SPL - Sound Performance Lab Phonitor xe Headphone Amplifier + DAC768

SPL Phonitor xe

The ultimate headphone amplifier.

The Phonitor xe is the ultimate stand-alone version for headphone lovers who don't want to make any compromises. Phonitor matrix, remote volume control, retro-look VU meter, the optional premium DA converter and the outstanding VOLTAiR technology make the Phonitor xe one of the best headphone amplifiers of our time.

Great sound - for all headphones

The Phonitor xe offers connections for standard headphones with a jack plug and for balanced headphones with a 4-pin XLR plug.

Thanks to the high output power, it drives all headphones effortlessly and effortlessly, so it exploits the advantages of the SPL VOLTAiR technology and rewards the listener with an honest, detailed and at the same time lively sound experience.

Just twice

The Phonitor xe offers headphone outputs on the front and on the back. On the front switch between F (Front) and R (Rear). This keeps your favorite headphones firmly connected on the back - with no visible wiring on the front.

From the full

The massive 45mm volume knob milled from aluminum is a haptic highlight. Its mass, combined with the Alps RK27 "Big Blue" motorized potentiometer, creates a wonderful "spoon in the honey" feel.

The red marking 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 how to communicate with it simply by pressing a button.

Free choice

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.

The Phonitor xe accepts almost all audio connections. Balanced via XLR or unbalanced via cinch sockets.

The optional DAC768 adds four more digital sources. From USB to the professional AES format, nothing is left to be desired.

The DAC768

The highly acclaimed AKM AK4490 Velvet Sound TM premium DAC chip is used as the converter chip in the optional digital/analog converter. Thanks to its architecture, it reproduces the finest sound details.

It converts PCM audio with a resolution of 32 bit and a sampling rate of up to 768 kHz, which is 16 times the resolution of CD. Direct Stream Digital is also supported up to a resolution of DSD4 or DSD256. In contrast to the DAC768xs, the DAC768 not only offers an AES/EBU digital input, but also the SPL DLP120 with VOLTAiR technology.

The DLP120 (Dual Low Pass)

Any signal that is passed from a DAC chip into the analog world must be filtered through a low-pass filter. Two of these are installed in the DLP120: one for PCM and one for DSD audio signals, as different roll-off frequencies are required.

In contrast to all other DACs in the world, the analog low-pass filters use SPL VOLTAiR technology, which provides more dynamics, headroom and sound.

Good old times

Two mechanical VU meters visualize the input levels for the left and right audio channel.

With the VU switch you can optimize the display for different signal levels.

find the middle

it's not always easy. By nature, hearing can be more to the left or more to the right. This becomes particularly clear when listening with headphones.

That is why the Phonitor xe has the uniquely finely resolved laterality control. This brings the stereo image back into balance.

Use the MODE switch to choose between stereo or mono playback. This switch also activates the laterality control.

The Revolution: Phonitor Matrix

The Phonitor matrix is the revolution in headphone amplifiers.

Thanks to the Phonitor matrix, music can also be experienced through headphones as if it were being played through speakers. The tiring super stereo effect is a thing of the past.

Enjoy your music without listening fatigue and just the way it was meant to be heard.

Music is typically produced and mixed for playback through stereo speakers.

Listening through headphones is different from listening through speakers. The biggest difference is the lack of sound signal crosstalk from the left speaker to the right ear and from the right speaker to the left ear. This crosstalk is absent from traditional headphone listening because no sound travels from one side of the headphone to the other. This results in an unnaturally wide stereo stage and the various sound sources in the audio signal are not localized as the sound engineer intended. This effect is often referred to as the "super stereo effect". Normal listening through headphones allows our brains to compensate for the misrepresentation of music playback to a certain extent - but this is very taxing.

The SPL Phonitor matrix can correct this false stereo image with analog circuitry. The Phonitor matrix not only ensures a correct representation of the stereo stage, but also relaxed listening pleasure.

The two main parameters of the Phonitor matrix are Crossfeed and Angle :

Crossfeed determines the crosstalk of the channels, the so-called interaural level difference. Angle determines the opening angle of the stereo stage, the so-called interaural runtime difference.

In the center of attention

In order to perfect the listening experience, the level of the sound sources, which are arranged in the middle of the stereo image, must be lowered when the Phonitor Matrix is activated. The result is that not only the position of all sound sources is displayed correctly, but also their volume.

The Professional Fidelity units have this value fixed at -1dB of cut, which is the best choice for an authentic representation of the soundstage.

Sounds good

With all devices in the Professional Fidelity series, SPL not only develops according to plan from the outset, but also by ear. Many of the basic components are mounted on the circuit boards in through-hole mounting (THT). This ensures that the components that sound best are installed.

The VOLTAiR technology

VOLTAiR is made up of the terms Volt and Air .
Volt is the unit of electrical voltage and Air is the English word for air.

VOLTAiR symbolizes the seemingly limitless dynamics resulting from the high audio tension.

120V technology is the SPL reference technology. It is unique in the world of audio because it works with a DC voltage of 120 volts. This corresponds to four times the operating voltage of IC-based semiconductor operational amplifiers. They refer to this unsurpassed technology in the Professional Fidelity series as VOLTAiR technology.

The highest possible audio quality requires the highest possible audio operating voltage.

120V technology operates at +/- 60V. In order to be able to handle such a high voltage, SPL engineers have developed special proprietary operational amplifiers that can operate at +/- 60V DC - the SPL 120V-SUPRA- operational amplifier. This high voltage would destroy conventional components and operational amplifiers.

120V technology achieves exceptional technical specifications and sonic benefits. From a technical point of view, in terms of dynamic range, signal-to-noise ratio and overload resistance. In terms of sound, in terms of richness of detail and an absolutely relaxed listening pleasure.

Incidentally, the "120V" in the name of the technology has nothing to do with the local mains voltage from the socket. This is about the operating voltage in the device with which the audio signals are processed.

The mains voltage from the 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 the DC voltages required in the audio device.

comparison

Most audio devices work with an internal operating voltage of +/-15 volts and can therefore process a maximum input level of +21.5 dBu. For example, if a DAC has an output level of +22 dBu at 0 dBFS, level peaks in the music material would already cause clipping in the input stage of the device. All components in the audio device often work at their limit. The result is a noisy sound that causes stress and faster hearing fatigue.

Devices from SPL with VOLTAiR technology can process input levels of +32.5 dBu thanks to the higher internal operating voltage of +/- 60 volts - i.e. offer 12 dB more headroom. As a result, all components work continuously in the optimum working range. The result is a very pleasant, natural and relaxed sound experience. So you can enjoy your music in every detail.