Designed to be the perfect match for a wide variety of sources and providing higher levels of amplification, the LEAK STEREO 230 offers a 115W per channel output.
One of the biggest names of the mid-twentieth century British Hi-Fi scene burst back into the mainstream with the LEAK CDT and STEREO 130, in the year 2020.
Firmly re-established as a Hi-Fi mainstay, the LEAK product portfolio is expanding with the new LEAK STEREO 230 – a high performance, high fidelity integrated amplifier designed for the modern-day audio and movie enthusiast.
Building upon the class and style that made the STEREO 130 a rip-roaring success, the LEAK STEREO 230 adds more power, more functionality and more substance for the discerning audiophile.
Designed to be the perfect match for a wide variety of sources and providing higher levels of amplification, the LEAK STEREO 230 offers a 115W per channel output.
It also offers a newly developed HDMI ARC connectivity function to realise the highest quality audio in AV applications, for a fully equipped integrated amplifier to meet the demands of modern audiophiles and cinephiles.
The LEAK STEREO 230 can be connected to a host of analogue and digital sources, thanks to its diversity of inputs. A built-in Moving Magnet (MM) phono pre-amplifier allows for direct connection to turntable record players.
To fully accommodate the modern-day music enthusiast, much effort has been made to ensure the LEAK STEREO 230’s digital circuitry delivers the level of quality one might expect of a high performance standalone D/A converter, let alone an integrated amplifier solution.
You can also stream music to the LEAK STEREO 230 from any Bluetooth device, such as portable music players, tablet PCs or smartphones, via the built-in aptX and AAC Bluetooth codec. One can therefore enjoy CD quality audio over the Bluetooth wireless connection.
Carefully designed in line with the LEAK ethos of performance, reliability and craftsmanship, the LEAK STEREO 230 matches contemporary performance with stand-out, classic LEAK styling.
The LEAK STEREO 230’s all-round performance is engaging, detailed and refined. Detail, timing and dynamics excel, regardless of source or medium.
Designed for the modern-day movie and music enthusiast with a nod to our heritage, the LEAK STEREO 230 does not discriminate when it comes to expression and enjoyment of your music and movie reproduction.
TURNTABLE READY
Traditional audiophiles will recognise the assured quality in the high-quality, low-noise turntable input of the LEAK STEREO 230. Optimised for moving magnet cartridges, the JFET-based circuit offers precise RIAA equalisation in accordance with de facto industry standards for vinyl record playback.
HEADPHONE USERS
The LEAK STEREO 230 uses a dedicated amplifier circuit with current-feedback technology for the headphone output. Equal in performance to standalone headphone amplifiers, beyond the price class of this complete system, the design offers high-speed output signal transition thanks to a high slew rate. The result is a dynamic, detailed and engaging performance with all manner of headphone types.
CONVERSION WITHOUT COMPROMISE
Utilising the acclaimed ES9038 Sabre32 Reference chip with ESS Technology’s 32-bit HyperStream architecture and Time Domain Jitter Eliminator, the LEAK STEREO 230 offers ultra-low noise, high dynamic range of digital audio files with a sampling rate of up to 384kHz (PCM) and DSD256.
ARC DE TRIOMPHE
Equipped with an Audio Return Channel (ARC) connection, the LEAK STEREO 230 integrates perfectly for home AV applications, bringing the LEAK Hi-Fi pedigree to your screen, too.
'Retro UK Audio Done Right' – The Audiophiliac Steve Guttenberg (aka The Audiophiliac) follows up former Leak Stereo 130 & CDT reviews with an all-new deep dive on Leak's latest, Stereo 230. 'This is good. This is high end. This is audiophile grade music by any measure,' says Steve.
'The Stereo 230 exceeded my expectations – Robert Schryer
There's a lot of competition within the mid-priced integrated amplifier market these days. But few deliver sound quality like LEAK's Stereo 230, nor do it so stylishly. "230 is an example of how far the sound quality and versatility of affordable audiophile gear has come in the last few years," says Robert Schryer of Stereophile. And with a wide range of both analogue and digital inputs, including HDMI Arc, it's hard to argue against this versatile, powerful, and stunning integrated amplifier. Stereophile certainly couldn't.
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