Retro UK AUDIO Done Right: Leak Stereo 230

[@vladimirdorta6692]

This review brings back nice memories. I went to England to study in the 1960s and by chance became an audiophile without knowing it. I came back home with a Leak Stereo 70 amplifier.

[@keplermission]

Yeah but one thing I should point out is that the new Marantz Model 30 is suited to American speakers that don't sound like any other, it uses the Fleetwood Sound Deville, driven by a Class D output. In England Model 30 needs a KEF R5 Meta and in Europe it uses a Dali. If we recall the old Radio Shack catalogs with 'Good, Better, Best' system pictured, matched speakers were the ONLY ones that gave best sound. People wrongly matched up something cheaper and the RS got a bad name because, it sounded cheap, right? Why ever did it sound cheap I wonder.

[@36karpatoruski]

YES! Indeed, that’s what tone controls are for. One of the many reasons I love this channel.

[@keplermission]

Yeah but back in the year 1977 the wide-band harman/kardon A 402 had 'gentle slope' tone controls, with 'turnover' buttons and the 20-20 F.R 330c had steep slope tone controls because it depended on you know, our equipment. If we had poor sources, we'd need steep slope and if we had good sources, well we wouldn't need tone controls at all. They were for worn tape heads and poor sources.

[@clasvirhodes4969]

I miss my old Harmon Kardon. Wife kept it in divorce even though I bought it. @@keplermission

[@bikdav]

@@keplermission I forgot about that. A few of the old Realistic and Pioneer receivers had ‘turnover’ buttons also.

[@keplermission]

@@bikdav Yeah but Pioneer you know, did best with Pioneer speakers. Bang & Olufsen or Realistic did best with their own brand of speakers. Tone controls are often used if we have the wrong speaker hooked up. A wide-band amplifier has to have a low frequency speaker, like it goes down to at least 35Hz and up to 30KHz. If you have a Bookshelf with 50Hz, then you're going to be boosting up lows with a tone control. If your amplifier is only 20KHz? You're going to be boosting up treble with a tone control.

[@Harrisongrey19]

@@keplermissionmouth diarrhea

[@tpop3723]

Great shirt to out with a bang for 2023🎉

[@jasonwebb6484]

So wild!

[@ewmcdade]

This is a really compelling piece for a mid price system. Beautiful design and thoughtful feature set at a not-outrageous price. I hope they sell a ton of these.

[@johnpischedda6951]

That may have been the audiophiliac system of the year !!! saving the best till last ! Loved it !

[@Sid0751]

I just have to comment on Chris's system on SOTD. Not only is the DYI system beautiful, so is the entire room! Stunning!! Thanks for sharing that.

[@MichaelLivingston-me]

I liked your review, but I have to admit, I was really impressed with your viewer's system of the day. Those DIY speakers were beautiful to look at, and that's a big part of the fun.

[@keplermission]

You know ... visual appearances? Back in the early 1970s everything was hid behind speaker grille cloth and SONY used a 4 inch Coral full range unit that was very loud for not much input and everything was engineered to sound fantastic run together as a system. Painted baffles might be fun but, cause reflections, it's why Goodmans Achromat Sigma and B&W DM.3 have leather baffles and why the Reaistic Mach One has a simulated leather baffle. It's to foil reflections.

[@patrickgeorge141]

Steve you reinstilled my faith in your loud shirts!!! Love them! Your insights and thoughts on gear is always appreciated. Just shows how your life of embracing audio equipment and sharing your educated opinion to us all! Kudos to you kind sir! Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! Look forward to your videos.

[@keplermission]

Wow yeah, it was only like yesterday that Steve was out in the street pointing out Andy Warhol's old factory in NYC and I thought ... you know ... when was the last awful time I heard that name Warhol? Just to say it was that old John Lennon, Yoko Ono, NY connection and Steve seems to have some good feeling about the city in 1980. Wow, just a year before Sansui Super-Compo launched and these systems, the sets used to slide into racks like drawers and with their own tower speakers made like 3D images, brings it all back but they were grim times.

[@bigblueocean]

All the best for the New Year Steve. I've followed you since the beginning and always enjoy your content. Thanks for everything from the UK.

