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Phonitor 2
Tech Talk
Phonitoring: With And Without Magnifiers
Already for the headphone monitoring – or phonitoring – part alone,
the Phonitor 2 encompasses advantages of both kinds of traditional
monitoring methods: On one hand the analytical headphone moni-
toring is like working with an acoustic magnifier but without external
room influences; on the other hand, the loudspeaker-like reproduc-
tion with headphones allows monitoring which forgoes the micro-
scopic effect, but provides for room ambiance.
Working with the magnifier effect of headphones has the advantage of
safely hearing clicks or similar defects and helps in fine tuning cross-
fades or to judge tonal problems in individual tracks. On loudspeak-
ers such analyses are much more difficult, as such problems just are
not as apparent when one is working without being able to “zoom in”
aurally. Conversely, loudspeakers provide monitoring with the ad-
vantage of spatial balance in a (definable through placement) stereo
width, which in turn provides the illusion of an acoustic stage.
Traditional headphone reproduction produces one 180-degree stereo
width in the middle of the head, and it is exactly this which creates
the very problematic-to-impossible headphone mixing environment.
An essential reason for such unnatural ambiance is the complete
separation of the channels, which does not exist either in natural
hearing or in stereo loudspeaker reproduction. This makes it nearly
impossible to judge tonal balance, a stereo image and the phantom
center level. Panorama adjustments as well as related EQ settings
that one attempts with headphones, typically just do not function on
loudspeakers.
Moreover, what is often called the “super stereo effect” with head-
phones usually creates a great deal of ear fatigue in the long run. Over
loudspeakers the sound stage is felt in front, while in contrast, when
monitoring through headphones, the stage is present on the left and
on the right – but frontal and rear information is lost.
The End Of Ear Fatigue
Aside from these unnatural headphone ambiance there are further dis-
advantages with fatigue when mixing or listening with headphones.
First, some cans themselves may not be that comfortable to wear ...
Moreover, a standard headphone amplifier is often an additional im-
portant reason for premature ear fatigue. Almost without exception,
present-day headphone amplifiers employ comparatively undemand-
ing IC’s. In the best cases they might work with symmetrical voltages
of +/-15 V to +/-18 V, and in less favorable cases, with only a simple
supply of 9 or 12 V from cheaper external “wall-wart“ power supplies.>
