In this review, we will be comparing AE500 and LINTON Heritage, two Passive Bookshelf speakers from Acoustic Energy and Wharfedale.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of AE500 and Wharfedale LINTON first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
| Key Specs | AE500 | Wharfedale LINTON |
|---|
| Design | 2-way | 3-way |
|---|
| Tweeter | 1" dome with waveguide | 1" Soft-dome |
|---|
| Midrange | — | 5" |
|---|
| Woofer | 5" carbon fibre cone | 8" Woven Kevlar |
|---|
| Frequency response | 45Hz - 28kHz | 40-20k Hz |
|---|
| Sensitivity | 87 dB | 90 dB |
|---|
| Impedance | 6 ohms | 6 ohms |
|---|
| Power range | up to 120 watts | 25-200 watts |
|---|
| Weight | 8.00kg / 17.6lbs | 18.40kg / 40.5lbs |
|---|
| Dimensions (H x W x D) | 12.2" x 7.3" x 10.2"
310.0 x 185.0 x 260.0mm | 22.2" x 11.8" x 14.2"
565.0 x 300.0 x 360.0mm |
|---|
What size room are the AE500 and Wharfedale LINTON 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* |
AE500 |
Wharfedale LINTON |
| Near-field |
Average |
Poor |
| Small Room |
Good |
Average |
| Mid-size Room |
Average |
Good |
| Large Room |
Poor |
Average |
| Very Large Room |
Bad |
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.
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through our links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
Drivers
One of the fundamental differences between these two speakers is that AE500 is a 2-way design whereas the LINTON Heritage is a 3-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.
AE500Wharfedale LINTON
TweeterMidrangeWoofer
Front view, drawn to scale - cabinets and drivers share one scale, so sizes are directly comparable. Hover a driver for its size.
| Driver |
AE500 |
Wharfedale LINTON |
|
Driver Setup
|
2-way
|
3-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
1-inch
|
1-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
- |
1 x 5-inch |
|
Woofer
|
1 x 5-inch
|
1 x 8-inch
|
AE500 features a 1" carbon fibre dome with waveguide Tweeter and 1 x 5" carbon fibre cone Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 2800Hz. On the other hand, the LINTON Heritage features a 1" woven textile Soft-dome Tweeter, a 5" Midrange and 1 x 8" Woven Kevlar Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 630Hz and 2400Hz.
Frequency Response
AE500 has a frequency range of 45Hz - 28kHz whereas LINTON Heritage has a frequency range of 40-20k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 40Hz, the LINTON Heritage can go significantly deeper on the low side and provide stronger bass compared to the AE500's min frequency of 45Hz.
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
AE500 and LINTON Heritage have the same Impedance of 6 ohms but where they differ is the sensitivity levels. AE500 sensitivity is rated at 87 dB and the LINTON Heritage's is at 90 dB. This 3 dB difference makes the Wharfedale LINTON a more sensitive speaker compared to AE500, hence will play louder with the same amount of watts.
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.
LINTON Heritage can handle a max power of 200 watts RMS, whereas AE500 has a max power handling value of 100 watts RMS, 100 watts less than the LINTON Heritage.
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.
Cabinet Type and Port Position
Both AE500 and LINTON Heritage 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 AE500's and Wharfedale LINTON's external dimensions. AE500 has external dimensions of 310.0 x 185.0 x 260.0mm (12.2 x 7.3 x 10.2inch) whereas Wharfedale LINTON has external dimensions of 565.0 x 300.0 x 360.0mm (22.2 x 11.8 x 12.9inch).
Wharfedale LINTON is clearly the larger of the two speakers. Its body is 115mm wider, 255mm taller and 100mm deeper than AE500.
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 AE500 is approximately 481.0cm2 / 74.6inch2 and base area of the Wharfedale LINTON is approximately 990.0cm2 / 153.5inch2. The AE500 requires 51% less surface area than the LINTON Heritage which gives it a small advantage 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 AE500 weighs 8.00kg / 17.6lbs and the Wharfedale LINTON weighs 18.40kg / 40.5lbs. This makes the LINTON Heritage 130% heavier than the AE500.
Here is a comparison of how AE500 and LINTON Heritage's weights compare with the average, max and min weights in Passive Bookshelf class.
Weight
All Bookshelf Speakers
What's in the Box of Wharfedale LINTON?
