Leema Elements Amplifier with DAC

[wilro15]

Does anybody have any experience of the Leema Elements Integrated Amplifier? I am considering this with the DAC module for my next upgrade but can't find that many reviews of it online.

I would be interested to know what sort of sonic character it has, i.e. Warm, bright, etc.

 

[Frank Harvey]

The Elements amplifier is neither warm nor bright. Hard to describe really - nice is the best word I can come up with!

 

[wilro15]

Good match for LS50 then?

 

[plastic penguin]

Does anybody have any experience of the Leema Elements Integrated Amplifier? I am considering this with the DAC module for my next upgrade but can't find that many reviews of it online.

I would be interested to know what sort of sonic character it has, i.e. Warm, bright, etc.

Not heard the Elements, but would guess it isn't too different from the Pulse in tonal qualities.

Look at # 10

With the right speakers and source Leema is hard to beat around that price bracket.

 

[wilro15]

I guess you are saying I need to go demo? I have mixed feelings on demos. Although it is important to listen before you buy, the demo room situation is always so different from home. The room acoustics, source material and often a dealer won't have everything you want to audition.

On one occasion the dealer I visited (won't mention names) just kept going on about WHF reviews. I thought "what a waste of time going to a dealer when he just quotes back a magazine I have already read". Maybe he was a minority, thats just my experience.

These days you can order online, try it out for 7 days (sometimes longer) and return it no questions asked. That has to be the best way to demo, at home?

 

[chebby]

Not heard the Elements, but would guess it isn't too different from the Pulse in tonal qualities.

I'm not sure that is always so. I have heard both Naim's Nait 5i and the Nait XS and they are quite different in character. (Maybe because one has a passive pre-amp stage and the other a powered one.)

Back 'in the day' I listened a lot to the Rega Brio 3 and the Rega Mira 3. Two completely different presentations (I actually preferred the cheaper Brio 3) with the more expensive of the two so laid-back and smooth it would too difficult to get a grip to help it off the floor! I had rarely heard such a stark contrast between two amps from the same manufacturer's range.

Yamaha's A-S500 and A-S700 amplifier's are - by most accounts of them - entirely different with the cheaper model being punchy and 'dynamic' and the A-S700 being very, very relaxed.

 

[plastic penguin]

Not heard the Elements, but would guess it isn't too different from the Pulse in tonal qualities.

I'm not sure that is always so. I have heard both Naim's Nait 5i and the Nait XS and they are quite different in character. (Maybe because one has a passive pre-amp stage and the other a powered one.)

Back 'in the day' I listened a lot to the Rega Brio 3 and the Rega Mira 3. Two completely different presentations (I actually preferred the cheaper Brio 3) with the more expensive of the two so laid-back and smooth it would too difficult to get a grip to help it off the floor! I had rarely heard such a stark contrast between two amps from the same manufacturer's range.

Yamaha's A-S500 and A-S700 amplifier's are - by most accounts of them - entirely different with the cheaper model being punchy and 'dynamic' and the A-S700 being very, very relaxed.

Think there is a distinction between the Naims and the Leemas: The Naim 5i originally retailed around £750, while the XS was about £1200-£1300. The Pulse originally retailed £1175ish and ended around £1280. The Elements is now about £1300, which points the Elements range as a direct replacement for the Pulse.

This is why I posted previously "guess" because I can't say for sure.

 

[plastic penguin]

I guess you are saying I need to go demo? I have mixed feelings on demos. Although it is important to listen before you buy, the demo room situation is always so different from home. The room acoustics, source material and often a dealer won't have everything you want to audition.

On one occasion the dealer I visited (won't mention names) just kept going on about WHF reviews. I thought "what a waste of time going to a dealer when he just quotes back a magazine I have already read". Maybe he was a minority, thats just my experience.

These days you can order online, try it out for 7 days (sometimes longer) and return it no questions asked. That has to be the best way to demo, at home?

Can understand why you don't particularly gravitate towards dems, but if you have a fussy dealer this'll take the pain out of asking for a refund if it isn't a good match.

