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Tweakers' Asylum: REVIEW: Xtreme cables Quicksilver contact enhancer Accessory by faithnomorefreak

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REVIEW: Xtreme cables Quicksilver contact enhancer Accessory

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Model: Quicksilver contact enhancer
Category: Accessory
Suggested Retail Price: $64.95
Description: nt
Manufacturer URL: Xtreme cables
Manufacturer URL: Xtreme cables

Review by faithnomorefreak ( A ) on January 31, 2005 at 11:24:31
IP Address: 131.107.71.93
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for the Quicksilver contact enhancer


First thing. This review is long. I want to describe as acurate as possible this new product to better inform you all before you blow any cash on yet ANOTHER tweak. My system is very modest and my musical tastes likely very different so your results will obviously vary.

I first noticed Quick Silver on Audiogon. My curiousity was instantly piqued as unlike many other audio and videophiles, I was not blown away by the standard Walker SST and the thought of shelling out 150 clams to audition Extreme SST did not sit well. And here was this new CRYO'D silver goo for half the price! I took the plunge.

And man am I glad that I did! The kit comes in a handy plastic snap shut case. Inside is the jar of Quick Silver which is very small. Actually about half the amount Walker provides (But has anyone actually used a WHOLE jar of SST?) The product looks cool. Whereas the silver in SST looks kind of dirty and lumpy, Quick Silver is smooth and looks very pure. Almost like silver paint. I can practially see my reflection in the stuff. Better quality silver maybe? It is not quite as thick as SST though. Also included in the kit is a tiny tube of Caig DeOxit, spatula to stir, 8 pointed end cotton swabs, and the applicator brush. The brush is cool because it is a retractable pen. Simply click the little brush up and paint away. This applicator works just as well as the foam applicators Walker provides but is less messy because you can retract the brush and put the lid on the pen. The instruction sheet is also more complete than SST's and includes photos on application. Let's get started.

I simply wiped off all the SST in my system with some Kleenex. No rubbing alcohol, DeOxit...nada. (for those inmates that will claim cleaning off the contacts well made all the difference). I applied it to all my AC plugs, IEC male pins, interconnect pins, outside the female RCA barrels, and all the contact points inside my Monster HTPS 7000 (shut up I didn't know better at the time). Since Quick Silver is not as thick as SST, it is more difficult to apply evenly. It takes a little more care to ensure an even coat, but you'll learn how to apply it more efficiantly with practice.

I sampled very different genres of music. First was Pantera's Vulgar Display Of Power, next was various Trance, Drum and Bass, and House cd's, and lastly was Sarah McLachlan's Surfacing album. All displayed improved bass response, the noise floor dropped another level, and the instruments seemed to have more seperation from eachother. The biggest improvement was on Sarah McLachlan's voice. It sounded so real like I was at a show! Awesome stuff. I won't get into the super fine details as you've all heard it a million times before. Just know it does what SST does only better. I am not as much an audiophile as videophile, and this is where Quick Silver REALLY flexes it's muscle.

HOLY COW! Video performance from DVD's, standard cable, and especially video games from my PS2 was out of the park! The resolution and clarity of the picture was greatly enhanced as was color and that sense of 3D. Images seemed to seperate more from their backgrounds. Quick Silver also cured two issues that had been ailing my video set-up. It somehow greatly reduced "Red Push" coming from my JVC HD CRT set, and eliminated the white, fuzzy "halo" effect around small white or yellow text. (ie the ticker at the bottom on the screen on ESPN) And Madden 2005 never looked so good! All my reference games and DVD's improved and left me with one big fat grin on my face. Things have only improved over the weekend as the product has settled in.

I could not be more impressed with this new product! Brian and the people at XTreme AV deserve immense success for creating this fantastic product. I have the utmost respect for Lloyd Walker and his products that I've listened to, but he should take notice. Quick Silver SLAYS standard SST for the same price and is half the price as his SST Extreme. Do yourselves a favor and pick this stuff up. A cryo'd silver contact enhancer for $64.95 is a no-brainer to me. Sorry for writing a book, but now you know. ;-)

http://www.xtremecables.com/quicksilver.php


Product Weakness: Not as easy to spread on as SST.
Product Strengths: Flat out works better than standard SST, especially on video. Silver is cryo'd and half the price of Walker SST Extreme. Applicator pen very handy. Comes with DeOxit and cool carrying case.


Associated Equipment for this Review:
Amplifier: Pioneer VSX-D488
Preamplifier (or None if Integrated): None
Sources (CDP/Turntable): Harmon Kardon FL 8385
Speakers: Klipsch SF2
Cables/Interconnects: All Monster (I know I know)
Music Used (Genre/Selections): Heavy Metal, Trance, Light Rock
Room Size (LxWxH): 15 x 14 x 8
Room Comments/Treatments: No treatment
Time Period/Length of Audition: 2 Days
Other (Power Conditioner etc.): Monster HTPS 7000
Type of Audition/Review: Product Owner




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Topic - REVIEW: Xtreme cables Quicksilver contact enhancer Accessory - faithnomorefreak 11:24:31 01/31/05 ( 0)