SPL Phonitor 2, 1280, 1281 User manual

Manual

Phonitor 2

Models 1280/1281

120 Volt Amplifier for Headphones, Active Speakers and Power Amps

Manual Phonitor 2

Version 1.5 – 3 /2014

Developer: Bastian Neu

This manual contains a description of the product SPL Phonitor 2,
Model 1280. In no way it represents a guarantee of particular charac­teristics or results of use. The information in this document has been
carefully compiled and verified and, unless other wise stated or agreed
upon, correctly describes the product at the time of packaging with
this document.

Sound Performance Lab (SPL) continuously strives to improve its pro­ducts and reserves the right to modify the product described in this
manual at any time without prior notice. This document is the property
of SPL and may not be copied or reproduced in any manner, in part or
fully, without prior authorization by SPL.

Declaration of CE Conformity

The construction of this unit is in compliance with the stan­dards and regulations of the European Community.

Notes on Environmental Protection

At the end of its operating life, this product must not be dis­posed of with regular household waste but must be retur­ned to a collection point for the recycling of electrical and
electronic equipment. The wheelie bin symbol on the product, user‘s
manual and packaging indicates that. The materials can be reused in
accordance with their markings. Through reuse, recycling of raw ma­terials, or other forms of recycling of old products, you are making an
important contribution to the protection of our environment. Your local
administrative office can advise you of the responsible waste disposal
point.

WEEE Registration: 973 349 88

Models 1280 (black) & 1281 (silver)

Contact

SPL electronics GmbH

Sohlweg 80, 41372 Niederkruechten, Germany
Phone [phone]
Fax [phone]
E-Mail: [e-mail]
Internet: spl.info

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Phonitor 2

Symbols and Notes, Scope of Delivery 4
Important Security Advices 5
Hook Up 7
Introduction 8

Phonitor, The New Heart Of Music Playback: Phonitor 2 8
Remote Control 9
Home Listening, Sound Engineers, 120 Volt Technology 10
Special Features, Applications 11
Phonitoring: With And Without Magnifiers, The End Of Ear Fatigue 12

Tech Talk 14

120 Volt operating voltage and its ef fects 14

Rear Panel: Power 15

Voltage Select, Power Connection, On/Off Switch 15

Rear Panel: Wiring 16
Rear Panel: Signals & Remote Control 17

Signal Connections, XLR Sockets 17
Connecting XLR to other socket formats 17
Learn Button: Learn a remote control 17

Bottom: DIP Switches 18

Output level adjustment, Phonitor 2 Insert Loop 18

Front Panel: Connection 19

Headphone Connection, Recommendations, Warning 19

Control Elements 20

Crossfeed, Angle 20
Interaural Level and Time Differences as Related to Crossfeed 21
Interaural Level and Time Differences as Related to Angle 22
Crossfeed and Angle Parameters 23
Source, Output, CRr/A, Off, All; Center 24
VU Meter, VU Cal., Solo 25
Phase ø, Stereo and Mono 26
Laterality, Volume 27

Operation 28

Adjust Headphone Reproduction To Loudspeaker Monitoring 28

Specifications 30
Measurements 31
Copy Master: Recall Sheet 33

Content

Phonitor 2

3

Symbols and Notes

IN THIS MANUAL A LIGHTNING SYMBOL WITHIN A TRIANGLE WARNS
YOU ABOUT THE POTENTIAL FOR DANGEROUS ELECTRICAL SHOCKS
– WHICH C AN ALSO OCCUR EVEN AFTER THE DEVICE HA S BEEN
DISCONNECTED FROM A POWER SOURCE.

AN EXCLAMATION MARK (!) WITHIN A TRIANGLE IS INTENDED TO M AKE
YOU AWARE OF IMPORTAN T OPERATIONAL ADVICE AND/OR WARNINGS
THAT MUST BE FOLLOWED. BE ESPECIALLY ATTENTIVE TO THESE AND
ALWAYS FOLLOW THE ADVICE THE Y GIVE.

The symbol of a lamp directs your attention to explanations of impor­tant functions or applications.

Attention: Do not attempt any alterations to this device without the
approval or super vision of SPL electronics GmbH. Doing so could
void completely any and all of your warranty rights and claims to user
support.

Scope of Delivery

• Phonitor 2, Model 1280

• This manual and the guarantee card

• Power cord

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Phonitor 2

Important Security Advices

Please read and keep this manual. You should caref ully follow all of the
safety and operating instructions before you use the device. Please
also note all warnings and special safety instructions noted in this ma­nual and on the unit.

Connections: Only use the connections as described. Other connec­tions can lead to health risks and damage the equipment.

Water and humidity: Do not use this device anywhere near water (for
example in a bath room, a damp cellar, near swimming pools, or similar
environments). Otherwise your are dealing with an extremely high risk
of fatal electrical shock s!

Insertion of objects or fluids: Be careful to not insert any object into
any of the chassis openings. You can otherwise easily come into con­tact with dangerous voltage or cause a damaging short circuit. Never
allow any f luids to be spilled or sprayed on the device. Such act ions can
lead to dangerous electrical shocks or fire!

