The Sandwich 150 is a two-way compact speaker from Leak, which first introduced its original Sandwich speaker in 1961. The name came from that model's cone, which held expanded polystyrene foam between two sheets of aluminium foil, and the current version brings back the idea in a modern driver. The 150 is the smaller of two Sandwich models, sitting below the three-way Sandwich 250, and it launched at GBP 999 per matched, mirror-imaged pair.
Key specs that matter
Leak rates the response at 44 Hz to 26 kHz within 3 dB, with bass extension reaching 38 Hz further down. Sensitivity is 86.5 dB at 2.83 V and 1 m. The nominal impedance is 6 ohm, and Leak suggests amplifiers delivering from 25 W to 150 W. The crossover between the two drivers sits at 2.4 kHz. The cabinet stands 41.5 cm tall, and Leak supplies the speakers as a pair rather than singly. The tweeter is placed above the woofer on the baffle.
Engineering and use context
The woofer is a 170 mm (6.5 inch) driver whose Aluminium-Foamcore Sandwich diaphragm forms a direct link to the 1961 design. High frequencies are covered by a 30 mm (1.2 inch) coated textile dome tweeter. Both drivers sit behind aluminium trims. The enclosure is dual-ported, and Leak says the extra airflow from two ports helps the low end. Cabinet walls are built in layers, with MDF on the outside, high-density particle board on the inside and a glue filling between them that Leak says breaks up and absorbs panel resonance. Inside, localised spot braces and a single brace running from baffle to back panel stiffen the box. The finish is a hand-applied walnut veneer, matching the look of Leak's retro-styled electronics such as the Stereo 130 amplifier. Pairs are supplied as mirror images, so the driver layout on the left speaker is a reflection of the right one, and the two can be positioned with their offset sides facing inward or outward.
Pairing
The nominal rating and moderate sensitivity sit comfortably with most integrated amplifiers inside the stated power band, including Leak's own models. Because the enclosure uses ports, it works best with a gap of open air behind the cabinet instead of sitting tight to a wall, and a rigid stand that brings the tweeter near ear height suits a room of around 20 m2.
Alternatives
The Leak Sandwich 250 is the larger three-way standmount in the same series, pairing an 11 inch Sandwich bass driver with a 108 mm Sandwich midrange.