Threshold FET 10/e cartridge amp questions

Hi Etnier,

I owned a FET 10 for several years, then sold it to a friend who still has it in his system. Mine was not the "/e".

I've heard of others who's Threshold phono stages became noisy as they got older but mine was/is dead silent. So I expect it can be repaired easily. I don't have their names but there is a dealer in Reno who sells Pass and Threshold products so you might ask there. Also I've read of a tech who repairs and/or modifies Threshold electronics, possibly someone who worked for Threshold. Try googling.

I don't know the output of your shelter but you should think of the gain settings as high and low, not necessarily MM and MC. As I remember they are 60 and 40 dB which should work with most cartridges, particularly when paired with a line stage which will boost the signal a little more.

I never compared mine against the Klyne or Vendetta which Lew mentioned but I found mine very musical and with no significant sonic criticisms.

My FET 10 had adjustments for load resistance and capacitance. There are four small slider switches (I used a toothpick to move them) for each in one red block for each channel. More than four settings are available by multiple combinations of the switches. The owner's manual covers this. I cannot imagine Threshold discontinued this in the "/e".

I found the FET 10 to be a great phono stage and was very satisfied with the sonics. My reason for selling it was wanting to more easily accommodate different cartridges and those adjustment blocks are internal, not on the back for ready access. And if I remember correctly the top has 12 screws! :^(

I must admit I'm surprised by the report the Shelter 501 II is a MM, I remembered it as a MC. If so, the lowest capacitance setting as Jperry suggested should be all that is needed.