[mofu]

  BAD NEWS
 
Phonitor X receiving balanced from my pavane but I have been using the balanced jack on it thus far. So I go to plug in my HD800 with the single ended jack and pops and smells started happening. 
 
I am wondering if the HD800 cable is wired incorrectly because its a single ended after market cable. 

 
You probably know this and I fear you may be offended by me asking this. Please interpret this a general advice for all others, who follow this thread.
 

Did you mute it before inserting the plug? The Phonitors do not have a switch for turning off the amp in the jack. Therefore inserting headphones in a live amp can blow the amp.
This is less liekly to happen with balanced headphones. The individual connections are made simultaneously and can not be shortened and there is no element in the jack that can connect two pins directly.
 
edit: Same goes for removing the plug.
 
This seems to be only the case for the Phonitor Mini.

 

[Seamaster]

You probably know this and I fear you may be offended by me asking this. Please interpret this a general advice for all others, who follow this thread.



Did you mute it before inserting the plug? The Phonitors do not have a switch for turning off the amp in the jack. Therefore inserting headphones in a live amp can blow the amp.
This is less liekly to happen with balanced headphones. The individual connections are made simultaneously and can not be shortened and there is no element in the jack that can connect two pins directly.

edit: Same goes for removing the plug.

I really doubt this since those amps are designed for professional use, and the company is not a newbie

 

[Yoga]

I'd quite frankly be shocked if an amplifier designed (by a reputable company) for headphones would blow by connecting headphones.
 
That's akin a car exploding when you put fuel in it.
 
Edit: I was swapping headphones (a lot) in SE mode with both the P2 and PX without issue. Including HD800.

 

[mofu]

I was wrong, this seems only to apply to the mini. There is a warning on page 23 of the manual: https://spl.info/fileadmin/user_upload/anleitungen/english/PhonitorMini_EN.pdf

 

[Seamaster]

If the HP cable wired wrong, it will act shorting plug , and stress power supply

 

[grizzlybeast]

"Warning: Never connect a mono jack cable to the standard headphone output (front panel stereo jack). Make sure that the stereo jack is fully inserted, otherwise a short circuit might damage the headphone amplifier!"
 
I did use an aftermarket cable but I doubt it was wired wrong. I have used it on other amps no problem. The above warnings in the manual were avoided in this scenario. 
 
The real bummer is that I wanted to use the HD800 to measure the effects of the Matrix and without having done that I feel a full review at this point of the X will be incomplete based on the fact that that is such a big reason for the jump in price. It is a very good design from what I heard so far. I sent it back to the supplier. I don't know if they will send me one that is not broken or what. 
 
Simply put though, I have abandoned thoughts for another solid state amplifier as my reference amp. 
 
The matrix presets on the phonitor e are great, subtle but effective. @humzebra has the phonitor e now and says it sounds good to him. He likes it paired with the Abyss.
 
Hopefully he will post some initial impressions. 

 

[Yoga]

  "Warning: Never connect a mono jack cable to the standard headphone output (front panel stereo jack). Make sure that the stereo jack is fully inserted, otherwise a short circuit might damage the headphone amplifier!"
 
I did use an aftermarket cable but I doubt it was wired wrong. I have used it on other amps no problem. The above warnings in the manual were avoided in this scenario. 
 
The real bummer is that I wanted to use the HD800 to measure the effects of the Matrix and without having done that I feel a full review at this point of the X will be incomplete based on the fact that that is such a big reason for the jump in price. It is a very good design from what I heard so far. I sent it back to the supplier. I don't know if they will send me one that is not broken or what. 
 
Simply put though, I have abandoned thoughts for another solid state amplifier as my reference amp. 
 
The matrix presets on the phonitor e are great, subtle but effective. @humzebra has the phonitor e now and says it sounds good to him. He likes it paired with the Abyss.
 
Hopefully he will post some initial impressions. 

The Matrix hardware implantation is indeed exceptional. There is a software alternative however that @fjrabon pointed me towards just recently; Goodhertz plugins CanOpener and MidSide.

Combined with Sonarworks and the V281, I've not heard a better headphone combination. The V281 even pulls punches with the 600i, which is a ridiculous beast of a speaker amplifier.
 
If you can't be bothered with software and plugins (which are an additional cost), the Phonitor is still a TOTL choice. You can't go wrong with either. I was absolutely delighted with the PX, an end game amp along with the V281.

 

[grizzlybeast]

 

  "Warning: Never connect a mono jack cable to the standard headphone output (front panel stereo jack). Make sure that the stereo jack is fully inserted, otherwise a short circuit might damage the headphone amplifier!"
 
I did use an aftermarket cable but I doubt it was wired wrong. I have used it on other amps no problem. The above warnings in the manual were avoided in this scenario. 
 
