Opinion of Quicksilver KT88 60 watt mono amps

I own a pair of Quicksilver monoblocks, and have to say their level of refinement far exceeded my expectations.

Echoing what Marakanetz said, with brands like Quicksilver, why would anyone pay more money for the inferior Chinese imports? You deal with a good company, making good product, providing good service, get to enjoy not only good sound, but have some pride of ownership, and if the time comes to move on, there will be demand from buyers.

From what I see, M60 pricing ranges from $700 - $1200, depending on condition, etc.

I was asking about the KT88 Monos, which are 60 watt, not the M60 which uses EL34 tubes. The original price on KT88 was about $1895, for the M60 about $1995. I assume they sound different from each other.

I am a SS man but if I were to get a tube amp it would be a Quicksilver based on their long track record and high quality at a reasonable price.

Don't bother. I had a pair back in the early 1990s. If you want 1950s sound, buy them. Poor bass performance. Mid range is nice and highs are a bit rolled off. The stock Chinese KT88 back in the day were junk. I pitched them and replaced them with US made 6550. The GE version was robust, the smaller Sylvania sounded like the original US Tung-Sol, but the Tung-Sol was the best sonically and would last forever in the amps. The amps are not hard on good tubes, and a well made 6550 will work great in them. I had the model that used two 5AR4 on each amp. That is the model you want - if you must get them. While I am not a big fan of the "audio experts" for the "big mags", I will admit that Dick Osler's review in Stereophile (back in the day) was spot-on the mark. Read it before you buy a pair. Just remember this, you are basically buying an amp design from the 1950's. Nothing that special, but they are musical and with good tubes, are very reliable.

Robetozian, what currently available tube amps are not based on a '50s circuit design? I thought most advancements have come from better parts availability, not new designs. I'm asking about tube amps in general, not just Quicksilver.