Leak Stereo 130 Integrated Amplifier and CDT CD Transport Review & Comments

Aren't these an Audiolab 6000A and 6000CDT in a different frock with some added frills ? Sounds like the VAG formula applied to Hifi - same chassis different bodies (Audi, Seat, VW, Skoda etc.)
 
Good review Ed. I'm not to fussed on the retro look but I can see the appeal if the units are on show. One thing, I've been called many things in my life but a 'subset'.............:)
 
Nice review, a quick question. If using Bluetooth do you need the aerial up if you haven't got the wood version of the amp. Also it would look great with my TT, do you guys think it could drive a pair of Neat SX2 speakers.

Thanks.
 
Aren't these an Audiolab 6000A

No- the product it's derived from is stated in the review.

and 6000CDT in a different frock with some added frills ?

Yes. The added frill being playback from a USB device which the CDT can't do.

Nice review, a quick question. If using Bluetooth do you need the aerial up if you haven't got the wood version of the amp. Also it would look great with my TT, do you guys think it could drive a pair of Neat SX2 speakers.

I didn't test the 'nude' version but, yes, it looks like the aerial needs to be up on that. It'll drive the Neats so long as you aren't after stadium filling volumes.
 
Nice review again @Ed Selley .

This takes me back to my first encounter with Hi Fi. A family member had the Stereo 30 and matching Throughline FM tuner. I loved the blue? illumination of the tuner display and the two blue bars that moved closer together to show how well tuned in it was to the station. They had been lovingly fitted vertically inside the shell of a very nice radiogram bit of furniture. To access, the unit had a central lift up lid.

Along with a pair of Leak loudspeakers, and I think it was a Thorens deck with SME arm, this was kept in the ‘best’ lounge. I wasn’t allowed near it. I seem to recall copies of HiFi News in the house from around the early 70s. In the mid 80s, the entire set up was gifted to a care home. How I wish I’d got my hands on it!! Bummer 😕
 
No- the product it's derived from is stated in the review.



Yes. The added frill being playback from a USB device which the CDT can't do.



I didn't test the 'nude' version but, yes, it looks like the aerial needs to be up on that. It'll drive the Neats so long as you aren't after stadium filling volumes.
Thanks for replying.
 
IAG are seemingly flinging stuff out at a fine rate.

Not a bad thing at all; the more choice the better.

Without the coffin dodger timber effect they look quite enticing, not obviously from any design period. With the timber boxes though... well, better buried.
 
We threw ours away when we moved five years ago, they had been in the loft for about 20 years

Be worth a fortune now......:D
 
Good review Ed. I'm not to fussed on the retro look but I can see the appeal if the units are on show. One thing, I've been called many things in my life but a 'subset'.............:)
Subset is mild!!.
 
What is the benefit of including two digital outs? For making digital rips of your vinyl? Twice?

Someone made a conscious decision to make that addition to the Vena II circuit board, but I'm struggling to understand why. Can anyone explain?
 
Only had the headphone amp so far, John Martyn solid air half speed master sounds very good on vinyl
 
Interesting review. Effectively Audiolabs albeit with very different appearance. The one interesting thing is the inclusion of the usb input on the cdt, clearly a glaring booboo for audiolab omitting it on there transport.
 
Just had the Leak Stereo 130 amp from Richer Sounds, cut to the chase it’s being returned.

A quick warning for anyone purchasing this. If you find the remote not doing anything apart from going to stand by or mute. Look at the two buttons at the bottom of the remote labelled device. I thought they were there to switch source or device. No they control what device the remote is controlling! See the small print in the manual.

Playing Beethoven's piano sonatas I noticed an extra note appearing from time to time. I traced that to the ventilation top plate ringing like a bell on certain notes. I wasn’t listening at very loud volumes either.

On choral music there was a wonderful sense of air around the performers, just ‘more’ as my wife said. But if you’re looking for some lovely fruity bass guitar sounds on Dark side of the moon forget it. Strangely you could feel the presence of studio air con on some recordings. Real sub bass and barely audible that I’ve never heard before.

Blue tooth. Superb quality from Tidal on my old Moto G6 smart phone. Never used Bluetooth and didn’t realise it could sound so good. A nice feature was that the remote could pause and jump tracks from the phone.

Tried the phono stage on an old Trio KD1033 and AT95E cartridge. A fantastic sense of space and detail but not at the expense of added surface noise. Probably the best I’ve every heard from vinyl. I use a Rega phono stage or direct into my amp’s internal phono amp usually.

The same was true for the headphone output. Using my old beat up pair of £20 Sennheiser closed back phones. It was like I wasn’t wearing them. I’ve used head phones for years at work and at home and I’ve never heard anything like it.

The amp runs quite warm, surprisingly so on my efficient 90dB/W Monitor Audio Bronze 5’s. Under the same conditions my Onkyo A9010 runs stone cold. Mind you it has a heat sink that is so big that I’d doubt it would fit in the Leak Amp’s case!

I fed the amp either from the co ax digital output from a Cambridge Streamagic 6 or directly from the audio output from the Cambridge. Couldn’t hear a difference. I tried Rock, Classical, Choral, Radio , Broadcast TV and yes lovely detailed sound but where’s that bass?
 
Just to be pedantic, have you double checked the speaker polarity? And then checked again?
 
Sure did ;-). Checked the polarity and ran the phase check track from the Denon Audio test CD from the 80's.
 
IAG are seemingly flinging stuff out at a fine rate.

Not a bad thing at all; the more choice the better.

Without the coffin dodger timber effect they look quite enticing, not obviously from any design period. With the timber boxes though... well, better buried.
I quite like the mid-century vibe of the wooden surround. More to the point my partner has no objection to its visible presence which is a real plus ... :) I may have a listen to them both...
 

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