“To define the new SPL Phonitor se headphone amplifier as an entry-level model is pure understatement.”
HiFi-Stars is a hi-fi magazine with a holistic focus – technology, music and lifestyle. That seems predestined for a review about our SPL Professional Fidelity series! So it is hardly surprising that our Phonitor se not only appears on the cover of the current edition (49), but also receives an extensive review in the magazine. We offer you a brief overview of the review here.
“The first glance already reveals that functionality was an important goal in the design of the SPL Phonitor se. On the front, far left and well in hand, the volume control – pardon, a carved solid aluminum knob with an Alps potentiometer RK27 ‘Big Blue’ behind it, which already gives an excellent rotary feel.”
Connection:
“The headphones are connected to the Phonitor se with a standard 6.35 mm jack plug. According to the manufacturer, the up to 2×5 watts offered here are even sufficient for power-hungry magnetostats and electrostats. The two high-impedance headphones used for the listening test… felt very comfortable anyways.”
Phonitor Matrix:
“The intensity of the crossfeed circuit can be adjusted in two stages with the Phonitor se. In the studio, the sound engineer can use the crossfeed circuit to create a mix that sounds exactly like it does with loudspeakers. And even audiophile music listeners benefit from the increasing naturalness of the sound image. To say it right away: I always listened with the phonitor matrix setting activated…”
120V Technology:
“A high-quality appearance does not always imply an equally high-quality inside. But this device definitely does! Because the Phonitor se – like its ‘Phonitor colleagues’ of SPL – is also designed in 120V VOLTAiR Technology.”
DA Converter:
“At the heart of this optional DAC 768xs is the same top-of-the-line converter component used in the big SPL preamp/DAC Director Mk2 – the AKM 4490 Velvet Sound. Converting PCM audio at 32 bit resolution and sample rates up to 768kHz – that’s 16 times CD resolution, this DAC supports Direct Stream Digital up to DSD4 resolution.”
Sound:
“When played back through the Phonitor se, the multiple impulses of the technically top-notch recording can be almost startling, plus the singer’s raw, emotionally charged voice. Listen to that strings and piano – what a headphone amp!”
Conclusion:
“To classify the new SPL Phonitor se headphone amplifier as an entry-level model is pure understatement. Sure, only the most necessary connections are on board. But from a sonic point of view – and here I explicitly include the crossfeed circuitry – the smallest among the headphone amplifiers from studio equipment manufacturer SPL is quite a size. And to anyone who orders it without the excellent optional DAC, it’s your own fault. ”
