In this review, we will be comparing Sandwich 250 and Sandwich 150, two Passive Bookshelf speakers by Leak.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of Leak Sandwich 250 and Leak Sandwich 150 first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
| Key Specs | Leak Sandwich 250 | Leak Sandwich 150 |
|---|
| Brand | Leak
United Kingdom · founded 1934 | Leak
United Kingdom · founded 1934 |
|---|
| Design | 3-way | 2-way |
|---|
| Tweeter | 1.2" Dome | 1.2" Dome |
|---|
| Midrange | 4.25" | — |
|---|
| Woofer | 11" Aluminium-Foamcore Sandwich cone | 6.5" Aluminium-Foamcore Sandwich cone |
|---|
| Frequency response | 42Hz-26kHz | 44Hz-26kHz |
|---|
| Sensitivity | 88.5 dB | 86.5 dB |
|---|
| Impedance | 4 ohms | 4 ohms |
|---|
| Power range | 25-250 watts | 25-150 watts |
|---|
| Weight | 27.30kg / 60.1lbs | 12.30kg / 27.1lbs |
|---|
| Dimensions (H x W x D) | 25.8" x 14.6" x 11.8"
655 x 370 x 300 mm | 16.3" x 9.9" x 11.4"
415 x 250 x 290 mm |
|---|
Sandwich 250 and Sandwich 150 are members of Leak's Sandwich series of speakers. Below you can find the loudspeakers from this series.
Leak Sandwich Series
History
What size room are the Leak Sandwich 250 and Leak Sandwich 150 speakers good for?
The size of the room in which you are planning to use these loudspeakers is an important decision
factor. Here we have compared their suitability to various sizes of environments considering their size
and max power parameters:
| Listening Environment* |
Leak Sandwich 250 |
Leak Sandwich 150 |
| Near-field |
Poor |
Poor |
| Small Room |
Poor |
Average |
| Mid-size Room |
Good |
Good |
| Large Room |
Good |
Average |
| Very Large Room |
Average |
Poor |
(* Approximate Room sizes: Small < 100sq. ft / 9 m2,
Mid-size: 100-220 sq. ft / 9-20 m2, Large 220-400 sq. ft / 20-36 m2, Very Large: >
400 sq. ft / 36 m2.
Average Floor Height: 9" / 2.7m. Typical room sizes differ from country to country, and the actual
listening experience changes depending on floor height, room shape, surface materials, listening
position, speaker locations, etc.)
The sections below take each area in turn: drivers, frequency response, physical size and what you get in the box.
Drivers
One of the fundamental differences between these two speakers is that Sandwich 250 is a 3-way design whereas the Sandwich 150 is a 2-way speaker. 3-way designs utilize a midrange driver in addition to the tweeter and woofer on 2-way designs. Designing a crossover for a 3-way speaker is a complicated process and generally increases the overall cost of the speaker.
Leak Sandwich 250Leak Sandwich 150
TweeterMidrangeWoofer
Front view, drawn to scale - cabinets and drivers share one scale, so sizes are directly comparable. Hover a driver for its size.
| Driver |
Leak Sandwich 250 |
Leak Sandwich 150 |
|
Driver Setup
|
3-way
|
2-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
1.2-inch
|
1.2-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
1 x 4.25-inch |
- |
|
Woofer
|
1 x 11-inch
|
1 x 6.5-inch
|
Sandwich 250 features a 1.2" Coated Textile Dome Tweeter, a 4.25" Midrange and 1 x 11" Aluminium-Foamcore Sandwich cone Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 470Hz and 3100Hz. On the other hand, the Sandwich 150 features a 1.2" Coated Textile Dome Tweeter and 1 x 6.5" Aluminium-Foamcore Sandwich cone Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 2400Hz.
Frequency Response
Sandwich 250 has a frequency range of 42Hz-26kHz whereas Sandwich 150 has a frequency range of 44Hz-26kHz. With a minimum frequency of 42Hz, the Sandwich 250 can go slightly deeper then the Sandwich 150's min frequency of 44Hz.
The graph below depicts how these two speakers compare with the max, min and average Low Frequency values of other speakers in the Bookshelf class in our database.
