Here’s a welcome bit of news at a time when everything else feels a bit gloomy and miserable. The legendary British audio brand LEAK is making a big comeback with its first audio product in more than 40 years. LEAK is a brand that your grandparents might have bought and was the go-to name for audio amplifiers from way back. The new LEAK Stereo 130 is an integrated amplifier that claims to offer state-of-the-art circuitry but housed in a classic LEAK exterior. Alongside the new amplifier, there’s the matching LEAK CDT –a CD transport.
Founded in 1934, LEAK is one of the most important names from the early years of the British hi-fi scene. LEAK was responsible for many technological ‘audio firsts’ throughout the 1940s, ’50s and ’60s. For example, the Point One series of valve amplifiers introduced in 1945, were the first amplifiers to reduce total harmonic distortion down to 0.1 percent. LEAK’s Sandwich speakers were the first to introduce true-piston cone action bysandwiching polystyrene foam between outer skins of stiff aluminum foil.LEAK was such an engineeringtour de forcethat its 1955 Trough-Line is still considered one of the finest FM radio tuners ever designed.
Like many classic British brands in sectors like electronics and motorcycles, the LEAK name disappeared at the end of the 1970s, just at the time when young upstarts like NAIM and Linn were getting started. Along with other classic audio names, the LEAK brand just disappeared.
Now LEAK has launched the all-new LEAK Stereo 130 integrated amplifier, a descendant of another LEAK classic, the Stereo 30 integrated amplifier, which arrived in 1963 as the first commercially available all-transistor amplifier. The Stereo 30 pioneered the use of transistor output stages without using a transformer. Back in those days, transformer-coupled designs were more the norm, but LEAK paved the way for future solid-state amps.
MORE FOR YOU
The Stereo 130 is a 45W (RMS 8Ω) amplifier that mirrors the styling of classic LEAK gear with its optional real-wood enclosure and tactile front panel. And those aren’t the only nods to LEAK components from bygone years. The engineering behind the Stereo 130 circuit design embodies the Stereo 30’s pioneering spirit, using the latest techniques and technologies to bring this classic transistor amplifier design right up to date.
The connectivity of the Stereo 130 has been updated so that the amplifier can perform at the heart of a high-performance, multi-format audio system. It’s ready to serve up music whether it be on vinyl, CD, Bluetooth or USB. The amplifier can also handle most types of speakers and headphones.
For vinyl fans, the Stereo 130 has a high-quality, low-noise, JFET-based, moving magnet phono stage that’s ideal for all types of turntables. Analog line-level inputs are also included, along with optical and coaxial digital inputs for attaching devices like network streamers, CD players, computers, game consoles and even TVs. There’s also an asynchronous USB digital connection for handling hi-res PCM music files with support up to 32-bit/384kHz and DSD 11.2MHz/DSD256.
The Stereo 130 can also handle music or audio streamed from a smartphone, tablet or music player using the high-quality Qualcomm aptX Bluetooth audio codec. And despite its modern specifications, LEAK is at pains to point out that the Stereo 130 is an amplifier that puts music first. Whatever the music source, the company claims the amplifier can deliver a virtuosic performance that’s consistently engaging. I think I’ll reserve judgment on that one until I’ve heard it, but I am excited at the prospect.
At the heart of the LEAK Stereo, 130 is a Class AB power amplifier that draws on decades of amplifier design experience. A 200VA toroidal transformer with a 2x15000uF reservoir capacity, helps the Stereo 130 keep a firm grip on the music while serving up an extended dynamic range.
Headphone users haven’t been forgotten and are catered for with a dedicated headphone amplifier stage with current-feedback circuitry. According to the LEAK techies, the headphone amp’s gain bandwidth and high slew rate deliver a dynamic, detailed and engaging performance no matter what type of headphones are used.
On the digital side of things, an ES9018K2M Sabre32 Reference DAC chip handles all the Stereo 130’s digital-to-analog conversions, and it’s complemented by special circuitry including op-amps that LEAK has chosen for their synergy with the Sabre DAC chip. To ensure that digital music playback is as good as it can be, LEAK has made sure that the Stereo 130’s digital and analog circuits are kept separate with independent power supplies feeding all the critical stages.
Unlike some modern amplifiers, LEAK has chosen to hold on to the bass and treble tone controls that featured on the original Stereo 30. Tone controls enable the amplifier’s sound to be tailored to suit different analog and digital sources. Alternatively, the tone controls can be completely bypassed to deliver the shortest possible signal path to the amplifier’s analog volume stage, which is controlled using a motorized ALPS potentiometer.
The Stereo 130 has been designed to pair with contemporary loudspeakers, including the Linton and Denton Heritage speakers from LEAK’s sister-company Wharfedale, a brand that shares classic 1960s-inspired design and walnut wood veneer.
The LEAK Stereo 130 sounds like it could be the perfect heart for a versatile, high-performance audio system, whatever source of the music; be that vinyl records or digital audio via USB and Bluetooth. However, for many people, CDs remain a crucial part of the musical mix. For the collectors of silver discs, there’s the LEAK CDT, a matching CD transport mechanism that can feed the amplifier’s digital inputs with CD goodness.
The LEAK CDT features the same slot-loading mechanism used on CD players and transports made by LEAK’s other sister-company, Audiolab. LEAK claims the mechanism is robust and reliable because it uses a read-ahead digital buffer that can cut down on any possible disc-reading failures. The buffering feature means the player can handle scratched or damaged CDs that might be unreadable with a conventional live-reading mechanism.
By mounting the CD transport in an electromagnetically shielded enclosure, and giving it a dedicated power supply, the digital signal extraction from CDs should be as accurate and precise as it is possible to achieve. A master clock, controlled by a temperature-compensated crystal oscillator, enables the digital output from both the coaxial and optical sockets to serve up very low levels of jitter. The coaxial digital output is fed from a differential line driver to ensure the signal reaching the 32-bit DAC onboard the LEAK Stereo 130 is as clear as possible.
As well as playing CDs, the LEAK CDT also features a front-mounted USB A input, enabling digital playback from storage devices like hard discs or thumb drives. Both FAT16 and FAT32 formatted devices are supported along with WAV, AAC, WMA and MP3 files.
Pricing and availability:The LEAK Stereo 130 integrated amplifier can be bought with or without the real-wood walnut enclosure, and costs £799 or £699 without the real wood. The LEAK CDT transport mechanism costs at £549 with the optional wood enclosure, or £449 without. Both devices are available from August onwards.
More info:www.leak-hifi.co.uk
Specifications:
LEAK Stereo 130 Amplifier
● Digital inputs: 1 x USB Type B; 2x optical; 1x coaxial; Bluetooth 4.0
● Analogue inputs: 2 x RCA line-level; 1 x MM phono
● Digital outputs: 1 x optical; 1 x coaxial
● Analog outputs: 1 x RCA pre-out; 1 x headphone out; speaker binding posts
● Digital inputs: USB: PCM 384kHz / DSD256; S/PDIF: PCM 192kHz
● Power output: 2x 45W RMS (8Ω); 2x 65W RMS (4Ω)
● Dimensions: 326 x 146 x 267mm (WxHxD) (including wood enclosure)
LEAK CDT Transport Mechanism
● Slot-loading with read-ahead digital buffer
● Digital Outputs: 1 x Optical; 1 x Coaxial
● USB Port: FAT16/FAT32 devices; WAV, AAC, WMA and MP3 files
● Dimensions: 326 x 146 x 283mm (WxHxD) (inc wood enclosure)
