SPL Phonitor xe Headphone Amplifier – Silver

German company SPL have been around since the earlier part of the nineteen eighties, developing audio gear for music, film, multimedia, hi-fi and broadcasting. Here we have an example of the Phonitor xe Headphone Amplifier which comes in original factory packaging. It is in good condition with manual, mains cable and as standard our three month warranty.
SPL Audio Say….
The Phonitor xe is the nonplusultra standalone headphone amplifier without any compromises. Phonitor Matrix, remote volume control, retro-look VU meter, the optional premium DA converter and the all-superior VOLTAiR technology make the Phonitor xe one of the best headphone amplifiers of our time.
The Phonitor xe offers connections for a standard headphone with a stereo jack plug and for balanced-driven headphones using a 4 pin XLR plug.
Thanks to the enormous output power, all headphones are driven effortlessly.
Thus, it plays out the advantages of the SPL VOLTAiR technology and rewards the listener with an honest, detailed and at the same time vivid sound experience.
The Phonitor xe provides headphone outputs on the front and on the rear. On the front, you switch between F (front) and R (rear). This way, your favourite headphones remain firmly connected on the rear – without visible cabling on the front.
The massive 45mm volume control knob milled from aluminum is a haptic highlight. Its mass together with the motorized Alps RK27 “Big Blue” potentiometer enhances the “spoon in the honey” feeling even further. The red marker LED ensures good visibility of the volume parameter even in darkened environments. The volume control can be remotely controlled with any infrared remote control. The Phonitor xe learns to communicate with it with the simple push of a button.
Up to six (6!) stereo sources can be connected to the Phonitor xe: XLR, RCA and via the optional DAC768v2 also USB, COAX, OPTICAL and AES. Phonitor xe accepts almost all audio connections. Balanced via XLR or unbalanced via RCA connectors.
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 centre can be found perfectly.
With the MODE switch you can choose between stereo or mono playback. This switch also activates the laterality control.
Thanks to the Phonitor Matrix, music can be experienced on headphones as if it was played on speakers. The tiring super stereo effect is a thing of the past. Enjoy your music without listening fatigue and exactly the way it should be heard. Music is normally produced and mixed for playback on stereo speakers.
Listening on headphones is different from listening on loudspeakers. The biggest difference is the lack of crossing signals of the sound signal from the left speaker to the right ear and from the right speaker to the left ear. These crossing signals are missing in conventional headphone listening, because there are no signals crossing from one side of the headphones to the other. This results in an unnaturally wide stereo image and the various sound sources of the audio signal are not localized as the sound engineer intended them to. This effect is often referred to as “super stereo effect”. During conventional listening on headphones, our brain can balance the false representation of the playback to a certain extent – but this is very exhausting.
The SPL Phonitor Matrix can correct this false stereo image with an analogue circuitry. The Phonitor Matrix therefore not only ensures a correct representation of the stereo image, but also a relaxed listening experience.
The two main parameters of the Phonitor Matrix are Crossfeed and Angle: Crossfeed determines the crossing signals of the channels, the so-called interaural level difference. Angle determines the opening angle of the stereo image, the so-called interaural time difference.
With all devices of the Professional Fidelity series we develop not only according to plan, but also by ear. All important components are installed on the circuit boards using Through-hole technology. This way we can ensure that we can use the best sounding components.
The 120V technology is our reference technology. The 120V technology is unique in the world. It operates at a DC voltage of 120 volts. This is four times that of IC-based semiconductor op-amps. In our Professional Fidelity series, we refer to this unsurpassed technology as VOLTAiR technology.
The highest possible audio quality requires the highest possible audio operating voltage.
The 120V technology works with +/-60 V. To be able to handle such a high voltage, we have developed special proprietary operational amplifiers that can operate with a DC voltage of +/-60 V: the SPL 120V SUPRA operational amplifiers. This high voltage would destroy conventional components and operational amplifiers.
The 120V technology achieves exceptional technical specifications and sonic benefits. Technically, in terms of dynamic range, signal-to-noise ratio and headroom. Sonically, in terms of richness of detail and an absolutely relaxed listening experience.
By the way, the “120V” in the name of the technology has nothing to do with the local mains voltage from the mains power socket. This is about the operating voltage inside the device with which the audio signals are processed.
The mains voltage from the mains power socket is transformed to the required secondary voltage in the device’s internal linear power supply with toroidal transformer. Rectifiers convert this AC voltage into DC voltage required in the audio device.
Specifications:
Analog Inputs: XLR (balanced) and RCA
Input Gain: 32.5 dBu (max)
Input Impedance: 20 kΩ (RCA/XLR)
Common Mode Rejection Ratio: 82 dB (XLR)
Balanced Headphones Output: 4-pol XLR (balanced)
Source Impedance: 0.36 Ω
Damping Factor: 180 (40 Ω)
Frequency Range: 10 Hz – 100 kHz (0 dBu)
Crosstalk: – 90 dBu (1 kHz, 0 dBu)
THD + N: 0.00082 % (1 kHz, 0 dBu)
Noise: – 98 dBu (A-weighted)
Output Power: 2 x 3.5 W (1 kHz @ 1 % THD, 250 Ω); 2 x 0.7 W (1 kHz @ 1 % THD, 32 Ω)
Dynamic Range: 130.5 dB
Standard Headphones Output: 6.35 mm (1/4″) TRS Jack
Source Impedance: 0.18 Ω
Damping Factor: 180 (40 Ω)
Frequency Range: 10 Hz – 100 kHz (0 dBu)
Crosstalk: – 90 dBu (1 kHz, 0 dBu)
THD + N: 0.00082 % (1 kHz, 0 dBu)
Noise: – 103 dBu (A-weighted)
Output Power: 2 x 5 W (1 kHz @ 1 % THD, 250 Ω); 2 x 2.7 W (1 kHz @ 1 % THD, 32 Ω)
Dynamic Range: 135.5 dB
Mains Voltage: 230 V AC
Power consumption: 40 VA (max); < 0.3 W (standby)
Dimensions: 278 (W) x 300 (D) x 100 (H) mm
Weight: 4.9 kg

For a review from What Hi-Fi magazine? please click HERE