To Fritz, Quicksilver, and all the exceptional makers trying to get the word out

To @bdp24 the first time I heard Eminent Technology LFT-8s and LFT-16s was at my local dealer using my same Quicksilver Mono 120 amplifiers.

I won’t forget the listening experience because it represented its own type of sound compared to all the other AudioNote and SoundLab electrostatic speakers there.

Another one of the exceptional makers, getting the word out came as a result of hearing the combination in person. If I resale my upgraded Quicksilver M120s tube amps down the road, I could only hope they would go to an ET speaker owner, either model. To this day I felt it was one of those amazing match-ups and synergies I’ve heard first hand.

Makes me want to bring my personal Quicksilver amps over to the dealer to play them on the LFT-8s since I’ve upgraded the coupling caps and power caps to top shelf Mundorf & Nichicons. I bet it would sound even better than last time I heard them play with the standard amps and tubes.  

Have a set of quicksilver on my voice of theater and work great.my lft 8b require more wattage.have talked to the owner developer of eminent technologies.he is very supportive and smart.clearly they are undervalued.as are the quicksilvers.enjoy the music stay healthy.

An excellent post @hilde45!

Most of my favorite artists these days are known only to their small, cult-level audience, whose members tend to be older music lovers. But in exchange for being fewer in number, they are more faithful in their love. Flash-in-the-pans come and go, fading away as quickly as they rose to stardom, but a lot of superior artists soldier on, year after year, making one great album after another. They never make a fortune, one reason they keep working! By the way, Nick Lowe has a new album out. He actually DID make a fortune from one of his songs---"(What’s So Funny ’Bout) Peace, Love, And Understanding." He’s out on the road now, backed by Los Straitjackets.

The hi-fi business has it’s equivalent; small, often 1-man operations, where the designer is often also the one making the product. Roger Modjeski of Music Reference even wound his own transformers. By the way, Mike Sanders of Quicksilver was one amplifier designer/builder whom Roger expressed admiration of. Tim DeParacini of EAR-Yoshino was another.

I have made bringing to the attention of Audiogon members the Eminent Technology LFT loudspeakers---a planar-magnetic loudspeaker sharing some similarities with the far better known Magnepan models---a project of mine. I’ll guess that Magnepan sells at least a thousand pair of Maggies to every pair of LFT-8’s ET sells, in spite of the fact that---imo---the LFT-8b is far superior to the MG1.7i, though the two are almost identical in price. You can lead a horse to water, but you can’t make it drink.

Heck I remember Quicksilver from the 1980s I believe? Their 8417 based amps were highly regarded and sought after. Never owned them but I did have a pair of Silver 90 monos.

Never had the opportunity to experience Fritz but Quicksilver is another story...everything Sanders produces is just outstanding by any measure.

@hilde45 ...but if I just want them on in the background, they're lovely that way, too. 

It's a great point, leaving them on in the background, being able to walk around the house listening while doing various things. Just leaving it on and not having to sit in front of a system is desirable too.   I miss the old days systems where we just flip it on and leave it on not worrying about over-heated Class A amps or high $ tubes burning down. Its the OCD side or frugal side some of us have, I'll admit it :) 

I'm revisiting what I refer to as [new value tubes vs NOS] and integrated SS amplifiers too as a result. Some of my older Sansui integrateds were the best.  Kinda miss that era. Seemed less complex, so easy, fun listening.  

The Fritz Carbons are a speaker I've referred to friends based your reviews @hilde45. Finding such a speaker you can just let play and enjoy with different amps is pretty darn cool.  Thanks for all of your time and energy on this @hilde45 

I thought that 89% of audiophile gear is unknown to 98% of the public

Welcome back, I too tend to take 'vacations' from the forums from time to time.

Coincidentally, I was just thinking about how I've migrated towards boutique brands over the years. I too prefer to support these smaller operations, my hard earned money going directly to engineer/designers vs investor class. Value is an added benefit, profits don't have to be generated to support this surplus group of people. I've owned some of the corporate/big name equipment in the past, not going to say there wasn't good value in some, but others not so much. My estimation of value includes build quality, parts quality, sound quality.

Boutique audio entities also afford me the opportunity to assemble an extremely unique system aligned exactly with my preferences. This even to the point of changing out individual parts within components, capacitors, resistors, inductors, wire, drivers, etc.

@hilde45 excellent post and Happy New Year!

@hilde45 Hats off to Fritz and his wonderful speakers.  I picked up a used pair of 2017 Rev 5 SE to use as mains in my 2nd Home Theatre System. They exceeded my expectations so when I ungraded my amp in my main system I thought let’s add my outgoing 2017 Raven Blackhawk SE integrated amp to my HT system along with a used Gustard R26 DAC/streamer.  Along with a few tweaks this combo delivers the most surprising results that it dumbfounds me. So simple yet there are times I enjoy this set up more than my main system.  The Fritz speakers just disappear and fill the 25x18 untreated room with such depth and clarity…. I  guess miracles do happen.   Cheers to your miracles happening in 2025!

.  

Always nice hear about someone system performing well.

For many years I’ve been convinced that many of the smaller less known companies produce the best sounding gear. Big conglomerates with CEOs, board of directors, accounting and marketing departments, and shareholders, etc., have to focus on profit, while many of the small businesses were started by hobbyists who care more about sound....they also have to sound better to compete with better known brands. Sure, there’s a downside with resale of lesser known gear, but it sure can be a pleasure to use. I commend those who are willing to take the road less traveled!

Happy New Year!

@hilde45 ,

Hilde, would you give me your comparative thoughts between your updated Ascend Towers vs. the Fritz Carbons?

Thanks!

Glad you are enjoying your system.   I've had Quicksilver Mid Monos since 2015 and they have been great.    I also bought the QS Headphone Amp a few years ago .  Great stuff.