“My three things for the desert island: a laptop with all the files I’ve collected, a good pair of headphones and the Phonitor se. Lying in the white sand, I will use the time on the sunny island to enjoyfully explore my music collection to lift all the hidden gems.”
You wonder why our headphone amplifier Phonitor se is Bert Seidenstücker’s first choice for his luggage to the desert island? The answer can be found in the review (in German) at Hifistatement Netmagazin. Here, we provide a short summary in English.
First impression:
“The red color of my Phonitor se just looks awesome.”
“Neither the excellent manufacturing nor the high-quality internals have been spared: Toggle switches that firmly engage, a smoothly running volume control, as well as the obligatory 6.3 millimeter jack as a connection for the headphones determine the front along with a red control LED. The rear of the device, which is black in all color variations, is equally straightforward: a power jack with an integrated power switch, the front-mounted counterpart puts the compact device exclusively into standby mode, an unbalanced input for analog signals, as well as three additional digital interfaces.”
“Despite all the curiosity, the se is first allowed to settle into the power supply system. Dimmed, the operating light signals the standby mode; if it lights up brightly, then it’s time to go.”
In practice:
“The red color not only proves its eye-catching qualities when unpacked, but the Phonitor se also attracts attention in the friendly black test unit. But not only looks attract. Without detours, the small amp is connected to the phono preamplifier and at the same time an RCA cable provides the contact to the digital network.”
VOLTAiR Technology:
“Simply put, Voltair works with a much higher operating voltage within the engine room: Usually, electrons are powered by 30 volts DC and flow through the circuit boards of our audio components. SPL relies on multiplying the voltage and thus inevitably on op-amps developed in-house, because usual off-the-shelf amps would die an instant heat death fired by 120 volts.”
“Lower noise, significantly extended dynamic range, more reserves at peak levels, and less distortion.”
“Just as the strength of the amplification is beyond any doubt, a look at the data sheet testifies to that. Low-impedance as well as power-hungry representatives of the headphone species will find a suitable partner in the Phonitor.”
“But is Voltair really the formula for coolness at maximum drama? With this question in mind, I elegantly lead off to the listening test…”
Sound:
“The sound structures were served up as excitingly as they were effortlessly. Pieces of music I’ve simply heard far too often, like Take Five by Dave Brubeck or Oskar Peterson’s You look good to me, were great fun again – C’est bon!”
