Hello. My name is Bob and I have been a member for awhile. I thought it was time to introduce myself. I am a retired electrical engineer by trade from a nuclear power plant. I have messed with electronics since I was young. I used to go to the dump with my dad when I was around 5 or so. This is back when they buried everything and you would actually drive your car down the dirt road way back in the dumping area and unload your trash. My dad would let me would bring something home from the dump, take it apart, and bring it back to the dump on the next trip. I'm not sure how this ritual all started. Sounds kind of weird. Anyway, I learned a lot about taking things apart by doing this. This has enabled me to pretty much tackle any repair without fear. Later on in life when they were still burying trash, one day I actually found a Phase Linear 200 at the dump. I took it home, fixed it, and still have to this day. Hence the beginning of my love for Phase Linear stuff.
Back in the 1990s I found a Phase Linear 400 at a Hamfest for $20. It had a failed input transistor that railed the output. Easy fix. I put my own protection board in it and used it faithfully for many years. Recently, I gave it the White Oak treatment: Rev E Board, Rev C Backplanes, Capacitors, LED Board, Protection board. This amp is now truly amazing.
Over the years, I have acquired a 700 Series Two full comp and a Dual-500. (I realize I may have a problem.) These are both factory units with exception that out of spec capacitors (uf and ESR) have been replaced. The other day I did a side-by-side comparison. I could not believe how much better the WO 400 sounded than either the factory 700 or 500. I always thought Phase Linear had a clear sound, but the WO 400 is in a different class now.
I look forward to doing a White Oak treatment to the 700 next. After that, the real challenge of doing the 500 full comp like grapplesaw. I can handle it though. No problem thanks to those trips to the dump a long long time ago.
Back in the 1990s I found a Phase Linear 400 at a Hamfest for $20. It had a failed input transistor that railed the output. Easy fix. I put my own protection board in it and used it faithfully for many years. Recently, I gave it the White Oak treatment: Rev E Board, Rev C Backplanes, Capacitors, LED Board, Protection board. This amp is now truly amazing.
Over the years, I have acquired a 700 Series Two full comp and a Dual-500. (I realize I may have a problem.) These are both factory units with exception that out of spec capacitors (uf and ESR) have been replaced. The other day I did a side-by-side comparison. I could not believe how much better the WO 400 sounded than either the factory 700 or 500. I always thought Phase Linear had a clear sound, but the WO 400 is in a different class now.
I look forward to doing a White Oak treatment to the 700 next. After that, the real challenge of doing the 500 full comp like grapplesaw. I can handle it though. No problem thanks to those trips to the dump a long long time ago.
