Contour Enthusiasts Group Archives Forums Modifications Audio History of Phase Linear

This is a carry over topic from a previous posting, but for dnewma04 & ESC, here is the history of Phase Linear direct from their own website, which surprisingly wasn't all that difficult to find:

Phase Linear was founded by Bob Carver in 1970, whose first product was the Model 700 power amplifier. It offered unprecedented power and value for money. Along with a couple of partners and financial backers, Bob Carver set up a small factory behind a grocery store in Edmonds, Washington. There the product line grew to include the model 400 power amplifier and the revolutionary 4000 preamplifier with Autocorrelator noise reduction and Peak Unlimiter/Downward Expander.
In 1974, a new factory was built in nearby Lynnwood. The company prospered and its success and growth led to the introduction of other amplifiers, pre-amps, speakers and an FM tuner.
Bob Carver left the company in 1977 and Phase Linear was sold to Pioneer Electronics in 1979. Pioneer then marketed a high-end turntable, cassette deck, digital synthesized tuner and speakers under the Phase Linear name. All Series II products continued to be built in Lynnwood.
The original Phase Linear 700 power amp was built from 1970-73 and the Pro 700 (shown above) was built in 1982, shortly before the Lynnwood plant was shut down.
Pioneer sold the company to International Jensen in 1982. Intl. Jensen moved manufacturing to Laredo, Texas, in December 1982 and built products there through 1983. The venture wasn´t altogether successful, unfortunately. Production ceased and Intl. Jensen put the Phase Linear name on a range of high-end car stereo components.
The success of Phase Linear in Europe was patchy. It never sold much in the UK but had a strong distributor in Belgium (Luke Van der Haden) and Germany (Qualex, based in Basil in Switzerland).
That initial range of car stereo products - which showed signs of its parentage, such as the rack handles - continued to be sold in the United States but became increasingly aimed more at the mass-market, rather out of keeping with the brand´s pedigree. Much later, in Italy, Intl. Jensen Europe´s product development people started working on a new line of high-end car audio amplifiers and speakers.
Recoton acquired the Phase Linear brand when they bought International Jensen in 1996. What then became Recoton European Holdings, Inc. was granted the rights to use the Phase Linear name on the new line of car audio under development, including what became the Aliante subwoofer series and kW series power amplifiers.
A longstanding agreement on distribution was carried over from the days under Intl. Jensen, resulting in the new high-end Phase Linear car audio line being distributed not from Recoton's base in the US but out of their European headquarters, at first based in the UK and now Germany.

Thanks!

BTW, I have an interview with Bon Carver (don't remember the magazine) that described his adventures in amplifier design well before starting any companies. His first amp was built in a coffee can and served as the inspiration for the sunfire amps he has now.

dnewma04,
You're welcome.

After reading the thumbnail history of Phase Linear, I immediately began remembering what a fellow audio enthusiast had told me about them. This would have been in the 1983-84 time frame, which coincides with the historical description of Pioneer selling PL to Jensen which then proceeded to introduce a high end series of PL branded car audio components.
Of course my memory is a little hazy so that is why I initially thought Bob Carver was still involved with PL when the car audio line was introduced. Clearly he wasn't, but his name was still associated with PL as its past founder.

Yes, I too, once had some sales brochures for Carver home audio equipment that provided some very detailed history on Bob & his rather unorthodox design theories for amplifiers. This would have also been in the mid-80's when I was seriously considering a new component system. I believe his amplifiers were badged as M-series, along with his Sonic Holography pre-amps, tuners & CD players. This was also the era of his ribbon driven Amazing Loudspeakers.

I wish I still had those brochures.
Even more so, I wish I had taken the plunge & purchased the M-1.0t amplifier, C-7 pre-amp, TX-11 tuner or CT-17 pre-amp/tuner over which I was salivating at the time.

Oh, well. It would seem pretty outdated now compared to all the HT equipment available...