Opening the unit: Simply put: DON‘T, if you are not a cer tified SPL tech­nician or engineer.Really: Do not open the device housing, as there is
great risk you will damage the device, or – even after being disconnec­ted – you may receive a dangerous electrical shock!

Electrical power: Operate the device only from power sources that can
provide proper power. When in doubt about a source, contac t your dea­ler or a professional electrician. To be certain you have isolated the de­vice, disconnect all power and signal connections. Make sure that the
power supply plug is always accessible. When not using the device for
a longer period, make sure to unplug it from your wall power socket.

Cord protection: Make sure that your power and audio signal cords are
arranged to avoid being stepped on or any kind of crimping and dama­ge related to such event. Do not allow any equipment or furniture to
crimp the cords.

Power connection overloads: Avoid any kind of overload in connec­tions to wall sockets, extension or splitter power cords, or signal in­puts. Always keep manufacturer warnings and instructions in mind.
Overloads create fire hazards and risk of dangerous shock s! >

Phonitor 2

5

Important Security Advices

Lightning: Before thunderstorms or other severe weather, disconnect

the device from wall power; do not do this during a storm in order to
avoid life threatening lightning strikes. Similarly, before any severe
weather, disconnect all the power connections of other devices and
antenna and phone/network cables which may be interconnected so
that no lightning damage or overload results from such secondar y
connections.

Air ventilation: Chassis openings offer ventilation and serve to pro­tect the device from overheating. Never cover or otherwise close off
these openings. Never place the device on a soft surface (carpet, sofa,
etc.). Make sure to provide for a mounting space of 4-5 cm/2 inches
to the sides and top of the unit when mounting the unit in racks or on
cabinets.

Controls and switches: Operate the controls and switches only as de­scribed in the manual. Incorrect adjustments outside safe parameters
can lead to damage and unnecessary repair costs. Never use the swit­ches or level controls to ef fect excessive or extreme changes.

Repairs: Unplug the unit from all power and signal connections and
immediately contact a qualified technician when you think repairs are
needed – or when moisture or foreign objects may accidentally have
reached inside the housing, or in cases when the device may have fal­len and shows any sign of having been damaged. This also applies to
any situation in which the unit has not been subjected to any of these
unusual circumstances but still is not functioning normally or its per­formance is subs tantially altered. In ca ses of damage to the p ower sup­ply and cord, first consider turning of f the main circuit breaker before
unplugging the power cord.

Replacement/substitute parts: Be sure that any service technician
uses original replacement par ts or those with identical specif ications
as the or iginals. Incorrec tly substituted par ts can lead to f ire, electr ical
shock or other dangers, including further equipment damage.

Safety inspection: Be sure always to ask a service technician to conduct
a thorough safety check and ensure that the state of the repaired device
is in all respect s up to factory standards.

Cleaning: Do not use any solvents, as these can damage the chassis fi­nish. Use a clean, dr y cloth (if necessar y, with an acid-f ree cleaning oil ).
Disconnect the device from your power source before cleaning.

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Phonitor 2

Be very careful to check that the rear chassis power selection is set
correctly before using the unit (230 V position: 220-240 V/50 Hz, 115 V
position: 110-120 V/60 Hz)! When in doubt about a source, contact your

dealer or a professional electrician.

Read page 15 for instructions on how to set the correct voltage.

Before connecting any equipment make sure that any machine to be
connected is turned off. Follow all safety instructions from page 5.

Place th e unit on a level and s table surface. The u nit’s enclosure is E MC­safe and effecti vely shielded ag ainst HF inter ference. Nonetheles s, you
should carefully consider where you place the unit to avoid electrical
disturbances. It should be positioned so that you can easily reach it,
but there are other considerations. Try not to place it near heat sources
or in direct sunlight, and avoid exposure to vibrations, dust, heat, cold
or moisture. It should also be kept away from transformers, motors,
power amplifiers and digital processors. Always ensure suf ficient air
circulation by keeping a distance of 4-5 cm/2 inches to other units and
to the sides of the unit.

Before You Begin

Make sure the Volume control is turned hard left before you power up
the unit. Now control Volume. Note that too high levels can damage
headphones and hearing!

Hook Up

Phonitor 2

7

Introduction

Phonitor

When we brought out the first Phonitor — the first ever headphone
amp with 120 Volt technology — back in 2008, the professional audio
world seemed to have been eagerly awaiting it. The success of this
unique headphone preamp was overwhelming. In hindsight, we also
had to wonder how none of us had come to the idea of combining basic
monitoring options, speaker simulation capabilities and a headphone
preamp. Ever since we call this new species a „Headphone Monitoring
Amp,“ which inspired the product name itself: Phonitor.

Interestingly enough, the Phonitor not only became best friends with
thousand of professional users, it also won a lot of fans in the Hi-Fi
market segment. But that was by no means a coincidence — ultimate­ly, the Phonitor can be counted among the best headphone preamps
in the world thanks to our unique 120-volt technology. With its excep­tional technical specif ications and a huge power margin, it can repro­duce any musical material without the slightest modification, since
signal processing is not limited and, thus, signals are not altered at all.
Music sounds more natural and hearing fatigue is drastically reduced.
Given all that, it was easy to understand the enthusiasm with which
musicians, sound engineers and music lovers received the Phonitor
worldwide.

