Phase Linear, Washington
Phase Linear was an audio equipment manufacturer founded by Bob Carver and Steve Johnston in 1970. While primarily known as a power amplifier company it also produced several innovative preamplifiers, tuners and the Andromeda loudspeaker. Its first location was a small building at 405 Howell Way in Edmonds, Washington. The company was known for the most powerful audio amplifiers of the era led by the Phase Linear D-500 introduced in 1978. It was a stereo power amplifier delivering 505 watts of clean RMS power per channel.
The company was bought by Pioneer Electronics, and Bob Carver founded Carver Corporation in 1979. Pioneer added a high end cassette-tape deck designed in house and CD players designed by Kyocera to the Phase Linear line. By that time the company was in decline due to the increasing cost of research and development, and the departure of Carver. Recoton later acquired the Jensen brands. Bob Carver went on to form Carver Corporation. He later had a falling out with Carver Corporation management and left to start Sunfire.
Phase Linear: the short history
The original page has most of the story. Wikipedia adds the model figures that made the name: the Phase Linear 700 at 350 watts per channel for $749, made possible by high-power transistors designed for car ignition systems, and the 400 at 200 watts per channel for just under $500. It also lists an earlier first address, in Seattle, before the Edmonds building the original page mentions, and dates the Jensen acquisition to 1982.
For scale, compare one of the oldest power amplifiers in the archive, McIntosh's 20W-2 of 1951 to 1954, rated at 20 watts.
| Founded | 1970 |
|---|---|
| Founders | Bob Carver and Steve Johnston |
| Phase Linear 700 | 350 W per channel, $749 |
| Phase Linear 400 | 200 W per channel |
| D-500 | 1978, 505 W per channel |
| Acquired by | Pioneer; then Jensen, 1982 |
Questions collectors ask
Who founded Phase Linear?
Bob Carver and Steve Johnston, in 1970.
How powerful was the Phase Linear 700?
Wikipedia gives 350 watts per channel, at a retail price of $749.
Sources: Wikipedia: Phase Linear.
