“Glowing VU meters, a deep red face, a machined volume control fitted to an actual potentiometer, what’s not to love with the SPL Phonitor xe headphone amplifier. SPL is a German pro audio outfit which entered the consumer space around 2014. Its consumer products are grouped under its ‘Professional Fidelity’ banner. The xe is a purely analogue unit, although the model I reviewed had the DAC upgrade module fitted.”
At addicted to audio you’ll find a great and detailled review about our headphone amplifier SPL Phonitor xe – here we provide a short summary for you:
Looks:
“This is a handsome device. I don’t normally comment too much on looks, but if you’re going to buy one of these, get one with the red face. Really, it’s so cool. (But I’ll forgive you if, unaccountably, you wish to go silver or black).”
Signal handling:
“I mostly used the unit with the optional DAC768 module, but also checked out both the RCA and XLR analogue inputs. All worked as they should. Since there’s an input selection knob on the front panel, you can leave all your devices plugged in and just switch between them.”
Phonitor Matrix:
“Perhaps the one feature that sets this unit apart from a dozen – hundred! – other headphone amplifiers is the ‘Matrix’ system.”
“I should first note that without Matrix switched on, the sound was first class with the half-dozen different headphone models I used. It easily drove all of them… ”
Conclusion:
“The SPL Phonitor xe produces lovely sound, powerful sound, regardless of headphones. It’s exceptionally low impedance output means all headphones will receive a perfectly balanced signal. And its high output means you can choose any headphones you like without worrying about whether they will work with this unit. If needed, it can pump out 16 volts into a pair of recalcitrant high-impedance headphones. Plus, it looks cool in a nicely retro sort of way.”
