Threshold Amps

If you get a problem free Threshold amp in my opinion,for solid state they are one of the best sounding amps around.It's too bad they went out of buisness.I had a S-200 power amp and boy do I miss it.The only reason why i sold it was to get my hands on a Conrad Johnson.Thresholds are very realible and there are still folks out there fixing them and keeping them playing.Good Luck.

This April's issue of Stereophile, under Industry Update; their is a little excerpt about Threshold. They are back in business in Texas, to do all the service and upgrades on Threshold gear. Also, possible may have new product down the road. Plus Jon Soderberg is an independent sevice guy that was with Threshold for many years and is excellent if you ever need a Threshold piece upgraded or serviced. Threshold gear is built like tanks and it's highly unlikely you'll ever need repair. But if you do, now their are no worries with trained experts to service.

As far as I know, Threshold was founded about 1974 by Nelson Pass and Rene Besne. In 1988, it was acquired by a big corporation. Besne left the company in 1991 and Pass left in 1992. Thereafter, it appears Threshold's products were designed by Michael Bladelius, Wayne Colburn and others. Later Wayne Colburn became vice president for design at Pass Labs. Why did Threshold fail? The only symptom I see is that beginning with the "e" Series, the fullest realizations of Pass' original designs and introduced in 1990, everything acquired a part number, even the manual! A case of micro-management? Maybe. The later "T" Series amps used IGBT output transistors (as opposed to Mosfets) which are no longer available. As far as risk goes, the prices of Pass era Thresholds appear to be rising.

Rockvirgo: Thanks a million. Do the T versions have the same reputation as the Pass era Thresholds? What models nmight the Pass era be? Is it worth it to by Pass Labs or were the Thresholds just so good its worth the wait for the right one to come up?

See the Threshold Archives at http://www.rsvlonline.net/vintageamp/ Each model from Pass or Threshold has a slightly different twist, not to mention various looks. You must decide what is right for your needs.