If you are not familiar with LEAK Audio, the company was started in 1934 in London and specialized in designing and manufacturing high-quality audiophile components. By the 1950s, their TL/12 tube amplifier was widely used in nearly all BBC studios across England. The Sandwich speaker was developed in the 1960s and, in 2024, the line of speakers has been brought back with the 150 and 250 bookshelf speakers.
The modern Sandwich 150 bookshelf speaker pays homage to its namesake in its visual design, but the technology that makes up the speaker is certainly much more modern. These are midrange bookshelf speakers at $1,295 per pair, and are in a very competitive market, as there is a plethora of options at this price point from most of the big players in the speaker industry. The Sandwich 150 features a 1.2-inch coated textile dome tweeter, and a 6.5-inch aluminum-foamcore sandwich cone. The speakers do require some power, as they are only 86.5dB sensitive, and they are rated to have a frequency response of 44 Hz – 25kHz and bass extension that goes down to 38Hz. Physically the speakers are 16.3 inches tall, 9.8 inches wide, and 12.4 inches deep, while each speaker weighs 27.1 pounds. There is a lot of competition in the bookshelf speaker market in this price range, so let’s take a closer look at these speakers to see how they perform.
What Makes the LEAK Sandwich 150 Bookshelf Speakers So Special?
- The LEAK Sandwich 150 bring a lot of bass for such a small bookshelf speaker. The reputation that goes with bookshelf speakers is often that you will want a subwoofer to fill in the bass, but from my first listen, these speakers were very much bass-forward. For some audiophiles, that might be a fault, but if you’re someone with limited space and you enjoy electronic and bass-y music, these could be a great option.
- A heritage/retro look and feel appeals to many audiophiles in today’s market. This type of look seems to be one that has been embraced by some of the British speaker manufacturers, and LEAK is no different. They have leaned into their heritage with these speakers, as you could put them beside an original Sandwich speaker and easily see the resemblance with the walnut veneer, the placement of the tweeter offset from the woofer, and the grille.
- The crossover is very simple. One of the advantages these speakers have, given they have just the tweeter and one woofer, is the crossover is very simple and in one spot at around 2.4 kHz. The engineers at LEAK made no mistakes here and, in all of my listening, I was not able to detect when the crossover was happening between the high- and the mid- and low-frequency driver, which is good.
Why Should You Care About the LEAK Sandwich 150 Speakers?
There are some compelling reasons to take a look at these speakers for a modern audiophile. Visually, you might be looking for some furniture that has a retro wood-grain styling, but you might also be looking for a pair of speakers that are a little more capable in the lower frequencies, and the LEAK Sandwich hits the second point just as well as it hits the first. The bass-forward approach, while not for everyone, does have appeal to the right audiophile, and in a room that has the right accents, you should be able to place these bookshelf speakers and have them fit right in.
Some Things You Might Not Like About the LEAK Sandwich 150 Bookshelf Speakers
- The bass might be too much for some, especially in small rooms or when putting the speakers close to a back wall. The Leak Sandwich 150 speakers sound enjoyable to me, but they definitely have a sound, and if you are looking for a very neutral speaker without a “house sound,” then you likely will look elsewhere. The audiophile who buys the Leak Sandwich 150 speakers will be drawn in by the house sound.
- The walnut veneer won’t work for everyone’s taste or living environments. While we might not always want to admit it, the color of the speakers does matter, because how your room looks, and how your audiophile gear fits together, is a big part of the speaker ownership process. The Leak Sandwich 150 speakers might not fit in well in an ultra-modern décor, but could look perfectly at home in a more traditional interior.
Listening to the LEAK Sandwich 150 Bookshelf Speakers …
My testing with these bookshelf speakers was with the Music Hall cd25.3 CD player, the Anthem STR preamplifier, and an Anthem MCA 225 Gen 2 amplifier.
One of the first tracks I listened to was “Breaker Fall” (On Compact Disc) from Pearl Jam’s 2000 album Binaural. The prominence of the bass at the start of this track was an eye- (perhaps an ear-) opener for me. I had always thought of bookshelf speakers as being speakers that were strong in the mid and upper ranges, but often lacked in bass. However, the LEAK Sandwich 150 Bookshelf speakers immediately proved me wrong with this track. And I was shocked. This is a track that has aged really well over the last 25 years, and it was very enjoyable as reproduced through these speakers.
