LEAK TruStream Network Music Player

Why Choose the LEAK TruStream Network Music Player

Who is the LEAK TruStream designed for?

The LEAK TruStream is a dedicated high-fidelity network music player built for listeners who want streaming convenience without losing the character of classic British audio engineering. It pairs a contemporary streaming platform with LEAK's mid-century design heritage, giving buyers a source component that fits naturally alongside the LEAK Stereo 130 and Stereo 230 amplifiers while bringing networked and high-resolution music into the system. Anyone assembling a LEAK-based hi-fi set-up, or looking for a streaming source with genuine analogue output flexibility, sits squarely in the target market for this network player.

What makes the TruStream different from a typical network streamer?

Many streaming devices act purely as digital transports, passing a signal on for another component to convert. The TruStream is different: it's a complete source component with its own ESS Sabre ES9038Q2M 32-bit DAC built in, so it can connect directly to an amplifier's line-level input via analogue RCA or balanced XLR outputs, preserving the full resolution of high-definition audio formats without requiring a separate DAC. This built-in conversion stage is the main practical distinction a buyer should weigh against any streamer that ships without one.

Which streaming services and platforms does the TruStream support?

The TruStream offers native support for Spotify Connect, TIDAL Connect, Qobuz Connect and TuneIn Internet Radio, with Roon Ready certification providing a separate, additional layer of integration for buyers already running a Roon core on their network. AirPlay 2 support is also provided. This breadth means a buyer doesn't need to commit to a single streaming ecosystem; whichever service a household already subscribes to, the TruStream can usually integrate with it directly, controlled from within each service's own app rather than requiring a separate control layer for every source.

How does the TruStream maintain streaming stability and audio fidelity?

The streaming platform is powered by Silent Angel, a specialist in low-noise digital audio transmission. This underlying technology governs network performance, clocking precision and data handling, all of which affect how reliably a stream plays without dropouts and how accurately the digital signal reaches the DAC for conversion. Clocking precision and low-jitter handling at this stage directly influence the conversion quality further down the signal chain, rather than being a separate, isolated feature.

What audio formats and resolutions can the TruStream play?

The TruStream supports PCM playback from 44.1kHz up to 768kHz, including DSD up to DSD512, plus FLAC, Apple Lossless (ALAC), WAV, AIFF, APE, DSF, DIFF, DoP, MP3, WMA, AAC and OGG. This range covers everything from compressed streaming-service files through to CD-quality rips and studio-master high-resolution downloads, so a buyer building a library from multiple sources, ripped CDs, downloaded hi-res albums, or streamed services, won't hit a format wall. Playback at the highest sampling rates depends on the source: DSD512 is supported via PC USB, while 705.6kHz and 768kHz PCM are supported via app streaming.

How does the ES9038Q2M DAC affect sound quality?

The ES9038Q2M is a 32-bit reference-grade DAC architecture, here measured at under 0.001% total harmonic distortion at 1kHz into 2.05Vrms, with a signal-to-noise ratio above 116dB on RCA and above 120dB on XLR. Low distortion and a high signal-to-noise ratio mean the converted analogue signal stays closer to the original digital data, with less added electrical noise masking low-level detail. LEAK pairs this chip with its own low-noise power supply design and signal-isolation architecture, intended to preserve the DAC's measured performance once installed inside the chassis, rather than letting it be compromised by noise from elsewhere in the unit.

How do I connect the TruStream to my amplifier or other system components?

The TruStream provides one pair of RCA analogue outputs and one pair of balanced XLR analogue outputs for connection to an amplifier, alongside an optical digital output, a coaxial digital output, and two USB-A ports for USB audio out. This combination lets a buyer choose the connection method that matches their amplifier: balanced XLR for amplifiers with XLR inputs and longer cable runs, unbalanced RCA for simpler integration, or one of the digital outputs where the buyer wants to use an external DAC instead. Two further USB-A ports are provided for USB storage playback, and a separate USB-A port is reserved for MCU firmware updates, while a USB Type-C input allows connection to a PC as a USB DAC.

Can I play music from network storage or USB drives?

Yes. The TruStream plays music from network-attached shared storage over SMB/CIFS, as well as directly from USB storage devices, flash drives, and USB hard disks formatted as single-partition FAT32 or exFAT. This matters for buyers with an existing digital library on a NAS or external drive, since it means ripped CDs and downloaded hi-res files already on a home network can be played without re-importing them into a streaming service.

How do I set up and control the TruStream?

Network connection can be made via wired Gigabit Ethernet or 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac Wi-Fi at 2.4GHz or 5GHz, with WPS pairing available for compatible routers to simplify initial connection. Once connected, the dedicated LEAK TruStream app for iOS and Android handles setup, streaming-service access and local library browsing from a single interface. Gapless playback is supported, so albums recorded or mixed to flow as continuous tracks play back without audible breaks between songs.

Is the TruStream suitable for headphone listening?

The TruStream includes a dedicated current-feedback headphone amplifier with an output impedance of 2.35 ohm and a rated load impedance range of 20 to 600 ohm, covering everything from sensitive portable headphones to high-impedance studio designs. Total harmonic distortion is under 0.01% at 1kHz and 50mW. This output impedance and load range mean the headphone amplifier is built to drive a wide span of headphone types without requiring buyers to check impedance matching closely before use, making the TruStream usable as a standalone desktop or head-fi source as well as a hi-fi component.

What does the TruStream's design and build involve?

LEAK has produced amplifiers since the Stereo 30 of the 1960s, through to the modern Stereo 130 and Stereo 230, and the TruStream continues that visual lineage with a brushed-aluminium fascia and walnut-veneer cabinet. The walnut finish is intended to sit alongside other LEAK components for buyers building a matched system, rather than as a standalone styling choice. The unit measures 330 x 118 x 278mm and weighs 6.5kg net, a footprint and weight in keeping with a compact source component rather than a full-width chassis.

How does the TruStream fit within the LEAK range, and who should buy it?

The TruStream is designed to complement the LEAK Stereo 130 and Stereo 230 amplifiers, functioning as the dedicated streaming source for a LEAK-based system rather than as a self-contained streaming amplifier. Buyers who already own or intend to buy a separate amplifier, and want a source component with its own built-in DAC and direct RCA or XLR connection to that amplifier, are the clearest fit. Because the unit also offers a USB Audio output, optical and coaxial digital outputs, and a dedicated headphone amplifier, it remains usable even if a buyer later changes amplifier or chooses to route the digital signal to an outboard DAC instead, rather than being locked into one fixed configuration. For desktop or head-fi use, the onboard headphone amplifier and direct USB-C PC input let it function as a standalone source without needing a separate amplifier at all.