There seems to be an explosion in small stereo amplifiers lately, with more and more companies offering capable products for affordable prices. One new brand has emerged on the scene: it’s LEAUDIO, behind which stands audio retail giant Shenzhen Audio. They contacted me to test out their first product: the desktop LEAUDIO Cattle Pro, a diminutive speaker amplifier that really packs a punch despite its small size.
Disclaimer: I received a free sample from Shenzhen Audio.
TL;DR: recap
| Pros |
Cons |
| + Very small
+ Neutral sound signature + Subwoofer output + Two RCA inputs + Lots of power on tap + Amazing value |
– Small “pop” sounds when it powers on and off |
Rating: 9/10
Packaging & Accessories
The packaging only includes the amplifier itself, the power supply, the power cable and a manual.
Design & Build
The LEAUDIO Cattle Pro has a fairly neutral design, squared and simple – almost stripped down to the bone. It has the usual hi-fi gear design, in other words, which makes it fairly neutral in terms of setups and spaces it can fit in. There is only one concession to pure form, which is also one standout feature of the LEAUDIO Cattle Pro, at least when it comes to design: the light ring around the volume knob, which is useful for using the device in the dark and looks quite nice, too. While it is admittedly a small addition, it’s a nice touch.
The front has the power button (with its own status LED to indicate whether the unit is powered on), a source selector with two status LEDs to indicate which one is active, as well as the volume knob. On the back we find two sets of RCA inputs, subwoofer output through a single RCA connector, the speaker outputs and the power connector. It should be noted that the power button requires a long press to both turn on and turn off the amplifier.
The volume knob turns very smoothly and has a little bit of weight to it. One thing that surprised me is that it has virtually no imbalance zone: it keeps the left-right balance intact almost from the very start (at 7 o’clock), which is remarkable given that the Cattle Pro positions itself in the entry-level segment.
Features & Specs
It is a bit unusual for small desktop speaker amplifiers to offer multiple inputs, but the LEAUDIO Cattle Pro offers two sets of RCA inputs so you can connect it to multiple devices and switch between them – as an example, if you want to connect both a DAC and a CD player.
There is also a subwoofer output, which however does not feature any crossover settings.
LEAUDIO Cattle Pro |
| Input | 2x RCA |
| Suitable speaker impedance | 2 – 8 Ω |
| Maximum output power | 200 W per channel (declared, @ 4 Ω) |
| Frequency response | 20 – 20,000 kHz (±0.5 dB) |
| THD+N (@1 kHz) | < 0.001% |
| SNR | > 110 dB |
| Crosstalk | N/A |
Like many other speaker amplifiers that have come to the market recently, the LEAUDIO Cattle Pro, too, is based on the Texas Instruments TPA3255 amplifier chip. This gives it ample power management capabilities, with maximum output rated at 200 W per channel (@4 Ω) with a 48 V / 10 A power supply. The one that comes with the amplifier is much smaller, as it provides 3 A at 24 V (so a total of 72 W, which probably translate to an actual ~65 W of sustained power output).
Sound
I tested the LEAUDIO Cattle Pro by feeding it with an SMSL B2 and by making it drive in turn a pair of ELAC DBR62.
As you would expect, the LEAUDIO Cattle Pro doesn’t have much influence over the sound of speakers. In fact, it has none that I can hear. It sounds perfectly neutral and akin to the other TPA3255-based amplifiers I have tried over the past year or so – which is actually a good thing, as it means it does not interfere with your music in any way. Although some may think that this makes it sound “boring” or “clinical”, it doesn’t – the Cattle Pro has a very dynamic sound – meaning, it is capable of reproducing very low-volume sounds and very high-volume sounds, which leads to a lot of detail and good instrument separation. These are complemented by super-fast transients. I listened to many tracks on it, from Empyrium’s Where at Night the Wood Grouse Plays to Massive Attack’s Angel to Opeth’s Wreath and it managed all of them effortlessly.
The Cattle Pro has no background hiss, but there is a small “pop” sound when it powers on and, to a less extent, when it shuts down.
Final Thoughts
For a first product, the LEAUDIO Cattle Pro shows great promise. It ticks all the boxes for an affordable speaker amplifier, with some nice additions like the LEDs, the double input and the subwoofer output. It tops all of this with a lot of power on tap (as long as you provide a suitable power supply). I think that what matters here, and what sets this amplifier apart from the competition, really is this: as most TPA3255-based amplifiers sound the same and have very similar power output, it’s the added features – be they aesthetical or functional – that set products apart. And LEAUDIO’s first product does stand on its own legs. I’m really curious to see (and especially hear!) what LEAUDIO will develop next.
