How does the Phase Linear 400 compare?

I had a Phase Linear addiction for years, which was replaced by a McIntosh addiction which was replaced by a Citation addiction which was replaced by Krell addiction etc.

I liked the sound of Phase Linear amps. The 400, 700B and especially the Dual 500.  If you needed clean power they were hard to beat. 

I wonder how how many of these negative mid fi comments would apply if the 400 had a levinson, or McIntosh logo on it?

With regard to the size of the caps used its totally meaningless. The amp had well over 200 watts per channel, and nearly 3db of headroom. It was stable as well. I drove the hell out of mine with no issues at all. 
They were widely used in the professional market as well. I've seen stacks of them in the 70's powering rock concerts.  Many high end recording studios use Phase amps, Crown was also commonly seen in these applications. 

Check  I out the absolute sounds ten best amplifiers of all time. It's on the list for good reason. It deserves to be. 

By the way, my Krell addiction has been replaced by a vintage Sansui addiction. For all those mid fi comments, you're welcome to come over for a listen anytime. 

Norman

transco,

If you are ever in Suburbs of Chicago, look me up.  I’ll play my Phase Linear 400, through my marantz 7, and you can compare it to my Krell KSA 50 and newly acquired McIntosh mc-7300.  

The Phase 400 is incredibly smooth and transparent.  

There is a lot of ‘Dinosaur’ gear out there that is in high demand.  In fact many (myself included) feel that some of the finest sounding gear ever came out of the sixties and  seventies.  

I was was a studio musician for years, I know what instruments are suppose to sound like, and to me the Dinosaurs do just fine.

jim55379,
I have a Phase Linear 4000 series one preamp (I used to have a 4000 series two as well).  It has the widest soundstage I’ve ever heard. The deepest too.  It also excels in detail and dynamics like no other and is whisper quiet.  But I can’t listen to it for more then a couple of hours.  The midrange seems hard and bitting after a while to me.  Not everyone just me.  It’s pristine, and I can’t seem to part with it, even thought it spends most of its life in its original box.  Years ago, it was my favorite preamp, but my taste have changed.  I enjoy my ancient marantz for preamp duties, that or my Sansui 9090db which seems to do everything just right.

Oh, and I had two Carver M-400’s strapped in mono giving 500wpc into 8 ohms.  They were pretty remarkable, but I never thought they were as smooth as the Phase Linear 400, which I’ve also kept over the years.  It actually works well with my marantz 7c.  

Carver’s tube amps are incredible.  Wouldn’t mind a pair of those, any of them.