Are Quicksilver power tube amps in the same league as VAC, VTL, BAT, ARC, ...?

"@smodtactical Is quicksilver warm and rich or more ss neutral and fast ?"

While Mike Sanders of Quicksilver already answered part of the question for you in Your Prior Post Here 5/22/23, I’ll add my .02 cents for what it’s worth about my QS.

1. Speakers used play a key part in the result

2. Preamplifier (SS or Tube) can impact results

3. Cables used can help or impact the sound

4. Source and/or DAC used matters too

5. Listening environment matters of course

For example:

My system includes a 6SN7 Triode tube preamplifier, a non-oversampling capable DAC, my choice of Cardas cables, with 93db 6ohm custom speakers for a type of sound I prefer. They match fairly well to my Quicksilver mono tube amps. Different output tubes in the QS amps can impart a smoother or more detailed sound too.

So, it depends, you can start out with a "neutral" sound as QS Mike suggests, you can also fine tune leaning in to warmer direction as your other threads inquire about. i.e. PSVANE CV181-TIIs tubes in my preamp tilt slightly towards a warmer result. You did not indicate what QS amps and what output tubes you are looking at, this matters too.  

Quicksilver best stuff out there and the paranoia of mikes stuff being to cheap compared to other brands has to do with NO ADVERTISING DOUBLE THE PRICE IF YOU ADVERTISE PERIOD…WHEN WE WROTE THE BOOK PAUL WILBUR KLIPSCH THE LIFE THE LEGEND THE ONLY BIOGRAPHY OF PWK WE ADVERTISED IN STEREOPHILE A FEW MONTHS 5000.00 for a single page for one month you pay for that….so double his amp prices and then you get it….ive been dealing with MS and QS for 37 yrs since my 1st pair and his 6c33c triodes cost around 6 K AND I OWN 4 pair because I call them the worlds most perfect monoblocks and I did a side by side again LAMM 50 K MONOBLOCKS AND THE QS WAS THE KING 

With more than 25 years, you can use it in good condition.  What else tube amplifier could be that way? I do not know.

Most competent amplifiers will go 25 years with ease. The ones that can't make 25 years are likely to put the producer of such amps out of business long before 25 years has gone by!

@ihcho If you want to get the best out of a tube amplifier its really in your best interest to use a speaker that is 8 Ohms or more. Speakers that are hard to drive really don't show off any amplifier (tube or solid state) all that well.

This is simply because the harder the amp has to work, the more distortion its going to make. On top of that, with most tube amps you can lose up to an octave of bandwidth off of the bottom end by using the 4 Ohm tap as opposed to the 8 Ohm tap; and you need that 4 Ohm tap to work with 4 Ohm speakers!

You may recall that I advised you earlier about running a speaker of lower sensitivity; I said that 100 Watts would likely not be enough. What I didn't say is that you really want any amplifier to be loafing while doing its job.

Speakers don't have to be inefficient to have excellent definition! My speakers are 98dB and are some of the more revealing speakers I've heard. You also get greater dynamic contrast as the more efficient the speaker is, the less thermal compression it tends to have.

@jordi Wait till @roxy54 sees your post.  

RALPH ATMA-sphere and Mike quicksilver are all I own because they are the best in my humble opinion and RALPH AND MIKE ARE truly awesome and patient because I am stupid but I have good ears and both take the time out of their day to help me and teach me…..my goodness the ATMA AND QS I ALTERNATE on my Merlin VSM and bobby is smiling