2. amps-preamps
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Threshold S/500 Power Amp or ???

Is there anyone still using this power amp now? What versiona and what are your thoughts regarding the S/500 driving Magnapans or Eminent Tech 8 speakers? I ask because I do love the sound or my S/300 especially where depth, width and height is concerned. It also does a wonderful job of playing jazz and vocal music. Int particular choral music sound devine from this amp.

If you are still or have used the Threshold S/500 to drive planar speakers chime in please. You have the experience I am looking for. My dear friend introduced me to the use of the S/300 and Classe DR-5 and I am having a great time listening ot this combination play music. The Threshold sound has captured my imagination. My Classe pre amp and Threshold power amp work very well together. However, I agree with my friend that a tube pre amp might serve me better as I look to upgrade my sound and I will continue to buy used equipment to save money.

By the way, my listening room will be 15 feet wide by 22 feet long with a 9 foot ceiling. The room is in the basement of the house with concrete floors. Finally, I don't want to have to change 8 or 10 KT88's or 6550's so I will stick with a solid state power amp and prefer the Thresholds because of their great "tube like" sound. At least that's what I hear with the S/300 and would think the S/500 would not be any different. Your opinions please.

Music Man Bob
rbwinterlink
unsound
7,329 posts
 
Besides more power, the S/500 will stay in a higher biased state longer than the S/300. So even at moderate levels the S/500 might sound more suave. BTW, the series II and the e series have their benefits over the original S series.
funflyer
13 posts
 
I recently "upgraded" to an s/500II from an Adcom 555 to run my Apogee Duetta Sigs. A spectacular improvement: enormously more detail and precision, especially in mid- highs. Bigger stage, more "air," and greater dynamics. The bass control, however, is perhaps the most startling improvement - it's so much tighter and seems to go deeper now. I had been happy with the old set-up for almost 20 years. Now I have the bug again, am questioning everything I have. I had fogotten how much fun this experimentation in the quest for "perfection" can be. Just bought a DAX-1 and plan to bi-amp (with a smaller Threshold s/series for the mid-high ribbon.)
dividebytube
50 posts
 
I run the original S/500 (along with Threshold FET-10/HL and PC preamps) with Magnepan 1.6QRs. It's a great amplifier - good enough for me to give up the tube quest (for now). I'm to the point with this current system where upgrade-itis has been greatly reduced.
scansp7
10 posts
 
dividebytube, 

Can you tell me more about your experience with the Magnepans and the threshold combination?

What is the difference between the S/500 optical bias and the S/500 Series II?  Did the Series II omit the optical bias?  I've also noticed a few with balanced inputs??
unsound
7,329 posts
 
Optical bias followed the Series II. Balanced inputs were introduced with the e series.
Many of the Series II units were upgraded to optical bias, and some  units  were upgraded to quasi e series with balanced inputs, though unlike the true e series with their dual trannies, they were balanced inputs only and not true balanced.
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