Quicksilver Headphone Amp

Sovrce Gear
81

Yes that’s true, but I’d also say they never were a giant when it comes to headphones

It’s because they simply don’t offer the level of quality other headphone products do. They aren’t competing that high up in the headphone space. To them, a headphone user is still someone who is hooking up a pair of headphones into their 2ch hifi rather than having a dedicated headphone setup, so the headphone products they sell is almost an afterthought designed to slot into existing mac setups, rather than something someone entirely dedicated to headphones would pursue. At least that’s how I see it

4 Likes
82

Hey guys, i got a new Ferrum OOR as my solid state amp and i feel like its sound is closer to a tube amp than the Soloist did and since the OOR already delivers a more organic sound it would be cool to try and make the Quicksilver even more “tubey” so they can offer very different experiences.

Do you know of any tubes on the cheap side that would be a good fit for that? I would like to not compromise much on the bass slam department if possible, but if not that is ok :slight_smile:

BTW, the synergy between the Quicksilver and the Kennerton Gjallarhorn is absolutely incredible!

4 Likes
83

I’d say that my EI EL84 and RFT 12AX7 combo has been the most tubey sounding that I heard during my tube rolling.

3 Likes
84

I have a quicksilver on the way and just so happen to have the Gjallarhorn, Will have to roadtest that combo!

6 Likes
85

This is going to be an OTL amp (actually a lot about it is already kind of known) and wouldn’t be the best choice for planars

1 Like
86

So I have a Susvara and an Atrium here with me, borrowed from a friend. The OOR needed high gain to bring the most of the Susvara so i thought the Quicksilver would be a no go, but it sounds beautiful on the Quicksilver!

This little amp keeps impressing me every time i try a new set on it :slight_smile:

7 Likes
87

Looking at some listings for tube rollings… I’m terrible at researching tube option in terms of quality, price, synergy etc…

any thoughts on these options/prices?

Input tubes:

Power tubes:

https://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/SovEL84MMD--sovtek-el84m-power-tubes-matched-duet

1 Like
88

image
image3024×4032 2.68 MB

Here are my current tubes unfortunately the one to the right the 2nd shattered during shipping. The weird thing is in that box the label says Siemens, the tube type says tungsram but the logo is GE.

image
image3024×4032 1.91 MB

1 Like
89

I would be asking (messaging?) @Hazi59. He has helped a lot with tube choices for myself and others.

1 Like
90

Have a look at Brent Jesse’s website, where you will usually find a good, brief, factual description of this.
With the Amperex, you have to be careful because there was a lot of trickery with Russian tubes that were renamed.
Which is then not from Amperex at all.
It is similar with the Ecc88 tubes when it comes to Amperex.

Apart from that, proof of used tubes with measured values is always an advantage.
If there is proof available.
But even this can be easily faked if you are honest.
Photos that the pins and glass body are intact are always good, as is their internal structure.
But even there I struggle to understand the inner structure.

There are relatively few counterfeits of El34, less than of ECC88 and 12AT and their other families.
It is usually best to buy used ones from recognised dealers.

Spontaneously, I would look at the Mullard, which is usually good.
I would definitely check the Amperex.
Tungsram could be a replica or re-labelled tubes from well-known manufacturers.

5 Likes
91

I can only speak to my experience with the same tubes in my Pendant or Nautilus amps. Also, I tend to use 12au7, but they should have the same same “house” sound as the 12ax7.

The one Mullard 12au7 I tried had an amazing bass and very rich mids, but I found the highs were rolled off. Bob Marley sounded out of this world, but unfortunately I couldn’t use the tube for general listening. On the other hand, the Mullard EZ81 rectifier is my favorite rectifier in my Pendant, with very clean, neutral sound.

I’ve tried Tungsram 12au7 and EL84 tubes and found them to be very musical but they were a little lean-sounding (i.e. bass-light) for my taste. Bear in mind that I like my tubes to be warm of neutral, so factor that in when I say I like or dislike a tube. The Tungsram were probably neutral.

Amperex and Brimar are my sweet spot, as they tend to be full range (no roll off) and give me a little extra warmth in the mids. I’ve found the cheaper Brimars (e.g. the 1970’s CV4034 from Tubemonger) to have a bass boost, actually more bass than I want, whereas the more expensive ones (e.g. F6067T and 1950’s Footscray CV4034) are closer to neutral. I’m currently using a Brimar premium 12au7’s in both my Pendant and Nautilus, Amperex EL84 and Mullard rectifier in my Pendant.

In addition to Brent Jessee’s site that @Deleeh mentioned, I also use Tube Maze a lot to try to get an idea of a manufacturer’s house sound, even if they aren’t reviewing the same tube.