[@nasdkhan254]

Great review Steve . A few years back I bought the Leak 130/Cdt in a package with the Wharfedale Lintons. A really well built package for the money . I have to confess the Wharfedales are now hooked to my Denon 1510 amp in my Home Cinema set up whilst the Leak stuff is used with Imf tsl50 speakers. This amp does have an easy listening feel about it. Not a powerhouse but more than ok for a uk size living room. An amp you can listen to all day & I LOVE the retro looks. If the 230 was around back then I would have been tempted 👍

[@TheIpadfanatic]

Thank you Mr. Guttenberg for the excellent reviews this year. Take care and see you back here in 2024.

[@raykuiper4979]

Well, Steve. looking at the comments you get concerning your review on the Leak device,and most of the viewers sah something in your video,,what made me happy,you had definitely a lot of pleasure making the review and telling us about it,because Leak has seldom a new device for us,it may take longer before we might see some new.Wish you prosperous 2024

[@Noname0670]

Living audio legend!

[@TriAmpMyFi]

StGermain is a fantastic band. Reggae, Funk & Brass 🔈🔉🔊

[@hhvictor2462]

Love the vintage look and has knobs that says touch me anytime you want.

[@peterlundskow4061]

Hugo Largo, I haven't heard about them in decades. Really like them in the day & have a few of their CDs. Going to have to pull them out & give a listen. thanks for reminding me about them!

[@jpaleas]

I’m thrilled with my Leak stereo 230 and matching CDT ! Not only clarity and warmth of sound, operation of both components with one remote but those mid century modern retro looks that pair seamlessly with my La Scalas. The on board DAC warms up blue tooth connection from my phone sounding very close to vinyl ! And the Company’s customer service has already won my trust ! The newer CTDs come with an input selector for USB or CD function and not realizing I had pressed that button and getting a “no driver” message I thought the CD player was malfunctioning lol. Before realizing what I had done I send the company an email and had a reply with a service claim # within the hour. Thankfully I didn’t need it but that is great customer service !!!

[@Crmsnraider]

Hey cool! This is the Box I have right behind me and Im using to listen to this *thumbsup* it does have about everything necessary as I see. Quality looks quality feature quality sounding. With a pair of 90+ sensitivity speakers, Id lay money you never go past halfway unlesss youre ready to party and dont need to have proper conversations. Over 100 dbS easy right around 60% volume power =D *grinswidely* Being able to adjust the bass and treble is something I think most amps should still have, another reason I chose this, its just beneficial when necessary. No remote, it does force me to stand up sometimes but usually I just use source remote and its fine.

[@peterlarkin762]

At 100db, that would make your tooth hurty. 230?. I'll see myself out.

[@Crmsnraider]

@@peterlarkin762 Not sure I’ve heard of toothaches from loudness although this certainly will wreak havoc on one’s ear drums and hearing. Have a good New Years mate

[@octothorpe12]

That shirt is the best yet!

[@krispineda5290]

You're awesome, Steve! Thank you so much for showcasing my system in your video. I really appreciate it. :) Looking forward to all your future content! Happy New Year!

[@asan1050]

Steve, Thank you for posting. Happy 2024! Good luck my friend!

[@daveyurkovich9459]

Good review as always Steve! These Leak offerings are beautiful to my eyes and ears too. I can say with veracity , I’m really happy with the CDT. Music suggestions for this week were also tasty. I’ll be on the hunt for that Shelly Manne album. Happy New Year!

[@SteveGuttenbergAudiophiliac]

Thanks for watching that Shelly Manne is special, but the sound is not! Not awful, but definitely compressed.

[@azoique]

Just picked up the little brother 130 for $600 new a few weeks ago and have had a blast with it. No need to upgrade yet but would be fun to test the 230. Love the looks on both.

[@Altaruler]

Thanks for the reviews. I like that you mentioned that St. Germain album, I have enjoyed listening to it on my new gear also.

[@00penguin]

That looks like an excellent listening space in the viewer system of the day! congratulations Chris

[@jamesdellaneve9005]

I bought the CD transport and love it. Love the mid century look.

[@Snowbird-v8l]

This shirt is the absolute bees knees. Outstanding.

[@jeffcurry4979]

Thank you, Steve for your enjoyable and informative reviews. I'm wishing you and your family all the best and a Happy New Year!

