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New Preamp arrived....

So a few short hours ago my Quicksilver Line Stage Preamp arrived. It will be replacing a Schiit SYS passive that was bought to be able to implement the first piece of the puzzle, the power amp, and be able to sell my cheapo integrated.

its been 20 months since the power amp arrived so today was super exciting.
I hook it all up (and reverse the speaker connections as it says it inverts phase) and...

Well its every bit as clean and clear as the Schiit. Bass is a little better. The volume knob can actually be turned further to get as loud as the Schiit which was surprising. The treble has some sizzle on the very top end which I’m assuming will work itself out over time. Not much different in the bass department.

My fear going in was it’d sound the same which would add a heavy dose of buyer’s remorse ($1300 vs $50). It’s got the stock JJ 12AT7 tubes and I have a pair of NOS RCA black plates coming next week.

So what kinds of things can I expect for the first few days/weeks?
gochurchgo
georgehifi's avatar
georgehifi
10,312 posts
 
The NS 1000, 1000x, 5000’s as do the Soavo1 and 2 (NS-B951), need a 2db boost in the lower mids/upper bass in my room with the Loki (2nd knob from the left to 3o’clock position all others flat), to make them just right to my ear, typical of Japanese (Yamaha) balance.
This can be done with the Schiit Loki, try doing that with different preamps and you’ll go broke or mad trying.

Cheers George
tooblue
1,953 posts
 
What is it we are trying to do exactly? Your room your ears. Give me a preamp everday and Let me listen to my music with all its glory. Just sayin
curiousjim's avatar
curiousjim
4,920 posts
 
congratulations on your new preamp!

take your your time and wait at least 200 hours before you think about changing a thing. And as for tube rolling, I’m currently using NOS Amperex cca holland gold pin. So far the best I’ve tried.

All the best.

JD
oddiofyl's avatar
oddiofyl
3,992 posts
 
Enjoy !!!    I am listening to my Quicksilver Mid Monos right now....  I never tire of these amps...  they sound incredible for their modest price.   AND  they are super reliable.  The value of Mike's gear is very high for the $$$.    His stuff kicks a$$
gochurchgo OP
923 posts
 
Thanks I feel like it’s filling in nicely. I got a couple of hours to listen yesterday and the sound is warmer and punchier. Today I’m getting kinda of a “halo” around vocals that are tweeter heavy.
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