SPL Phonitor X DAC/AMP - Official Thread

Official AMP/DAC/DAP Model Discussion
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This is good to hear! Keep us posted on how they treat you. :crossed_fingers:

I bet you canā€™t wait to get those VU meters dancing to the music coming out of your Hp. :smile:

I shook some of the dust off my Master 9 to see how it pairs with the Hp. I said this before and I am really not kidding, changing from one amp to another makes a much bigger difference on the Hp than on any other headphone. I am quite certain that this is not the placebo effect at work here. To me, the Master 9 is a very transparent amplifier so the sound to me on the Hp has become very clear, which is not surprising considering I have mainly been listening with the Pro iCAN set on Tube+ option.

I think the Hp is perfect for the ā€˜moodyā€™ listeners that have multiple amps with different signatures. You can really go from amp to amp and genre to genre and almost have a different headphone on each day. I donā€™t mean to sound like such a fan-boy but these are just my thoughts as Iā€™m listening. Iā€™ve had my Hp for a few weeks now and a daily head time will average about 7 to 8 hours. So I think I am at about the end or past the new toy syndrome now.

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I have a collection of balanced cables but I mostly use 1/4" to connect to my Phonitor e. Thereā€™s no need for the power with the headphones I have.

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Interesting tidbits over the SPL Phonitor warranty:

  1. Lasts for 2 years
  2. Transferable to different owners
  3. Must go through Focal Naim US/Canada (based in Canada)
  4. They currently have literally 2 people working ALL tickets/requests for SPL/Focal Naim/whatever else
  5. Wait time is very long, they are buried under tickets. They are supposedly trying to convince Focal Naim to hire more agents/dealers to deal with repair/warranty requests
  6. Repair out of warranty is usually between $200 - $400

Iā€™ve been trying to get hold of the guy whoā€™s handling my ticket. I sent him the receipt to show warranty eligibility and havenā€™t gotten a response back yet in about 5 days. I have called Focal Naim directly this week multiple times and cannot get through to their secretary/reception desk. If you call the Focal Naim Customer Support line, there is no one who answers. I left a voicemailā€¦with no response yet.

I should say: I did speak to their receptionist the previous week or two and she was very nice and explained the Customer Service situation to me and worked with me on getting a second response from the agent handling my ticket.

Iā€™m not mad; just disappointed. I also havenā€™t turned back on the Phonitor; unsure if thereā€™s a fire hazard or if my headphones will blow up or what.

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Considering the cost of a new one, I would be OK with this.

Not that I want to pay money that I donā€™t have to, but $200<$2000.

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Update: Got an RMA after 2 weeks of waiting. Shipped to Focal Naim, and UPS didnā€™t recognize the exact address I was given by Focal Naim. I had them ship directly to the address I was given, and hopefully they can find it (it appears to be a FedEx hub or warehouse in an industrial park of some sort). Hopefully UPS contacts me if thereā€™s a problem. Theyā€™re supposed to email me anytime the status changes on the repair job. I gave them a full list of issues and the story behind the repair request, so hopefully they can pinpoint the issue. (ideally, theyā€™d just replace the entire board)

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Ideally they ship you a brand new unit. :grin:

Iā€™m glad itā€™s getting resolved.

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Actually, yeah, the letters are wearing off the front, as per usual with these units. A new chassis and board would be great!

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I am torn between Phonitor X v/s Benchmark HPA4 (using RME ADI 2 DAC)
Anyone , any guidance suggestions ? will be really helpful

Thanks

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Hard to say without knowing what youā€™re planning on driving, what you listen to, and what your preferences are.

Itā€™s worth stating that if the headphones youā€™re intending to use arenā€™t pathologically inefficient, and the RME unit in question is of the newer 4493-based persuasion), you should probably try using its output on its own before adding any amplifier.

Beyond that ā€¦

I own a Phonitor X and an HPA4. The Phonitor X gets way more listening-for-pleasure time than the HPA4, which is mostly relegated to technical (mostly R&D at this point) duties. Both are excellent, in raw terms, but the HPA4 is leaner, dry/sterile and brighter and measures better.

The interface on the HPA4 is daft and rather needless. ā€œIt has a touch screen so you can name the inputs!ā€ ā€¦ but the only reason there is any naming to be done is ā€œbecause it has a screen!ā€

The other issue I have with the HPA4 is that there are units out there that perform so closely, on technical grounds, that outside some fairly specialty uses itā€™s REALLY hard to cost-justify. If one dons an objectivist hat, there are amplifiers that are essentially provably inaudibly different for 1/30th its price, and several more for 1/10th to 1/8th that have similar power and I/O capabilities.

