Precision Alps motorized volume control
• Low 750 Ohm output impedance allows the Line Preamp to easily drive a range of amplifiers and cables
• Black only
• Handcrafted in the U.S.A.
• $1395

Moving Coil Transformer - Limited availability

• 23dB of gain
• Low noise (less than an active step-up device)
• Ideal way to match low output MC cartridges to tube preamplifiers
• Includes output leads to preamp
• Handcrafted in the U.S.A.
• $695.00

Cables Interconnects

Audiophiles who’ve been around for a while recognize the Quicksilver brand. Known for performance, reliability and high value, the company has gained an enviable reputation over the years.

Anyone who has spoken with the designer, Mike Sanders, knows him to be a very understated, honest and very forthright man. He believes in solid engineering and proven concepts over current fads. His amplifiers are simple in design, conservative in execution and constructed using the time honored concept of point to point wiring, all by hand. It’s this no nonsense approach that has earned him the respect of many and established a large group of devoted fans. His philosophy and mindset now extends into the world of cabling.

Mike experimented with wire for some time, not with the intention of selling cabling, but rather for use inside his electronics. Over the years he tested a number of options, finally settling on a design. Almost as an afterthought he decided to offer the wire as a finished set of interconnects. Welcome the Quicksilver Interconnect.

The very unassuming wire won’t impress you with weight or girth. It’s not likely to wow you with sexy cosmetics or exotic design or construction techniques. What it will do is surprise you with its performance! The pure silver wire optimizes signal transmission and allows maximum resolution and bandwidth. The low capacitance configuration makes long runs easy to drive.

The Quicksilver Interconnect offers a nicely balanced tonal balance, not straying too far toward either extreme. It’s a refined cable with surprisingly low grain and good harmonic texture.

As you well know, there a literally hundreds if cables to choose from. There’s no way anyone can tell you which one is “the best,” only your ears can make that distinction. That said, I think you’d be hard pressed to find a cable at this price that offers more value. Check it out.

Quicksilver states the Interconnect is designed specifically for tube preamps, but we’ve had great results in many solid state systems, so don’t let that stop you from trying them.

$100, 1M