Amps & DACs
SPL Auditor Headphone Amp
The SPL Auditor headphone amp core topology is based on the SPL Phonitor internals but without the pro audio bells & whistles of its much more expensive brother. The Auditor has the same stringent dedication to perfect headphone amplification with performance levels far beyond conventional head-amps in massive dynamic range extension and THD specs nearly too low to measure. Even at very loud monitoring levels, the Auditor remains impeccably detailed and easy-sounding with no stridency or sense of etch or grain evident in the presentation. What remains is simply unaltered musical sound. XLR connectivity. Black finish.
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Product Features:
- Identical to Phonitor amp internals but w/o professional studio features
- Superb clarity of tone and unmatched dynamic range extension
- Balanced XLR input/output connections on rear panel
- Mono or stereo operation
- Designed, engineered & manufactured in Germany
What's In The Box:
- IEC power cable (120VAC North American power supply)
- SPL Auditor owner's operation manual
Applications:
The SPL Auditor headphone amp takes that much bandied-about audiophile word "neutrality" and completely redefines it for the purist headphone lover. Stripped of all extraneous features and add-ons, the Auditor shares the same handmade, SPL-patented 'SUPRA' op-amp topology design as found in their full-featured Phonitor model for truly pristine musical accuracy and uncommon clarity of instrumental and vocal textures. The sense of looking into the hidden nooks and crannies of your recording mixes or favorite music -- i.e., "transparency", another audiophile magic word! -- is simply unmatched for spectacular reference listening with the SPL Auditor headphone amp. Black chassis color only.
NOTE: SPL headphone amps are fabricated in Germany. North American customers may need to purchase a common [IEC 3-prong type] AC power cord if not included in the SPL Auditor amp.
SPL AUDITOR SPECS:
Frequency Response: ‹5 Hz to ›200 kHz (-3 dB)
CMR: -80 dBu (@1 kHz, 0 dBu input level and unity gain)
Crosstalk: -84 dB (@1kHz)
THD: 0.001 % (@ 1kHz, 0 dBu input level and unity gain)
Noise: -97 dBu (A-weighted)
Dynamic Range: 129 dB (@ 600 Ohms Impedance)
INPUT:
XLR connections, electronically balanced
Impedance: ca. 20 Ohms balanced/ca. 10 Ohms unbalanced
Maximum Input Level: +24dBu
OUTPUT:
Headphone Output: 6,35 mm stereo TRS connection
Pin Wiring Tip = left, Ring = right, Shaft = GND
Impedance: 9 Ohms
Max. Output Performance:
1,7W (+32,2dBm) @ 1 kHz and 600 Ohms connection
360mW (+25,6dBm) @ 1 kHz and 30 Ohms connection
DIMENSIONS:
Height x width x depth: 95 x 210 x 315 mm
Height with lifted feet: 127 mm
Depth with volume knob: 335 mm Weight: 2.65 kg
Average Rating
Posted by GTIShawn on 2013-05-03
Recommend Product: Yes
Pros: Extremely transparent, accurate, and easy to listen to
Cons: Very sensitive to system changes
Once you have the AC sorted it's much, much easier to start listening to the Auditor and adjusting your system components.
The Auditor is basically neutral in presentation, but it has a little extra bass, and slightly warm treble. That being said, it will not sugar coat bad treble. But careful attention to details of your system can eventually reveal that the Auditor has a very liquid, clean, and *slightly* dark sound on most recordings.
Detail in the Auditor is very well integrated, it helps define the whole of the sound rather than standing out too much, this naturalness is one of the defining aspects of the Auditor, it just has an easy and natural way about it.
Another thing I like about the Auditor is the sense of rhythm. Probably as a result of it's natural ease with details it doesn't seem to matter what speed the music is moving at, the Auditor is always right there keeping pace effortlessly.
Once you've done a lot of listening with the Auditor you will realize that it's more than just an amp, it's a tool. It was designed to be a tool of the recording trade and you will definitely hear that the higher quality the recording/source, the more user satisfaction you will have.
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Posted by Listener from Indianapolis, IN on 2012-01-11
Recommend Product: Yes
Pros: Sound
Cons: So far none
The key notable characteristic of what I hear involves extraordinary focus, and hence resolution, and dynamic range. The noise floor seems to be unhearably low. On the other hand, there is clearly an enormous dynamic range available. In fact, for the first time I can say that orchestral music sounds nearly the same as listening from the front of the first balcony to live music. I never thought I would be able to say this about ANY music reproduction system. Singing voices are clear, highly localized, and very stable. Percussive transients, triangles for instance, are remarkably ‘present’. The orchestra’s low end sounds exactly as it does ‘live’. The soundstage is large, wide and deep—in other words ‘real’.
As usual, I’ve found that my clutch of ‘best’ CDs has been changed by this amplifier. Now my SACD collection sounds really much better. With the Auditor, I finally find real value in my past SACD collecting.
I have actually been surprised by the sound of the Auditor. I didn’t expect such a transformation. Anything I hear that makes me uncomfortable, such as incoherence in massed high strings on some CDs, make me suspect other aspects of my listening system. I can’t say that I can hear anything wrong in the Auditor.
I hope this is helpful as you consider changes to your system.
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