Pre/Power amplifier £2800
It is fair tosay that Leema Acoustics hasn’t been the most prolific of late. Quantum is the brand’s first new range in more than a decade, and at the moment consists of the Neutron preamplifier and Graviton power amplifier we have on test here, with a CD player called the Electron and the Positron streamer to be added soon.
Unusually, given the generally international nature of electronics manufacturing, both these components are designed, engineered and built at Leema’s factory in Wales. We were surprised to find that the company even goes as far as making its circuit boards in-house rather than buying them from specialist OEM suppliers as most rivals do.
The engineering and design of these Quantum products borrow heavily from Leema’s flagship Constellation series. Any cost savings are made by reducing the complexity of the casework and simplifying the circuitry. Commendably, Leema has refused to compromise on component quality, with the Neutron and Graviton using many of the same parts as their upmarket siblings.
While we have quoted the package price, it is possible to buy the preamplifier and power amp separately for £1500 each. You get very well-specified products for that money. The Neutron preamp is packed with useful features, from a switchable moving magnet/moving coil phono stage to a DAC section with a 32-bit/384kHz-capable ESS Sabre 9018 chip at the heart of it. DSD 256 compatibility is also on the menu. The phono stage is said to be a clone of Leema’s award-winning Elements Phono, so the signs are good in an area where most manufacturers care more about ticking a box than producing truly great sound.
There are five line-level analogue inputs (including a balanced XLR) alongside three opticals, three coaxs and a
FOR
• Big, bold and even presentation
• Plenty of sonic authority and control
• Well-equipped
AGAINST
• Sound appeals more to the head than the heart
VERDICT
The Neutron/ Graviton pairing has a strong feature set and plenty of muscle, but it is up against some excellent integrated
USB (Type B) input. The provision for outputs is equally generous with two single-ended RCA stereo, a balanced XLR plus dedicated Tape and Subwoofer connections. Let’s not forget about the 6.3mm headphone socket on the front panel that’s powered by a dedicated amplifier circuit rather than just a feed from
