What preamp to get to replace my quicksilver?

i would suggest the audible illusion L1 (IIIa if you need phono). awesome pre's that are very well balanced and musical.

also the arc ls-2bmkII is a good one. a little more dynamic and revealing and requires only 1 tube !!!! spend more an pu a arc ls-16mkiii ( requires 2 supertubes, hence easy to retube, but the unit cost more)

the bat3 or 5 vki is a great sounding unit but very $$$$$ to retube properly (requires 6- 6922/7308's).i would avoid this unit for this reason.

pse hl-1 ( my favorite and current piece). very rare / hard to come by hybrid unit. very well rounded, transparent, musical, and dynamic. often comperared to units 3x to 4x the price. requires only 2 6922/7308's and has balanced, remote, and ht bypass.

good luck,

mike

the audible illusions is a step up. imo, quicksilver makes great amps, their pre amps are just okay. the same can be said of audible, great pre's but okay amps.

there are very, very few manufactures that produce great sounding amps / pre-amps and visa versa. most produce one or the other ( this is a General rule of thumb).

imo, most great sounding preamps start at $2500 minimum ( new retail)and go up. hence the used market is the way to go for a great sounding unit for a reasonable price.

good luck,

mike