Low Frequency
Bookshelf Speakers
Neither pair reaches down to 20Hz, the usual definition of full-range, which is normal for speakers of this size. If you want the bottom octave for movies or bass-heavy music, add a subwoofer to whichever you choose. Visit our Powered Subwoofers section to find out more about the available options.
Impedance and Sensitivity
Sandwich 250 and Sandwich 150 have the same Impedance of 4 ohms but where they differ is the sensitivity levels. Sandwich 250 sensitivity is rated at 88.5 dB and the Sandwich 150's is at 86.5 dB. This 2 dB difference makes the Leak Sandwich 250 a more sensitive speaker compared to Leak Sandwich 150, hence will play louder with the same amount of watts.
One thing to keep in mind that the lower impedance speakers, especially the ones that are rated at 4 ohms may put more pressure on the amplifier unit comared to higher impedance speakers especially at high volume levels, so make sure the amp you pair with the Sandwich 250 and the Sandwich 250 can provide this impedance level.
Sensitivity
Bookshelf Speakers
Power Range
Power
range is the range of input power in watts RMS that a loudspeaker is designed to handle. Staying
within that range gives nominal performance; driving the speaker beyond its maximum wattage can damage it.
Sandwich 250 can handle a max power of 250 watts RMS, whereas Sandwich 150 has a max power handling value of 150 watts RMS, 100 watts less than the Sandwich 250.
Note that higher power handling does not make a speaker louder: that depends mainly on
sensitivity and impedance. The calculator below shows how loud each of these actually plays
on a real amplifier.
Which plays louder on your amplifier?
Starting with a popular amplifier - change it to the one you own, or any you are
considering, and watch both numbers move.
Input Type and Bi-Amping / Bi-Wiring
Sandwich 250 features Binding post type posts and Sandwich 150 has a Binding post type posts. None of these speakers feature bi-amping/bi-wiring.
Leak Sandwich 250's Binding post terminals
Leak Sandwich 150's Binding post terminals
Cabinet Type and Port Position
Both Sandwich 250 and Sandwich 150 have rear firing ports. Rear ported speakers generally need more room between the backside of the speaker and the wall compared to sealed and front/bottom ported speakers. Placing the speakers too close to the walls may cause the bass to sound boomy.
If you are limited in space and can't get the speakers away from the backwall, check our Speakers with Front Firing Ports page.
Physical Specs
The size of a speaker can sometimes be an important decision factor due to space constraints or in some cases purely for esthetic reasons. In this section, we are going to compare Leak Sandwich 250's and Leak Sandwich 150's external dimensions. Leak Sandwich 250 has external dimensions of 655 x 370 x 300 mm (25.8 x 14.6 x 11.8 inch) whereas Leak Sandwich 150 has external dimensions of 415 x 250 x 290 mm (16.3 x 9.9 x 11.4 inch).
Leak Sandwich 250 is clearly the larger of the two speakers. Its body is 120mm wider, 240mm taller and 10mm deeper than Leak Sandwich 150.
Below you can see the front view size comparison of Leak Sandwich 250 and Leak Sandwich 150 in scale.
Comparison image of Leak Sandwich 250 and Leak Sandwich 150 Size and External Dimensions
Base Surface Area Comparison
Base surface area of a loudspeaker may become a determining factor when the space in your room or desk is limited.
The base surface area of the Leak Sandwich 250 is approximately 1110.0cm2 / 172.1inch2 and base area of the Leak Sandwich 150 is approximately 725.0cm2 / 112.4inch2. The Sandwich 250 requires 53% more surface area than the Sandwich 150 which gives it a small disadvantage on placement in tight spaces.
Weight Comparison The weight of a loudspeaker can become an important factor if you need to move and reposition the unit often. Weight of a speaker can also "sometimes" be an indicator of the rigidity of the enclosure and the quality of the internal components used. The Leak Sandwich 250 weighs 27.30kg / 60.1lbs and the Leak Sandwich 150 weighs 12.30kg / 27.1lbs. This makes the Sandwich 250 122% heavier than the Sandwich 150.
Here is a comparison of how Sandwich 250 and Sandwich 150's weights compare with the average, max and min weights in Passive Bookshelf class.