[@raykuiper4979]

Good Day Steve, I am so happy you did review a Leak product, Because I do hear all my music over my main system (2) by Leak Sandwich speakers from late 60 ties, they sound balanced and have 16ohm impedance .

[@peterlarkin762]

Super cool speakers. I regret not getting a pair second hand last year. They were state of the art back in the day.

[@keplermission]

You know Leak Sandwich that were 16 ohm? They were the AlNiCo motor 600 model made by Rank and back then ... Goodmans used 16 ohm on account of you know, the Radford tube amplifier speakers. Well I mean how long ago is that? There were still steam trains in England!

[@paulhallford1904]

Happy new year steve and the family and everyone from tropical Scotland 🎉

[@ahmadfizalothman9867]

Great Work Steve. Wishing you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

[@hi-fihaven2257]

Man I love that retro look. What I love even more is the USD price tag! 😎

[@justadad2304]

Happy New Year's to you and Mrs. Audiophiliac!

[@michelrochette3066]

Great vid sir! Nice system of the day too.

[@spill_the_beans365]

I really dig that class A sound. "How deep can this go sound".

[@pietromanno8916]

HAPPY NEW YEAR!! EVERYONE!! HAPPY LISTENING!!!!

[@KimmoJaskari]

The HD58X Jubilee cans from Drop has to be one of the best deals in all hifi-dom. Such high quality audio for like 150 bucks.

[@TriAmpMyFi]

Adding to the "to be considered" list. Thanks. (need that strong bass though)

[@FOH3663]

Wow Stevemo, seems like just yesterday you celebrated the 50k subs threshold! Now, about to hit a quarter million subscribers!

[@AntonioMartinez-br3dm]

I have this device paired with the CD transport (same brand) and a Klipsch 600M II in a small room. In my opinion sounds really good. I don’t think I will need changed this setup for the next years. Recently I bought also the DENON DP 3000 NE turntable reviewed by Steve and what a good sounds of the phono input for MM cartridges. For an MM cartridges you don’t need an external phono stage. For my it’s not necessary. I bought this amplifier at the half of price Steve said on a discount weekend in my country. No regrets about my choice.

[@SteveGuttenbergAudiophiliac]

Thanks for sharing Antonio! Enjoy!

[@KimmoJaskari]

HDMI ARC is a good addition. This would let people avoid some sticky icky soundbar and put this next to their TV, and use a couple of good speakers with it - and since it has pre-outs, why not add a sub? Great musical setup, that also amplifies TV and gives a passable watching experience (I'm firmly in the "surround sound is superior" camp otherwise).

[@TriAmpMyFi]

Is there ARC without an HDMI connector?

[@bikdav]

@@TriAmpMyFi That’s a good question. Not that I’m aware of.

[@hbg70]

Happy New Year

[@incognitoguitars9999]

Just got one and love it!

[@ArntGunnarTønnessen]

Hi thanks for the review, and all the other reviews in 2023. I have the Leak 230 and the Leak CDT and I'm very pleasd with both. You didn't say much on how the Buchardts sounded/matched the Leak. Is it possible to say a few wourds about that.

[@jonathanscull7712]

St. Germain, one of my old standbys! My dad had mono tube Leak amps all over the house, all installed by a guy named Boris! The Old Man air-conducted every chance he got. "Shhh, shhhh, listen to this...." (-"

[@dougg1075]

Love the look. Great price

[@PINKFL0YD-s2h]

Omg I love that❤

[@tee-jaythestereo-bargainph2120]

AUDIOLAB ! with Leak Clothing (IAG) 😆 Phono EQ is Jfet based that uses JRC opamps and Elna caps ' Its legit but tuned way different opposite of Audiolab clean articulate sound leak is warm n smooth '

[@iprobrandy]

Totally agree, IAG is making $ just by changing the clothes, so easy haha

[@BrianCarr]

Great review thanks

[@velchuck]

See ya next year! Stay safe

[@mkshffr4936]

Back in the vacuum tube days they made some very interesting amps.

[@dougdavis8986]

Great shirt!

[@thomasalexand]

If room placement of speakers is not ideal, balance and tone controls are not optional. They're a must.

