Look at that classic 1970s styling that the LEAK Stereo 230 integrated amplifier has, especially … [+]
LEAK
Founded in 1934, LEAK became one of the biggest names in mid-twentieth-century hi-fi. In 2020, the company was reborn with the launch of its first new product since the 1970s. The LEAK Stereo 130 integrated amplifier and LEAK CDT CD transport generated plenty of interest dues to the combination of vintage styling and state-of-the-art audio circuitry.
As 2022 draws to a close, LEAK has announced a third audio component: the Stereo 230 integrated amplifier. Designed as a step-up model from the Stereo 130, the new amplifier has upgraded circuitry and more power, plus it features an enhanced DAC for digital sources. However, it still has that classic vintage LEAK styling that made the brand so successful in the 1970s.
Completely modernized on the inside, the current LEAK Stereo 130’s wood-clad exterior design directly connects to the company’s Stereo 30 integrated amplifier, the first commercially available all-transistor amplifier when it launched in 1963, around the same time as the Beatles were stoking the files of Beatlemania. Jimi Hendrix and many other stars from the 1960s music scene owned this groundbreaking amp.
The Stereo 230 integrated amp from LEAK is classic 1970s design on the outside but has the very … [+]
LEAK
The new Stereo 230 integrated amp from the front looks almost identical to the Stereo 130. It has the same aluminum front panel and tactile controls and the same optional walnut wood enclosure to complete the classic LEAK look. Its width and height are the same, but the new amp is 14cm deeper to accommodate its enhanced circuitry and greater power output.
Like the Stereo 130, the new amplifier’s built-in DAC circuitry is suited to digital sources such as PCs and Macs, smartphones and tablets, network streamers and CD players – including LEAK’s own CDT transport. It also offers the convenience of Bluetooth, supporting the latest Bluetooth 5 standard and multiple codecs, including aptX and AAC.
Regarding analog inputs, the Stereo 230 has two line-level stereo RCA inputs, plus an MM phono input. Vinyl lovers will appreciate the built-in phono stage with its high-quality, low-noise, JFET-based circuit.
At the rear of the LEAK Stereo 230 there is a full range of digital and …….