Here is quick little ditty about a product that is sure to make an improvement to your system performance. QuickSilver GOLD is a silver-based contact treatment from Brian Kyle and his company—Xtreme AV LLC. Brian is an enthusiastic guy looking to bring sonic and video enjoyment to the next level. The product seems similar to other silver contact enhancers. Brian makes sure there is no confusion here and points this out on the website. The product comes in a kit with a small container holding the QuickSilver GOLD, a small, retractable brush, 10 cotton-tipped applicators, and a small bottle of Deoxit D100L contact treatment. You will need to provide your own isopropyl alcohol and abrasive pads for final cleaning of contacts or QuickSilver GOLD removal.

My experience with QuickSilver GOLD was limited to two-channel audio so I cannot comment about the product’s performance in video applications. However, Brian offers a 30-day, money-back guarantee and he claims no one has yet returned it. Some cable manufacturers even include it with the purchase of their products. Testimonials on Brian’s website attest to his product’s claims. The website also has a wealth of information with instructions and test results to back up the claims QuickSilver GOLD Print Friendly Information .

I went through my system treating all the AC power connections, fuses, interconnects and speaker cables right up to the tube pins of my line stage preamp. The process is tedious especially if you clean the surfaces beforehand as I did. Make sure you have a well-lit work area to ensure all areas of the cables intended to be treated are, and those that are not to be treated are not. Problems and possible equipment failure may result if incorrectly applied. There are some things I will strongly caution on before using QuickSilver GOLD.

Before treating the pins of vacuum tubes, make sure the warranty will not be voided on the equipment. Second, do not get too liberal in the amount of QuickSilver GOLD that is applied-a little goes a long way. At the same time however, make sure the surface is covered evenly. Third, I have to disagree with the instructions concerning male pins on RCA cables. The instructions call for treating the male pin 1/2 to 2/3 of the way down the length of the pin. I did that and when I inserted the treated interconnects back into the equipment it caused problems. The tight clearances of the female RCA connections on my gear scraped the QuickSilver GOLD down the entire length of the pin causing a small conduction bridge across the positive and negative legs of the RCA jack. The result being that I experienced the center image steering to the left. I suggest that only the very tip of the male pin on RCA cables be treated since that is the point where the connection is made. Fourth, once you get the system treated, leave it alone. If you are the type who always changes equipment, cables, or tubes, this product may not be for you. The instructions say that you can break the connection twice in the first 30 days. However, Brian recommends ideally when any cable is removed or any connection broken, that you should clean the connection to remove any QuickSilver GOLD and apply a fresh coat. Since I was doing cable evaluations and trying new gear, I just caused frustration for myself. Once I was clear of trials the product was used again. This may not be a product for equipment reviewers.

Once I did settle down and let the QuickSilver GOLD do its’ job, everything was as advertised. On first listen when all contacts in the system had been treated, I was a bit put off at first. It sounded like early digital with edge and stridency. As I let the system play-in, the edge disappeared and I was left with better detail, definition, and clarity. I always listen to Mapleshade CDs when I perform critical listening and the same was true here. On Mapleshade’s Sunny (05932), track 5 starts off with bassist, Keter Betts counting time to himself as he plays and pauses. This was now clearly more evident after the QuickSilver GOLD treatment. J Street Jumpers’ CD, Is You Is Or Is You Ain’t My Baby on the same label (05452), has a highly entertaining, engaging quality to it. After treating the system, musical notes had more weight, more density, and color. The presentation just seemed to be more vibrant with better snap to transients and more toe tapability. And to think this was a CD that I previously thought was so dynamically lifeless and slow that I threw it in the drawer and never thought about it again. As my system has gotten faster through the progression of changes, this CD has brought me much enjoyment. The QuickSilver GOLD just upped the jump factor another notch.

To make a comparison to better illustrate what QuickSilver GOLD did for the sound, I liken it to the experience I had when I installed the Nelson Pass-designed First Watt, F1, current-source power amp. That amplifier has an iron-fisted control over speaker cone movement that results in more detail, nuance and subtleties of the music being exposed. It was much the same with QuickSilver GOLD. As time went on and the QuickSilver GOLD settled in, I was able to listen into the music more, with ambience retrieval being a smidge better, and everything seeming to be more sure-footed and focused. As I had the system treated for about one month when the review was written, Brian said it was only about 85% broken-in and that it continues to get better about 3 to 4 months out as the dielectric carrier becomes fully polymerized allowing more natural micro-detail information through.

I can recommend without any doubt QuickSilver GOLD Audio & Video Contact Enhancer. Usually when it comes to tweaks, I become the guy where the products don’t work as advertised. Not the case with QuickSilver GOLD. If your heart is aching because you want to move up in cables or try that new MK II version, give this a try before you do. You should be rewarded with all the benefits provided you follow the instructions carefully and take my advice into account while doing so. John Mazur

QuickSilver GOLD
Retail: $159 per QSG Kit, Sale Price: $134 per QSG Kit

Xtreme AV LLC
33331 Ocean Hill Drive
Dana Point, CA 92629
web address: www.quicksilvergold.com
email address: [email protected]