Trade: Wakefield Turntables
Location: Yorkshire
Posts: 9,321
I'm Andrew.
Leak Stereo 20
I fancy treating myself to a valve amp and have decided to try the Leak out. Can anyone recommend a decent pre-amp match for it? It'll form part of a seconf system mainly for Jazz and prog rock. TT will be a garrard 301 and speakers will be an old pair of Celestion Ditton 15XR's. I intend to full rewire the speakers at some stage.
Practising Alcoholic
Location: Hove Actually
Posts: 3,935
I'm Imjustsurviving.
These amps are a bit on the sensative side so a passive pre works well with them, you could make your own with an Alps pot and a few phono sockets very cheaply
Jon
A person who never made a mistake never tried anything new.
Set up
Lafayette el84 power amp , Audio note M1 pre , Tannoy Sterlings, Garrard 301 , SME 3012 , puresound P10, Ortofon SPU, Cambridge CXN streamer
Micro mega Duo 3 cd transport ,
Trade: Wakefield Turntables
Location: Yorkshire
Posts: 9,321
I'm Andrew.
Mant thanks for your reply. I'm new to Valves, my main hobbying is tweaking and restoring TT's. I'll see if I can find a decent passive pre-amp.
Member
Location: Sussex UK
Posts: 92
I'm Gino.
I have used a Leak Stereo 20 for years and agree with Jon about the use of a passive as the amplifier is sensitive. Probably too sensitive to work with most preamps without some form of line attenuation.
It has a high input impedance so you will need to keep the attenuator or passive switch box near to the amp with short interconnects to avoid HF attenuation. When I rebuilt my amp I wired a couple of 20K Ohm trimmers across the input so I could use almost anything to drive it.
At the moment I use the Leak or a Quad 303 with a pair of LS3/as and an Audio Reasearch LS7 line stage and Trichord Dino phono amp.
The Leak is very nice for acoustic music such as chamber Jazz, but I am not sure about prog rock. I don’t think it had been invented when Harold designed is amp, Tommy Steele perhaps.
A True Legend
Location: Leigh Lancs
Posts: 299
I'm David.
leak
Hi,if I remember correctly a 1megohm resistor in series with input creates a potential divider with the 1 meg connected to ground and makes the amp half as sensitive.Hope this helps.
Dave.
Don't need any Tannoys - I've got the best. All cables supplied by pound shop or better.
Cheatfinder General.
Trade: Radlett Audio
Location: Near Saffron Walden, Essex
Posts: 7,090
I'm Dave.
Croft pre-amps work really well with Leak. Sold hundreds over the years to go with Leak.
Senior Member
Location: A Strangely Isolated Place in Suffolk with Far Away Trains Passing By...
Posts: 14,535
I'm David.
Croft preamps go well with EVERYTHING
Tear down these walls; Cut the ties that held me
Crying out at the top of my voice; Tell me now if you can hear me
Practising Alcoholic
Location: Hove Actually
Posts: 3,935
I'm Imjustsurviving.
Originally Posted by DSJR
Croft preamps go well with EVERYTHING
So do Audio Notes
Jon
A person who never made a mistake never tried anything new.
Set up
Lafayette el84 power amp , Audio note M1 pre , Tannoy Sterlings, Garrard 301 , SME 3012 , puresound P10, Ortofon SPU, Cambridge CXN streamer
Micro mega Duo 3 cd transport ,
New Member
Location: Congleton
Posts: 17
I'm Frank.
My Stereo 20 works well with an old Quad 33 that I rescued from the scrap heap. Not sure if the Leak has had any modifications as I've not yet had the need to delve inside. It had however, been upgraded through Classique before I bought it.
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