LEAK Stereo 130 Integrated Amplifier - Walnut

What type of buyer is the LEAK Stereo 130 designed for?

The LEAK Stereo 130 is a fully equipped integrated amplifier designed for the modern music enthusiast who wants a single unit capable of handling vinyl, digital streaming, optical and coaxial sources, and headphone listening without compromise between any of them. It draws on the philosophy of the original Stereo 30 — LEAK's 1963 integrated amplifier that became Britain's most purchased step-up from entry-level budget amplifiers — and applies that same positioning to a contemporary source landscape. Buyers who use a turntable alongside a streaming device, a USB-connected computer, or optical sources from a television or DAC will find the Stereo 130 addresses each without requiring a separate phono stage, DAC, or headphone amplifier.

Where does it sit in the LEAK range?

The LEAK Stereo 130 is the entry point in the current LEAK integrated amplifier range, sitting below the Stereo 230. Buyers who need more output power or an expanded feature set should consider the Stereo 230, but those whose speakers are suited to 45W into 8 ohms or 65W into 4 ohms will find the Stereo 130 covers a wide range of loudspeaker loads. The 4-ohm rating is relevant for buyers pairing this amplifier with lower-impedance speakers, as the Stereo 130's output rises to 65W per channel under those conditions, maintaining drive capability across a broader range of speaker designs.

Does the LEAK Stereo 130 work with a turntable?

The LEAK Stereo 130 is turntable-ready with a built-in moving magnet phono stage, removing the need for an external phono preamplifier in a vinyl-based system. The phono input uses a JFET-based circuit with RIAA equalisation applied according to the de facto industry standard for vinyl record playback. RIAA equalisation is the standardised bass-cut and treble-boost curve applied during vinyl cutting, which must be reversed on playback to restore flat frequency response. The JFET circuit's low-noise characteristics are suited to the low output levels of moving magnet cartridges, which have an input sensitivity of 4.1mV at 47kohm with 100pF loading — values that match the output characteristics of the majority of moving magnet cartridges in current production. Buyers using a moving coil cartridge will need a separate step-up transformer or MC phono stage, as this input is optimised for MM use.

What digital sources does it support?

The LEAK Stereo 130 is equipped with a built-in DAC accepting optical TOSlink, coaxial RCA, and USB Type-B digital inputs. Optical and coaxial inputs accept PCM up to 192kHz, which covers standard high-resolution streaming and disc-based sources. The USB input extends this to 384kHz PCM and native DSD up to DSD256, making it compatible with high-resolution digital audio libraries played from a computer. The DAC section uses the ESS ES9018 Sabre32 Reference chip, which incorporates ESS Technology's 32-bit HyperStream architecture and a Time Domain Jitter Eliminator. Jitter — timing errors in the digital data stream — degrades conversion accuracy; the Time Domain Jitter Eliminator addresses this before the conversion stage, supporting the Stereo 130's signal-to-noise ratio of 108dB A-weighted at rated power and a pre-output THD figure of less than 0.003%.

Is it compatible with Bluetooth streaming?

The LEAK Stereo 130 is Bluetooth-equipped using the A2DP profile with aptX as the priority codec and SBC as the fallback. aptX is relevant for buyers streaming from Android smartphones, tablets, or laptops that support the codec, as it transmits CD-quality audio over Bluetooth by reducing compression artefacts compared with SBC. iOS devices use AAC, which falls back to SBC on this unit; buyers who stream primarily from Apple devices should note this distinction when evaluating wireless performance.

Can you use the Stereo 130 with headphones?

The LEAK Stereo 130 includes a dedicated headphone amplifier circuit using current-feedback topology, which is distinct from the main speaker amplifier stage rather than being derived from it. Current-feedback designs offer a high slew rate — the speed at which the output voltage can change — which benefits transient accuracy across a wide range of headphone types and impedances. The source material describes this headphone output as comparable in performance to standalone headphone amplifiers outside the price bracket of the complete system, reflecting the use of a dedicated circuit rather than the passive tap or resistor-attenuated speaker output found in lower-specification integrated amplifiers.

What control options does it offer over the signal path?

The LEAK Stereo 130 incorporates a DIRECT switch, a feature consistent with LEAK's amplifier heritage, that bypasses stages in the analogue signal path to provide a shorter, more direct route from input to output. This is useful for buyers who want to remove the tone control circuitry from the signal path entirely when it isn't needed. For listeners who do want adjustment, the amplifier also provides dedicated BASS and TREBLE tone controls to modify the output signal to suit different source material or loudspeaker characteristics. Having both options on a single unit means buyers aren't forced to choose between tonal flexibility and a direct signal path — they can switch between modes as needed.

What analogue inputs and outputs are available?

The LEAK Stereo 130 is equipped with two RCA line-level inputs (AUX1 and AUX2) at 480mV sensitivity and 10kohm impedance, alongside the MM phono input. It also provides a pre-output on RCA, which allows connection to a power amplifier or active subwoofer, and digital outputs on both optical TOSlink and coaxial RCA. The pre-output's availability means the Stereo 130 can function as a preamplifier and DAC within a larger system if requirements change, giving the unit flexibility as an ownership proposition beyond a straightforward two-channel integrated amplifier.

Will the Walnut version fit my shelf or rack?

The LEAK Stereo 130 Walnut is a wood-cabineted integrated amplifier measuring 326 x 146 x 276mm, and buyers should confirm shelf or rack clearance before purchasing. At 8.30kg net, its weight is also worth accounting for when assessing furniture or rack load ratings.