SPL Audio Phonitor xe Headphone Amplifier Without DAC

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 ensures the Phonitor xe one of the best headphone amplifiers of our time.

REVIEWS

“With the Phonitor xe, SPL delivers the ultimate device for all headphone enthusiasts, who value neutrality, preciseness and control, combined with great musicality.”

Dr. Martin Mertens - EAR IN

“The fineness and transparency with which the music is depicted is just awesome – what a richness of detail!”

Volker Frech - Lite Magazin

“How does the device sound? Let’s erase all doubts right away: it sounds fantastic!”

Jürgen Saile - HiFi Statement

“On to the meat of the review though, how does the Phonitor xe itself actually sound? To be honest, it’s spectacular.”

Grover Neville - Inner Fidelity

“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 unrivalled cross feed circuit.”

Benjamin Baum - Fair Audio

GREAT SOUND – 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 pin XLR plug. The enormous output power, ensures all headphones are driven effortlessly. The result: it plays out the advantages of the SPL VOLTAiR technology and rewards the listener with an honest, detailed and vivid sound experience.

TWICE AS NICE

The Phonitor xe provides headphone outputs on the front and on the rear. On the front, you switch between F (front) and R (rear) so your favourite headphones remain firmly connected on the rear – without visible cabling on the front.

MILLED FROM SOLID

The massive 45mm volume control knob milled from aluminium is a haptic highlight. Its mass together with the motorised 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.

REMOTE CONTROL

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.

LEARNING MADE EASY

Using Phonitor x as an example, the video below explains how you can use any infrared remote control to remotely control the volume.

SOURCE OF JOY

Up to six (6 !) stereo sources can be connected to the Phonitor xe: XLR, RCA and via the optional DAC768 also USB, COAX, OPTICAL and AES.  Phonitor xe accepts almost all audio connections. Balanced via XLR or unbalanced via RCA connectors.

With the optional DAC768, four additional digital sources are added. From USB to professional AES format, no wishes remain unfulfilled. The DAC automatically picks up the sampling rate and resolution of the digital playback source. No matter if a streamer, computer or CD player is connected. No further settings on the Phonitor xe are necessary.

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, faithfully reproduces the finest sound details.  It converts PCM audio with a resolution of 32 bits and a sampling rate of up to 768 kHz, which is equivalent to 16 times CD resolution. Direct Stream Digital is also supported up to a resolution of DSD4 or DSD256. In contrast to the DAC 768xs, the DAC768 not only offers an AES/EBU digital input, but also the SPL DLP120 with VOLTAiR technology.

THE DLP120 (DUAL LOW-PASS)

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.  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 and sound.

GOOD OL' TIMES

Two mechanical VU meters visualise the input levels for the left and right audio channel.  With the VU switch you can optimise 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.

THE REVOLUTION: PHONITOR MATRIX

The Phonitor Matrix is the revolution in the headphone amplifier.

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 main 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 localised 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 analog circuitry. The Phonitor Matrix therefore not only ensures a correct representation of the stereo image, but also a relaxed listening experience.

SOUNDS GOOD!

With all devices of the Professional Fidelity series SPL develops not only according to plan, but also by ear. All important components are installed on the circuit boards using Through-hole technology. This way they can ensure that they're can using the best sounding components.

THE VOLTAIR TECHNOLOGY

The 120V technology is our reference technology. The 120V technology is unique. 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, SPL has developed 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” 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.

PRODUCT SPECIFICATIONS

Analog inputs: XLR (balanced) and RCA

• Input gain (max): 32.5 dBu
• Input impedance (RCA): 20 kΩ
• Input impedance (XLR): 20 kΩ
• Common mode rejection (XLR): 82 dB

Digital Inputs: DAC768 (optional)

• AES/EBU (XLR), PCM sample rates: 44.1/48/88.2/96/176.4/192 kHz
• Coaxial SPDIF (RCA), PCM sample rates: 44.1/48/88.2/96/176.4/192 kHz
• Optical SPDIF (Toslink F06), PCM sample rates: 44.1/48/88.2/96/with Glass fibre <1m: 176.4/192 kHz
• USB (B), PCM sample rates: 44.1/48/88.2/96/176.4/192/352.8/384/705.6/768 kHz
• USB (B), DSD over PCM (DoP), sample rates: 2.8 (DSD64), 5.6 (DSD128), 11.2 (DSD256) MHz
• 0 dBFS calibrated to: 15 dBu

Balanced Headphones Output: 4-pol XLR (balanced)

• Pin wiring: 1 = L (+), 2 = L (-), 3 = R (+), 4 = R (-)
• Source impedance: 0.36 Ω
• Damping factor (40 Ω): 180
• Frequency range (-3 dB): 10 Hz – 300 kHz
• Crosstalk (1 kHz): -90 dBu
• THD + N (10 Hz – 22 kHz, 0 dBu): 0.00082 %
• Noise (A-weighted): -98 dBu
• Output power (1 kHz, 1% THD, 600 Ω): 2 x 8 W
• Output power (1 kHz, 1% THD, 300 Ω): 2 x 3.5 W
• Output power (1 kHz, 1% THD, 32 Ω): 2 x 0.7 W
• Dynamic range: 130.5 dB

Standard Headphones Output: 6.35 mm (1/4") TRS Jack

• Pin wiring: Tip = Left, Ring = Right, Sleeve = GND
• Source impedance: 0.18 Ω
• Damping factor (40 Ω): 180
• Frequency range (-3 dB): 10 Hz – 300 kHz
• Crosstalk (1 kHz): -90 dB
• THD + N (10 Hz – 22 kHz, 0 dBu): 0.00082 %
• Noise (A-weighted): -103 dBu
• Output power (1 kHz, 1% THD, 600 Ω): 2 x 2.7 W
• Output power (1 kHz, 1% THD, 300 Ω): 2 x 5 W
• Output power (1 kHz, 1% THD, 32 Ω): 2 x 1 W
• Dynamic range: 135.5 dB

Internal Linear Power Supply with Shielded Toroidal Transformer

• Operating voltage for analog audio: +/- 60 V
• Operating voltage for relays and LEDs: + 12 V
• Operating voltage for optional DAC768: +7 V, +3.3 V

Mains Power Supply

• Mains voltage (selectable, see fuse chamber): 230 V AC / 50; 115 V AC / 60 Hz
• Fuse for 230 V: T 500 mA
• Fuse for 115 V: T 1 A
• Power consumption: max. 40 VA
• Stand-by power consumption: < 0,3 W

Dimensions & Weight

• W x H x D (width x height incl. feet x depth):
• 278 x 100 x 300 mm
• 11 x 4 x 11,81 inch
• Unit weight
• 4.9 kg
• 10.8 lbs
• Shipping weight (incl. packaging)
• 5.6 kg
• 12.35 lbs