Phonitor xe @ Amazona
At Amazona you can find a review (in German) about our nonplusultra headphone amplifier SPL Phonitor xe – here we provide a short English summary.
“The fact that SPL has held a firm place in the top league of headphone amplifiers for decades should probably be known to every reader, especially since the Phonitor series has held a regular place in many pro studios after the introduction of the legendary Matrix circuit. With the SPL Phonitor xe, SPL now introduces a new flagship to the market…”
“Let’s first get to the haptics. As expected, all knobs and switches of the SPL Phonitor xe meet the highest demands. The controls are easy to grip, engage cleanly and provide a very high-quality feeling during the switching process. This also applies to the switches, which above all do not have the unpleasant ‘wobble’ of cheaper competitors.”
“Always a favorite, but in addition to their retro look also electronically due to their comparatively sluggish response for me personally always a highlight, 2 VU meters, separately for the right and left channel. Depending on the level applied, the displays can be changed by 6 or 12 dB in their sensitivity via a mini switch below the left VU meter.”
“The first special feature of the SPL Phonitor xe is located on both the front and rear of the amplifier in the form of a digital XLR-4 headphone output, which is present along with a standard TRS output. A mini-switch on the front of the device lets you choose whether to connect your headphones on the front or on the mirrored rear. This is at rue benefit…”
“In terms of connections, SPL maxes out the entire range. For the analog domain, in addition to lockable balanced XLR jacks, there are gold-plated RCA plugs (RCA and then gold-plated, actually a contradiction in terms), in the digital domain it offers 4 different options with AES, coaxial, optical and USB to appropriately process the signal.”
“As with all of SPL’s top-of-the-line products, the SPL Phonitor xe operates with SPL’s patented 120V technology, which provides a much bigger headroom.”
“Let me briefly say two words about the special features of the SPL Phonitor xe, the adjustable stereo balance and the matrix. Especially people with some kind of hearing impairment will benefit from the laterality control, as they are able to find a relevant stereo center at the first signs of asymmetrical deafness thanks to this control. A remarkable, but very helpful bonus for the affected target group.”
“The Matrix, on the other hand, is still the secret star of the Phonitor series, as it manages to combine the always unnatural sounding phantom center of the extreme stereo arrangement of the individual speakers into a natural sounding result. As is well known, there is no situation in nature where a relevant spatial effect would not be revealed by delay times, which makes the listening pleasure of a signal seem even more natural in terms of depth. Definitely listen to it, it’s worth it!”
Conclusion:
“Sonically, you can sum it up in one word: outstanding! It is difficult to put into words how relaxed, detailed and yet voluminous the SPL Phonitor xe sounds in its entirety. On my… reference headphones, the amplifier convinced in all aspects and at all volumes. The device particularly impressed in terms of dynamics and allowed a relaxed operation over several hours without any problems.”
“With the SPL Phonitor xe, SPL once again sets the bar very, very high for other competitors. The sound of the device is outstanding in all respects, it is excellently manufactured and with the laterality control and the Matrix circuit it offers two bonus features to this already very high-quality device. Absolute top class!”
