phase liner amp

[space2000]

hi,

just want to know.

anyone used phase liner amp? how the sound quality?

just wondering, which one is the world most expensive amp and how much?

thank you.

[myhrrhleine]

It's not bad. But there are better.

[GRollins]

You're asking about two entirely different things.
Phase Linear amplifiers were powerful compared to their competition, but never particularly good. You don't say whether you're trying to buy one used or build one. If you're trying to build one, start by checking parts availability. Some of the transistors may not be in production. If you're trying to buy one, don't pay very much for it and bear in mind that if it breaks you'll be up against the parts availability problem again. The company is long since gone.
The most expensive amplifiers at this time are well over $100,000.00 and climbing.

Grey

[CBS240]

The most expensive amplifiers at this time are well over $100,000.00 and climbing.

A bit excessive, eh? It should be carved it out of solid gold and plated it with platinum for that price.

What could possibly be the justification for such ridiculous cost?


I bet it's not the semi-conductors.

[pinkmouse]

Originally posted by CBS240
What could possibly be the justification for such ridiculous cost?

Ah, a debate that has had many outings here on diyAudio. Suffice it to say they ask that price because some people are prepared, for whatever reason and whatever we think of them, to pay it. And a good thing too, it gets money out of the hands of those rich $%^&&^$£ and back into circulation.

[GRollins]

Why do Porsches cost what they cost? Or Mercedes? Or Ferraris?
Why do tiny apartments in Manhattan cost more than my entire house on 2 3/4 acres of land?
Why does anything cost what it costs?
A fair price is that which has been determined by the buyer and the seller. It's called supply and demand, and it's an innate part of any capitalist system. Unless you intend to pass laws intended to control prices it's just the way things are.
Might as well complain about the weather.

Grey

[d3imlay]

Originally posted by GRollins
...If you're trying to build one, start by checking parts availability. Some of the transistors may not be in production. If you're trying to buy one, don't pay very much for it and bear in mind that if it breaks you'll be up against the parts availability problem again.

Grey

Although Phase Linear has been out of production for some time, parts are available. I stock all of the original transistors or accepted substitutes. Of course the original outputs are long gone, but better devices are available.

[Original Burnedfingers]

Its a horid sounding amplifier so why bother? There are much better amplifiers out there to rebuild and enjoy. The Flame Linear will continue to be an accident waiting to happen. If your into boating it makes a heck of a good anchor use it for that.

[GeeVee]

I am always astounded at the amount of debate that Phase Linear seems to raise in audio forums.

I have always wondered about their preamps, and in particular the old 4000 series and all of their inbuilt processing.

I recently stumbled across one of the 4000 series 1 preamps, which is in excellent cosmetic condition, but unfortunately it does require internal repair.

I bought it, and now I am unsure if it is worth the effort to get it up and running.

Any thoughts???

Regards
George.

[jonusgrumby]

Their two main amplifiers are the 400 and the 700. I own a 700B which I purchased in non working off of an eBay auction. I paid $200 for mine shipping included. They tend to go higher, and many sellers charge unreasonably high shipping charges ($80 to $100), so be careful. A working 700B will be more expensive of course. I bid on several before I won mine.

I don't think you'll experience any flame outs in a home listening environment. If you want one for a band sound reinforcement, I think you'll have problems and should look for something more ruggedly built. If you want a high power solid state amp for home use, it has done a very good job driving several different speaker systems for me. I consider it to be neutral sounding, and it handles low frequencies very well.

Mine required one new driver transistor and 2 output devices. One of the outputs was a replacement and was installed shorted. All the transistors are available, as is a service manual and a couple web sites with fixes for common problems. There are germanium devices in the protection circuit that would be harder to find. From the schematic, it seems like it could easily be rebiased for a silicon transistor.

Eventually, I plan to rebuild the driver circuit more along the lines of the Douglas Self "blameless" approach. But for now, it does fine.

Sorry to ramble. Bottom line, I think it's a reasonable pick up if you don't have to shell out wads of cash.

Good luck!