[@brianvportugal1155]

Great video as usual. I heard the 230 with falcon ls3/5a, I really liked it. I wonder how it compares to Cambridge evo 150 and other similar amps.

[@chrisburn7178]

I've just bought a 230 and really looking forward to getting it set up with some equally retro Epsilon Heritage XLS7 speakers and a REL sub. Why didn't I get Wharfefale Dentons? I've had trouble with rear ported speakers and although they're also gorgeous, I felt they were trying a bit too hard with bass punch. I want bass that extends gracefully but is always an underpinning not the main event. I'm hoping the Elipsons will deliver!

[@Silsoe123]

Their cd transport is very good

[@dxbwinenaudio]

thank you for the review. Trying to find that album by Hugo Largo online. No where. Neither streaming nor any of download purchase sites. Now I am intrigued.

[@SteveGuttenbergAudiophiliac]

Thanks for watching, you can listen to the album on KZbin! I just checked, but if you enjoy the music you can buy the CD or LP. Not cheap.

[@fletchermunson6225]

Thanks for the great audio entertainment and valuable information. Carry on!

[@boneseyyl1060]

Nice that they offer wood or no wood. I like the wood but since it does not offer anything to the sound I could do without. Very impressive feature set also. Most of the integrateds that are out now are missing at least one or two of these features, if not more. I like it and I haven't even got to the sound part of the review yet, lol.

[@FOH3663]

... 𝘥𝘰𝘦𝘴 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘰𝘧𝘧𝘦𝘳 𝘢𝘯𝘺𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘥 ? If you like the wood, interact with the wood, it's a positive attribute of the listening experience ... it sounds better.

[@boneseyyl1060]

@@FOH3663 No. Sorry. What you meant to say was " it makes you THINK it sounds better". Back in the late 70's I owned a Luxman cassete deck that had gorgeous rosewood panels on both sides. Pretty sure it was solid wood too, not veneer. Did the wood make it sound better. Hell no. The only way I "wood" pay extra for wood now was if money was no object. Unfortunately, these days, money is always an object. Besides I spend more time listening than I do looking. But it is a cool retro look for sure. By the way, I bet you have great cables in your system!

[@keplermission]

Well the wood idea was what we used to call a 'tuned chassis', the steel cases used to spoil the sound but after the 1977 year harman/kardon A 402, steel cases might get a reprieve. But it was an awesome design for the JBL Century L100, it's a truly stunning American piece of kit. The Realistic STA-2000 has a 'tuned chassis' and it's miles better than a Carver MXR-130 with its fake wood cheeks but the Carver was used by the Midwest Klipsch community, RS were in the south.

[@FOH3663]

@@boneseyyl1060 No speaker cables except the 10awg from PartsExpress feeding my quad 18" attic IB. System's all active, w/Canare Star-Quad balanced XLR runs laying everywhere. The salient point above was 𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘢𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯. If one appreciates the way it looks, and 𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘢𝘤𝘵𝘴 with it. It's going to sound better ... it adds to the listening experience. It's our endorphins, serotonin, dopamine. It works, but only if; a.) you dig it, and b.) you interact with it. So, ... you don't like cable lifters?

[@ThePgkessler]

Steve, you could do an etire episode on how many contemporary recordings are too bright! Great review as always!

[@oskarnorman3122]

Hi thanks for a great review . I am thinking to buy leak but i have doubts which loadspeaker to oair it with. I like Warhfwdale denton. Do you recommend any ?

[@matthewtaylor7355]

Got Leak Mini Sandwich Speakers from 1965 and yes they sound just like u lot in the USA imagine... 25GBP in 1993...And a Musical Fidelity A100... They both produce the sound that is just......

[@jamesdellaneve9005]

Not sure what they sound like. If the drivers are the originals, I suspect that they’ve lost their elasticity.

[@dwahnaslowdown8887]

This and walnut Lintons. (I may have said this about the 130 also.)

[@markjohansen99]

Hi Steve Which amplifier would you recommend for a pair of Wharfedale Lipton? Yamaha A-S501 or this Leak amplifier? Perhaps something else?

[@brendanmccarthy4218]

Great review Steve. Your viewer system from this episode, what are the 18” drivers in his new open diy baffles? Happy new year.

