Tubes Asylum: REVIEW: Quicksilver Audio Mid-Mono Amplifier (Tube) by Doc Sarvis Questions about tubes and gear that glows. FAQ

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Model:	Mid-Mono
Category:	Amplifier (Tube)
Suggested Retail Price:	$1895
Description:	50 Watt Mono-blocks
Manufacturer URL:	Quicksilver Audio
Manufacturer URL:	Quicksilver Audio

Review by Doc Sarvis ( A ) on January 28, 2006 at 15:42:53 IP Address: 205.208.209.108

Add Your Review for the Mid-Mono

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This is a follow-up to the preliminary review on the Mid-Monos, which I posted here in December. To summarize: I had a chance to listen to the Mid-Monos at the home of a dealer near me (Tom Gibbons of Utah Audio, www.utahaudio.com), and was mightily impressed by their solid build, excellent bass response and overall sense of quality and value. They were extremely high on my short list of contenders for my next amp purchase.

In the days after writing the review, I “pulled the trigger” and purchased the amps. (One more good word for Tom Gibbons, by the way: He continues to exemplify what a high-end audio dealer should be – helpful, enthusiastic, and completely service-oriented. I’ve also purchased a pair of Audio Physic Paduas from him, and through it all he’s been a wonderful dealer. Give him a call if you live in the area.).

I’m happy to report that everything good that I noticed about the Mid-Monos on that first day of listening has borne out over a month of ownership. The soundstage, excellent response at all frequencies, and involving sound that captivated me on first hearing all continue to amaze me as I tour though my music collection. I’m listening with my new 4-ohm Padua RRs, and the two are an excellent match. They also sounded great with a pair of Gallo Reference 3’s (a speaker not known for its efficiency). I listen to a lot of classical, for example, and the Mid-Monos have no problems capturing the dynamic range of a symphonic work. My conclusion is that the EL34-based Mid-Monos (which also work with other power tubes, although I haven’t tried anything else yet), are plenty powerful at 50 wpc for most speakers. While I’m sure that Quicksilver’s 120 wpc V4s, for instance, would offer more authority, I haven’t been compelled to investigate too seriously – these Mid-Monos are much more attractively priced, and it’s hard to imagine more tube-based wattage bringing much more to the table, at least with the speakers I’ve tried.

Another thing worth mentioning about the Mid-Monos: They put out surprisingly little heat for tube amps. Of course, the tubes themselves heat up as expected, and the output transformer gets hot to the touch, but overall these amps don’t really seem much hotter than a solid state design (and I’m not referring to Class A, either). To me this a major selling point: I’ve had many other tube amps (Cary Six-Pacs come to mind) that were so hot that they interfered with the listening experience. Not so for the Mid-Monos – they would work well in virtually any room, climate or season.

So, if you are interested in tube amps, be sure to give these Mid-Monos an audition. Even if your budget is higher, of if you thought you were looking for more power, or if you thought tubes would get too hot, check these out – you might be pleasantly surprised with what they have to offer.

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Product Weakness:	See review
Product Strengths:	See review

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Associated Equipment for this Review:
Amplifier:	See Above
Preamplifier (or None if Integrated):	See review
Sources (CDP/Turntable):	See review
Speakers:	See review
Cables/Interconnects:	See review
Music Used (Genre/Selections):	See review
Type of Audition/Review:	Product Owner

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