Leak Sandwich 250 Monitor Speaker, Walnut Pair, NEW!

Leak Sandwich 250 Monitor Speaker, Walnut

PRODUCT INFORMATION

The Leak Sandwich 150 and 250 speakers are the culmination of an innovation that began in 1961 with the original Leak Sandwich.

These technological advances are implemented with the greatest respect for tradition and the constant desire to create sound reproduction devices of the highest quality, accessible to every demanding audiophile.

A significant loudspeaker development

Throughout the history of broadcasting and sound recording, some extraordinary developments have become milestones in the evolution of sound reproduction.
One such milestone was the world's first low-distortion amplifier - the famous original Leak Point One - in 1945.

Another was the groundbreaking breakthrough with the invention of the fantastically stiff leak sandwich membrane, which was proven to be of great strength and many times stiffer than any conventional form of membrane of its time.

To understand the impact of this innovation, it is important to remember that the movement of a speaker diaphragm or cone should follow as closely as possible the waveform of the signals applied to the voice coil in order to achieve the lowest possible distortion.

The ability of the current to accurately follow these pulses depends on the lightness and rigidity of the cone structure.

Many conventional membranes - paper, impregnated fabric, plastic, aluminum, etc. - generally have low stiffness. This results in much larger areas of the membrane being set in motion by the voice coil in an uncontrolled manner.

These uncontrolled movements lead to transmission oscillations, amplitude distortions (peaks and dips in the frequency response) and intermodulation distortions (unclear noise).

These shortcomings are present in almost all direct-radiating loudspeaker systems that use conventional membranes, regardless of price range.
All of these shortcomings are overcome by the leak sandwich construction.

The sandwich construction was originally introduced in 1961, using construction and design principles from aircraft construction.

The new Leak Sandwich cone, now reused and redesigned with today's knowledge, consists of a rigid aluminum skin for the outer surfaces (where stresses are greatest) covered with a thick core of a polymethacrylimide-based structural foam ( PMI), which is commonly used in the aerospace and automotive industries.

This applied, precision-engineered use of the most appropriate materials in optimal proportions and arrangements imparts tremendous rigidity.

This means that the leak sandwich cone reproduces the signal applied to the voice coil completely free of mechanical resistance and the associated distortions. The result is a remarkably smooth frequency response, free of sharp peaks or dips over a very wide frequency range, indicating excellent transient response.

It is often not sufficiently recognized how great the influence of the loudspeaker housing (the box) is on the overall acoustic performance. The construction of the housing requires a high level of electroacoustic knowledge, as does the construction of the motor units themselves. The new Leak Sandwich housing benefits from 60 years of technological development since the original design. The structure is made of a composition of MDF and composite panels, creating a second "sandwich" reference, with the panels layered for optimal cabinet strength. While the new case combines intelligent bracing with this "sandwich" material, it also retains a specific front/rear bracing, with the distinctive, visible countersunk screw on the back - a famous feature of the original. The technology behind Leak audio devices offers a wealth of science and innovation, but the industrial design also often attracts attention. Just like the Leak Stereo 130 and 230 integrated amplifier models, the new Leak Sandwich 150 and 250 loudspeaker models retain the simple, classic Leak design. The housing is clad in a fine real walnut veneer and decorated with an aluminum insert that is tuned and finished to the same exemplary standards as the speaker covers and cone materials. The decorative mesh is chosen to match the classic Leak styling and ensure maximum acoustic transparency. An attentive eye will also notice that the new Leak Sandwich 150 and 250 are delivered in perfectly matched pairs, with the speakers being assigned by hand.

It's not just about the design, but also about the careful placement of each speaker, which enables truly precise stereo reproduction. In the Leak Sandwich 150 and 250, the tweeter driver has been further developed and is equipped with a rear chamber that absorbs the sound from the back of the dome. This innovation not only isolates the tweeter from the rest of the speaker, but also has the added benefit of reducing the driver's resonant frequency. By lowering the resonant frequency below the crossover range, the audible spectrum of bass, mid and high frequencies can be blended with an additional dimension of detail and overtones, eliminating the need to heavily adjust the definition of the high frequencies.

And it is precisely this merging that is carried out by a top-of-the-line crossover, developed over thousands of listening hours, and not just through simulation models, as is often the case with modern speakers.

SPECIFICATIONS

DESIGN PHILOSOPHY & CORE TECHNOLOGY

• Housing type: bass reflex
• Transducer principle: 3-way

ABR

• Woofer: 11" (280mm) aluminum foam core sandwich cone
• Midrange: 4.25" (108mm) aluminum foam core sandwich cone
• Tweeter: 1.2" (30mm) coated textile dome

FULL RANGE DRIVER

• AV shielding: no
• Sensitivity (2.83V @ 1m): 88.5dB
• Recommended amplifier power: 25-250W

TOP LOADING CAPACITY

• SPL peak value: 112dB
• Nominal Impedance: 6Ω (8Ω Compatible)
• Minimum impedance: 4Ω
• Frequency response (+/-3dB): 42Hz - 26kHz
• Bass extension (-6dB): 32Hz
• Crossover frequency: 470Hz & 3.1kHz

DIMENSIONS

• Height (on base OPTIONAL): 655mm
• Width: 370mm
• Depth (with connections): (300+30)mm
• Box size: 500x430x790mm

MISCELLANEOUS

• Case volume (in liters): 2.7L. / 45.5L
• Net weight: 27.3kg/piece
• Gross weight: 30.2kg/carton
• Surface: Real wood veneer - walnut
• Standard accessories: rubber feet
• Optional accessories: LEAK Sandwich 250 Stand