Head-Fi is an internet forum that specializes in everything in the field of headphones. That is why our headphone amplifier – SPL Phonitor x – can’t be missing. Find the complete review online at head-fi.org – here we provide you with a short summary.
“After my successful coexistence with the excellent Auditor from the German company SPL, I was given the opportunity to upgrade my office system with the newer Phonitor x, a preamplifier and headphone amplifier that has established itself in recent years as a reference point for many well-known hobbyists in the field. In fact, the upgrade from Auditor to Phonitor x is nothing less than an upgrade from the first generation of Phonitor to the second, as the Auditor was just a minimalist version of that amplifier without the proprietary crossfeed circuit (Phonitor Matrix) SPL is quite renowned for.”
“The Phonitor x does anything but lag behind other headphone amplifiers famously renowned for their power capacity…”
“Both the Phonitor and the Auditor benefit from SPL’s proprietary design of the main amplifier circuit (120 Voltair technology), which offers an incredible capacity for really large voltage peaks combined with an exemplary low noise floor. This is something that originally impressed me with the Auditor, as it gave the amplifier its capacity for fatigue-free listening even at high volumes, albeit in a very subtle and discreet manner. On the contrary, the remarkable nominal power of the Phonitor x gives it terrific analytical skills and lets it dissect the signal it receives into its most minute details.”
“The Phonitor x clearly shows that it is the superior amplifier, taking the effortless neutral sound of the first generation and launching it into the stratosphere.”
“…the Phonitor x is present by removing itself out of the equation with admirable dexterity in an unusually refined manner. In my honest opinion, SPL has hit the jackpot with its proprietary op-amp design; certainly a treat to the seasoned ear that strays from seeking for an attention-grabbing signature.”
“For me, the choice of Phonitor x also brought an unexpected added value as an active preamplifier, driving my… desktop monitors with remarkable control and agility, at the same time revealing them for a capacity to scale that I couldn’t have imagined from such a middle of the line product.”
Conclusion:
“However, as a reference sound, I am already convinced that the Phonitor x sets a benchmark that can hardly be challenged at any degree.”
