Single ended = large images?

@montaldo fwiw, I came from four different Cary amps [triode/ultralinear) and did the whole DH Inspire Hot Rod Triode thing for a while too. I mention this because I see you run QS V4s with KT150s. My current amps [now upgraded] are the QS M120s originally designed for KT150s, now running KT120s. Thankfully. I evaluated and changed the triode input/driver tubes first, and then upgraded the QS amps to the exact same Mundorf Coupling Silver-Gold EVO caps I ran in the former Cary amps. Bing! Personally, I don’t care for the coupling caps or the main power capacitors in the signal path that Mike runs in the larger QS amps. Spending up here for really good ones here helps, notably. Others will confirm this who’ve done it. Several others here have made similar changes [particuarly those with speakers less than 93db]. FYI, he uses big efficient horn speakers for his design work btw, and possibly those silver cables too, hmmm. This might be the cap gap debate with different use-cases and speakers like yours and mine with lower sensitivity and efficiency. With these upgrade/changes, I now like my QS amps better than any of my prior Cary or DH Inspire triode amps prior. The sound stage, depth, height and focus is just right. Not overly large or ehco extended, nor anything like that. Not at all. Sits in front and spaced apart accordingly and stage depth now where it needs to be imo. I know what you are talking about btw. This is something I was looking for too fwiw.

Wanna try something else instead? - Find a good local tech, get those V4s upgraded and you might be surprised. Some members here emailed me back doing the same - reporting amazing results too fwiw. My KT150s are stored btw, the KT120s are really nice after the caps get swapped out and some good interconnects used. Take it all with a grain of salt I guess. Best of luck.

Thanks guys!

sns: My two large I'm really talking more about instruments. 4 ft violin, 12 ft wide piano etc. it just doesn't ring true to my brain... Like my head is one foot from the violin or something. Let's be clear I don't have this kind of problem right now. The imaging is pretty perfect in my room with my quicksilvers. 

Decooney: thanks for the great thoughts about quicksilvers. Yeah my v4s had the caps replaced with mundorf before I got them. I'm struggling to remember which mundorf they are. It has occurred to me to upgrade to Jupiter copper and wax, or deulend, etc. But I have not tried KT 120's nor have I ever even heard them! Any specific thoughts on sonic differences between the KT150 and the KT120 in your quickies? I do like the dynamics I have and I hate to lose any of that.

The truth is I'm very happy with the sound of my system right now, but just wondering what's out there that I might be missing such as the set magic. YOU KNOW HOW THIS SICKNESS IS. Maybe what I should do is think about more amp upgrades and cable upgrades, and not go down the set road. If the big upfront images are just endemic to SET, I probably should save myself the brain damage. 

Decooney are there other upgrades to the Quicksilver amps besides the main caps? Would love to hear about anything. Interesting that you came from SET to Quicksilver.

I've never experienced instruments out of proportion to humans on any SET amp I've owned or heard at shows, or in other home systems. Now I do hear a certain sound stage difference between SET and push pull tubes or class a/b ss. SET's have this sense of bringing performers to the listening room, the others I hear myself more transported to the recording venue, no doubt this is a more up front presentation, may not be for everyone. Personally, I like both, wish I could afford and had the space for at least two reference system with these differing presentations.

Yes sns I think the "oversized" feeling and the distance perspective are one and the same. I don't like a forward presentation, and this perceived distance to the performers gives the illusion of size, to me. If all SET amps are forward-sounding, I should probably not go that direction. Does anyone know if a forward sound is just part of the territory, or if some SET amps don't have this?

Decooney: I am pretty sure the caps I have in my v4 amps are Mundorf Supremes.

@montaldo sure, I started with KT150s in my QS M120s. They have a little more top end and a little more bottom end compared to the KT120s. I came from Cary, EL34s and Triode amps too. For me, I will always favor that EL34 midrange type of bloomy sound vs something more analytical with just more detail and more bass. Mids for me is where the music is at. Guitars and Piano keys gotta sound engaging. I was never going to be able to find enough power with 300B amps. Cary FE 211s are massive amps, high voltage room heaters. If I had a large separate room, with more AC - I might have gone that route or maybe not.  Too big really.  Mike’s smaller QS Mid Monos with EL34s are short on power and drive for my particular custom 6ohm 92.5db speakers I built. So, Mike and I talked. He felt I might like KT120s more. Started going back through friends with CJs. and the CJ forums, they like the KT120s there too. I later realized KT120 might have been closer to what I like. Af first I did not like them. Tried them twice in fact. Next I then let them settle in about 100hrs and realized it was headed in the right direction. I had played around [a lot] with the small input/driver tubes on the QS 120s, similar to how some of the V4s are set up. I have the other EVO Silver-Gold non-oiler caps. Exact same ones Cary uses on their top shelf upgrades on the FE 211s and such. The KT120s paired with vintage 1960s era Mullard 12xx7 tubes or PSVane 12xx7s up front sound nice. Particularly so when paired with the upper end Mundorf caps. When the amp transformers get warm and saturated, the 3D layered effect occurs, sounds in front, across the front, up to the sides of me. One of my former Cary amps did that too with the same caps, but the QS M120s are cleaner sounding now after these mods. The amps transform with the right caps/tubes in them.