Leema Acoustics Quasar All-in-One System Review & Comments

I'd like one for my Trios. It sounds like an awesome piece of electronics.

I've seldom read such unreserved praise, and as for the slightly more set up hassle, I doubt anyone who wants one will care.

I once had a pair of Leems xeros which were hard to believe for their size and price and I've had a lot of respect for Leema since then.

But three grand is sadly not in my pocket.
 
Hifi shows can be wonderful places.
I met Lee Taylor and Mallory Nicholls personally, at last year's hi-end show in Windsor.
You couldn't meet a more open and friendly pair right off the cuff.
They are not snake-oil merchants - science, technology and hands-on-experience rule their world.
A little trivia for you guys,
- one of them admitted that under certain circumstances, vinyl records can "sound" better with all else being equal, to digital - while the other disagrees totally!
When I put it to them, that may be it is the recording mix that is the culprit, one said "in that case it is not the digital medium's fault"
True! however,
the other said "but such recordings do exist".
One thing is for sure - Leema equipments sound as "Un-Digital" as can be achieved - some call it analogue but then again analogue has many flaws that their equipments do not suffer from.

Regarding DSD decoding (or lack of support as yet) , this was their unofficial explanation:
- DSD is merely a distributing format - there are hardly any recordings commercially available that are truly DSD from end to end i.e. Native DSD.
At recording stage, most edit consoles use PCM for intermediate work, then the results are converted to DSD to go to SACD's. 24/192 KHz is such a high density format (which Leema's do accept) that the need for DSD is merely cosmetic, as DSD streams can be converted to PCM easily by software in real time.
When actual all native DSD recordings become available widely, Leema will adopt it too.
For the time, as they (Lee and Mallory) say, network digital media is the future. For one it does not suffer from jitter as much as USB does, and noisy computer electrics stay decoupled from converters.
Only their top of the range Libra Dac's are now DSD capable.
The facility was added recently, I assume, because of market pressures.
 
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Impressive review and if it betters the Moon Neo Ace for sound quality then it is very interesting.
Next to the Ethernet port there is a USB type A port - can this be used for an external drive containing my music? (I don't have a NAS just a laptop and external USB drives).
Thanks.
 
Next to the Ethernet port there is a USB type A port - can this be used for an external drive containing my music? (I don't have a NAS just a laptop and external USB drives).
Looks to be just a DAC for a PC. But playing directly from a USB drive is likely to be a horrible, clunky experience anyway. Much better to install a UPnP server on the laptop or just buy a NAS. If you have the budget for the Quasar the extra cost of a NAS is unlikely to trouble you. ;)
 
The more I read about Leema the more I want to try some.

I might be forced to start saving for this.
 
I have heard this amp when I was auditioning the KEF LS50's (which I bought) and had to tell them to turn it off straight away as it was that good and I didn't have £3k to buy one. :blush:
 
Another quality product from Leema, very impressive!
 
Heard this today with my Focals - mightily impressive but even more so connected to a Pair of Dali Epicon 2’s - wow...
 
does it accommodate ROON? this would be a deal breaker for me.
 
"is for sure - Leema equipments sound as "Un-Digital" as can be achieved"

anyone got an interior shot? I'm actually interested for my other room
 
Hi
Does anyone know if it does airplay?
Or airplay 2?
Thanks
 
Hi
Does anyone know if it does airplay?
Or airplay 2?
Thanks
No it doesn't do Airplay. But you can link your IPhone/Ipad using Bluetooth and Airplay from there. But on another note I wouldn't buy any Leema product again. The amp is brilliant, but I am on my 5th one and this one has only lasted 6 months and the Streamer has packed up again.
 

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