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REVIEW: SPL Phonitor - Page 6

post #76 of 106
1/27/11 at 2:38am

Thank you so much, sounds like it's exactly what I'm looking for.

 

I had a very quick and brief listen to the Phonitor hooked up with a pair of Ultrasone Edition 8 yesterday, the source they had wasn't great, but it seems to me that it is quite neutral sounding and the effects of the crossfeed, speaker angle and centre level adjustments are all very subtle. I was told by the retailer that it does take a while to get the Phonitor properly set up, so he invited me to have a longer listening session next week with my own headphones and source which I would.

 

I look forward to reading your future reviews and impressions, and thanks once again for your reply and comments.

 

Quote:
Originally Posted by 03029174 View Post

 

Hope this helped :)

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post #77 of 106
1/29/11 at 6:32pm


Looking forward to your impression of LCD-2 with Phonitor. wink_face.gif

Very curious why some folks mentioned that it has no synergy with Phonitor.

 

Quote:


Originally Posted by Danz03 View Post

So did you get your Phonitor? Any thoughts on it? I'm thinking of getting one myself next month, will be using it with my HD800 and LCD-2.
 

Quote:
Originally Posted by 03029174 View Post

I have traded my old amp for the Phonitor and it should be arriving in the next few weeks. I've been doing alot of research on headphones to match with it and have settled on the HD800s. I did read somewhere the LCD-2 were awful on the Phonitor. Cant remember if it was on here or another forum? But that was only one post and i think it was under meet conditions.


 
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post #78 of 106
3/26/11 at 10:40am

Anyone have comments about the SPL Phonitor with Audeze LCD2's low impedance?

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post #79 of 106
4/17/11 at 5:13am

The Phonitor's manual has the following recommendation on page 15:

 

"Unplug the headphone when you switch off the Phonitor. Otherwise discharging residual voltages can cause beeping sounds. We did not add a circuitry to avoid that phenomenon as it would have compromised sound quality. Reduce volume level before you remove or plug in the headphone (or when switching headphones). This excludes louder clicks and pops reaching the ear. In addition, this can avoid unpleasant surprise that follows when a headphone’s lower impedance suddenly reproduces an otherwise acceptable Phonitor volume setting of a first headphone at a much higher – even painful – level."

 

I was wondering if Phonitor owners here have (1) indeed been unplugging their headphone each time they turn the amp off, and (2) if it's OK just to leave it on all the time.

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post #80 of 106
4/17/11 at 3:51pm

I get the pops and noises if I turn off the amp.

 

I leave the Phonitor on most of the time though.  It does sound thinner when starting from cold.

 

Regards

 

Sceptre

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post #81 of 106
4/17/11 at 4:33pm

Thanks for the info Sceptre. I'll leave it on all the time as well, and besides, it's kind of inconvenient having to reach behind the unit to switch it on and off.

 

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sceptre View Post

I get the pops and noises if I turn off the amp.

I leave the Phonitor on most of the time though.  It does sound thinner when starting from cold.

Regards

Sceptre



 


Edited by Arnaldo - 4/17/11 at 4:54pm
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post #82 of 106
6/3/11 at 12:31am

 

 


Edited by crispy98007 - 6/3/11 at 12:42am
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post #83 of 106
6/3/11 at 12:33am
Quote:
Originally Posted by 03029174 View Post

Quote:

Hi

 

I love the Phonitor, it sounds great and is exactly what i was looking for. I didnt want tube distortion and wanted something that sounded powerful and added as little as possible to the sound. I'm not sure about how others view amplifiers but you just know when the HD800 is amped correctly. Its like everything snaps into focus and you can really appreciate the speed and control these headphones are capable of.

 

I am very happy with the bass and prat of my setup. I think Senneheiser tweaked the Frequency response after the first few thousand pairs (mine are 4XXX) because mine have better bass than some of the setups i heard at Canjam when the HD800s first got released. Of course that could have been burn in or bad synergy or both.

 

Regarding the dials on the Phonitor, don't expect crazy night and day differences. I have opted for a slightly narrower soundstage and reduced the centre position as much as possible. Between those adjustments and the angled drivers of the HD800's, im getting amazing imaging and when i close my eyes i can paint a very detailed coherent picture of the performance infront of me. This is exactly what i wanted my system to be able to reproduce. I got hooked on this type of presentation when i owned the K1000s. Trust me, when you get used to it you wont go back.

 

I own a Cary Xciter Dac and am not sure how a digital source can sound warm, but to my ears it does. I use 16/44.1 and the dac internally upsamples the content which probably deteriorates the signal alittle, but it works. I really like the source and spent a long time compairing it to others. Its perfect for the Phonitor in my view because it adds a touch of warmth, but its subtle, not like a tube amp. I feel im getting the best of both worlds. Im not experiencing the sharp digital sound you can get with a SS amp, but then im not getting the distorted slower sound of a tube amp, im somewhere inbertween which im happy with.