[@SteveGuttenbergAudiophiliac]

Made by Lii Audio in China

[@keplermission]

You know the actor Yul Brynner had a commercial that came out after he'd died (in NY) and famously said in it: "Don't smoke...", well it used to be a case of 'Don't use 18 inch speakers', and to cut a long story short, if we look at the Box data for Lii Full Range 18 inch, they're not Open Baffle tolerant, now that's not being a spoil sport, caring about Hi-Fi you know we have to know our stuff but it's a beautiful room in the Audio System of the Day. He might have read that Open Baffle would increase sensitivity but Single Ended, has lower DF, so it might not sound as good as it could.

[@jasonthul]

This is one of amps I've been looking at. Seems like a great value for what it is. Still might go with the Marantz 40n though.

[@keplermission]

'Value?' Well you know what? Everybody talks about Marantz 40N but nobody talks about B&W 702 Signature, they're the flagship matching speakers. So lets talk about tone controls and ... 'tone the sound down a little'. The other speaker that we HAVE TO use with 40N is the KEF R3 Meta. Anything else is not 'value'. Anything else is a mistake just waiting to happen. Don't buy the old KEF R3 in any SALES.

[@mediascapes2011]

Happy Audiophile 2024! could you get the Jenszen VALENTINA P8 speakers in for a review, would be great, USA made after all, but sure this company is part of your network?

[@chrislj2890]

Where do you get all of those cool wild shirts?

[@Madjed2024]

Hello Do you happen to know which brand makes an integrated Amp that has the max number of digital inputs and analog RCA I need to digitally connect : DAT, DCC, Minidisc, CD, Solid state recorder/ player I need to connect via analog RCA ( preferably in and out to record and playback Reel to reel Cassette 8 track Turntable Thank you much

[@fredflintstone8048]

The faceplate and knobs remind me of a Heath kit project.

[@leonsam12]

Does this have home theater bypass???

[@2023C8HTC]

Why didn't you demo the Cornwall IVs with this amp?

[@MrPaolodacanay]

Hello, what's a good power amp to BRIDGE on the Leak 230 as a Pre Amp? I paired it with The Wharfdale Linton 85th. But my room is too big for the Leak 230 and Lintons. I was thinking of making the volume bigger. So I figured I'd just ask you guys. Thanks

[@Z4d0k]

How big is your room? My room is about 12m x 8m and my Leak 230 and Lintons play much louder than I’ve needed. I’m not having a dance party though.

[@MrPaolodacanay]

@@Z4d0k 6m x 5m sized room

[@iprobrandy]

I was attracted by its look to match it with Linton 85. But Sound quality I think it's just OK for the price. And this leak230 is still weak to make Linton 85 be more punchy.

[@Z4d0k]

My Lintons go pretty hard with the Leak 230 :)

[@1jhnpennington]

I’m guessing this is an Audiolab 8300a in retro clothing.

[@TriAmpMyFi]

Well, they do both proudly emboss "Made in the PRC" on their cases. doh

[@kingtubby999]

Nothing wrong with that.. 8300 is a good amp

[@1jhnpennington]

@@kingtubby999not at all, but if I know that, then lots of people know that, so why don’t reviewers comment on it?

[@mediascapes2011]

how come your unit has no serial number? what arrangements have you struck with Leak?

[@peterlarkin762]

It was a Leaked product.

[@colanitower]

I tried the Leak 130 with Wharfedale Lintons, but found it didn't get everything out of the Lintons. Leak 130 lost against a refurbished Denon PMA-1060 amplifier in my listening room. But this one could be better.

[@Z4d0k]

Heard this from a few people now. I’m using the 230 with my Lintons and it’s a nice match. Plenty of punch and sounds full. MUCH better than the Yamaha AV amp I had previously, which sounded anaemic by comparison.

[@khoi83]

How about this one compared to the NAD C 3050 LE?

[@TheRealWindlePoons]

The styling is just the same as the Leak Stereo 70 I still have in my attic.

[@stevenbeau6268]

I can’t help but wonder if, when you do your a/b comparisons, if your spl’s are equal?…s

[@poorpotato85]

I have a question, how do you determine if an album is a poor recording vs. if your audio setup needs an adjustment to get the most out of the album?

