The fact that the Phonitor xe can enhance not only a hi-fi room, but also the home office, has not escaped the attention of the author of this review, David Herbert. The tech enthusiast/writer who is on a mission to explore gadgets to improve his “home work” – this time, he’s all eyes (and ears) on our nonplusultra headphone amplifier SPL Phonitor xe. Find the complete review online at ibtimes. Here we provide a short summary.
“The SPL Phonitor xe is another example of how a product developed for the professionals can be a godsend to music purists. Originally meant for sound engineers to master music on headphones, it promises to deliver an amazing listening experience for music lovers. Just how good does music sound on it? Let’s dive in to find out.”
“When you’re finally ready to get over your admiration for the SPL Phonitor xe’s visuals, it’s time to turn the focus to its auditory competency.”
“The Phonitor xe was originally meant to be used for audio engineers to master music using headphones instead of studio monitors, simulating the tilt angle of the sound source with the flick of a dial. As a result, this is a device that has mastery over soundstage that no headphone amplifier I have ever seen.”
Phonitor Matrix:
“Labeled the ‘Phonitor Matrix’, the top two miniature dials on the left hand side allow the manipulation of the simulated monitor placement at 22/30/40/55 degrees from the center line. This makes an enormous difference in the soundstaging, as well as the separation of instruments.”
“If the user wants the wide soundstage but finds the separation unnatural, the Phonitor xe has the ability to make adjustments to the crossfeed between the channels to allow for a more natural separation.”
“With the Phonitor Matrix, I’m able to completely open up the…soundstage and turn up the immersiveness of its energetic sound, giving depth and breadth to each instrument in the music.”
Fazit:
“This is a headphone amp that immensely improves the listening experience when it comes to live music, when you have multiple instruments that are arranged with spatial separation. My jazz and live unplugged collections sounded especially good. Furthermore, watching movies with the Phonitor xe is quite a cinematic experience, making good use of the immersive stereo sound. In some movies I can even hear clear separation between the background music and the foreground sounds.”
Conclusion:
“Beyond driving larger headphones, providing a clean and dynamic output, headphone DAC/amps add their own color to the listening experience. While most focus on gain and equalization, the SPL Phonitor xe provides the best soundstage to the listener. To people who deeply appreciate the symphony of instruments having clear separation and a wide spread of spatial locations, this is the amp to get.”
“For its unique ability to master soundstage, its premium build and striking aesthetics, we are awarding the SPL Phonitor xe with the IBTimes Editor’s Pick badge.”