News from SPL: The Phonitor X & E Balanced Amps
Apr 4, 2016 at 11:20 AM Thread Starter Post #1 of 14

bizkid

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SPL will announce 2 new amps at the Musikmesse in Germany.

Phonitor E:




Our Phonitor headphone amplifiers found a huge fan base among Hi-Fi enthusiasts. The Phonitor e comprises the most essential functions and features in a slim and beautiful housing.

The Phonitor e is the ultimate headphone amplifier. It offers connections for headphone operated both balanced and unbalanced. With up to 3.7 W output power the Phonitor e delivers an impressive performance.
120 V Rail headphone amplifier
Separate connections for headphones driven balanced and unbalanced
Suited for all headphones with impedances >10 ohms
Balanced and unbalanced analog inputs (XLR and RCA)
Optional digital inputs: USB, coaxial and optical
Optional DAC: 192 kHz and 24 Bit, Win driver supplied, Apple Class compliant
Phonitor Matrix with two presets for speaker-equivalent listening
Volume remotely adjustable (learns any IR remote control)
Maximum output power: 2 x 3.7 W (into 120 ohms)
Frequency response: 10 Hz - 300 kHz
THD+N: 0.00091 %
Dynamic range: 135.5 dB
Made in Germany


What is the essence of the Phonitor e?

Dual power amp for balanced headphones
Phonitor e drives headphones operated both balanced and unbalanced. For the balanced operation Phonitor e has an advanced dual power amp built-in which delivers twice the power of the standard 1/4" jack output. This tightens the bass response and makes the overall playback even more relaxed and transparent. The front houses a 4-pol XLR connector to connect the balanced headphone. Both the standard and the 4-pol headphone outputs can be used simultaneously.

Optional DA converter
Phonitor e can be equipped with a DA converter. With that installed the available inputs are expanded by USB, coaxial and optical digital stereo inputs. The DA converter supports sample rates up to 192 kHz with 24 bit. It syncs automatically to the sample rate of the selected digital input.

Phonitor-Matrix with two presets
The Phonitor-Matrix offers two presets. The Speaker Angle is fixed to the most common setting of 30° representing the ideal angle for a stereo speaker placement. For the Crossfeed adjustment there are two settings. Crossfeed adjust the so-called interaural level difference. The setting C1 has less crossfeed than C2.

Remote Control
To control the Volume you can use any IR remote control. The cool part is that the Phonitor e learns your remote! Take the remote control of your CD player for instance. There are many buttons and there are at least two you don't really use. Assign Volume Up and Volume Down to those buttons and let the Phonitor e learn them. Please check the manual for more.

Professional Fidelity • Pro-Fi-Serie
Phonitor e is part of our Pro-Fi series of products. Pro-Fi stands for Professional Fidelity and it expresses that these products have their roots in professional studio technology being optimized for high-fidelity music playback.

We love simple elegance and a certain level of understatement. Therefore we renounce over-dimensioned housing milled out of a solid block and other mostly price-driving attributes of many high-end products. Our background is come from professional studio technology, where inner values and audio performance count the most.

Mastering studios give your records and CDs the final tough – with SPL 120V technology. And because the Phonitor e is built with the same technology it belongs to best headphone amplifiers on the planet. With its extraordinary specifications and enormous headroom Phonitor e plays back audio in the most relaxed and uncompromised fashion. Ear fatigue is reduced by far and hearing session stay delightful for a long.

Link : https://spl.info/en/products/profess...in-detail.html


Phonitor X:


Our Phonitor headphone amplifiers found a huge fan base among Hi-Fi enthusiasts. With the Phonitor x we have accommodated the wishes of our Hi-Fi customers.

The Phonitor x is the ultimate headphone amplifier. It offers connections for headphones operated both balanced and unbalanced. With up to 3.7 W output power the Phonitor x delivers an impressive performance.

The revolutionary Phonitor Matrix delivers the most realistic playback on headphones. As almost all music was mixed for speaker playback the Phonitor Matrix lets you experience music on headphones as being played back through speakers.

The Phonitor x is not just a headphone amplifier, but also an excellent preamplifier that can also drive power amplifiers or active monitors. All in all five input sources can be connected. Two of which are analog stereo inputs (XLR und RCA) and three more are digital stereo inputs (USB, coaxial and optical).
120V rail headphone amplifier and preamplifier
Separate connections and power amplifiers for headphone driven balanced and unbalanced
Suited for all headphones with impedances >10 ohms
Balanced and unbalanced analog inputs (XLR and RCA)
Optional digital inputs: USB, coaxial and optical
Optional DAC: 192 kHz and 24 Bit, Win driver supplied, Apple Class compliant
Balanced and unbalanced analog outputs (XLR and RCA)
Innovative Phonitor Matrix: speaker-equivalent listening on headphones
Laterality control: super-fine balance control
Mono switch function
Volume remotely adjustable (learns any IR remote control)
Maximum output power: 2 x 3.7 W (into 120 ohms)
Frequency response: 10 Hz - 300 kHz (-3 dB)
THD+N: 0.00091 % (HP), 0.00085 % (Line)
Dynamic range: 135.5 dB (HP), 136.3 dB (Line)
AMP CTR connection with Performer power amplifier for coupled On/Off switching
Made in Germany

What is new about Phonitor x?

