The Phonitor xe is the nonplusultra standalone headphone amplifier without any compromises.
Finance example
£450.00 initial 20% deposit then £150.00 per month for 12 months. Other finance terms available. Finance subject to statusPhonitor XE
£2,250
Phonitor Matrix, remote volume control, retro-look VU meter, the optional premium DA converter and the all-superior VOLTAiR technology make the Phonitor xe one of the best headphone amplifiers of our time.
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.
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 motorized 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 (6 !) 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 DAC768
The highly acclaimed AKM AK4490 Velvet Sound™ premium DAC chip is used as the converter chip in the digital-to-analogue converter, which thanks to its architecture reproduces the finest sound details.
It converts PCM audio with a resolution of 32 bits and a sampling rate of up to 768 kHz, which is equivalent to 16 times CD resolution. Direct Stream Digital is also supported up to a resolution of DSD4 or DSD256. In contrast to the DAC 768xs, the DAC768 not only offers an AES/EBU digital input, but also the SPL DLP120 with VOLTAiR technology.
The DLP120 (Dual Low-Pass)
The analog output of the DAC chip must be filtered by a low pass filter. DLP120 has two of them: One for PCM audio and one for DSD audio, since different roll-off frequencies are required.
In 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.
With all devices of the Professional Fidelity series we develop not only according to plan, but also by ear. Many important components are installed on the circuit boards using Through-hole technology. This way we can ensure that we can use the best sounding components.
The VOLTAiR Technology
The 120V technology is our 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 our Professional Fidelity series, we refer to this unsurpassed technology as VOLTAiR technology.
The highest possible audio quality requires the highest possible audio operating voltage.
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.
Tech spec
Maximum input gain
32.5 dBu
Input impedance (RCA)
20 Ω
Input impedance (XLR)
20 Ω
Common mode rejection (XLR)
-82 dBu
Frequency range (-3 dB)
10 Hz – 100 kHz
Crosstalk (1 kHz)
-90 dBu
Source Impedance
0.36 Ω
Noise (A-weighted)
-98 dBu
Dynamic range
130.5 dB
AES/EBU (XLR), PCM sample rates / Coaxial SPDIF (RCA), PCM sample rates (OPIONAL DAC)
44.1/48/88.2/96/176.4/192 kHz
W x H x D (width x height incl. feet x depth)
278 x 100 x 300 mm / 11 x 4 x 11.81 inch
Weight
4.9 kg / 10.8 lbs