Another track that I used was “Qué Onda Guero” (on Compact Disc) from Beck’s 2005 album Guero. This track is very much Beck Hansen at his indie best, trying to make fun songs. It’s certainly quirky, as it is essentially an entirely electronic track, with a beat that is put down, and then the rest of the sounds come from a sound board (in the linear notes, the credits are provided literally as “Additional Sounds”). It is also Beck mostly just saying random things about living in a Mexican-American neighborhood growing up in Los Angeles (Qué Onda Guero translating to “What’s up White Boy”). The LEAK Sandwich 150’s handled the bass well again on this track, and they also allowed what felt like the appropriate amount of space around the “additional noises.” While the track was up-tempo, it never felt like all of the different sounds were colliding with each other.
The last track I used to test the LEAK Sandwich 150 Bookshelf speakers was “I Want to be Happy” (on Compact Disc) from the self-titled Thelonious Monk/Sonny Rollins album from 1953. This track really puts the dynamics and the accuracy to the test, as you have Sonny Rollins’ tenor saxophone over the top of Thelonious Monk’s piano work. The speakers handled the dynamics well enough, but it is worth noting that the higher notes from the piano didn’t sound as crisp as I have heard them on other, comparable bookshelf speakers. This didn’t take away from the track by any means, as it was easy to pick up the groove from the track. However, this also speaks to the speakers not being as accurate in the higher frequencies, which was particularly noticeable in the piano solo midway through the track.
Will the LEAK Sandwich 150 Bookshelf Speaker Hold Its Value?
The continuing value of speakers like this is hard to predict. Based on historical significance, these speakers hold their value well, but as a brand, LEAK isn’t top of mind for many modern audiophiles, so there is reasonable chance that these speakers might not have the demand of a better-marketed speaker, like a Bowers & Wilkins, MartinLogan, Paradigm, PSB and so on. With that said, they are also not the most expensive speakers, either, so if you get several years of use out of them and then sell them for 40 percent of what you paid, you are likely still very satisfied with your purchase, as well as your audiophile investment. Long-term, I don’t see anybody getting hurt over five percent more depreciation here or there.
What is the Competition for the LEAK Sandwich 150 Bookshelf Speakers?
The MartinLogan Motion XT B100 ($1,600 – read the review or buy MartinLogan XT B100s at Crutchfield) are a little bit more expensive, but with that, you are getting a folder motion tweeter (MartinLogan markets this as Gen2 Obsidian FMT XT) and a 6.5-inch woofer. These speakers are not as power-hungry as the LEAK Sandwich 150 Bookshelf speakers, but the frequency response is very similar. I reviewed the floor-standing version of the speakers in the MartinLogan XT F100 (buy at Crutchfield), and I absolutely loved them. Nasim Abbu-Daggar reviewed these speakers, and he noted that they “excel in delivering precise and detailed sound, making every listening session a pleasure.” You should probably make sure to at least audition these speakers if you’re looking to spend in this price range.
If you’re looking for the same ‘60s aesthetic for your speakers, you may wish to also check out the Wharfedale Super Denton ($1,399 – buy at Crutchfield). Wharfedale markets these speakers as part of their heritage line, and you don’t have to stare at the speakers too hard to see why. The primary difference between the LEAK Sandwich 150 bookshelf speakers and these is that the Super Dentons have a two-inch midrange driver. The Wharfedale speakers are also quite a bit bigger and heavier, but otherwise, the specs are pretty similar
Another bookshelf speaker with a retro vibe is the JBL L52 Classic ($1,000 per pair – buy at Crutchfield). They are a little less expensive, but they are also two-way speakers with a woofer and a tweeter. Mind you, both are a little smaller in the JBL than in the LEAK. The JBL speakers are also about half the weight. Nasim Abbu-Daggar also reviewed these speakers recently (read his JBL L52 Classic review here), and he had nothing but good things to say about them.
Final Thoughts on the LEAK Sandwich 150 Bookshelf Speakers …
The first thing I would remind anyone of, before they check out this speaker, is that the purpose of the audiophile industry is to have fun and enjoy your unique music. For every person who worships at the altar of the idea that being an audiophile means that you must like one very specific type of music, there should be many more who find that audiophile gear can make their music more enjoyable. I think there is a lot of fun to be had for the right audiophile with the LEAK Sandwich 150 bookshelf speakers, but they certainly won’t be for everyone, most specifically the most traditional audiophile. If the majority of your listening comes from electronic music, rock or modern pop music you will like these speakers, but if you mostly listen to jazz and classical, you will certainly run into their shortcomings. One of the most refreshing things about what LEAK has done with these speakers is that it feels like they have leaned into being different in their delivery, even if it means that the whole market won’t be interested. There are flaws to a product like this, but LEAK isn’t hiding those. In the $1,300 per pair price range, you shouldn’t be expecting perfect speakers, and your search should be more about the right speakers for you. If you are also looking for something different for your listening, I would encourage you to at least audition these speakers and see for yourself if they are for you.
