LEAK TruStream Network audio player

A technically advanced digital source component, the TruStream offers versatile connectivity including dual-band Wi-Fi and Gigabit Ethernet for network streaming, plus a USB-C input for PC/Mac connection.

Key Features

• Silent angel streaming engine
• Tidal Connect, Qobuz Connect, Spotify Connect,
• TuneIn, QQ Music, Internet Radio
• 1x stereo balanced XLR, 1x stereo RCA, 1x 6.35mm headphone
• UPnP/DLNA, Roon Advanced Audio Transport (certified Roon Ready), AirPlay 2

Two USB-A ports are provided to plug in USB storage devices; these double up as digital outputs to hook up an external DAC if required, alongside optical and coaxial S/PDIF outputs. Balanced XLR and single-ended RCA outputs are supplied for connection to an analogue amplifier, and a built-in headphone amp enables ‘head-fi’ fans to plug straight into their streams.

LEAK’s design team undertook an exhaustive search for a technology partner to provide the ‘streaming engine’ at the TruStream’s core. They settled on Silent Angel, a company fully satisfying the key requirements of rock-solid platform stability and excellent sonic potential.

Formed in 2014, Silent Angel has spent the last decade cultivating an impressive reputation for its network streaming platform, around which its own highly regarded products are built. The company’s technology is cleverly designed, giving its music streamers a clear sonic advantage over other devices at comparable price points. It’s stable in use, delivering unerring quality however you stream, with an accompanying app that’s built for performance and simple to use.

LEAK’s team of electronics engineers worked closely with Silent Angel to develop the TruStream, integrating a custom version of Silent Angel’s streaming engine with LEAK’s own circuit designs. ARM Cortex-A72 and Cortex-A53 multi-core CPUs supply ample processing power for seamless operation, and a specialised app based on Silent Angel’s VitOS software provides a crisply designed and user-friendly interface on iOS and Android devices.

Tidal Connect, Qobuz Connect, Spotify Connect and TuneIn are all fully integrated (the latter alongside Silent Angel’s own Internet Radio facility) with each service supported to its highest audio resolution. AirPlay 2 offers another way to stream via Apple devices, and because LEAK’s network player is fully UPnP/DLNA compliant it connects seamlessly with other DLNA devices on a home network – NAS drives, for example – with the option to control the streamer via third-party UPnP/DLNA apps.

The TruStream is certified Roon Ready, with RAAT (Roon Advanced Audio Transport) protocol built in. This ensures it works seamlessly as an endpoint in a Roon-connected audio environment, controlled by the Roon app.

Silent Angel’s audio streaming technology is designed to minimise sonically deleterious forms of noise and distortion and maximise digital signal integrity, thereby painting the music on a ‘silent’ background to achieve superior contrast, clarity and expression.

The TruStream’s circuitry builds upon this bedrock, applying LEAK’s own first-rate electronics including a DAC stage painstakingly designed for sonic excellence. At its heart lies the ES9038Q2M, a high-specification 32-bit DAC chip from the ESS Sabre series, accompanied by proprietary clock and power supply circuitry to make the most of ESS Technology’s HyperStream II architecture and Time Domain Jitter Eliminator.

Although technically excellent, Sabre DAC chips must be implemented with care to extract their full sonic potential. The post-DAC active filter is a critical element – LEAK has incorporated a Class A circuit that is perfectly tailored to unlock the full potential of the ES9038Q2M’s exceptional signal-to-noise performance and dynamic range.

LEAK shares its parent company with Mission, which also launched a network player at the start of 2026. Like the TruStream, Mission’s 778S incorporates Silent Angel streaming technology – in fact, LEAK and Mission are the only brands to benefit from this outside of Silent Angel’s own network audio devices. But, in addition to clearly contrasting external designs, the LEAK and Mission streamers differ internally too.

Most notably, the TruStream’s power supply stages are further enhanced, including an ultra-low-noise toroidal transformer by Noratel – an upgrade from the already high-quality transformer used in the Mission 778S. Clean, consistent power is delivered to all the sensitive parts of the digital and analogue stages; the XMOS chip, MCU and DAC each have their own dedicated supply, with multiple discrete ultra-low-noise regulators providing power separately for each stage of the D-to-A conversion process – a critical contributor to the streamer’s performance.

The TruStream’s analogue output circuitry incorporates high-quality components and features a balanced topology, designed to eliminate noise and distortion in the signal path. This feeds the XLR outputs directly, enabling anyone connecting the streamer to an amp with balanced analogue inputs to reap the full sonic benefits. Meanwhile, those making use of the 6.35mm headphone output profit from an onboard amp with a high-quality current-feedback design and high slew rate, ensuring a dynamic and detailed performance with all manner of headphones.

Who is Leak?

Leak is a revered hi-fi brand that was founded by Harold Joseph Leak in 1934 and is best known for its 'point one' amplifiers in the 1950s. The brand has now been resurrected by IAG (owner of other UK brands such as Quad and Wharfedale) with two new headline products, the 130 integrated amplifier and CDT CD player. Leak products have been created with a classic British design, build and sound but with modern touches such as high-fidelity DAC chips and optical connections to combine the best of both classic and modern hifi.