The real bummer is that I wanted to use the HD800 to measure the effects of the Matrix and without having done that I feel a full review at this point of the X will be incomplete based on the fact that that is such a big reason for the jump in price. It is a very good design from what I heard so far. I sent it back to the supplier. I don't know if they will send me one that is not broken or what. 
 
Simply put though, I have abandoned thoughts for another solid state amplifier as my reference amp. 
 
The matrix presets on the phonitor e are great, subtle but effective. @humzebra has the phonitor e now and says it sounds good to him. He likes it paired with the Abyss.
 
Hopefully he will post some initial impressions. 

The Matrix hardware implantation is indeed exceptional. There is a software alternative however that @fjrabon pointed me towards just recently; Goodhertz plugins CanOpener and MidSide.

Combined with Sonarworks and the V281, I've not heard a better headphone combination. The V281 even pulls punches with the 600i, which is a ridiculous beast of a speaker amplifier.
 
If you can't be bothered with software and plugins (which are an additional cost), the Phonitor is still a TOTL choice. You can't go wrong with either. I was absolutely delighted with the PX, an end game amp along with the V281.

Care to do a comparison between the X and V281?
 
I imagine the V281 to excel at musicality and punchiness all while sounding clean, while the X will excel balance and tonality and being clean as well. 

 

[grizzlybeast]

I am really trying to think hard about what could have caused the issue on the SE slot of the X.
 
 
I vaguely remember using my modded Pioneer HRM-7 with a modified cable from Peterek on the X. I recall no issues with that cable. It very well could be the fact that the cable I have with the HD800 for SE isn't wired correctly. I did try it on other amps but perhaps the other amps as well as the the previous owners amp wouldn't be effected. 
 
I am not certain at all. 

 

[humzebra]

I've got a toddler chanting for Thomas the Tank Engine now, but after a night listening to the Phonitor E with the Abyss 1266 out of Luckbad's old upgraded Atlantis, comparing with SA 31 SE at about 8.5w, the e is much more balanced. I assume for most this would be desired as the Abyss tends to put the treble and bass forward while recessing the mids. My gut reaction was, "wow mids, where did those come from?" It was nice to hear a different tonality for the Abyss, on laid back and acoustic tracks I found it to be a more realistic and expected presentation. On the hard hitting fast stuff I like to listen to (symphonic, other metal) I prefer treble and lower bass and sub bass weighted presentation of the SA 31. The soundstage seems a little wider with the brighter presentation of the Audio GD amp also. I may differ from most in that I overall prefer the less balanced, treble-sparkling, bass heavy and more forceful, more tactile "air moving around strings" sound of a more powerful amp with the Abyss. The sub bass with the Phonitor E is rolled off compared to the more powerful amp. This is less favorable to me, but the more mid bass focused sound (think warmer, with the mids more present) of the e is more realistic and reveals less of the bass humming falt of the Abyss and can then be an advantage. They can have quite a resonance with the lower frequencies, just a product of how they work to deliver bass which is distinct from other headphones. The fall flat with spoken word and choral music. Effortless clarity, resolution and detail with the e, it doesn't have to work at it like the Audio GD does, not needing a brighter presentation. More to come with Odin during the next listening session..

 

[Yoga]

  Care to do a comparison between the X and V281?
 
I imagine the V281 to excel at musicality and punchiness all while sounding clean, while the X will excel balance and tonality and being clean as well. 

 
Executive Summary: They're close. I'd happily live with either. 
 
SQ - The V281 has more punch—engagement—but is also transparent. The PX feels (a little) laid back in comparison, but I would not say more balanced. They have similar tonality (accurate). SE output = draw. Balanced output: V281 pips it, slightly bigger soundstage and control.
 
Build - V281 wins. Quite literally built like a tank. The PX felt a bit hollow and there was a visible gap along the top of the front front plate that leaked light from the meters. Negligible for performance but did irk me slightly as from my seating position I could see into the unit. On that note, the PX's meters are gorgeous, as are the soft edges of its design. The V281 is an angled, focused piece of engineering.
 
Functionality - Draw. Depends entirely on your needs and setup. The PX's Matrix system is subtle but significant. Loved it. You can beat that with pro-audio software however (more flexible), but it means additional purchases and being tied to a computer and plugin chain. Both are fantastic preamps. The V281 can drive multiple headphones at once with a lot of juice and has more power reserves. It can also drive headphones and speakers concurrently (the PX is a toggle). That's useful for burning headphones/cables in while using monitors/speakers.

