I guess i can do that. I’m used to just pulling and plugging the headphones into my sp200 whithout a second though. Its gonna be a little hard to change that habit
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Well, you’ll be fine if you use balanced, just get used to it if you have anything using the 6.35mm output.
4-Pin XLR Locks well so there’s no way to short it just by moving it, but a badly shaped/sized 6.35mm (Quarter Inch) Plug will probably mess up your amp to some capacity. Maybe avoid using those stick on 3.5mm to 6.35mm adapter and instead use something that screws on.
Just stick to 4-Pin XLR Balanced though if you’re worried you’ll short the amp, either way mute it before pulling out the plug, but Balanced will allow for some amount of user error if you forget (Hopefully).
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I’ve done it once- remove the jack with music playing, not blown out headphones.
A very loud pop and crack followed by temporary deafness, followed with forehead smacking and saying “stupid, stupid, stupid!”
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You have to use the same care with the Neve, though it is lower voltage.
They include a warning inside the box, if I remember correctly, about powering the unit down.
Yeah, I’ve done that too. Lol. You hear a ghost version of the last bit of music you were listening to. This is the caps discharging? I dunno.
Not as jarring as the SPL, but still probably not a good idea. I actually just leave the RNHP 90% of the time.
Want to hear about any more of the dumb things I’ve done?
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There are very few things I do not hot-plug.
The warning label is specific in the way that it is “consult manual before operating equipment”.
To me it is not obvious a headphone amp can not handle or even endangers the users health when hot plugging the single ended connection.
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PSA: if you want to feed a tube buffer or pre-amp to this unit, that’s fine and you will be pleased to hear tube goodness of some variety added to your sound, just remember to give your tubes ample time to warm up before sounding up whatever variety your Phonitor is.
You should always warm up tubes no matter what equipment you are working with but just be warned snaps, pops, hisses and whatever else your average tubes do before they are warm enough are particularly nasty coming at you through a Phonitor, fair warning friends and happy listening 
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Haha. Perfectly reproduced and amplified pops and hisses. Fair warning!
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Well you like to live dangerously and i do not. lol
Think it is rule for me from car-audio. There are numerous cases from relating that you should not hot-plug signal cables or others cause it can damage the head unit / or other and it has. No mention in manual back then. Still you might “break” the unit’s and no warranty if they notice.
So full off or power disconnect fully.
True they could design things differently. But Since it is what it is, you use it like it should be used. very simple. it is unlikely to change for few that cry. Buy something else if not wanting to use it like it should be used. information of gear you buy before hand is gold.
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Usually the datasheets are competently layed out as follows:
Page 1: Component name, revision, spec sheet version/date (sometimes index)
Page 2: Warnings/use parameters
Page 3: Storage and use conditions
Page 4: Index (if not on front page)
Hot plug is the standard. HDMI, SATA/SAS, RS-232, power, etc. are all hot plug.
USB is the only common interconnect I use that is not hot plug.
HAHA!
Literally doing the opposite, expect in audio(video) where un-plug all.
On computer/(related)electronics the usb always goes in oven hot. Not single failure tough… and standard cables and not any fancy pansy gismodismos.
So I finally got a chance to try this SPL Phonitor X model amplifier as a pre-amp in one of my system combos.
2015 Macbook pro running Qobuz and Tidal > Exogal, comet Dac > SPL Phonitor X > Sugden FPA-4 amp > Falcon LS3/5A bookshelf’s / REL T/9i sub.
Also I ran it minus the Comet DAC and sub to see what the internal DAC could do and how full the Falcons could sound on their own in these combos.
I am using a mix of inexpensive cables from Seismic, Mogami gold, Monoprice , Pangea, audio quest, and Amazon and there is absolutely NO hiss or noise whatsoever in this system combo.
With experience and some time now I have found that the FPA-4 is pre-amp picky and does not play well with just anybody that tries to stick themselves in her chain and control her, especially when being run fully balanced.
I am vey pleased to say that there was great synergy in these system combos and the sound was luscious while maintaining great clarity, depth, soundstage, spaciousness and imaging. The singers and bands are all there about 2 feet behind the speakers performing for me while i nap at my desk.
I like pieces that provide multiple uses and value, the SPL Phonitor X is exactly the kind of piece that squeezes every penny you put into it out for you and brings enjoyment to your miserable life
In all seriousness if you are looking for a premium HP amp that can do double duty as a system pre-amp too this thing really is a solid piece of equipment. I still haven’t been able to figure out how to mate a remote to it, i refuse to believe that there is something wrong with the unit, i blame it wholly on user error and i don’t mind anyone PM’ing me and letting me know what the hell i’m doing wrong 
PS, I forgot: the DAC in the Phonitor X is “crisper” on the high end, and a bit more “clinical” in the midrange. The sound loses a bit if its luscious character and is sharper. I would consider it better for “analytical” sessions where you really want to squeeze out every little detail. The Comet is more of a musical session where you don’t lose any detail but can absolutely null yourself into a nap and happily drool on your silly self with zero fatigue.
Almost forgot…the SPL brings the music in closer to the desk, the music is closer in to your fat head. Still excellent imaging and soundstage but not as far back behind the speakers, feels more “intimate”. Neither is better or worse, just different.
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That’s awesome. Glad you’re enjoying it. 
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Really dumb question, but I can’t find the answer with a Google search. What topology does the Phonitor X/Xe/e use? I want to say class A, but that’s entirely a guess based on nonsensical clues (it’s big and gets warm😖).
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For anyone interested, the Phonitor 2 is the Pro version Phonitor. The only major difference is that it’s SE only.
Thomann is a good website for German products, and they ship relatively quickly (I received an order within a week prior to Covid-19).
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Hey friends I hope you are having a wonderful weekend! I just released this video, I hope you enjoy.
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