Dual power amp for balanced headphones
Now your headphones can be operated 'balanced'. Phonitor x has an advanced dual power amp built-in that drives headphones balanced which twice the power of the standard 1/4" jack. This tightens the bass response and makes the overall playback even more relaxed and transparent. The front houses a 4-pol XLR connector to connect the balanced headphone. Both the standard and the 4-pol headphone outputs can be used simultaneously.

Optional DA converter
Phonitor x can be equipped with a DA converter. With that installed the available inputs are expanded by USB, coaxial and optical digital stereo inputs. The DA converter supports sample rates up to 192 kHz with 24 bit. It syncs automatically to the sample rate of the selected digital input.

Optimized Phonitor-Matrix
The Phonitor matrix is become simpler, because the Phonitor x is purely designed for audio playback. Features like Center Level adjustment, Solo and Polarity are of use in music production and have therefore been left off in the Phonitor x. We have also reduced the amount os selectable Speaker Angles from six to four leaving off the 15° and 75° angles.

Crossfeed
The Crossfeed switch allows you to adjust the frequency-dependent crossfeed simulation of both channels by adjustments of interaural level difference – as if this characteristic would be heard from monitors when in their own room ambiance. One can compare variations in crossfeed values as approximating the influence of different room sizes and characteristics on a given loudspeaker setup. This adjustment can be made in six steps ranging from “minimum” to “maximum”. Crossfeed interacts with the Angle value to simulate the width of a stereo image

Angle
The Angle switch provides for frequency-dependent simulation of your stereo image width by adjustments of interaural time difference. This influences the moment in time at which a signal‘s wave form arrives at the ear and corresponds to a particular variation in the angle of an actual loudspeaker pair. The time constants of the interaural time differences between the left and right channels occur within a range of 90 to 635 microseconds. As a starting value select the 30° position.


Preamplifier
Phonitor x is not just a headphone amplifier but also a full-fledged stereo preamplifier. There is provision for connecting up to five stereo sources – two in the analog domain offering XLR connectors for a balanced source and RCA connectors for an unbalanced source. With the optional DA converter installed three more digital stereo sources can be connected via USB, coaxial and optical connectors.

You can connect your active loudspeakers or power amplifier directly to the Phonitor x. The rear Speaker Outputs provide both balanced (XLR) and unbalanced (RCA) connections.

Remote Control
To control the Volume you can use any IR remote control. The cool part is that the Phonitor x learns your remote! Take your remote control for the CD player for instance. There are many buttons and there are at least two you don't really need. Assign Volume Up and Volume Down to those buttons and let the Phonitor x learn them. Please check the manual for more.

AMP CTL (Amplifier Control)
When Phonitor x operates as a preamplifier together with the Performer as power amplifier both units can be wire-linked for simultaneous power on/off. Therefore both units AMP CTL sockets need to be connected with a 3.5mm mono-jack cable.

When switching to headphone listening the Performer can automatically be powered down. To engage this feature set DIP switch #6 on the bottom of the Phonitor x to ON.

Professional Fidelity • Pro-Fi-Serie
Phonitor x is part of our Pro-Fi series of products. Pro-Fi stands for Professional Fidelity and it expresses that these products have their roots in professional studio technology being optimized for high-fidelity music playback.

We love simple elegance and a certain level of understatement. Therefore we renounce over-dimensioned housing milled out of a solid block and other mostly price-driving attributes of many high-end products. Our background is come from professional studio technology, where inner values and audio performance count the most.

Mastering studios give your records and CDs the final tough – with SPL 120V technology. And because the Phonitor x is built with the same technology it belongs to best headphone amplifiers on the planet. With its extraordinary specifications and enormous headroom Phonos plays back audio in the most relaxed and uncompromised fashion. Ear fatigue is reduced by far and hearing session stay delightful for a long.


Link : https://spl.info/en/products/profess...in-detail.html
 
Apr 4, 2016 at 11:37 AM Post #2 of 14
Sweet, hope the E version won't cost more than Phonitor mini.
 