 

[domenn]

after I was knocked down by Spam filter abot 5 times and everyting what I had written is gone so this may go through.

I have this amp for 5 months now , previously had Rega BrioR Rega Dac combo , Rega Dac sounds better sweeter more detailed much better with bad recordings , and amp is more sideway step than upgrade , I was after small unit with good sound able to drive my Rega RS5's ,sound is good but don't expect miracles . I would not pay £1450 for this amp , I've got mine ex demo for £800, after some problems with headphone socket and some phone calls Leema sent me a new one so I can't complain , Customer service is excellent and 5 year warranty . Maybe it will sound better with LS50's let us know , I want to change speakers and speaker cable (chord epic to pure copper one ) I was thinking about Dali zensor 3 , Q acoustics concept 20 .

 

[mitch65]

I tried this amp about 3 months ago on home dem and I was disappointed with it to be honest. I was expecting something along the lines of the original Pulse (which I was stupid enough to sell) which it isn't 🙁 and the DAC is ok. As has already been said, I would not have paid anywhere near full price for it. Horses for courses though and it may fit the bill for you.

 

[wilro15]

Well, I ended up going for a demo at Sevenoaks! I heard the Leema, Nad 356Bee Dac and Audiolab Mdac+Mpwr. The Leema was way better than both.

i ended up walking away with the Leema, at half price!

i will post my impressions at home soon. Unfortunately the amp has to have banana plugs and I don't have any so have to wait to hear it! 🙁

 

[matt49]

Sounds like a great deal.

Presumably it'll replace the Nuforce? It'd be interesting to hear your views on how the two compare.

Matt

 

[plastic penguin]

Well, I ended up going for a demo at Sevenoaks! I heard the Leema, Nad 356Bee Dac and Audiolab Mdac+Mpwr. The Leema was way better than both.

i ended up walking away with the Leema, at half price!

i will post my impressions at home soon. Unfortunately the amp has to have banana plugs and I don't have any so have to wait to hear it! 🙁

Good stuff. I would certainly find parting with the Pulse hard at this stage.

 

[plastic penguin]

I tried this amp about 3 months ago on home dem and I was disappointed with it to be honest. I was expecting something along the lines of the original Pulse (which I was stupid enough to sell) which it isn't 🙁 and the DAC is ok. As has already been said, I would not have paid anywhere near full price for it. Horses for courses though and it may fit the bill for you.

What does the Pulse offer that the Elements doesn't?

 

[wilro15]

Banana plugs arrive tomorrow, but I am out of the country for work until Thursday 🙁 So I will try to get some listening in as soon as possible.

I can give feedback from my audition though... I went to Sevenoaks in Guildford.

The Audiolab MDAC+MPWR combo was good. You could tell it was good quality, well built, nice display, decent remote control. Sound wise it was very clear, very open but far too bright for me. I think Audiolab + Kef is not a good combo. It exposed lots of detail in the music but it would give me ear ache after not very long.

The NAD 356BEE DAC was like being bludgeoned with a large mallet! If I was 20 years younger and had lots of house parties then I would have chosen the NAD. I always felt like I had to turn it down, but it still felt too loud! It is warm, bassy, muddy and loses lots of detail - but it does make your foot tap along to the music. Not for me though.

The NAD and Audiolab systems seemed to be two opposite ends of the extreme. The Leema on the other hand was much more balanced and natural, with lots of detail and just sounded very enjoyable.

 

[plastic penguin]

Banana plugs arrive tomorrow, but I am out of the country for work until Thursday 🙁 So I will try to get some listening in as soon as possible.

I can give feedback from my audition though... I went to Sevenoaks in Guildford.

The Audiolab MDAC+MPWR combo was good. You could tell it was good quality, well built, nice display, decent remote control. Sound wise it was very clear, very open but far too bright for me. I think Audiolab + Kef is not a good combo. It exposed lots of detail in the music but it would give me ear ache after not very long.

