these are classic amps, and they produce a huge soundstage. they are arguably more neutral than the pass and forte. the forte is a bit more forgiving on poor recordings but in most ways(open highs and midrange..bass control..pinpoint imaging)all the older thresholds are fantastic.
Threshold?
I'm considering trying one of their older amps. Which one? I've never heard any of their products other than some Forte stuff. Sean has offered some advise. I'm looking at the lower end of the price line. Would prefer something that can put out about 200 watts into 4 Ohms. I've been told that the class A ones are the only ones to consider, that the pre T series sound better. Are the amps with balanced inputs truly balanced? What are the input impedance and sensitivity like? What non- Threshold pre-amps work well? For what ever its worth, I'm partial to the sound of Pass X series and Krell KMA 160b's. Please share your thoughts? As always thanks in advance.
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Jrd351 nails it. Here's some anecdotal evidence from my Threshold journey: In the early 90's I phoned Threshold to ask them which new Forte power amp they'd recommend. To my surprise, Threshold suggested a used Threshold S/300. My contact deadpanned, "you should be able to find one, they were quite popular." Sure enough, shortly thereafter a S/300 Series II appeared in the local paper and I got it. Paired with a Forte F44 preamp, the bass was just a tad slurred. At top volumes, high pitched intruments like soprano sax, flute, upper register piano and violin sometimes sounded screechy. Trying to solve these problems, I replaced the large can caps in the S/300 with equivalent new OEM Mallorys. The sound became a little smoother but it didn't help with the distortion at extreme levels. Then I switched to a Threshold Fet ten/hl preamp and all the problems vanished. Search everywhere you can, get a handle on the different iterations and you'll figure out which model is right for you. |
Is this one of the 'Stasis' amps? This technology has been almost universally rejected by all the companies which once employed it. I know Threshold used this design for a while. Nelson Pass has gone in a completely different design direction over the last several years. BUT there are still many people who still like the design, FWIW. |
Nrchy, take a peek at Threshold (www.threshold-audio.com) and you'll find it embraces the Stasis concept. To get a feel for what Nelson Pass has been trying to accomplish have a look at his development discourse in the current X-Series owner's manual. He specifically mentions the Stasis amplifier and its sales over the last 19 years or so. Pay attention to how he made those amps and how he makes them today and you'll find, rather than a completely different design direction, a natural evolution. |
I owned the lower end S-200 stasis Class A-AB amp (Class A to 20 watts) in the mid-late 80's. I would definitely consider the SA-1 monos or the SA-3 if you can find them. The "SA" designation operates in Class A bias, definitely better than the "S" series. They were the best ss amps of their day in my opinion and this compared to Krell, Levinson and Rowland. |
I have been running my T200's in mono mode 330 watts per channel into 8ohm's and couldn't disagree more with the myth that the pre T amps were better.Email Jon Soderberg who was part of Threshold both with Nelson Pass and after he left and he will give you an honest answer.From my personal use with the T200's,I hear details and recording error's that I never knew were there when using other amps. When you can hear the saliva seperating from the singer's lips and the sound of movement of performer's on the stage,it's incredible. Jon stated to me in person that the T200 is the most detailed amp Threshold ever made, and that the stasis designs were more laid back.I believe that it is a listener's own preference to which type of sound he or she prefer's, but there is no way that the pre T series is better, just differences in sound.I'm personally running mine with cardas golden reference I/C's and neutral reference biwire to aerial 10 t's through my Cal pre-pro to a meridian 508.20 and I have no reason to change other then Jon advising me that the T400 or 800's power supply is larger and would be better to power my 10 t's. According to Jon the T200 was designed to power Martin Logans current speaker at that time.Hope this has been of some help, and from what another audiogoner told me during a phone conversation, was that he talked to someone unhappy with the sound after sending his T series to the new Threshold for the change there offering for the T200 and 400 amps.As always, I'll end by saying that all opinions, are just that. Listen to as many amps as you can and then decide with your ears what is best for you. [email protected] This is Jon's email TJ |