The Single Piece That Started Today's HIGH END ?

Well I have been in this hobby/business since 1957,when all its was was tubes and mono and about everything was kit built. In my opinion and speaking of high end as to its real start was about 1975 or 1976 with Threshold, Levinson, Krell and CM Labs. The first of the true mil-spec products,and a build quality that had not been seen before. These products finally delivered not only the promise of high end, but redefined audio components in America and were American built. Many of these early units from these companies remain in service today some 25 to 30 years since they were new and continue to deliver the promise. Prior to the debut of these, most of the gear,just did not have the sonics or build quality of these units. This was a major quantum leap in audio and remains so since the mid 70s.

Not so much a philosophy as a vision of what could be accomoplished. Without question, Nelson Pass has been a visionary in the arena of high end audio since the mid 70s. Few are his peer,period. Remains dedicated to two channel audio and continues to push the audio envelope to loftier heights with each design. His gear sounds the way it does, because in all reality he is a Physicist, not an electrical engineer.

Pressed to mention one piece that started high end,I would have to say the Threshold 400A. Was present at its debut. Few products have a mesmerizing effect on people,but I remember that night very well some 28 years later. All who were present were just stunned by the sonics of this amplifier, beliefs were truly shaken to the core that night.One would had to be there to see the expressions on the audiophile faces that night. That period of time when solid state finally delivered the promise that had been expected. In fact a week later I bailed out of all my tube gear and went with Threshold and haven't looked back since. I was already 20 years into this hobby and was probably getting ready to leave it,when the Threshold debuted. Been firmly entrenched in the Nelson Pass camp ever since.

But no doubt in my opinion of 48 years in this, the debut of the Threshold 400A, was a pivotal moment in audio. With the introduction of Threshold, Nelson Pass not only raised the bar of achievement but clearly redefined the role of audio components. And in doing so created a dimension that was to become as we now know High End Audio.