Categories: Amplifier

The SPL Phonitor 2 is aimed at professional users who demand purely analogue equipment, that is equally audiophile and practical, for monitoring with headphones and loudspeakers in the recording studio.

In addition to impeccable workmanship, innovative technology and powerful performance, the unit is characterised by its outstanding sound, which resolves source signals in the frequency range, in space and dynamics in the best possible way, thus allowing an in-depth assessment – assuming the use of an equally good pair of headphones – playback that is decoupled from the room acoustics and plays at the highest level, and a magnifying glass for the evaluation of sound engineering work.

The Phonitor Matrix may be seen as a valuable tool for getting closer to the sound image of loudspeaker reproduction, thus offering the sound engineer a reliable basis for assessment when mixing with headphones, which most competitors lack. So if you are looking for the right partner for your high-quality headphones, the SPL Phonitor 2 gets our unreserved recommendation as a reference tool.

The Burson Audio Soloist 3X Grand Tourer is a headphone amplifier in the reference class. Powerful output, the best electronic components and a completely dual-mono balanced Class-A design result in a sound that is second to none. All technical and sonic aspects are realised at the highest level. Of course, a device with such specifications has its price. 2,599 euros is certainly no bargain, but considering the performance it offers, it’s quite reasonable, and it earns our recommendation without ifs or buts!

The Phonitor xe delivers headphone sound to perfection – assuming an equally high-quality transducer. The elegantly finished device confidently drives virtually any pair of headphones to peak performance in all disciplines that can be demanded of sound reproduction – from the best detail resolution to room and dynamic reproduction. It complements this foundation with an extremely high-quality stereo balance function and the Phonitor Matrix, which ensures a more authentic sound reproduction in the sense of the original mix.

With its price of 2,099 Euros (without transducer), the Phonitor xe turns out to be twice as expensive as the se model. However, it is undoubtedly even more impressively finished, technically more uncompromising as well as more flexible in its applications. Our listening sessions justified this expense because it simply sounded fabulously good. Its price is a result of the necessary lack of compromise in development and production, which, as is well known, increases significantly in the “last stages”. At the same time, a device of this class is not meant to be a product for the mass market but is aimed at connoisseurs of perfect sound culture who have the necessary budget.