SPL Phonitor xe (Red) w/ DAC Option  From SPL

The Phonitor xe is the ultimate standalone device for headphone enthusiasts who want the perfect solution without any compromises.

The Phonitor xe is the first Phonitor headphone amplifier which can be equipped with the brand-new DAC768.

This optional internal Uber-DAC qualifies the Phonitor xe to convert with outstanding sonic performance.

An audio resolution of 32 bits and PCM sample rates up to 768kHz as well as DSD – up to DSD256 – are the impressive numbers.

The analog side of the converter also is top-notch:

Like in the Director DAC & Preamplifier. the active Lowpass-Filter is built in a 120V-Voltair-Technology design.

Phonitor is a success story. Designed and developed for the sound engineer to be able to mix on headphones Phonitor soon found a fan base among Hi-Fi aficionados around the world as they realized that they can enjoy 'their' music on headphones the way it was intended – without the super-stereo effect and with natural crosstalk. 

For us it was only logical to develop optimized Hi-Fi versions for those who enjoy listening to music on headphones. 

In contrast to the Phonitor x the Phonitor xe renounces the preamplifier function and unlike the Phonitor e it features the nice VU meters and the fully featured Phonitor Matrix. 

Thus the Phonitor xe is the flagship amplifier for headphone enthusiasts.

Dual Power Amp for Balanced Headphones

Balanced headphones can be connected to the 4-pin XLR socket. The Phonitor xe has a built-in advanced dual power amp that drives headphones balanced with twice the power of the standard 1/4" jack. 

This tightens the bass response and makes the overall playback even more relaxed and transparent.

Headphone Outputs on the Front and Back

The Phonitor xe features both balanced and standard headphone output sockets on the front and on the back. 

Permanently connected headphones can be put in the rear sockets so that the headphone cable does not get in the way and disturb the look. 

A switch on the front allows to toggle between front and rear outputs. This also allows you to compare headphones without plugging and unplugging.

Optimized Phonitor Matrix

The Phonitor Matrix is identical to the Phonitor x and purely designed for audio playback. 

Unlike the professional version Phonitor 2, features like Center Level, Solo and Polarity are renounced in the Phonitor xe as they are only of use in music production.

Crossfeed

The Crossfeed switch allows you to adjust the frequency-dependent crossfeed simulation of both channels by adjustments of interaural level difference – as if this characteristic would be heard from monitors when in their own room ambience. One can compare variations in crossfeed values as approximating the influence of different room sizes and characteristics on a given loudspeaker setup. 

This adjustment can be made in six steps ranging from “minimum” to “maximum”. Crossfeed interacts with the Angle value to simulate the width of a stereo image.

Angle

The Angle switch provides for frequency-dependent simulation of your stereo image width by adjustments of interaural time difference. This influences the moment in time at which a signal’s wave form arrives at the ear and corresponds to a particular variation in the angle of an actual loudspeaker pair. 

The time constants of the interaural time differences between the left and right channels occur within a range of 90 to 635 microseconds. As a starting value select the 30° position.

Remote Control

To control the Volume you can use any IR remote control. The cool part is that the Phonitor xe learns your remote! 

You can use the remote control of your CD player for instance. There are many buttons and there are at least two you don’t really need. Assign Volume Up and Volume Down to those buttons and let the Phonitor xe learn them. Please check the manual for more.

Optional DAC768

The Phonitor xe can be equipped with the Uber-DAC768. 

With that installed, the available inputs are expanded by USB, AES/EBU, coaxial and optical digital stereo inputs. 

The DAC768 converts PCM sample rates up to 768 kHz with 32 bits and DSD streams up to DSD256. It syncs automatically to the sample rate of the selected digital input. 

Compared to the DAC192 the DAC768 adds DSD playback and supports higher sample rates for PCM signals. The bit depth is increased from 24 bit to 32 bit for an unparalleled dynamic range. The Current -To-Voltage as well as the Lowpass-Filter are both built in a 120V-Voltair-Technology – just like it is done in the Director DAC & Preamplifier.