Also, since the Quicksilver and Pendant use some of the same tubes, I’d recommend reading the Pendant tube rolling thread in the headfi forum, particularly by Wes, who is addicted to trying out new tubes. The tubes may not sound exactly exactly the same in the Quicksilver, but you’ll get an idea of the differences in sound between each brand. Wes likes absolute neutrality in his tubes, so keep that in mind when he writes about how fantastic or how terrible a particular tube is. If you have the same taste as him, then you’re golden. In my case, I like a bit more warmth, and I’ve actually bought a few of Wes’ castoffs that have become keepers for me, so it’s good to know what you like and what the reviewer likes.

5 Likes
92

I cant speak exactly for these but speaking in generalities.

Mullards usually are all about the mids. Probably some of the best mids but sacrifice treble. Bass is usually good as well.

Amperex tubes are described as vivid and lively, the bugle boys are common and that that pricey, then the holland made, and US made version with the globe prints on them. Each one is a little step up usually in layering and space. The bugles are darn good and they improve little by little but so does price.

93

As far as Amperex goes, “bugle boys” are just the tubes that have that little cartoon character on the tubes. Please don’t base your purchase on this little guy alone. You want to go by the etched codes on the tubes that tell you the manufacturing location and date as well as the getter type and whether it’s a short or long-plate. In general, I’d stick with the Heerleen, Holland made tubes from the 1950s and 1960s.

For example, I have many early to mid-60’s short-plate Amperex 12AX7s (from the Heerleen factory) that are all labeled “Hammond”. They were specifically selected for low noise and were originally used in Hammond organs. The ones with “Hammond” printed in red are not as tightly screened for low noise as the ones printed in green, which were selected for use in the most noise-sensitive sections of the organs. For what it’s worth, I didn’t notice a difference between the two colors when used in the Quicksilver.

The really nice, and expensive, Amperex 12AX7s are the long-plate foil strip D-getter version from the 1950s. I recently landed a nice matched pair from 1954 and have been using them in my Quicksilver for the last month or two. They sound great, and I don’t plan on taking them out any time soon.

I tried 4-5 other brands of 12AX7s before deciding the Amperex house-sound was best-suited for my preferences. Luckily, almost every option sounded good on the Quicksilver, so you may have to experiment to see what works best you.

My favorite EL84/6BQ5s have been the 1955 Mullard disc getter EL84s I picked up from Wes (mentioned above) and the GE gray oval plate 6BQ5s from the Ken-Rad factory in Kentucky. Honorable mentions are the Ei EL84s I got from Upscale Audio.

94

Thanks guys perhaps I’ll be better off sourcing from Brent Jesse rather than usaudio mart or other. His prices seem a bit higher than elsewhere but perhaps less of a risk of matching issues and counterfeit.

The EL84 seems quite straightforward and I get get a bunch in the $100 - $150 range. The 12AX7 is just a rabbit hole plus there are the AU7 and AT7. The different variants gets confusing the options become very expensive quickly.

2 Likes
95

I’ve had excellent experiences with Brent, wholeheartedly recommend

4 Likes
96

Brent Jessee is more expensive, but as you say, part of that premium covers a guarantee of quality. And you can also return tubes within 30 days for any reason.

Another company I like is Vintage Tube Services, which offers a similar level of quality and returns. The downside is that it is a one man company. Andy never reads his email and prefers calls, but he’ll talk your ear off if you call, which means that you’re almost always guaranteed a busy signal every time you try him because he’ll already be nattering about tubes to someone else. But he’s really interesting to listen to, especially if you’re new to tubes. And he’s the tube equivalent of one of those retired guys at Home Depot, who will tell you not to buy the expensive flavor of the month tube, he always knows of something far better at half the price.

7 Likes
97

If you want to stick to what Mike from Quicksilver recommends, just use 12AX7s. I specifically asked about using stuff like 12AU7, 12AT7, 5751 etc, and he said to only use 12AX7s in the amp. I know there are many Quicksilver owners that have used some of these other tubes without any issue, so I doubt there’s much if any risk. That being said, it will definitely simplify your search if you just stick to 12AX7s.

2 Likes
98

Have you tried any of the Amperex varieties? Those seem like go tos as well.

Different gains on all those. They arent all interchangable though sometimes they can be. In other words just double check before plugging in.

99

Things i learned from this site. Amperex’s US factory was in NY. Their most renowned tubes were made in NY. That factory is a few miles from me and is across the street from the park we played softball in. Wild. I now need to purchase those tubez.

2 Likes
100

Yeah, I do have some Amperex EL84s. I guess the combo of Amperex 12AX7s and Amperex EL84s didn’t do it for me. I liked either the Mullards or GEs a bit better in there alongside the Amperex 12AX7s. They were certainly great tubes though and might be a good fit for someone, definitely worth a try.