Quicksilver Headphone Amp


Hi, 

Wondering if anyone has this amp or if anyone has used it.  No dealers near me.....would like to get some feedback

Thx
128x128oddiofyl
@oddiofyl Thanks for the update. I’m really interested in hearing your overall impressions after the "new toy" happiness wears off.

What headphones are you using with the Quicksilver amp?
I haven’t heard the RNHP but I went to CanJam and heard his $5,000 Precision (I think), driving a Mr. Speakers ’phone. It was, IMO, probably the best sounding rig there. Granted show conditions are NOT the time to make such assumptions.

I love my MHDT Orchid feeding a Burson Conductor V2+ which drives my Arya. However, I’m curious how a tube amp would do with my planars, so I was wondering about your setup.

Hi

Sources are NAD M51 DAC , OPP0 103d,  Bluesound Vault 2i,  tuner. Turntable

The Neve is a fine amp... it really is clean and detailed.   If you are looking for precision, studio quality it's there.   It sounds great don't get me wrong but the Quicksilver is more engaging, you know you are listening through a SET amp.   

The Quicksilver has incredible tone and a natural quality to the sound.   It's lightning fast and has airy highs .  The bass is very well defined,  again, great tone.   It seems much more powerful than the Neve but being tube I would expect it to be.   I haven't spent a lot of time with this amp but I can say it's the best sounding headphone stage I've ever heard.  

It' s built exactly like my Mid Monos.... it is a tank!!!    Same heavy gauge steel used in chassis, same power transformer.  It is beautifully constructed.    I had mine built with optional chrome transformer cover, it looks sharp.  

Im using Grado RS2e and Klipsch HP 3 primarily, I used them with some old beyer 600 Ohm and it drove them all no problem. This amp has balls ! I also used a pair of Sennheiser ear buds and those too have never sounded better.   $1000 isn't cheap but it's worth it .   Best new piece of gear I have bought in a while.

I have to bump this thread because I too am just enthralled by the Quicksilver HP amp. I called Mike Sanders and ordered mine a few months ago and it's been everything I expected and more. I have a pair of Quicksilver Silver 60 monos so I knew if Mike designed and built an HP amp it would be quite good.

Sources are Tidal or Qobuz steams through Benchmark and Crane Song DACs which I only mention because these are both in the neutral realm of DACs so my perception of the Quicksilver amp is really just that, not character introduced before it.

I own these DACs because I've been in the recording industry for a couple of decades and long before Benchmark Media pursued the audiophile market they were in broadcast audio and then the recording studio where they are a reference for many. Crane Song's Solaris is an amazing DAC that's quickly become one of the standards for mixing and mastering.

I'm currently listening to the HD800s which pair wonderfully with this amp.

oddiophyl's description of the Quicksilver HP amp mirrors mine so I won't try to improve on what he has stated so well. 

I have the Pathos Aurium and have owned a few other of the 'best' hybrid and all tube HP amps. I also have several of the reference SS HP amps, Bryston and the lot. The Quicksilver raised the bar over anything I've heard and offers the most enjoyment of THE MUSIC I've ever had.



@glissando Couldn't agree with you more. I have been using the Quicksilver headphone amp for a few weeks now, and it is probably one of the most satisfying purchases I've made in the last few years. I'm just surprised that the reviews are so scant. Maybe the folks at Quicksilver rely more on word of mouth instead of professional reviews. Either way, these are keepers and a great foundation for any headphone rig.

Wow. Such glowing opinions of the headphone amp.

I have the Hifiman Arya which is 35ohms.
All of the glowing reviews I hear of the Quicksilver headphone amplifier are with higher impedance headphones such as the Sennheiser.

Does anyone have positive feedback with this amplifier driving a lower impedance headphone like the Arya?