Leema Acoustics was originally founded in 1998 as a means to further explore the fanatical interest in audio reproduction of its two founders, ex-BBC engineers Lee Taylor and Mallory Nicholls. Their first project focused on pushing the boundaries of loudspeaker design, determined to create a miniature loudspeaker that could outperform a system many times larger. The design principles and mathematical models available at the time were unable to create the product Lee and Mallory envisioned, so they began four years of intensive work, culminating in the Xen. A mic monitor of unsurpassed technical and musical excellence, Xen was originally available only to the professional audio market. As audiophiles became increasingly aware of the quality of Leema products, the Xen spread to the domestic market. After the success of their first product, Mallory and Lee decided to focus their expertise on audio electronics. Their first product, the Tucana integrated amplifier, was released in early 2006 and later that year won the distinguished Hi Fi News award for amplifier of the year. Shortly thereafter, the Antila CD player was introduced and almost immediately won the prestigious What Hi-Fi? Sound & Vision best CD player award in 2007.
