My Favorite Amp(s) - Quicksilver Headphone & Feliks Echo

[@Maj0rTac0]

I just recieved the Echo MK2 today. It totally beat my Xduoo TA26s in powering my hd650. Keeping the Echo and don' know yet if I will sell the TA-26s, It's my first Tube AMP and love the aesthetics

[@gabech2789]

Did you ever tube roll the Xduoo TA26s, because I was between the Feliks or the TA26s with some APOS tubes. Any feedback is appreciated 😃

[@goldengoose5744]

I recently bought echo amp and I'm happy using it. Like you said it pairs well with everything. Because the sound is lush and warm it pairs better with bright analitical headphones. I changed the driver tubes for matched pair of 6n23p-ev and for me echo amp sound more 3d and spacious. The best match for me is with focal clear and audeze lcd-2c (I use mine with dekoni velour pads). Try to use echo as a pre amp for your stax combo. I use mine this way with koss stax and it gave more body to the notes.

[@chrisstella210]

I have the Espressivo and it plays well with all that you mentioned. love this amp

[@soulfulfool]

I never felt love towards amp until I met my Elise, it simply make all of my headphones sound x3 better. Thou I always say that stock tubes are not for me, everyone is looking for different taste in this hobby. Yet I assure you that Feliks is worth to invest, higher models with bigger tubes are wonderful. My personal Elise perform like a new unit after nearly 7 years so its also timeless piece

[@zodd3262]

As a owner of the Quicksilver Headphone amp, no regrets at all. It was my first really expensive Hi-Fi purchase. It is the only amp so far that brings the DT-880 600 Ohm *alive*. I A/B the QHA with the Geshelli Erish from time to time and it makes me appreciate the Erish a lot more for what it is! Apparently if you switch out the components on the QHA with higher quality equivalents, there is a substantial performance increase. You should check out the Vista Audio Contour-21!

[@MrAyrit]

Do you have a link to anything detailing some upgrades? I’d definitely be interested in trying that in the future.

[@dontron810]

Running it through a pre with better volume control like a pre90, gave me a boost in SQ

[@aceofspades6667]

I bought my quicksilver used off headfi for an amazing price it had upgraded caps which improved bass performance. Got 3 sets of NOS tubes for each type and it's just a killer hp amp and plays nicely with all of my headphones and even drives my HE6 sev2 and 1266 phi tc with ease. Mine came with a product by Morley called the Hum exterminator which eliminated any hum I had. I would suggest trying a product like this and trying to roll tubes which should help.

[@aceofspades6667]

I have a ton of hps.. 1266, he6, hp3, lcdx, lcd3r, og clear, hd800s, celestee, Q701, VC.. they all sound great on the QS but the hd800s probably has the best synergy with it. Come join us on the Sonus Aparatus forum there is a good QS thread and Mon has a fantastic written review on it.

[@MrAyrit]

Thanks, I will look into the hum eliminator.

[@gefski7677]

Fun review! My QS only has hum (without music) way past 12:00 which would be ear bleeding with music. NOS tubes well worth it over new production, I’m using GE 12AX7 and beautiful true timbre with Polam or Telam EL84.

[@saltydog4981]

Hello, I have a similar issue with hum. Have you tried a power conditioner?

[@AwkwardLe]

Does the headphones mute the rca out or is it always outputting? Thanks

[@kerryvanderkamp5051]

I also have an Echo and really like it but I haven’t heard any transformer-coupled amps so I would love to know more about how these compare against comparably priced solid state and especially the less analytical designs (eg class A).

[@asan1050]

MrAyrit Thanks Much !

[@saltydog4981]

Hello, I bought the quicksilver and I am truly amazed. Only one small problem is that I have a hum. After going through a process of elimination, I have concluded it is the power source that generates the hum in the amplifier. Are there any power conditioners that work well with the amp?

[@MrAyrit]

I have the same problem, and haven’t found a fix. I am using a power conditioner.

[@saltydog4981]

@@MrAyrit I’m going to try a ferrite, I hope that helps.

[@ptm7809]

Did you contact Quicksilver Audio directly? Miek usually replies within the same day. I am interested because I sold an Antique Lab EL84 headphone amp with a separate power supply and it too hummed. Changing power cords helped.