[@SteveGuttenbergAudiophiliac]

If recording sounds poor on many different systems, it's not a good recording. Of course sound quality is always subjective. I'm sure the people that made the recording thought it sounded great. If the music you love doesn't sound good to you, you need to make changes to your system.

[@Habitual_Liar]

The Leak 130 and Wharfedale Denton 85 speakers was my first HiFi purchase. It was barely listenable. Waaaay too bright and shrill. That disappointment in sound launched my HiFi journey in motion. I set out to find good sounding electronics. Two years later I can say that I am now happy with my system.

[@wicomms]

What are you using for your amp now?

[@Habitual_Liar]

@@wicomms Audio Research Reference 110

[@wicomms]

@@Habitual_Liartqs. I am using Denton 85 with marantz pm 6007

[@wicomms]

Wait you are using a USD 35k amp for your Denton?

[@The-Spotlight-Kid]

This Leak int' doesn't look much different, far better but essentially v.similar to my 1'st s/h bought wooden- cased early (post-valve) solid state Leak int' amp, a "Leak Stereo 30" (I think) the better of all solid state amps I had chance to hear or own s/h along with a couple of Rodgers s/s amps of same era. Those Leak & Rodgers s/state amps had superiour phono stages than all of my older vintage valve pre-amps dedicated to the valve poweramps I owned. (which had noisy, hissy phono stage in them, in dem days) I'd often use the Leak or a Rodgers int' amp s/state phono's sections via tape output into my Leak TL 12's or whatever vintage valve power-amps were set-up. via a ad-hoc soldered in-line, insulation -taped (v.neat!) stereo 20'k to 100''k vol' pot. My systems were often ad-hoc like this esp' when I was 17'ish to mid'30s & +. Im sure this Leak beats my mid or late 60's made s/s Leak. Great trad' wooden cased looks too. It only looks like an old design to me because of memory of wooden-cases Leaks amps, but I think that's a great look I could live with, happily so.

[@wills681]

I have a wooden-cased, late-1960's Leak Stereo 30 Plus amp. It belonged to my late pa and I also have the original user manual. To be honest, it's an ornament as I stream my audio for practical reasons but it's a handsome piece.

[@The-Spotlight-Kid]

So it was called a Stereo 30, thought it most prob' was via old memory. I bought mine for ..well, it would have been £7'ish - to £15 tops in 1977'ish when I was 20 or 19, tho in time adjusted £'s, that was > a quarter to a half of a weekly wage for an apprentice payed 20'yr old, so I was still fussy when I splashed out a tenner or more on a vintage valve stereo amp, or a good brand s/h solid stater, and my v.first real hi-fi deck (Thorens T.D.150 for £12, inc SME 3009 (> one 3'rd my weekly wage) in 1977, it lasted for 2 lster 'arm upgrades & i was a bit disappointed by my first compliance -matched Ortofon (s/h) M.C. cart' but 1 week later, the deck was dropped into an overly deep & huge lump of highly compressed fibre-board i'd jigsaw'd out the minimal area & depth for the succhasis, screwed down the top plate large overlap with many lines of brass screws & for whatever reasons of physics, i have notions, that became the biggest upgrade in sound regaurdless of money, that i'd ever heard to this day, from 1 single "before & after change" no hyperbolé, the surprise alone was a gobsmack & the new realism of sound saw albums played until friends left & sleep took me over. I don't do the streaming thing but lately, i think more & more about getting something set up, for when I get a song or tune in my head & a strong hankering to hear it & it would lead to 1 or 2 others i'd have to hunt down for or may not even have. The two flowers singing to each othef in the Delibes piece haunted me recently for 15++ mins & I couldn't exorcise it away, not having it, I don't mind streaming coming out the room's main speakers or something less, but i'd like to avoid turning the stereo on stereo on but have a quick access solution for near instant music with no more than a flick of a switch, or less. I've even made a start by watching a vid on budget streamers. Btw, if you had the Stereo 30+'s original box & packing also, i'd have thought that would fetch a hefty price if it's near mint, I heard they particularly like good Brit' vintage gear in Japan, or used to.

