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


I see that VAC, VTL, BAT, ACR power tube amps are almost twice or more expensive than Quicksilver power tube amps at the same power ratings.
Are Quicksilver power amps as good as twice or more expensive brands?
I am considering power tube amps with 80, 100, or 120Watts power ratings and I just wonder.
I don't have much budget (under 5K) and my choice is either new QS or those other brands used.
If not QS, which brands are best bang for the buck for power tube amps?
I need to drive 87dB speaker, so the power has to be at least 80Watts.
Thanks for your input.
128x128ihcho

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.

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

@shtinkydog 

I have no problem with anyone who likes them, it's just that my experience with them was different. I don't think that the Silver Monos that I owned can be considered as anything close to reference grade, but they are nice, with obvious tube type colorations.

@roxy54 You mean to tell me that you're not gonna slice and dice him up for grammar, punctuation, run-on sentences, capitalization, and shouting?  🤣