[Edoardo]

Hi guys,

I'm very interested in this object

An all-analog, all-balanced active monitor controller, (stereo and 2.1 )


...With two crossfeeded headphone sockets!

but... WHAT'S BEHIND THOSE SOCKETS?


What will they drive properly? Will they drive anything???


Could any German-speaking friend here help me in understanding it from these reviews?

What do they say about the headphones?

http://www.soundperformancelab.com/f...L_2Control.pdf

http://www.soundperformancelab.com/f...cording_DE.pdf


And could anyone suppose anything by reading these specs?

---------------------------------------------------
Inputs & Outputs

Electronically balanced instrumentation amplifiers
Input sockets: XLR
Output sockets: XLR, Stereo TRS
Nominal input level: IN 1: +4dBu, IN 2: +4dBu/-10dBV
Input impedance: 22kOhm
Output impedance: 75Ohm/Headphones: 22Ohm
Max. input level: 21,3dBu
Max. output level: 21,3dBu
Volume control range: -80dB to +6,6dB
Headphones: -65dB to +14,9dB

Measurements
Frequency range: 10Hz to 100kHz (-3dB)
CMRR: ›60dB (@1kHz, 0dBu input level, unity gain)
THD&N: 0,002% (@1kHz, 0dBu input level, unity gain)
Signal to noise ratio: -96dB/ Headphones: -85dB (A-weighted)
Crosstalk L/R: ›70dB (@1kHz)
Dynamic range: 116dB
Power consumption: ca. 25W
---------------------------------------------


Thank you

 

[EugeneK]

Looks interesting.

The specs are close to the Auditor's and phonitor's but look slightly relaxed. Higher harmonic distortion and smaller frequency band. Slightly more noise.

But you do get hardware crossfeed at $629 instead of the phonitor's $1900.

 

[Edoardo]

Quote:

Originally Posted by EugeneK /img/forum/go_quote.gif Looks interesting. The specs are close to the Auditor's and phonitor's but look slightly relaxed. Higher harmonic distortion and smaller frequency band. Slightly more noise.

The only thing that worries me is the sound-to-noise ratio. Is that 85 low or high in an headphone amp?




Quote:

But you do get hardware crossfeed at $629 instead of the phonitor's $1900.

that's a point... It's something I need ...


Now this "2control" has got the crossfeed, two phone outputs and many other beautiful and (to me) very useful things... Why is it cheaper then?
looks too beautiful to be true doesn't it?


I don't think those sockets hide anything shameful, but I want to know what!

Hope it is written in the German review I linked...

 

[EugeneK]

It's cheaper because it uses an amp circuit that doesn't produce as clean a signal as the one found in the auditor and phonitor.

 

[Edoardo]

Quote:

Originally Posted by EugeneK /img/forum/go_quote.gif It's cheaper because it uses an amp circuit that doesn't produce as clean a signal as the one found in the auditor and phonitor.

Yes but it was not meant to be a self-standing head-amp like the other ones... It is firstly a controller, and secondly an amp. It is this "secondly" that worries me... maybe they didn't take care of the phone section "that much"....

That's why I'd like to know what they use exactly and how powerful...


Let's wait some kind German reader

 

[Edoardo]

To be honest, I do not speak a word of German, but what about this sentence?

"die power der headphone-amps reicht, wenn notig, bis zur schmerzgrenze, im zusammenspiel mit diversen markenkofhorern gab es keienerlei anpassungsprobleme. auch hier herrschen klarer klang und saubere abbildungsleistung (getestet haben wir vorwiegend mit einem ottenen Beyer 880M"

It says something important, doesn't it?

Is it "good" or "bad"?

 

[Markj]

2 CONTROL is for active near field studio monitors without volume control.

 

[Mingo]

Here is an attempt of translation, but I am no expert:
The power of the headphone amp is enough when you need it, up to being painful. When connected to various brand headphones there were no problems of ill matching. Here, too, clear sound and clean mapping performance (we have tested with an ?? Beyer 880M).
Furthermore the amp has been tested in the German magazine STEREO 4/2009. It was given 100% (top) and was in a class of its own compared to Project Head-Box SE II (83%), Lehmann Audio Rheinlander (95), Heed CanAmp (78), Creek OBH-21 SE (94) and Musical Fidelity V-can (90).

