Just as King Kong had nothing on Denzel Washington's rogue cop in Training Day -- well, before Peter Jackson's latest spectacle -- Bow Technologies has nothing on Original in the cosmetics department. In fact, if looks could kill, the Leonardo should be on the FBI's Most Wanted list as an absolutely lethal fiend. I'm dead serious. Nothing in a long while has quite pushed the understated ultra-refined eye candy buttons as fiercely as the suavé Leonardo. The spoked sandblasted CD cover is faintly backlit from below which is visible only after sundown. During the day, the fetching restraint on the blue LEDs renders it optically mute. Make no mistake - fit'n'finish doesn't get better than this (nor does the packaging for that matter. It's about as FedUp/Oops proof as they come).
The innards of the Leonardo player read similarly top-notch: "Modified Philips VAM12 top-loading laser pick up and Philips CD7-II digital servo system. Discrete Burr-Brown PCM-1792 24bit/192KHz converters, filter and output circuits per channel for a fully differential design. Two remote-selectable digital filters. Two heavy-duty toroidal power transformers in sealed metal sub enclosure separate digital and analog circuits via six power supply and voltage regulator circuits, including a discrete clock supply. Proprietary GOS digital processing technology (rewritten Philips server software for better fault tolerance, more accurate track access and faster TOC reading). Blue LEDs on top and display panel. Heavy duty aluminum alloy top loading cover, chassis, adjustable feet and remote control. XLR and RCA analog and coaxial and optical digital outputs. Output level <1.93V on RCA, 6dB extra gain on XLR, THD 0.0012%, S/N ratio >110dB, dynamic range 110dB, dimensions 16.9" x 5.1" x 12.6" W x H x D, weight 29.8 lbs."
Eschewing direct track access functionality -- somewhat of a recent trend it seems, as though there's audio designers who listen to a CD beginning to end and expect the same from their clientele -- the front-panel controls are duplicated on the remote and all self-explanatory safe for one: the remote-only "mode" button smack in the middle of its pyramidal layout scheme. It toggles between "sharp [1] and "slow" [2] filter settings.
The four massive footers unscrew on a substantial threaded shaft to facilitate leveling. Four sidewards openings in the footer bases allow for insertion of a pin to make height adjustments easier.
As a fully balanced machine, the added output voltage on the differential path is common and the review will evaluate whether going balanced bestows sonics benefits.
Common practice for top loaders is the need for a mechanical puck that secures the loaded CD atop the spindle. The moment the felt-backed lid is inserted into the tray above the puck, a tiny nub in the well's recess depresses. This commences the TOC protocol. It concludes by displaying total tracks on the perfectly dialed display. Like everything else about the Leonardo, this display completely avoids Las Vegas strip joint flash and glitz (unlike domestic competitor Shanling who seems to pursue the more garish these days.)
Confessions time. Besides being an auditory animal, I'm also a visual creature. I do care very much how my audio toys look and how well they are made. Yamada-San's statement-level digital Zanden separates are plain gorgeous in all aspects. As they should for the price they demand. The Leonardo is equally gorgeous - for 1/10th the Zanden's coin where other makers give you bent sheet metal instead. In fact, this player looks so good in the flesh -- I'm afraid the photos don't fully convey it -- that I barely care how it'll sound. Obviously, that attitude won't at all do for a review. Give me some time then. I need to recover from the present infatuation with the cosmetic wow factor before I get down to sonic brass tacks. Otherwise I'll be completely besotted and pre-biased by appearance alone. Hot damn.
