SPL Phonitor xe Headphone Amplifier

Great Sound for all headphones

The Phonitor xe offers connections for a standard headphone with a stereo jack plug and for balanced-driven headphones using a 4 pin XLR plug. Thanks to the enormous output power, all headphones are driven effortlessly. Thus, it plays out the advantages of the SPL VOLTAiR technology and rewards the listener with an honest, detailed and at the same time vivid sound experience.

Twice as nice

The Phonitor xe provides headphone outputs on the front and on the rear. On the front, you switch between F (front) and R (rear). This way, your favorite headphones remain firmly connected on the rear – without visible cabling on the front.

Milled from solid

The massive 45mm volume control knob milled from aluminum is a haptic highlight. Its mass together with the motorised Alps RK27 “Big Blue” potentiometer enhances the “spoon in the honey” feeling even further. The red marker 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 to communicate with it with the simple push of a button.

Source of joy

Up to six stereo sources can be connected to the Phonitor xe: XLR, RCA and via the optional DAC768 also USB, COAX, OPTICAL and AES. Phonitor xe accepts almost all audio connections. Balanced via XLR or unbalanced via RCA connectors.

With the optional DAC768, four additional digital sources are added. From USB to professional AES format, no wishes remain unfulfilled.

The DAC automatically picks up the sampling rate and resolution of the digital playback source. No matter if a streamer, computer or CD player is connected. No further settings on the Phonitor xe are necessary.

The DAC768v2

The new SPL DAC DAC768v2 features the top-tier AKM AK4493 SEQ VELVETSOUND™ premium DAC chip, ensuring exceptional audio fidelity. This advanced chip delivers even lower distortion and a wider dynamic range than its predecessor, allowing the DAC768v2 to reproduce the most subtle sound details. It supports PCM audio up to 32-bit/768 kHz (16 times CD resolution) and Direct Stream Digital up to DSD256 (DSD4). Powering its digital conversion is the latest Spartan 7 FPGA. Unlike the DAC768xs, the DAC768v2 also includes an AES/EBU digital input and the enhanced SPL SLP120 with VOLTAiR technology.

The DLP120 (Dual Low-Pass)

The analog output of the DAC chip must be filtered by a low pass filter. Phonitor xe has two of them: One for PCM audio and one for DSD audio, since different roll-off frequencies are required.nIn contrast to all other DACs in the world, the low pass filters here are built using VOLTAiR technology, which provides a plus in dynamics and headroom and sound.

Good ol' times

Two mechanical VU meters visualise the input levels for the left and right audio channel. With the VU switch you can optimise the display for different signal levels.

Finding the middle

is not always easy. By our very nature, hearing can be leaning more to the left or more to the right. This is especially obvious when listening with headphones. That’s why Phonitor xe has the uniquely finely resolved laterality control. With it, the center can be found perfectly. With the MODE switch you can choose between stereo or mono playback. This switch also activates the laterality control.

The Revolution: Phonitor Matrix

Thanks to the Phonitor Matrix, music can be experienced on headphones as if it was played on speakers. The tiring super stereo effect is a thing of the past. Enjoy your music without listening fatigue and exactly the way it should be heard.

Music is normally produced and mixed for playback on stereo speakers.

Listening on headphones is different from listening on loudspeakers. The biggest difference is the lack of crossing signals of the sound signal from the left speaker to the right ear and from the right speaker to the left ear. These crossing signals are missing in conventional headphone listening, because there are no signals crossing from one side of the headphones to the other. This results in an unnaturally wide stereo image and the various sound sources of the audio signal are not localized as the sound engineer intended them to. This effect is often referred to as “super stereo effect”. During conventional listening on headphones, our brain can balance the false representation of the playback to a certain extent – but this is very exhausting.

The SPL Phonitor Matrix can correct this false stereo image with an analog circuitry. The Phonitor Matrix therefore not only ensures a correct representation of the stereo image, but also a relaxed listening experience.

The two main parameters of the Phonitor Matrix are Crossfeed and Angle: Crossfeed determines the crossing signals of the channels, the so-called interaural level difference. Angle determines the opening angle of the stereo image, the so-called interaural time difference.

Center of Attention

To make the listening experience even more perfect, the level of the center of the stereo image needs to be attenuated when the Phonitor Matrix is active. This ensures that not only the position of all sound sources is correct but also their volume.

In the Professional Fidelity Phonitor devices this value is set to a fixed attenuation of -1 dB, which is the best choice for getting an authentic representation of the sound stage.

The VOLTAiR Technology

The 120V technology is SPL's reference technology. The 120V technology is unique in the world. It operates at a DC voltage of 120 volts. This is four times that of IC-based semiconductor op-amps. In SPL's Professional Fidelity series, we refer to this unsurpassed technology as VOLTAiR technology.

The 120V technology works with +/-60 V. To be able to handle such a high voltage, we have developed special proprietary operational amplifiers that can operate with a DC voltage of +/-60 V: the SPL 120V SUPRA operational amplifiers. This high voltage would destroy conventional components and operational amplifiers.

The 120V technology achieves exceptional technical specifications and sonic benefits. Technically, in terms of dynamic range, signal-to-noise ratio and headroom. Sonically, in terms of richness of detail and an absolutely relaxed listening experience. 

By the way, the “120V” in the name of the technology has nothing to do with the local mains voltage from the mains power socket. This is about the operating voltage inside the device with which the audio signals are processed.

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

We endeavour to despatch same day for orders placed up to 1pm on available stock items (items with stock message "Usually dispatched within 24 hours"). Please remember to check with us first for a physical stock check if next day delivery is important to you. Any items with stock message "Usually dispatched within 72 hours" are items that we do not hold in stock but order in from the importer or manufacturer as soon as a customer order is received. Occasionally these may be delayed beyond 72 hours due to importer/manufacturer stock levels but we will inform you as soon as we can if this is the case.

UK Orders

We despatch the bulk of our UK mainland items on a 24 hour service – Free of Charge. Non Mainland locations - Isle of Man, Isle of Wight, the Scilly Isles, the Scottish highlands and Islands, the Channel Islands and Northern Ireland may take a day or so longer and are not Free of Charge. Smaller items are delivered using Royal Mail 24 or special delivery. Larger items are delivered using a courier service such as DPD or UPS.

International Orders

Due to the nature of our products and brand restrictions we are only able to send certain items internationally. Smaller items are delivered using Royal Mail Small Packets Airmail with International Tracked and/or Signed depending on value of item and availability of the service. Larger International shipments are sent by insured and tracked services using UPS. If there are any delays due to specific customs regulations, etc, you will be contacted by Hifisound or by the courier with a request for any further information required. Customs duties can apply for shipments to any countries outside of the UK depending on where the product you have bought is made. Customers are responsible for all taxes and duties incurred when the items enter their country.

Collect in Store or Home Install

At the request of the manufacturer some items cannot be supplied by mail order but you can click and buy them and then elect to collect them from our store or arrange a home install (if applicable). Applicable items clearly state that they are Collect in store or home install. Once ordered you will receive a message prompting you to contact us by phone or email to arrange for us to deliver and install or to reserve and collect from our store at your convenience, you will also be advised of the delivery time / stock availability as not all Home install / collect in store items are held in stock.