Weight
All Bookshelf Speakers
 Max Input Power |
250 watts
vs
150 watts
|
Handle more power from your amplifier |
 Driver Setup |
3-way
vs
2-way
|
Have a dedicated mid-range driver |
 Sensitivity |
89 dB
vs
87 dB
|
Play louder with same amount of amplification power |
 Woofer Size |
11 inches
vs
6.5 inches
|
Larger woofer |
|
Low Frequency Response |
42 Hz
vs
44 Hz
|
Generates deeper bass |
 Height |
415mm
vs
655mm
|
Easier to fit in smaller spaces |
 Base Surface Area |
725cm2
vs
1110cm2
|
Takes less floor space |
 Price per pair* |
1199USD
vs
2399USD
|
costs less (*prices may change depending on the seller, location and time) |
| General |
Leak Sandwich 250 |
Leak Sandwich 150 |
| Brand |
Leak |
Leak |
| Speaker Type |
Bookshelf speakers |
Bookshelf speakers |
| Power Range |
25-250 watts |
25-150 watts |
| Sensitivity |
88.5 dB |
86.5 dB |
| Impedance |
4 ohms |
4 ohms |
| Frequency Response |
42Hz-26kHz |
44Hz-26kHz |
Drivers |
|
|
| Woofer Quantity |
1 |
1 |
| Woofer Size |
11" |
6.5" |
| Woofer Composition |
Aluminium-Foamcore Sandwich cone |
Aluminium-Foamcore Sandwich cone |
| Woofer Surround Material |
Rubber |
Rubber |
| Tweeter Size |
1.2" |
1.2" |
| Tweeter Type |
Dome |
Dome |
| Aimable Tweeter |
No |
No |
| Midrange Driver |
4.25" |
No |
| Crossover Frequency |
470Hz and 3100Hz |
2400Hz |
| Firing Direction |
rear |
rear |
Physical Specs |
|
|
| Height |
655.0mm (25.8") |
415.0mm (16.3") |
| Width |
370.0mm (14.6") |
250.0mm (9.8") |
| Depth |
300.0mm (11.8") |
290.0mm (11.4") |
| Weight |
27.30kg (60.1lbs) |
12.30kg (27.1lbs) |
| Enclosure |
Bass Reflex |
Bass Reflex |
| Finish |
real-wood veneer |
real-wood veneer |
| Available Colors |
walnut |
walnut |
| Mounting Bracket |
No |
No |
| Grille |
Yes |
Yes |
| Moisture Resistancy |
No |
No |
Connections |
|
|
| Biamp Inputs |
No |
No |
Other |
|
|
| Parts Warranty |
|
|
| Labor Warranty |
|
|
Siblings in Leak's Sandwich series, so they share a family sound. It comes down to size, output and price.
| Area | Better | Why |
|---|
| Bass | evenly matched | Much the same reach (42Hz vs 44Hz). |
| Amplifier needs | A | Leak Sandwich 250 is more sensitive (89dB vs 87dB), so it goes louder on the same amplifier. |
| Headroom | A | Leak Sandwich 250 takes more power (250W vs 150W) - more in hand in a big room. |
| Size | depends | Leak Sandwich 150 is easier to place; Leak Sandwich 250 is bigger, which usually goes with fuller bass. Your room decides. |
| Price | B | Leak Sandwich 150 is cheaper - $1,199 against $2,399, about 50% less; arguably a different class. |
A Leak Sandwich 250 B Leak Sandwich 150
depends neither is better in the abstract - it turns on your room, your system or how you will use them. Only specs published for both speakers are judged; anything missing on either side is left out rather than guessed.
Which should you choose?
The usual trade-off: Leak Sandwich 250 measures better, Leak Sandwich 150 costs about about 100% more% less. Whether that gap is worth the money is the call only you can make - and in a normal room it is often smaller than the numbers suggest. Match it to your room: we rate Leak Sandwich 250 the better fit for a large room and a very large room, and Leak Sandwich 150 for a small room. In a large or open-plan room, Leak Sandwich 250 has the cabinet volume to fill it more easily; in a small room, near a wall or at desk distance, Leak Sandwich 150 is the easier speaker to get right.
And remember what a spec sheet cannot show: how each looks in your room and whether the finish suits it, what dealer support and warranty are like where you live, and how they actually sound to you. If you can hear them first - ideally with your own music - that will tell you more than any number above.