[@wills681]

@@The-Spotlight-Kid I also have the matching Leak tuner. The cabinets polish up nicely using beeswax. My office rig is essentially Apple Music 'lossless' streamed via router to a MacBook. USB connection to an iFi Audio Zen DAC and then RCA cables to Kanto TUK and Kanto Sub8. Probably heresy to admit this on this channel (which I v. much enjoy) but I'm more than happy with it.

[@keplermission]

@@wills681 Yeah but Kanto TUK are powered speakers right? What do you need a Leak amplifier for? Kanto Tuk are for small spaces you know, Hi-Fi is for big places.

[@wills681]

@@keplermission Yes. As I mentioned in my first post the Leak amp is now only an ornament. It is a 1968-vintage amp which might have very tired circuits so it just sits here, unconnected, looking pretty. I use the MacBook/Zen DAC/Kanto TUKs in a near field (1.25 metre) set up in my office. It works v. well.

[@RogierYou]

Does it come with the schematics?

[@mikerichards324]

Thanks for all your videos in 2023 Steve, very much appreciated 😊 Happy New Year to you and Mrs Audiophiliac for 2024, best wishes from Down Under 🇦🇺🦘

[@alaincayer8999]

Will the colourful shirts be also back in 2024?

[@mathewcrick]

I have the Leak Stereo 70 (my dads old amp) in the attic. Probably needs some attention 😂

[@bikdav]

I won’t buy an amplifier without tone controls, because I use them frequently.

[@Harrisongrey19]

Is that bc the quality of what your listening to is subpar?

[@vtkz]

Why dont buy a DSP ? Way better and acourate to tune it how you like it

[@Jack96993]

I haven't used tone controls in years I have a tube amp & tube pre amp and to my ears they sound pretty sweet as is 😅

[@Exgol2005]

Chris' setup: ♥ wow

[@FOH3663]

​@@vtkz ... acourate? A fascinating Freudian slip! (Acourate Convolution) Well done!

[@deccasupergold]

Last Leak I had used EL84 tubes.

[@Niels133]

Is it not a Audiolab inside a Leak box??

[@bigblueocean]

There's a, huge amount of interest in headphones and associated gear now Steve. Would you consider doing a second channel for headphone listeners?

[@dougdavis8986]

I guess I'm old. I require a paper users guide!

[@duntrolling8876]

One thing you missed. these devices come with or without a Bluetooth antenna. The walnut version doesn't need one - the antenna is hidden away inside of the chassis. Im one of those strange types that dislike the look of an antenna sticking up at the back. it irritates me and so becomes very distracting.

[@Z4d0k]

I just turned my antenna 90 degrees so I can’t see it. Still streams music from my phone beautifully :)

[@duntrolling8876]

@@Z4d0k here's the thing though... you never ever see these types of BT devices with the antenna hidden.. its always on display. The benefit of the wooden case is it doesnt have one. That was my entire point.

[@chrislj2890]

Oh great, the Denon DP-3000NE was a turntable I was considering but went with the new Technics SL-1200GR2 instead. I can just see it now, Steve reviews it and I regret not buying it. Oh well, in that case I'll just save my pennies until I can get it also, lol. Is it just me or do Leak products look like they were designed by Heathkit back in the day?

[@Patrick-i4o6j]

How’s the knob feel on this one, Steve?

[@SteveGuttenbergAudiophiliac]

Right, I forgot to comment on that! Knob feel is good, but nothing special.

[@Patrick-i4o6j]

Thanks! Happy new year!@@SteveGuttenbergAudiophiliac

[@RumblestripDotNet]

System of the day looks like he also watches Löic's HiFi Cave

[@jackdude2626]

Do you live in that apartment ?

[@ML-rm3vk]

Music on cheers.

[@CommanderGinyu]

“I wanted to play something more contemporary” *shows album that’s 37 years old

[@PhillioDoede]

I like retro gear in the style of gear for its clean lines and less is more vibe (Yamaha, and the A1) but I have a feeling this pre-war retro look is a bit too far for many, myself included.

[@peterlarkin762]

Leak didn't come back as such. The name was bought by IAG (Wharfedale, Quad, Audiolab etc). They make excellent products. However, like the Leak 130, I don't quite understand why they used a chipamp. It's a TDA7293 in this one, which is an excellent chip... Probably the best. I feel the money was spent on the chassis and would prefer a 'proper' discrete amplifier.