Hi folks,
Wanted to share this nice preamp for sale over at USAM (by me).
Quicksilver Line Stage — with additional tubes, subwoofer pre-outs, upgraded capacitors and volume potMike Sanders, the force behind Quicksilver, has an outstanding reputation and his gear is known for durability and value. He does not advertise or solicit reviews — he just makes amazing gear. As a result, your money buys you build quality. That is why Quicksilver gear competes with gear costing much more.
This particular offering of the Quicksilver Line Stage includes (a) added pre-outs (done by QS before initial delivery), (b) original, boutique, and NOS tubes (3 sets), and (c) professionally done upgrades to capacitors and the volume pot. This makes an already serious competitor a real giant-killer.
I am the original owner and purchased this from an authorized Quicksilver Audio dealer in April 2020.
This preamp is in excellent condition and sounds gorgeous! I’m selling because I’m interested in trying a DIY tube preamp as well as some solid state preamplifiers. I have matched it easily with a variety of other amplifiers, including Pass Labs XA-25, Quicksilver Mono 60s, Atoll 120SE Integrated, Adcom 535L, and a MiniGan4 amplifier. It worked really well with all of them.
The QS Linestage does a number of things really well. Voices and instruments are clearly articulate and intimately rendered in a rich, wide, and deep soundstage. Transients are spry, and there is a naturalness to voices and horns which cause one to do a double-take — as if they were present in the room.
Price
The total investment in this unit is $2297. This is the sum of the original base cost ($1495) plus Mike Sanders’ adding an additional pre-out for subwoofers ($50); in addition, there are the upgrades and added tubes ($752).
My price for this unit is $1495. This includes the upgraded Line Stage, plus all tubes. If requested, I will also send all previous, original parts. Proof of all receipts can be provided upon request.
UPGRADES
Pre-outs. One set of pre-outs were added by Quicksilver before purchase. This makes it easy for the preamp to feed subwoofers (or other added components) the same signal being sent to the power amplifier. These outputs still say “tape out” but they are identical to the main out.
Additional Improvements — caps, volume pot. (see photos)
All products are built to a price point, and as I started to enjoy this preamp, I started to connect with other Quicksilver owners who had improved on the amazing units they had. With the advice of reputable folks and the work of a local and talented technician, I undertook an upgrade. It went very, very well. In November of 2021, I spent $425 to have it professionally upgraded with (a) a superior volume pot and (b) very high quality capacitors. The improvements over the stock version were marked — faster, fuller, and more accurate volume control.
Cost of upgrades. (Total: $350 in parts; $75 in labor)
Parts replacement cost: $350 parts: $110 volume pot + $240 for caps
Volume pot: Replaced Alps Pot 550G 100KAx2 with TKD 100k 2CP-2511 Series Stereo Conductive Plastic Volume Pot. (See photo).
Replaced stock caps with Mundorf M-Lytic and VCAP ODAM. (See photo).
TUBES Original and Additional ($327 additional to original complement)
Included are the original JJ tubes (which came with the unit), plus tubes from PSVane (Art series, $128) and two NOS tubes (Amperex, 1962-68, $199) from expert tube dealer, Brent Jessee. All tubes are working well and are likely in the first third of their lifespan. The originally supplied JJ tubes have barely any hours on them.
QUICKSILVER’S SPECIFICATIONS
Bandwidth 0.1 Hz to 100 KHz +0,-3db
IM Distortion less than 0.08% at 1v output
Harmonic Distortion less than 0.08% at 1v output from 10 Hz to 40 KHz
Gain 18 db
Input Impedance 100 Kohm, 20 Hz-20 KHz
Output Impedance 100 ohms, 20 Hz-20 KHz
Output Polarity inverted
Maximum Input 30 volts RMS, 20 Hz-20 KHz
Maximum Output 60 volts RMS, 20 Hz-20 KHz
Noise 20 microvolts RMS residual IHF weighted noise output with gain control at minimum
Tube Complement 2-12AT7
Dimensions 3″H, 9 1/2″D, 15″W
Front Panel 3 1/4″H, 17″W
Weight 12 lbs.
Shipping:
Shipping inside the USA is calculated exact by FedEx or USPS, fully insured.
Shipping weight is 18 lbs and the box measures 20x15x10
Payment:
Paypal users, please add 3% to the purchasing price or talk with me about alternative modes of payment. Shipping to be paid by the buyer.
Includes:
Original power cable.
Tubes 12AT7: 2 JJ; 2 NOS Valvo and 2 Psvane.
Owners manual.
If desired: Original capacitors and volume pot.
Please see ad at:
https://www.usaudiomart.com/details/649964106-quicksilver-line-stage-with-additional-tubes-subwoofer-pre-outs-upgraded-capacitors-and-volume-pot/
