2. amps-preamps
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phase linear amplifiers

back in the early 70's I bought a phase linear 400 amp. never will buy phase linear again. in 2000. it fried 3 of my speakers. later on I read they they were known to do this. they were  cheap money for the big watts but were not well designed well to work under stress. I have McIntosh now. no worrys!
g_nakamoto
normansizemore
601 posts
 
I guess we all know now that you hate Phase linear.  I think I've read this phase 400 slam on three threads now.

I'm sure the next step here is to slam Bob Carver? I didn't think so.  The man has more patents than any amp designer that comes to mind, save Nelson Pass.

It  sounds like your amp gave you good service. Really anything no matter how well built can fail from time to time.. Everything has an expiration date, that's why routine service is recommended.

enjoy your Mac amp.  Good gear, but it too will need service at one point or another.

N

dracule1
1,085 posts
 
Wait a second.  You had the amp since 1973 and never bothered to service them for 27 years (eg, at minimum recapping). Now your complaining the amp failed?  The fault is on you and not the amplifier. Why would you post something that happened to you in 17 years ago? And why would you compare an affordable no longer in production SS amp to a pricey macintosh?  I don't get the point of your post.
g_nakamoto's avatar
g_nakamoto OP
348 posts
 
i've had it for that long and maybe you're right about having it serviced. but i've never had any issues with it until it fried my speakers with "dc" current" and there was no warning.
billstevenson
483 posts
 
This thread has no merit.
davehrab's avatar
davehrab
380 posts
 
but i've never had any issues with it until it fried my speakers with "dc" current" and there was no warning

Servicing the amp wouldn't have helped protect your speakers from the DC that blew them ... all the Phase Linear 400 .. D500 and 700 series amps are direct coupled with no coupling capacitors at the output to block the DC from reaching your speakers

One of your upstream components leaked some DC out of their outputs  and the amp simply accepted it .. amplified it ..  and sent it to the speakers which couldn't handle the DC

All these amps also have 8A fused speaker outputs in the event of an internal short

Wasn't the amps fault .. it was only functioning as designed .. it was something upstream


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