Founded in London by Harold Joseph Leak in 1934, LEAK disappeared in 1979 after failing to adapt to the age of mass-market hi-fi. Despite the death of its founder in 1989 and the destruction of the factory in 1996, IAG Group decided to relaunch the brand in 2020, presenting the STEREO 130 integrated amplifier and the CDT digital player in a deliberately retro design, each with a purely metal version and another integrated into a walnut cabinet, in a style reminiscent of Aurorasound devices.
Now back on the market for three years, it’s time for LEAK to expand its product catalog, which it has done at the end of 2023 with the presentation of a new amplifier, the STEREO 230, a more powerful and therefore larger version of the STEREO 130, which goes from 2 x 45W at 8 ohms/2 x 65W at 4 ohms to 2 x 75W at 8 ohms/2 x 115W at 4 ohms. Harmonic distortion is also improved (now below 0.003%), as are many components, starting with the internal DAC card, which still offers seven inputs/outputs, but switches from an ESS Sabre ES9018K2M digital-to-analog conversion chip to the more powerful ES9038Q2M. Complete, this lovely British amplifier also offers a headphone jack as well as three unbalanced analog RCA inputs, including an MM phono on RIAA curve, and a pre out input.
Available from today, the LEAK STEREO 230 is only available with walnut cabinet, priced at $1 695 in the USA and €1 499 in Europe.
