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Commercial Threshold SA3 Power Amplifier Threshold SA3 Class A Power Amplifier - As Traded Follow us on Facebook and keep up to date on Insta Pick up available in Leichhardt, NSW. Please message to book an appointment. Condition: Good, some chips and scratches Includes: Power cable only (No box) SN: 00994 Overview The Threshold SA/3 is a 50-watt per channel Stasis Pure Class A Power Amplifier, meticulously designed by renowned audio engineer Nelson Pass and crafted in the USA by Threshold. This amplifier utilizes pure Class A circuitry throughout every stage of its design, ensuring a
This is a fair-to-ambitious ask rather than a bargain: A$3,700 sits above the clearly seen A$3,000 asking on a comparable Threshold SA-3.9e, so I’d want this SA3 to be especially clean, complete, and well-documented before calling it strong value. Without condition details, the price is hard to benchmark more tightly, but it does not read as cheap for a vintage Threshold power amp.
The appeal is the usual Threshold mix of Stasis authority, real current delivery, and a big, composed presentation that still has enough grip and musical ease to make demanding speakers sing. If it’s been recently serviced, comes from careful ownership, and includes original packaging or manuals, that helps justify the ask. If not, I’d treat it as a premium buy and verify service history, bias stability, and any sign of heat-related wear.
Independent perspective — not a price guarantee. Always verify condition, accessories and provenance before purchase.
Threshold Audio emerged in Sacramento, California, in 1974, founded by renowned audio engineer Nelson Pass alongside graphic designer René Besne and Joe Sammut. Pass, a pioneer in amplifier design, launched the brand with the groundbreaking Threshold 800A power amplifier in 1975, introducing a novel sliding bias system that boosted Class A efficiency while employing 48 output transistors in a sophisticated triple-series/triple-parallel configuration. This California-rooted heritage defined Threshold as an innovator during its original run, which spanned until the mid-1990s, after which the intellectual property changed hands, including a 1994 acquisition by investor Randy Patton, who integrated it with PS Audio and relocated operations to Camarillo.
The brand focused squarely on high-end amplification, producing iconic power amplifiers like the 400A and 800A, the Stasis series renowned for their balanced Class A performance, and preamplifiers such as the NS10, SL10, and FET range including the FET-1, FET-2, FET-9, and FET-10. Later designs, like the T-200 by engineer Michael Bladelius, continued this legacy. Threshold eschewed speakers, turntables, DACs, headphones, or cables, concentrating instead on pure analog amplification that prioritized sonic purity and robustness.
Threshold holds a revered position as a vintage high-end icon, cherished by collectors and audiophiles for its enduring sound quality and Pass's technical wizardry. Once a market leader in premium solid-state gear from 1975 to 1992, it remains a sought-after name in the used market, embodying boutique excellence rather than mass production, with modern revivals under Threshold Audio sustaining its elite reputation.
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