Apr 6, 2016 at 2:35 AM Post #3 of 14

Phonitor e is 2x the mini - 1429€ vs 799€
German price list is online at https://spl.info/fileadmin/user_upload/pdf/SPL_RRP_UVP.pdf
 
I'll stick with my Phonitor 2... but in any case, nice new products!
 
Peter
 
Apr 6, 2016 at 3:23 AM Post #4 of 14
 
Phonitor e is 2x the mini - 1429€ vs 799€
German price list is online at https://spl.info/fileadmin/user_upload/pdf/SPL_RRP_UVP.pdf
 
I'll stick with my Phonitor 2... but in any case, nice new products!
 
Peter

A proper link here, the links posted by OP don't work anymore
 
https://spl.info/en/products/professional-fidelity-pro-fi.html

 
 
This is ridiculous. Double the price but you only get 2 presets of matrix? 
Even I, can make use of different combinations of speaker angles and crossfeed levels on different headphones.
 
Apart from the obvious balanced output support, nothing has changed much. (The mini even has better THD+N performance at 0.00052%
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)
Optional DAC module? No thanks I have better DAC already.
 
I am so glad that I just got myself a mini
cool.gif
 
 
EDIT:

Just found that they have released a DAC+pre-amp as well. The Director is priced at 2859 euro (VAT incl.) WOW!
Finally they are stepping away from pro-audio market to the delicious audiophile market?
 
May 25, 2016 at 10:42 PM Post #5 of 14
I wonder what VOLTair Technology is and how different (if at all) is the sound from the PHONITOR X & E to the PHONITOR 2.
 
Aug 5, 2016 at 5:44 PM Post #7 of 14
Nobody got their hands on these yet?
 
Aug 6, 2016 at 2:57 AM Post #8 of 14

I ordered the Phoniter X through a UK supplier in April and was advised delivery would be in one or two weeks. At the same time I purchased some other SPL products and was later advised by the supplier that they were experiencing delivery problems in respect of all SPL products. After a couple of MONTHS I did receive the other products but not the Phoniter X and was told there were further delays with the X. After three months waiting and the supplier still unable to confirm a delivery date I cancelled the Order late July. As far as I am aware there is still no sign of it - so the issue seems to rest firmly with SPL. My supplier (who I won't name) said the "lead in time has become ridiculous from SPL" with their promised delivery dates being continually put back!
 
SPL are at CanJam London next week so I may have a word with them there to find out what is going on. Hopefully they will have the X on demo.
 
Aug 14, 2016 at 9:25 AM Post #9 of 14
UPDATE:  They have the new Phoniter X at CanJam London. Crystal clear dynamic sound - very impressive using HD650. Limited stock arrived with distributor in UK last week so shouldn't be long before they are freely available and we can start getting some more user feedback... 
 
Dec 5, 2016 at 1:56 PM Post #12 of 14
I have the Phonitor X on order, it should be with me this week. I'll be testing it with Abyss, HD800 and AKG812 cans.
 
Also have the Phonitor 2 coming tomorrow, so it will be fun to compare both of them.
 
The X is nearly twice the price (ex-demo P2 unit), I'll likely keep the P2 unless there is a marked difference.
 
Dec 5, 2016 at 9:51 PM Post #13 of 14
Hey,
 
Seems to me that, Phonitor x has a little less feature than the Phonitor 2.
 
There is no center channel adjusting. No matrix output. No phase switch. And no solo channel out.
 
On the other hand, Phonitor 2 has everything that X has except the 4 pin xlr output.
 
I have the Phonitor X on order too. I am thinking if I should get the Phonitor 2 instead?
 
Dec 6, 2016 at 4:15 AM Post #14 of 14
  Hey,
 
Seems to me that, Phonitor x has a little less feature than the Phonitor 2.
 
There is no center channel adjusting. No matrix output. No phase switch. And no solo channel out.
 
On the other hand, Phonitor 2 has everything that X has except the 4 pin xlr output.
 
I have the Phonitor X on order too. I am thinking if I should get the Phonitor 2 instead?


It depends what you want to do with it, and your headphone connectors.

If you are using only headphones, get the P2. If you want to use both monitors/speakers and headphones, and the headphones you use have a 1/4 phono connector, you're fine with the P2.

If your headphones are balanced/XLR and you want to use monitors/speakers, you'll need the PX.

P2 arrived today, lovely amp. Opens up the HD800 and clears the background. A big difference.

I'll likely need the PX however, as I wish to run balanced cans as well as monitors.
 
Not powerful enough for the Abyss however, not a patch on the 600i (hardly surprising though). [user error]
 
Drives the Abyss very well too! Not 600i levels, but impressive (not much headroom available though, pushing it to get decent listen volumes).
 

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