The New Heart Of Music Playback: Phonitor 2

Many Phonitor users told us they wished they could also use the un­matched signal quality that the Phonitor provides to feed their speak­ers. And so began to take form the idea of making its successor a full­fledged stereo preamp that could become the heart of modern profes­sional and home systems alike where headphones have a preeminent
importance. Moreover, we have achieved enormous advances with our
120-volt circuits, making the technical specifications of the Phonitor 2
a new standard in all respects: 141dB dynamic range, 107dB signal-to­noise ratio (A-weighted in both cases), -112/-114 dB THD (headphone/
speaker output with +30dBu output level). Mind you, the THD mea­surements define the limits of the measuring equipment but not those
of the Phonitor 2.

Other improvements concern specially the operation of virtually all
headphone types and impedances: the Phonitor 2 works seamlessly
with low-impedance headphones with load impedances as low as 10
Ohm (40 Ohm with balanced headphones).

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Phonitor 2

The Two Sides Of The 120 Volt Amp

As always, the Phonitor 2 remains first and foremost a headphone pre­amp, which is easy to identif y given the elaborate loudspeaker simu­lation for headphones. Considering that the 120-volt amp provides
everything needed to preamplify, manage and control the volume of
line level signals, the latter are now also available at the output on the
rear panel.

Besides headphones, it is now possible to connect active loudspeakers
and powe r amps directly at the out put. If there is t he need for more t han
one stere o speaker set, it is recommended to us e a passive dist ribution
module. It is impor tant to know that all controls can be used for both
outputs with headphones and loudspeakers. Obviously, loudspeaker
simulation makes no sense when using real loudspeakers. However,
owners of electrostatic headphones could connect their headphones
to the output and use the simulation feature as well. Likewise, all mon­itoring options (phase reverse, solo, mono, mute) can be selected for
both outputs, so that the Phonitor 2 can be used as Monitor Controller
for up to three different sources.

Remote Control

The volume can be controlled remotely. Naturally, the audio signal is
controlled via a high-quality motor potentiometer in that case. In com­parison, electronic adjusting with or without AD/DA converter – very
common these days – would have a significant influence on the signal
qualit y.

To control it you can use any IR remote control: the remote must not
learn the Phonitor 2, but rather the Phonitor 2 learns to understand
your remote’s signal (see page 16).

Introduction

Phonitor 2

9

Introduction

Home Listening

Home users can enjoy a central control unit for modern music playback
of stereo signals that supports all known format s – and that with an un ­heard-of price/performance ratio. As such, the Phonitor 2 does justice
to its central position. It is comforting to know that there is no need to
fear a sound bottleneck limiting your system in such a critical spot in
the chain.

The Phonitor 2 matches per fectly modern playback concepts: mini­malist chains with active speakers and almost any pair of headphones
can be centrally fed via three different paths, thanks to an integrated
high-quality amplifying and signal-managing concept.

Sound Engineers

Besides being a reference-quality Monitor Controller, the Phonitor 2,
together with a carefully matched pair of headphones, of fers profes­sional users an excellent monitoring alter native to their main speakers.
The audio qualit y and features of the Phonitor 2 provide the best condi­tions to work effectively without hearing fatigue.

120 Volt Technology

The foundations of this high-end-development is our 120 Volt refer­ence technology: specially developed and manufactured op-amps
that run on an operating voltage of 120 volts, which corresponds to
approximately t wice that of most modern analog audio semiconductor
technologies. Thanks to our 120-volt circuitry and processing we reach
outstanding performance levels, especially in terms of dynamic range
and headroom. As such, the technical specifications of the Phonitor 2
exceed all known analog and digital standards (please refer to the
“End Of Ear Fatigue” chapter on page 12).

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Phonitor 2

Special Features

• The Reference – the Phonitor 2 sets new technical and sound
standards.

• For loudspeakers and headphones – two-channel 120 Volt amp for
headphones and active loudspeakers or power amps

• For all types of headphones – dynamic, balanced, electrostatic

• Optimally suited for low-impedance headphones starting from 10
Ohm (40 Ohm for balanced headphones)

• Remote volume control with motor potentiometer

• High-resolution laterality correction compensates right/left volume
differences.

• Switchable level adjustment (consumer to professional level, 1:1,
+6dB, +12 dB)

Applications

• Stereo preamplification and headphone amplification for three
sources

• High-quality music playback at home

• Central monitoring unit in professional environments with all classic
features like phase reverse, solo, mono

• Re-Amp ing (for exampl e, level boost a fter analog ma ster processi ng)

• Headphone amplifier for all headphone systems and impedances

• Loudspeaker simulation with headphones

• Monitoring alternative in studios and mobile units

• Adjustment of headphone playback to match familiar monitor
speakers

• Mobile reproduction of usual monitoring conditions

Introduction

Phonitor 2

11