 

Alot of people say the Phonitor is analytical and cold etc but i honestly dont feel it is. I've decided the trio of Cary, Phonitor and HD800's are all long term keepers and have spent a pretty tidy sum of money upgrading all the cables in the system to Silver cables from Whiplash Audio. I don't need the added warmth of copper so have opted for Silver and we'll see how that goes. I'll write a full review when everything is finished and settled down. I also plan on experimenting with Parabolic Eqs (think thats what they're called) as a very final touch once all the hardware is in place

 

I'll be taking my rig to the UK meet in 2 months so we should have a few other impressions which i will post in this thread.

 

There is one area i'm a little concerned about and thats the hot treble. I don't notice it when im listening but i have been suffering a little ear fatigue after using my rig for a couple of hours straight. It might just be that im listening too loud, i love live recordings and tend to set the volume to match what i would hear at a gig. I think most people will agree your ears are probably tired after attending a gig so i imagine this is the case. And don't worry, i don't listen to my rig every night, maybe once or twice a week as treats.

 

Hope this helped :)



 

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post #84 of 106
6/3/11 at 12:34am

 

The superb bass you're hearing: the Phonitor

Analytical and cold: huh???  

Hot treble: the HD800s (and the silver cables)

 

Just returned from the high end hifi show in Munich.  The Auditor is a Phonitor minus the crossfeed circuitry.  Freaking amazing dynamic range, power, clarity and bass control from these amps.  The highly regulated +/- 60V power supply and the custom op-amps are the keys here.  150dB dynamic range as claimed by the manufacturer?  Sure sounds like it.  

 

The Phonitor looks cooler, but the Auditor is for me and it's half the price as a bonus.  Listened to both through the Ultrasones and the HD 800s.  The 2 amps sound essentially identical if the crossfeed is switched off, which makes sense, since according to SPL, they have identical amp sections.  The crosstalk is lower actually on the Auditor too.  Sold.  By the way no offense on the HD800s...they just still sound like Sennheisers (metal dome drivers).  

 

Now I can dust off the 'ol Grado RS1s that have been in their case for the last 5 years...must check out the newer "i" version soon...

 

Esoteric P-01/D-01/G-0Rb > Auditor > RS1


Edited by crispy98007 - 6/3/11 at 1:11am
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post #85 of 106
8/20/11 at 11:10pm

have anyone try the phonitor with Lcd-2?

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post #86 of 106
12/13/11 at 5:25am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Audiowood View Post

have anyone try the phonitor with Lcd-2?


bump... would be curious to hear impressions with the Phonitor + LCD2 or LCD3 as well

 

Would be nice if you could get the analog processing separate from the amp as well to use in another system (recognize added connectors is less than optimal, but would still be a nice option to plug-in)

 


Edited by silverlight - 12/13/11 at 5:26am
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post #87 of 106
12/24/11 at 11:56am

Can't imagine an SPL head amp being a good match with a low impedance headphone. I think the OP was correct, measured in dBm, the SNR should be in the upper 80's (!). In dBu the SNR is higher, as quoted by SPL.

 

With a high impedance amp it probably wouldn't make much difference. But with a low impedance headphone this is an utter waste of money. Only 360 mW into 30 ohm? No thank you. There are much better alternatives out there for low Z headphones.

 

The 9 ohm output impedance would also roll off the highs wouldn't it?


Edited by The Slow Down - 12/24/11 at 11:57am
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post #88 of 106
12/26/11 at 4:43am
Quote:
Originally Posted by The Slow Down View Post

Can't imagine an SPL head amp being a good match with a low impedance headphone.

 

But with a low impedance headphone this is an utter waste of money.

 

The 9 ohm output impedance would also roll off the highs wouldn't it?



I'm running a D-7000 (which has 25 Ω) on the Phonitor and IMHO it's a match made in heaven. Power, control, grainlessness, realistic harmonious soundstage, perfect frequency response; it's all there!


Edited by dunhill - 12/30/11 at 6:02am
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post #89 of 106
12/26/11 at 7:42pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by crispy98007 View Post

 

By the way no offense on the HD800s...they just still sound like Sennheisers (metal dome drivers).  

 

 

SPL + HD800 = metal fetish. eek.gif

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post #90 of 106
12/28/11 at 5:35am

 

Quote:
Originally Posted by dunhill View Post



I'm running a D-7000 (which has 25 Ω) on the Phonitor and IMHO it's a match made in heaven. Power, control, grainyness, perfect frequency response; it's all there!


I can believe this... but... at low Z there is not "much" power. Wonder if the experience would be enhanced with more Power @ 25 ohm.

 

Also, I read on here that many people with low Z headphones were able to hear a distinct buzzing sound with the Phonitor... if that's not true, perhaps I've wasted my money on alternatives!

 

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