[@tommyv8584]

Thank you doing tubes amps that is my new interest.I just bought my new first incredible amp the Auris Audio HA- 2SF for my Focal Utopia and Meze Emperean,almost bought the Feliks Euforia and heard it at SoCal can jam let just say I’m glad I’ve got the Auris.The Euforia is great too.If you can get your hand on the Auris I would like to hear yours thought on it.Thanks👍🤚…….

[@aceofspades6667]

I've got the QS and own the Auris HA 2SE... Hands down the QS is the better performer while the Auris is the better looking unit. I still enjoy by Auris and it synergizes differently with some hps compared to the QS.

[@gryphongryph]

Would the Quicksilver work well with my AKG 701 and 712 ?

[@MrAyrit]

I don’t think so. You would probably have a noise floor that would be audible.

[@MrAyrit]

I mean, music would sound brilliant when it was playing…

[@pietossing]

have you tried the garage1217 amps? they're shockingly good, don't dismiss them out of turn.

[@MrAyrit]

I haven’t, but thanks for the tip. I’ll keep an eye out.

[@carbon_wavelight]

I like your chill style of reviewing. Would you be open to reviewing the denafrips pontus II? I'm curious as to how it compares to the cayin RU6. I'm in the market for either at the moment and the only thing holding me away from the pontus is the fifo buffer latency. Anyways, great video 👍 subbed

[@MrAyrit]

Thanks, I haven’t had the opportunity to listen to any Denafrips yet, but I’ve got a line on the Ares II. I’d be happy to give the Pontus a listen, but someone will have to send it.

[@carbon_wavelight]

@@MrAyrit I see. Have you reached out to Alvin at Vinshine audio? They're the global distributor for denafrips and Alvin's a super nice dude

[@abhik6503]

Thanks for the review mate. Please consider reviewing ZMF Atrium.

[@MrAyrit]

Soon.

[@abhik6503]

@@MrAyrit Atrium is pretty well known for its depth in soundstage and since you like depth, I am quite curious on your thoughts about it. Looking forward to it mate 😀

[@danterikxx]

Not related, but do you ship stuff to Portugal? If so, what would be the extra cost?

[@MrAyrit]

Im not opposed to it, but it’s expensive. I think it was $80 for just a set of headphones.

[@TheLeFartiste]

Concerning the hum - make sure you are not sharing a mains power circuit with anything that may use a motor. Examples include a fan, a refrigerator or any other type of appliance.

[@reckulurn3038]

Do you think using the Dac out of the SABAJ A20d 2022 Version or the Schiit Modius balanced Dac would be a good pairing for the Feliks Audio Echo? Or do you have another Dac recommendation? Thanks

[@MrAyrit]

In that price range, my favorite is the Cayin RU6, but I think both of those would be fine if you already have them.

[@EngrRomero]

Oh man, those 0.4% of distortion tube amps sounds that good? Any recommendations where I can get one not too expensive to try one? Thanks in advance.

[@MrAyrit]

Probably the best cheap one I’ve tried is the Little Dot mkii with some vokshood tubes from ebay. I’ve got a video on it if you want to check it out.

[@EngrRomero]

@@MrAyrit Thanks

[@David-fo6oy]

Change tubes if you hear a hum, one tube is probably microphonic.

[@MrAyrit]

You have any suggestions? More likely power or input?

[@David-fo6oy]

@@MrAyrit It could be either. Take a wooden chop stick (or similar non conductive shaped item) and tap the tubes while listening and if one of them hums then that is the culprit. Sometimes just switching them into different channels will fix it. But if switching them doesn't do it then a new tube may be called for. Best of luck.

[@rsmood8362]

May Zay? It's Meh Zay

[@Clout_chasing_boy]

Transformer couple amps are almost always superior to otls

[@MrAyrit]

That’s what I’ve heard. I’ve only had the chance to try two transformer coupled amps, but I really like both of them.

[@danm203]

I have the Echo and it had a hum. Then I moved it away from my wifi router. Problem solved.

[@Reeeepicheep]

Using a dongle as a desktop dac is wack

[@MrAyrit]

Don’t knock it until you’ve tried it.

[@kerryvanderkamp5051]

Is wack a new audiophile term? Sounds pretty cool. 😂

[@thewatersofmarch9658]

I'm using the Cayin ru6 as a dac with the Singxer SA-1 and modified Sennheiser 8XX, all sounds good. When I last looked the Cayin ru6 was sold out, it is a really good dongle dac/amp.