SPL Audio Phonitor xe
Phonitor xe
Our nonplusultra headphone amplifier.
Phonitor Matrix, Volume remote control, VU meter in retro look, premium DA converter and the preeminent VOLTAiR technology make the Phonitor xe the best headphone amplifier of our time.
For all headphones
The Phonitor xe offers connections for a standard headphone with a stereo jack plug and for balanced-driven headphones using a 4-pol XLR jack.
Thanks to the enormous output power, all headphones are driven effortlessly.
Twice as nice
If you like to avoid the headphone cable hanging off the front you may want to use the connectors on the back of the Phonitor xe.
The switch on the front selects between the front (F) and rear (R) outputs.
“With the Phonitor xe, SPL delivers the ultimate device for all headphone enthusiasts, who value neutrality, preciseness and control, combined with great musicality.”
Milled from solid aluminum
is the big 45mm Volume control. Its mass together with the motorized Alps RK27 “Big Blue” potentiometer enhances the “spoon in the honey” feeling even further.
The red marker LED makes the setting visible even in darkened environments.
Volume RC
The volume can be remote controlled with any infrared remote control, that the Phonitor xe simply learns.
To do this, press the IR programming button and then the buttons for louder and quieter.
Learning made easy
Using Phonitor x as an example, this video explains how you can use any infrared remote control to remotely control the volume.
“The fineness and transparency with which the music is depicted is just awesome – what a richness of detail!”
Source of joy
Up to six (6 !) stereo sources can be connected to Phonitor xe:
XLR, RCA, USB, Coax, Optical and AES/EBU
Phonitor xe accepts almost all audio connections. Balanced via XLR or unbalanced via RCA connectors.
With the optional DAC, four additional digital sources can be added. From USB to the professional AES format, no wishes remain unfulfilled.
The DAC768
The highly acclaimed AKM AK4490 Velvet Sound™ premium DAC chip is used as the converter chip in the optional digital-to-analogue converter, which thanks to its new architecture reproduces the finest sound details.
It converts PCM audio with a resolution of 32 bits and a sampling rate of up to 768kHz, which is equivalent to 16 times CD resolution. Direct Stream Digital is also supported up to a resolution of DSD4 or DSD256.
The DLP120
The analog output of the DAC chip must be filtered by a low pass filter. Phonitor xe has two of them: One for PCM audio and one for DSD audio, since different roll-off frequencies are required.
And in contrast to all other DACs in the world, the low pass filters here are built using VOLTAiR technology, which provides a plus in dynamics and headroom.
“How does the device sound?
Let’s erase all doubts right away:
it sounds fantastic!”
Good ol' times
Two mechanical VU meters visualize the input levels for the left and right audio channel.
With the VU switch you can optimize the display for different signal levels.
Finding the middle
is not always easy. By our very nature, hearing can be leaning more to the left or more to the right. This is especially obvious when listening with headphones.
That’s why Phonitor xe has the uniquely finely resolved laterality control. With it, the center can be found perfectly.
With the mode switch you can choose between stereo or mono playback. To the right, the laterality control is switched on.
On to the meat of the review though,
how does the Phonitor xe itself actually sound?
To be honest, it’s spectacular.”
The Revolution
in the headphone amplifier is the Phonitor Matrix, thanks to which you can listen to music through headphones as if you were listening through speakers. The tiring super stereo effect is a thing of the past.
Enjoy your music exactly the way it should be heard.
Conventional
Phonitor Matrix
Correct
The Phonitor Matrix Parameters
Crossfeed
Level and frequency adjustment of the right (red) and left (green) audio channel at maximum crossfeed.
Angle
Settings for the speaker placement angle to determine the interaural time difference.
Everything you need to know about the Phonitor Matrix
Everything you need to hear about the Phonitor Matrix
“One way or another, the purchaser of a Phonitor xe receives a reliable high-end solution, which not only drives every kind of headphone on the market without any effort, but also convinces through useful and rare extras like the, in my opinion, still unrivaled crossfeed circuit.”
The VOLTAiR Technology
What exactly is that?
And what does it do?
Good questions need good answers. And that’s what the 120V video gives you.
VOLTAiR is that good
This video guides you step by step through Phonitor xe.
And in this video we introduce you to the entire Professional Fidelity Series.
Reviews
AudioReputation
Innerfidelity
The Headphoneer
Litemagazin
Hifistatement
fairaudio