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A Quicksilver History
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 Magnapan 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. At serial number 75, changes were made to the output transformer and the model number was changed to MX190. Seventeen years later, we still get calls from customers looking to purchase 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. There are GE 8417s available, but most have high leakage and run away. Now that we have run out of the Philips 8417 tubes, we have developed a way of selecting the GE 8417s to work in the Philips 8417 Mono Amps. We find that about 20% meet our leakage requirements.
The GE8417 Mono Amplifier was manufactured for two years, 1990-92, in response to customer and dealer requests for another 8417 amp. 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 when Mike came up with the M60 Mono Amp. This is Quicksilver's signature amp--a 60 watt unit with wonderful musicality.
The Silver Monos 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 a 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 continues to be the flagship of the Quicksilver line. The V4s, new in 1997, are a less expensive alternative to the M135 Amplifiers.
At Quicksilver, even though we make some pricey, powerful amplifiers, we keep returning to our basic philosophy of simplicity and affordability. Our newest product is the Mini-Mite Mono, a 25 watt mono amp that retails for under $1000 per pair.
After many years of dealers' and customers' asking for a Quicksilver preamp, Mike finally designed the Full Function Preamplifier in 1988. It has extremely low output impedance and a massive power supply, enabling it to drive long interconnects and any amplifier, and providing really low distortion and wide dynamic range. The Line Stage and the Phono Stage Preamplifiers were introduced in 1995 and 1996, respectively. Quicksilver Audio built its reputation on amplifiers but the clear, direct sound of Quicksilver preamplifiers is exciting customers. We frequently get calls from surprised listeners who are pleased to find that Quicksilver also builds great-sounding preamplifiers.
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We accept
over the phone or by E-mail.
ORDERING BY PHONE
If there is no authorized dealer in your area you can order directly from Soundscape.
(707) 337-3355
Last Update: December 25, 2017