Here are the items that come with the LINTON Heritage:
- Bookshelf loudspeaker
- Grille (pre-installed)
- 4 Self-adhesive rubber feet
- Pair of white gloves
- User's Manual
 High Frequency Response |
28k Hz
vs
20k Hz
|
Generates higher frequency |
 Height |
310mm
vs
565mm
|
Easier to fit in smaller spaces |
 Base Surface Area |
481cm2
vs
990cm2
|
Takes less floor space |
 Price per pair* |
1499USD
vs
1500USD
|
costs less (*prices may change depending on the seller, location and time) |
 Max Input Power |
200 watts
vs
100 watts
|
Handle more power from your amplifier |
 Driver Setup |
3-way
vs
2-way
|
Have a dedicated mid-range driver |
 Sensitivity |
90 dB
vs
87 dB
|
Play louder with same amount of amplification power |
 Woofer Size |
8 inches
vs
5 inches
|
Larger woofer |
|
Low Frequency Response |
40 Hz
vs
45 Hz
|
Generates deeper bass |
| General |
Acoustic Energy AE500 |
Wharfedale LINTON Heritage |
| Brand |
Acoustic Energy |
Wharfedale |
| Speaker Type |
Bookshelf speakers |
Bookshelf speakers |
| Power Range |
up to 120 watts |
25-200 watts |
| Sensitivity |
87 dB |
90 dB |
| Impedance |
6 ohms |
6 ohms |
| Impedance |
n/a |
3.5 ohms |
| Frequency Response |
45Hz - 28kHz |
40-20k Hz |
Drivers |
|
|
| Woofer Quantity |
1 |
1 |
| Woofer Size |
5" |
8" |
| Woofer Composition |
carbon fibre cone |
Woven Kevlar |
| Woofer Surround Material |
n/a |
Rubber |
| Tweeter Size |
1" |
1" |
| Tweeter Type |
dome with waveguide |
Soft-dome |
| Aimable Tweeter |
No |
No |
| Midrange Driver |
No |
5" |
| Crossover Frequency |
2800Hz |
630Hz and 2400Hz |
| Firing Direction |
rear |
rear |
Physical Specs |
|
|
| Height |
310.0mm (12.2") |
565.0mm (22.2") |
| Width |
185.0mm (7.3") |
300.0mm (11.8") |
| Depth |
260.0mm (10.2") |
360.0mm (14.2") |
| Weight |
8.00kg (17.6lbs) |
18.40kg (40.5lbs) |
| Enclosure |
Bass Reflex |
Bass Reflex |
| Finish |
Resonance Suppression Composite (RSC) |
MDF/Wood Veneer |
| Available Colors |
Piano Gloss Black, Piano Gloss White, American Walnut wood veneer |
Walnut, Red Mahogany, Black |
| Mounting Bracket |
|
No |
| Recommended Stand Height |
n/a |
18-22" |
| Grille |
Yes |
Yes |
| Moisture Resistancy |
No |
No |
Connections |
|
|
| Biamp Inputs |
n/a |
No |
Other |
|
|
| Parts Warranty |
|
5 Years |
| Labor Warranty |
|
5 Years |
No single best speaker here - they are built to different priorities, and the right one depends on your room, your amplifier and what you listen to.
| Area | Better | Why |
|---|
| Bass |
B |
Wharfedale LINTON digs deeper - 40Hz against 45Hz. A subwoofer would even that out. |
| Amplifier needs |
B |
Wharfedale LINTON is more sensitive (90dB vs 87dB), so it goes louder on the same amplifier. |
| Headroom |
B |
Wharfedale LINTON takes more power (200W vs 100W) - more in hand in a big room. |
| Size |
depends |
AE500 is easier to place; Wharfedale LINTON is bigger, which usually goes with fuller bass. Your room decides. |
| Expandability |
depends |
Neither adds bi-amping, a sub output or height drivers. Wharfedale LINTON sits in a wider range (7 models), so a matched surround system is easier later. |
| Price |
evenly matched |
Much the same money ($1,499 vs $1,500 a pair). |
A AE500
B Wharfedale LINTON
depends neither is better in the abstract - it turns on your room, placement 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?
Wharfedale LINTON has the edge on paper, though the margin is not large. The rows marked "depends" may matter more to you than the score does. If a subwoofer is in your plans, the bass gap largely stops mattering - you would be crossing over above 45Hz anyway, so judge these on the other rows instead. Match it to your room: we rate AE500 the better fit for near-field listening and a small room, and Wharfedale LINTON for a mid-size room and a large room.
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.