SonicPerfections

Overall Rating
 5 of 5

Value Rating
 5 of 5

Used product for
More than 1 year

Visitors rate this review
5.00 of 5, 3.00 votes

Price Paid:  $0.00

Summary:
I have two of these T200's and they are as good as or equal to anything made today up to $10,000 with ease. I have compared to the newest Marantz monoblocks, Mac monoblocks, Boulders midline and many multichannels, Citation 7.1, Cal MCA 500, Cary Cinema 5, Krell audio standard, the first 3 I owned and sold due to not being in the same league for 2 channel or HT except the Cal MCA which is a killer HT amp, one of the best IMHO

Strengths:
This amp, as long as your source and pre are on par with the T200 will let you hear all details, nuances, which include the saliva sounds of the singers lips seperating, the deep and soft breaths of the singers and horn players. The amp is never lacking warmth unless other components being used are not up to par, anyone who thinks the T200 lacks warmth was either using cheap cables or source components in the chain. This amp is one of the most musical I have ever heard with a midrange that is so harmonically rich and seductive that it just draws you into the recording. This amp will reproduce the recording as is, and a terrible recording will sound terrible no color here! The bass is quick deep and the seperation of bass notes sound very real. The difference between this and a top of the line tube amp is about 8 rows With the T200 your in about the 7th row and with the tube amp the 15th row. for the price you can pick one up used 1500.00 these are a steal and should sale for much more.

Weaknesses:
Run hot in the summer, need to use a fan. not a bother to me, it's well worth it.

Similar Products Used:
Citation, Krell, Cary, cal, Mac, marantz Anthem, Air-Tight Tube

Price Paid:  $2000.00

Summary:
I owned an early model run of this unit about 1 1/2 years ago. The unit was mated with the ML Aerius i. It had sparkle and dynamics, but lacked a bit of warmth. I then spent the next 1 1/2 years experimenting with various tube amps. Such amps added some warmth but lacked ultimate dynamics and bass. Eventually, I upgraded from the ML Aerius to the MS SL3. The SL3 is quite a bit tougher to drive. The tube amps suffered. So, I just recently foung a tweaked, calibrated NIB T200 from a former Threshold dealer. I mated it to the ML SL3's, and the match was wonderful. The key seems to be matching the electronics to speaker load to get optimum performance. Tubes and ss can both sound wonderful if they are properly matched to a given speaker load. For my speakers, the T200 is a GREAT match. The sound has body, life, and balance; just natural.

Strengths:
Dynamics, sparkle, body, balance

Weaknesses:
Speaker load dependent, runs quite hot

Similar Products Used:
OCM 500, PS Audio Delta 250, DBX BX1, Threshold S/300II

Price Paid:  $3500.00 from Audio Odyssey

Summary:
Built like a tank. Large power supply capacitance.
Warm with a treble that is non-fatiguing.
I just wish I had 2 more of these units to complete
my home theater setup.

I wouldn't describe the sound as tubey though.
It is very much a solid-state amp. After adding
this amp, I thought the bottom end of my Thiel
CS 1.2's sounded more authoratative.

Strengths:
The sound is sweet from top to bottom. This is still
my reference amplifier. Class A biasing seems to be key
to really good sound. It is a shame to learn that Threshold
is no longer in business. Threshold and Forte were good
companies. I put this amp in the same league as anything Krell and Levinson made about the same era.

Weaknesses:
None, it plays plenty loud with my Thiels.

Similar Products Used:
Nothing I have tried sub-$1000 from Sony, Yamaha, Denon can touch this. If you find one of these for say $1000 grab it.

Price Paid:  $2200.00 from Natural Sound

Summary:
The Threshold T200 is a wonderful amplifier, very smooth yet detailed and extended at the frequency extremes. When mated with an appropriate preamplifier, or perhaps no preamplifier at all, this amplifier can really sing! The amp in this particular system ehibits exellent depth, smooth yet crystaline treble extension, with exellent bass control and slam. The Stereophile review was very accurate, the amp considered a class 'A' component. It almost never looses its nerve when driven hard, but may run out of juice when driven with an inefficient load, but still drives about anything to satisfying levels. The output devices are no longer available, but service can be had by ex Threshold employees, as mentioned by another review. I do not think you can find better solid state sound for under 2K (used price), but it does run hot! The amp is fully biased into class A, the entire amplifier acting as a heat sink! I use the amp on its own dedicated 20 amp circuit, with 2 AudioPrism Quetlines plugged into audio grade outlets, and an Audio Power PE-1 Power Enhancer plugged in also. Interconnects to amplifier have been the HT Pro-Silway MKII, and currently the Silver Audio Appasionatta Pure silver SE, speaker cables are the XLO Signurature 5.1s. Speakers used recently with the amp are/were the Von Schweikert VR4 Gen IIs, B&W N805, Revel F20, Monitor Audio Studio 6, and Acoustic Energy.

Strengths:
Natural warmth, detail, treble/bass extension, bass slam.

Weaknesses:
Runs hot

Similar Products Used:
Monarchy Audio Class-A Deluxe monoblocks, Highly modified Counterpoint NP220 w/NOS.

Summary:
this amp is not what it is cracked up to be,overall good sound but not on the level of the class a new,actually reminds me of the cheaper british sounding amps,very weak in slam etc. do i have a bad one or what?

Strengths:
build quality

Weaknesses:
sound

Similar Products Used:
new dca 66 amp