LEAK Stereo 230

My hands-on experience with the LEAK Stereo 230

I was super-excited to experience the LEAK Stereo 230 in our Vendor Training Room in Norton. But first, I couldn't resist taking it home for a test drive. The unboxing experience is luxurious. The moment I pulled the (quite hefty) amp out of the box, I got a whiff of newly sawn wood from the walnut finish. Even the user manual felt like a work of art, being printed on a thick, parchment-like paper with a muted brown typeface.

My home test rig

For a worthy audio source, I had the matching LEAK CDT on loan — it's a CD "transport" that relies on the integrated amplifier's internal high-quality DAC. I connected my Klipsch Heresy III speakers, along with my SVS PB-2000 Pro subwoofer. Then I grabbed my CDs, and it was off to the races!

A royal entrance

First up: Queen's Greatest Hits, 1981 edition. Now, Freddie Mercury never hit an incorrect note in his life, and the LEAK system gave him the soundstage he deserved. Not only that, every lick of Roger Taylor's drum kit was crisp and clean, from the shimmer of the cymbals to the thump of the bass drum. Brian May's guitar growled throughout the arrangements, and John Deacon's bass thrummed in the background, ever-present. Every bit of instrumentation was just as clear as Freddie's operatic delivery.

Bluetooth on the side

Switching to Bluetooth, one of my go-to TIDAL albums that I use as a reference with new equipment, Pink Floyd's Momentary Lapse of Reason. The creak of the boat and the lapping of gentle waves at the beginning of "Signs of Life" brought in the swelling synths that always give me chills on audiophile equipment. The Stereo 230 did not disappoint.

A demo at Crutchfield's Southwest Virginia facility

When I moved the Stereo 230 and CDT to our Vendor Training Room, I was excited to connect the Wharfedale EVO4.3 floor-standing speakers. The walnut finish of the Stereo 230 and the matching finish of the EVO4.3s gave me a wave of nostalgia, taking me back to the 1970s, standing in my grandmother's wood-paneled living room in front of the giant console stereo (complete with 8-track tape player and turntable).

After connecting the speakers and the SVS SB16-Ultra, I eagerly popped in one of my favorite CDs, the Alice in Chains performance on MTV Unplugged. The Stereo 230 and the EVO4.3s teamed up beautifully, as the warmth and intimacy of this performance were immediately apparent. Stereo imaging was excellent, and I could imagine the position of each of the musicians on stage. Crutchfield Advisor Gigi commented that the sound was very clean, an accurate assessment, with no audible background noise coming from the amp.

A symphonic soundstage

To give a little variety to the demo, I had a CD of my favorite orchestral score, George Gershwin's Rhapsody in Blue as performed by the Columbia Symphony with Leonard Bernstein playing the piano and conducting. From the slinky opening notes of the clarinet to the closing crash of cymbals, this piece was a treat to listen to on the LEAK amp and CDT. Every note was cleanly rendered, and when the piano led into a swelling string arrangement, the hairs on the back of my head stood up--ASMR, indeed!

At this point, I couldn't resist streaming Pink Floyd over Bluetooth again. I cued up Momentary Lapse of Reason from Tidal once more, but this time the size of the room allowed the music to "breathe" in a way my cramped living room had not, and the EVO4.3s softened the highs in a pleasant way.

Movies, anyone?

A gorgeous OLED TV deserves gorgeous sound with it. I tested the HDMI ARC port on the amplifier with the Sony XBR-65A8F and pulled up the Netflix app on the TV. I wanted something with action to see how the dialogue meshed with the sound effects. I decided King Kong would be appropriate and checked out different scenes. Dialogue was clean and detailed, and it wasn't overpowered by the action. It was cool to hear the rumble of the ship engines lending ambiance to the feel of the movie. Once again, stereo imaging was impressive as the audio moved from one speaker to the other, mirroring events on the screen.

Final thoughts

It was a joy to experience the LEAK Stereo 230. If you're looking for outstanding sound for a dedicated two-channel system, this would be a fine addition to your collection!