 

[Yoga]

  I've got a toddler chanting for Thomas the Tank Engine now, but after a night listening to the Phonitor E with the Abyss 1266 out of Luckbad's old upgraded Atlantis, comparing with SA 31 SE at about 8.5w, the e is much more balanced. I assume for most this would be desired as the Abyss tends to put the treble and bass forward while recessing the mids. My gut reaction was, "wow mids, where did those come from?" It was nice to hear a different tonality for the Abyss, on laid back and acoustic tracks I found it to be a more realistic and expected presentation. On the hard hitting fast stuff I like to listen to (symphonic, other metal) I prefer treble and lower bass and sub bass weighted presentation of the SA 31. The soundstage seems a little wider with the brighter presentation of the Audio GD amp also. I may differ from most in that I overall prefer the less balanced, treble-sparkling, bass heavy and more forceful, more tactile "air moving around strings" sound of a more powerful amp with the Abyss. The sub bass with the Phonitor E is rolled off compared to the more powerful amp. This is less favorable to me, but the more mid bass focused sound (think warmer, with the mids more present) of the e is more realistic and reveals less of the bass humming falt of the Abyss and can then be an advantage. They can have quite a resonance with the lower frequencies, just a product of how they work to deliver bass which is distinct from other headphones. The fall flat with spoken word and choral music. Effortless clarity, resolution and detail with the e, it doesn't have to work at it like the Audio GD does, not needing a brighter presentation. More to come with Odin during the next listening session..

I had that same 'aha' moment with the Lumin A1 + Moon 600i combo with the Abyss. The mids suddenly unveiled and everything became more cohesive. The V281 is closer to the 600i with this, but the Phonitor isn't too far behind. I'd certainly opt for the V281 for an Abyss pairing.

 

[grizzlybeast]

The Phonitor is now on its way to Seattle as member @humzebra is shipping it to @earthpeople
 
Please update the thread when you receive it.
 
As for me I have my review mostly finished but am waiting to know if I will receive a replacement of the review unit X or not.
 
There are pros and cons to these units but some things I find exceptional about them 

 

[gzone3lement]

  The Phonitor is now on its way to Seattle as member @humzebra is shipping it to @earthpeople
 
Please update the thread when you receive it.
 
As for me I have my review mostly finished but am waiting to know if I will receive a replacement of the review unit X or not.
 
There are pros and cons to these units but some things I find exceptional about them 

 
Sounds great. I believe that I will receive it after @earthpeople.
 
At the moment, I have the Chord Hugo DAC, Denon AH-D7000 headphones, and JH-5 earphones.
 
In the meantime, I might get the Mytek Digital Stereo 192 DSD-DAC. Hopefully there will be impressions on Phonitor X not only through Chord Hugo, but also through Mytek Digital Stereo 192 DSD-DAC.

 

[earthpeople]

Phonitor e is set up on my rack now. I haven't listened to it yet -- will update this post once I get some time with it. 
 
Thanks for sending it up to me @humzebra, and of course thanks to @grizzlybeast for coordinating!
__________________
 
After getting some good time in with the SPL Phonitor e, here are my impressions.
I tried my best to avoid bias by not reading other reviews, level-matching to ~1dB, et cetera, but unfortunately I didn't have my switchbox to semi-blind myself. 
 
Gear used:
Sennheiser HD800 and Fostex TH900
Schiit Yggdrasil balanced output to Phonitor e
comparisons primarily with Schiit Yggdrasil single-ended output to Burson Conductor
 

Spoiler: Impressions

Overall, I think the Phonitor is a solid performer but not quite my taste.  
The sound is clean and hard to fault technically. I feel that the presentation is slightly laid back and lacks a bit in punch. The sound felt smooth which isn't necessarily a bad thing, but was noticeable when fast bass hits were a little rounded and the treble a bit soft. 
 
On its own without comparison, I could happily listen the night away with the Phonitor. However, when A/B against my Conductor, I can't help but prefer the increased... energy? of the Conductor. Maybe it's just because that's what I'm used to, but it brings the stage a little closer and is more crisp on attack and decay. 
 
What I was most looking forward to with the Phonitor was their Matrix system. To be honest, I was somewhat disappointed. It certainly works, but the only time I liked having it on was with some of my jazz recordings that are hard panned left and right. To be fair, that's exactly when I want the feature to work best but otherwise I didn't really care for it as much as I thought I would. I would have liked to play with the increased control options on the Phonitor x, but to my understanding, the Phonitor e presets feature the most popular Matrix configurations already.
 
Lastly, I was surprised at the build quality. It feels... generic, and I've had many products at much lower price points that I feel are more solid. The front and back don't quite line up to the center body and much of the printing on the front plate was smeared. I don't expect Woo chassis quality from everything, but I don't think these flaws are acceptable in this price range. With that said, perhaps this unit was pulled aside to be a demo precisely because of those issues and is not representative of the overall product -- I'm not sure. 
 
Perhaps my expectations coming in were too high, but unfortunately the Phonitor missed the mark for me. In any case, I'm very thankful for the opportunity to demo at my leisure in the comfort of my home.