The NAD 356BEE DAC was like being bludgeoned with a large mallet! If I was 20 years younger and had lots of house parties then I would have chosen the NAD. I always felt like I had to turn it down, but it still felt too loud! It is warm, bassy, muddy and loses lots of detail - but it does make your foot tap along to the music. Not for me though.

The NAD and Audiolab systems seemed to be two opposite ends of the extreme. The Leema on the other hand was much more balanced and natural, with lots of detail and just sounded very enjoyable.

I've always felt Nad was designed for a certain type of clinetel, the Ford XR3i of the hi-fi world.

Anyone who thinks I'm discriminating against XR3i owners, I'm not - I used to own one but not the 'i' version. 🙂

 

[mitch65]

I tried this amp about 3 months ago on home dem and I was disappointed with it to be honest. I was expecting something along the lines of the original Pulse (which I was stupid enough to sell) which it isn't 🙁 and the DAC is ok. As has already been said, I would not have paid anywhere near full price for it. Horses for courses though and it may fit the bill for you.

What does the Pulse offer that the Elements doesn't?

On paper the Elements should offer more than the Pulse but sound wise it just didn't do it for me, it wasn't bad just not what I was hoping. The main selling point for me was the internal DAC which was ok but easily beaten by external ones I've tried, I know this may not be the point as it takes up little room and seems nicely screwed together.

 

[CnoEvil]

Banana plugs arrive tomorrow, but I am out of the country for work until Thursday 🙁 So I will try to get some listening in as soon as possible.

I can give feedback from my audition though... I went to Sevenoaks in Guildford.

The Audiolab MDAC+MPWR combo was good. You could tell it was good quality, well built, nice display, decent remote control. Sound wise it was very clear, very open but far too bright for me. I think Audiolab + Kef is not a good combo. It exposed lots of detail in the music but it would give me ear ache after not very long.

The NAD 356BEE DAC was like being bludgeoned with a large mallet! If I was 20 years younger and had lots of house parties then I would have chosen the NAD. I always felt like I had to turn it down, but it still felt too loud! It is warm, bassy, muddy and loses lots of detail - but it does make your foot tap along to the music. Not for me though.

The NAD and Audiolab systems seemed to be two opposite ends of the extreme. The Leema on the other hand was much more balanced and natural, with lots of detail and just sounded very enjoyable.

The LS50s will be very revealing of what's upstream of them, which is why buying blind, on reputation only, can be disastrous. .....enjoy your new system.

 

[p_m_brown]

Enjoy the amp, looking forward to hearing your thoughts.

I own and love the Elements Dac and was really surprised at how good it was as a pre amplifier as well as of course as a brilliant dac. I found the pre amp section extremely neutral as well and I would certainly consider adding an Elements power amp or two in the future!

:rockout:

 

[mohan]

I have the Elements DAC, CD and Amp/Dac. This is connected to PMC twenty 23 with Atlas interconnects and cables throughout and the sound is astounding. I hope to trade in the amp/dac for a power amp hopefully soon.

 

[plastic penguin]

I have the Elements DAC, CD and Amp/Dac. This is connected to PMC twenty 23 with Atlas interconnects and cables throughout and the sound is astounding. I hope to trade in the amp/dac for a power amp hopefully soon.

if it's so astonishing, why not look for a s/hand Tucana?

 

[wilro15]

My Elements is going back to Leema to be looked at.

Its a great amp+DAC combo but seems to be a bit poorly in AV mode. Hopefully Dr Leema can give it some pills and make it better.

The guy on the phone did mention that there are more recent firmware versions available. I am on 1.0m while the latest is 1.0u.

 

[MickyBlue]

mine is running 2.0g software which was updated at christmas, no issues at all now, great amp.

 

[wilro15]

mine is running 2.0g software which was updated at christmas, no issues at all now, great amp.

What issues did you have originally?

 

[MickyBlue]

The display would become garbled and unreadable and require a power reset to sort it out, also one of my rca connectors was faulty so i asked for a software flash whilst it was being repaired.

onother thing which is a pain is the dac, it needs to be powered down and the power lead taken out to reset the asynchronus usb, i will probably end up selling it to be honest and get a seperate chord/naim dac