 

[Edoardo]

Hello Mingo!

Thank you very much!

I think the missing word means "open cans"

Then... THIS amp? So this "2control" has an amp section which is better than the Project, the Lehmann Rhinelander, the Creek, the Heed and the MF?

 

[Mingo]

Yes, 2Control outperformed the other headphone amplifiers.
The only negative thing the reviewer could find was that the knobs on the front were too close to each other.

 

[Edoardo]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Markj /img/forum/go_quote.gif 2 CONTROL is for active near field studio monitors without volume control.

Yes!

Attention: as I already said, the 2control is NOT a self-standing amplifier.

2 control is a volume controller for MONO, 2.0 e 2.1 audio systems, with 2 indipendent (and crossfeeded) headphone outs.


Since I personally need both a volume controller for my monitors AND an headphone amp with the crossfeed feature, this may be the choice for me, as I'm sure that SPL doesn't make cheap headphone outs (it even crossfeeds them!

)

 

[Edoardo]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mingo /img/forum/go_quote.gif Yes, 2Control outperformed the other headphone amplifiers. The only negative thing the reviewer could find was that the knobs on the front were too close to each other.

Who cares, I got feminine hands!

Thank you again!

 

[Dinan]

Quote:

Originally Posted by EugeneK /img/forum/go_quote.gif Looks interesting. The specs are close to the Auditor's and phonitor's but look slightly relaxed. Higher harmonic distortion and smaller frequency band. Slightly more noise. But you do get hardware crossfeed at $629 instead of the phonitor's $1900.

Looks to be a very good unit that can best the usual suspects for "affordable" amps but is not in the same league as a Phonitor or Auditor.

The crossfeed and flexibility or nice too BUT this unit has nothing remotely close to the sophisticated speaker angle, crossfeed, and center circuits of the Phonitor so don't anyone think you are getting a $630 Phonitor.

Now what I wonder is if it can give you crossfeed on the outputs for the monitors as well as the phones. This would be somewhat useful for VERY nearfield monitoring.

Another observation is that this unit doesn't have anything close tot he amp and power supply stages of the Auditor/Phonitor (as would be expected considering the much lower price point).

Anyway....cool find!

 

[xnor]

a few sentences I've translated from the first review:
2Control has the stepless controllable crossfeed-circuit of the Phonitor, though slightly different without the adjustable phantom-center.
For direct A/B comparison the crossfeed potentiometer can be enabled or disabled. Turned up as far as it will go you'll get nearly mono playback and the level drops a bit.
With the buttons SP1 and SP2 two pairs of speakers can be controlled for easy and direct comparison.
The third speaker output can be used e.g. to connect a subwoofer. (headphones + subwoofer combo to 'feel' the bass)
Buttons a are a little bit too close to each other.
It's missing a mute-all button but there is a -20 dB dim button.
Buttons have backlight.
Crackles can be heard when using the input buttons to enable/disable a second source due to addition of levels or drop outs of parts of the signals.
Both headphone jacks are amplified and controllable separately with potentiometers. There are no buttons to enable/disable headphone outputs.

edit: btw, for non-fatiguing home listening I strongly suggest the bs2b DSP.

 

[Edoardo]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dinan /img/forum/go_quote.gif Looks to be a very good unit that can best the usual suspects for "affordable" amps but is not in the same league as a Phonitor or Auditor. The crossfeed and flexibility or nice too BUT this unit has nothing remotely close to the sophisticated speaker angle, crossfeed, and center circuits of the Phonitor so don't anyone think you are getting a $630 Phonitor. Now what I wonder is if it can give you crossfeed on the outputs for the monitors as well as the phones. This would be somewhat useful for VERY nearfield monitoring. Another observation is that this unit doesn't have anything close tot he amp and power supply stages of the Auditor/Phonitor (as would be expected considering the much lower price point). Anyway....cool find!

I am not saying i'm getting a 500€ phonitor, but that I'm getting a very very good preamp with maybe the best "phones-out" in the market...