Threshold FET-10

A Nelson Pass-era preamp that split into two versions - and the phono stage is the one collectors fight over.

Overview

The FET-10 is a Threshold component that turns up more often in classified ads than in showrooms. It was sold in two forms. HiFI-Stereo (November 1988, p.81) noted that the FET-10 retailed for $3,550 with a phono stage and $2,200 without. That's a $1,350 gap, and it shows where the value sits. Buyers who wanted vinyl playback paid dearly for it.

Threshold's own advertising in the late Eighties leaned hard on the preamp's reputation. It billed the "FET 10 Preamp" alongside the SA 1 power amp as being "in a class by themselves" and pointed to its placement on Stereophile's "Class B" recommended components list (Vol. 12 No. 4, April 1989) as proof. That's marketing copy, not an independent verdict. The phono stage was clearly the halo feature, and the line-only version was the price-conscious entry point.

The naming is where it gets interesting for collectors. Threshold's factory update program, announced in Audio (December 1991, p.161), listed the models eligible for circuit updates as the NS-10, SL-10, FET-1 Series, FET-2 Series, FET-9, FET-10 PC, and FET-10 HL. The two FET-10 variants were distinct enough that Threshold tracked them separately in its own service program. A seller who can't tell you which one they have hasn't looked closely.

Understand the update program before buying. Threshold offered owners of preamps "previous to the current E-Series line" the option of having the circuitry upgraded, pitched as a relatively inexpensive path to maintaining state-of-the-art performance. For a FET-10 that means two things: some units on the market have been updated and some haven't, and the factory considered the original circuit worth improving.

Used pricing has been consistent over the decades. A phono-equipped FET-10 was listed at $995 in a 1989 classified, and a "FET10 phono" demo unit appeared at $795 in a 1991 dealer ad. That's a modest decline from its $3,550 original asking price. The line-stage version, unsurprisingly, trades lower. None of this is a formal price guide, just the pattern visible in period listings.

The FET-10 is a Nelson Pass design from Threshold's most respected era. The catch is the usual one for gear this age: service documentation is scarce, the factory update program is long gone, and a unit that hasn't been touched in thirty years needs a technician who knows what they're looking at. Confirm which variant it is before you pay, and budget for a refresh.

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