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

It's been a while since I've posted. When you're in the sandwich generation, life intervenes. I've not had much chance to keep up with the conversations here, but I've managed some changes in my system, including a new set of speakers from a local audio fixer and DIY genius. These new speakers are wide baffle design with JBL woofers (15") and Beyma AMT tweeters. 97db sensitivity. I've put a picture on my system page.

But I've been thinking about Fritz and Quicksilver for an odd reason. There's an interesting guy on YouTube, Andy Edwards. He's a drummer and teacher with interestingly provocative analyses of rock, jazz, and music. Recently in a video entitled "Ten things non-musicians get wrong about music," he was pointing out how the music industry tends to advance very select fractions of talented people. There is a tremendous funneling effect that excludes a huge percentage of talented people. They are better than many of the most popular musicians, but they cannot get a hearing. They have to make a living in other ways -- but they are extraordinarily talented, nonetheless. This tends to skew the public perception of what a good musician is because people hear what they hear and then celebrate it because it's what they know. Subjective bias leads to (false) objective estimations of how good musicians can be. (Take one case in point: Kazuhito Yamashita. Look him up. Staggering genius on the guitar who didn't become a worldwide phenomenon.) 

This made me think about two of the pieces in my system -- Fritz speakers and Quicksilver amps. They are complete unknowns to 99% of the buying public, and if you look around on YouTube or other media, it's pretty hard to find much promotion. It's all word of mouth, and even if they did advertise, who would hear them? With Klipsch and Focal and Yamaha et al. taking up most of the available attention economy, how could their message get through? 

I am so grateful to the members of this forum for helping guide me to Fritz and Quicksilver. They are the most listenable, comfortable, and high-quality gear I've owned. I've heard amazing things about other brands -- such as Audio Note -- but I'm paying for college, soon for two kids, and that just ain't happening. These are not the best things money can buy, but as value propositions, you really cannot do better, IMHO.

For those whose ears are perking up about Fritz for the first time, I have done two reviews of what I think is his better speaker, the Carbon 7 SE MKII. 

Written -- https://forum.audiogon.com/discussions/review-fritz-heiler-s-carbon-7-se-mk-2-bookshelf-speakers?

Video -- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LpI6eAvc4_M

I've tried them with everything: they're tube friendly (Quicksilver, 60w); they're class D friendly (DIY Hypex-based amp, 275W); they're class A friendly (Pass XA-25, about 25-80w); they're class AB friendly (Adcom, Akitika, 60w). 

I like them because if I focus in on them, they perform but if I just want them on in the background, they're lovely that way, too. 

Hope everyone has a good 2025. 

128x128hilde45
mapman's avatar
mapman
22,328 posts
 

I've been a Fritz proponent for several years now and have recommended them here on many occasions.  That's based on the sound I've heard running off even the most modest powered amps along with the design info available that accounts for that performance as well as published measurements that support it as well.   

When in doubt, hard to go wrong with Fritz.   I already have a variety of speakers, more than I certainly need, but Fritz are at the top of my "speakers I'd like to own" list currently, especially if I ever decide to dabble with something completely different, like a flea powered SET amp.

hilde45's avatar
hilde45 OP
4,986 posts
 

@corelli Need to try the Akitika. Will let you know.

scowler1
55 posts
 

rivinyl

Has anyone had any experience with the Quicksilver phono stage?

 

Yes. I own one and use it in my main system with Teres 245 TT and Hana ML cartridge. I use a classic old step up transformer. I have enjoyed it for years.

mattw73
65 posts
 

I was unaware of Fritz speakers until pretty recently..maybe 3 or 4 months ago. There was not a ton of info or user reviews on the Internet but what I did come across was all positive. This forum had a lot of good words to say about them.

It is the quality of drivers that he uses which really sparked my interest..& the not ridiculous prices for a speaker that uses that caliber of drivers/tweeters. Outside of some DIY tube equipment most of my audio purchases are from the usual suspects of mainstream equipment. Other bookshelves I've owned over the last 3 or 4 years are the Linton's, R3 Meta's, Elac Vela 403, Martin Logan XT-B100. 

I came across a used sale for the Fritz REV7 SE. The price was really good so I took a chance..bought them without listening first. I am very impressed by their sound. They have a clarity & midrange that is sweet. Vocals are very nice. Guitar strums, bass plucks, the attack on drum hits & shimmering symbols..all extremely realistic. They disappear very easily..even in my wonky room. Putting instruments & sounds out into space all around the speakers. I know that some of this might sound a little ridiculous or overzealous but it is truly what I perceive & hear when I listen to them. They do seem to have just a smidge more emphasis on the upper half of the frequency response. Or maybe I'm just not use to a speaker this open & easy sounding. 

So I am a fan now. I did reach out to J.Fritz after my purchase thru email. He definitely seems like a cool guy. Very personable & open to talk about all things audio. He encouraged me to give him a call as I wanted to know more about his other speakers & designs in general. 

hilde45's avatar
hilde45 OP
4,986 posts
 

@mattw73 I really like how you described it and would agree. Fritz’s speakers are not cheap but there’s no middleman and I feel like people are getting his 40 years of experience in this very evolved model. No one begrudges a good chef at a unique restaurant the prices on the menu. Granted, it cannot be one of the restaurants that hedge fund managers go to -- there, the high price is actually part of what they want, for social reasons. But if I go to a good restaurant and pay a slightly higher price, I don’t say, "The Cheesecake Factory would have been just as good."

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