The HPA4 does have an advantage with its volume control implementation, but where thatā€™s most beneficial is at very low-listening levels ā€¦ where the equivalent direct output on the RME unit is going to be WAY below any concerns about its ability to drive whatever you want.

Also, the HPA4 doesnā€™t wind up being fatiguing anything like as quickly as a number of the other THX AAA-derived amplifiers Iā€™ve heard, provided its not paired with cans that have prominent or less-than-smooth treble.

YMMV

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You hit the nail on the coffin. This is the exact same reason why I did not go for the HPA4 when I was out in the market for a new AMP.

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Hi Torq

Thanks heaps mate for replying.
Itā€™s my mistake that I did not specify the dynamics describing my used case.

The headphones I am using are NOT power hungry at all.

I am using :
-Sony MDR Z1R
-Focal Clear
-Hifiman Ananda
-Pioneer SE Monitor5

But in the near future I will be upgrading to the likes of Meze Empyrean & Abyss or HEDD, which clearly will need more juice.

Having said that currently I use:

RME ADI 2 DAC - The amp drives my headphones easily & is actually quite transparent and sounds good.

Questyle CMA600i - Has gobs of power but I keep going back to RME even for amp duties. So this needs to make way for something better.

And use SMSL M500 DAC for MQA (have close to 800 tracks) coded tracks .

Why do I want a new amp ?

Really to start going for an end game instead of minuscule purchases every few months.

Itā€™s my birthday next month & 10th anniversary in July so wife is being extra generous and offered me to buy ā€˜an itemā€™ of choice.

Here, in Sydney (Australia) Audio gear are usually more expensive than US pricing.

Currently I can get both HPA4 & Phonitor X for just under $4000 AUD which actually is cheaper than US RRP.

Whereas the Meze Empyrean is $5500 & HEDD is $3500.
Thereā€™s not point buying them at such high price due to dropping Aussie dollar.

Hence , I am looking at these 2 amps , as they are similar to or cheaper than US pricing currently in Australia. (Presenting better dollar value)

I hope now this unfolds my current situation :slight_smile: and how does it change your opinion ?

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For that range of headphones, I would personally go with the Phonitor X purely based on the treble performance of the MDR-Z1R, Ananda, Empyrean and HEDD. None of those are smooth/calm enough in the treble to be a great/synergistic pairing with the HPA4 in my opinion.

Which isnā€™t to say they are bad, but the Z1R has a tendency towards upper-register zinginess, the Anandaā€™s treble is a bit too present, the Empyrean - depending on fit/positioning - can wind up with a ā€œbeamingā€ effect on itā€™s upper-end and the HEDD is a bit more exuberant than Iā€™d want with the HPA4 also.

Beyond that, only the Abyss or HEDD really call for more power than the RME is able to provide. Though depending on what revision of the RME unit you have, an external amp will address the tendency towards a little mid-range compression from the RMEā€™s direct output that those, very resolving, cans will expose.

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Torq,

I have the RME ADI 2 DAC (latest AKM4493) revision purchased 2 months ago.

Mate, I really canā€™t thank you enough for your expert advice and kindness.

-Anu

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Just one more question.
I can see Phonitor 2 Amp as well here in Oz.
Is there any difference between 2 vs XE or X in the sound quuality ? (apart from the dac that can be fitted, which I dont need) ?

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As far as I can tell, the X and XE sound identical.

Canā€™t say in regard to the Phonitor 2.

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Just flog you CMA600i off cheap to someone in Australia and buy the Phonitor.

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Thanks @Torq :slight_smile:

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New Phonitor e owner here! Only 20 hours with it, but so far it easily sounds like the best solid state amp iā€™ve heard. Using an Ayre Codex dac balanced out to the Phonitor balanced in, and using my Atticus, VC, and HD650 headphones via the balanced output.

What Iā€™m finding, and iā€™d love to get othersā€™ input, is that the Phonitor has really strong bass performance. Itā€™s not warm, it sounds dead neutral. But man the slam and rumble this thing is bringing to my headphones is crazy! I keep wanting to say itā€™s elevating the bass frequencies, but that isnā€™t correct. It just digs deep and hits so strong that it gives the illusion of added bass.

Anyone else hearing what Iā€™m hearing? Or did i go a bit too hard on the Guinness today? There were times today listening to the VC when I thought I had put the Atticus on. The mid bass punch was so strong. I stopped working a few times just to admire the bass. Thatā€™s not something I normally do with the VC. Anyhow, canā€™t wait to log more hours with this beast, itā€™s impressive!

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Haha! That just sounds like more power. :grin:

I look forward to experiencing the Phonitor some day. Hopefully sooner, rather than later.

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Iā€™m sure part of it is the increased volume iā€™m running at. This thing is so smooth up top i canā€™t help but crank it up and upā€¦

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