In this review, we will be comparing P300 and LINTON Heritage, two Passive Bookshelf speakers from Buchardt and Wharfedale.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of Buchardt P300 and Wharfedale LINTON first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
| Key Specs | Buchardt P300 | Wharfedale LINTON |
|---|
| Brand | Buchardt
Denmark · founded 2014 | Wharfedale
United Kingdom · founded 1932 |
|---|
| Design | 2-way | 3-way |
|---|
| Tweeter | 0.74" aluminum waveguide | 1" Soft-dome |
|---|
| Midrange | — | 5" |
|---|
| Woofer | 6" paper | 8" Woven Kevlar |
|---|
| Frequency response | 37-40k Hz | 40-20k Hz |
|---|
| Sensitivity | 86 dB | 90 dB |
|---|
| Impedance | 4 ohms | 6 ohms |
|---|
| Power range | 50 - 200 watts | 25-200 watts |
|---|
| Weight | 6.30kg / 13.9lbs | 18.40kg / 40.5lbs |
|---|
| Dimensions (H x W x D) | 14.4" x 7" x 11"
365.0 x 180.0 x 280.0mm | 22.2" x 11.8" x 14.2"
565.0 x 300.0 x 360.0mm |
|---|
What size room are the Buchardt P300 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* |
Buchardt P300 |
Wharfedale LINTON |
| Near-field |
Poor |
Poor |
| Small Room |
Average |
Average |
| Mid-size Room |
Good |
Good |
| Large Room |
Average |
Average |
| Very Large Room |
Poor |
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 P300 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.
Buchardt P300Wharfedale 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 |
Buchardt P300 |
Wharfedale LINTON |
|
Driver Setup
|
2-way
|
3-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
0.74-inch
|
1-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
- |
1 x 5-inch |
|
Woofer
|
1 x 6-inch
|
1 x 8-inch
|
P300 features a 0.74" Custom fine weave soft fabric textile with CDC aluminum waveguide aluminum waveguide Tweeter and 1 x 6" paper Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 2900Hz. 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
P300 has a frequency range of 37-40k Hz whereas LINTON Heritage has a frequency range of 40-20k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 37Hz, the P300 can go slightly deeper then the LINTON Heritage's min frequency of 40Hz.
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
P300 is a 4 ohms speaker compared to the LINTON Heritage which has a nominal impedance of 6 ohms. Lower impedance speakers, especially the ones that are rated at 4 ohms may put more pressure on the amplifier unit especially when played at high volume levels, so make sure the amp you pair with the P300 can provide this impedance level.
These two speakers also have different sensitivity levels. P300 sensitivity is rated at 86 dB and the LINTON Heritage's is rated at 90 dB. This 4 dB difference makes the Wharfedale LINTON a more sensitive speaker compared to Buchardt P300, 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.
Both handle the same maximum of 200 watts RMS, though P300 is rated 50 - 200 watts and LINTON Heritage 25-200 watts.
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.
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 Buchardt P300's and Wharfedale LINTON's external dimensions. Buchardt P300 has external dimensions of 365.0 x 180.0 x 280.0mm (14.4 x 7 x 11inch) 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 120mm wider, 200mm taller and 80mm deeper than Buchardt P300.
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 Buchardt P300 is approximately 504.0cm2 / 78.1inch2 and base area of the Wharfedale LINTON is approximately 1080.0cm2 / 167.4inch2. The P300 requires 53% 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 Buchardt P300 weighs 6.30kg / 13.9lbs and the Wharfedale LINTON weighs 18.40kg / 40.5lbs. This makes the LINTON Heritage 192% heavier than the P300.
Here is a comparison of how P300 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
 Low Frequency Response |
37 Hz
vs
40 Hz
|
Generates deeper bass |
 High Frequency Response |
40k Hz
vs
20k Hz
|
Generates higher frequency |
 Passive Radiator |
one 5x8-inch
vs
None
|
Increases the bass performance |
 Height |
365mm
vs
565mm
|
Easier to fit in smaller spaces |
 Base Surface Area |
504cm2
vs
1080cm2
|
Takes less floor space |
 Price per pair* |
1450USD
vs
1500USD
|
costs less (*prices may change depending on the seller, location and time) |
 Driver Setup |
3-way
vs
2-way
|
Have a dedicated mid-range driver |
 Sensitivity |
90 dB
vs
86 dB
|
Play louder with same amount of amplification power |
 Nominal Impedance |
6 ohms
vs
4 ohms
|
Less selective with amplifiers |
|
Woofer Size |
8 inches
vs
6 inches
|
Larger woofer |
| General |
Buchardt P300 |
Wharfedale LINTON Heritage |
| Brand |
Buchardt |
Wharfedale |
| Speaker Type |
Bookshelf speakers |
Bookshelf speakers |
| Power Range |
50 - 200 watts |
25-200 watts |
| Sensitivity |
86 dB |
90 dB |
| Impedance |
4 ohms |
6 ohms |
| Impedance |
n/a |
3.5 ohms |
| Frequency Response |
37-40k Hz |
40-20k Hz |
Drivers |
|
|
| Woofer Quantity |
1 |
1 |
| Woofer Size |
6" |
8" |
| Woofer Composition |
paper |
Woven Kevlar |
| Woofer Surround Material |
n/a |
Rubber |
| Tweeter Size |
0.74" |
1" |
| Tweeter Type |
aluminum waveguide |
Soft-dome |
| Aimable Tweeter |
No |
No |
| Midrange Driver |
No |
5" |
| Crossover Frequency |
2900Hz |
630Hz and 2400Hz |
| Firing Direction |
n/a |
rear |
Physical Specs |
|
|
| Height |
365.0mm (14.4") |
565.0mm (22.2") |
| Width |
180.0mm (7.1") |
300.0mm (11.8") |
| Depth |
280.0mm (11") |
360.0mm (14.2") |
| Weight |
6.30kg (13.9lbs) |
18.40kg (40.5lbs) |
| Enclosure |
Passive Radiator |
Bass Reflex |
| Finish |
15mm Fiberboard HMR.E2 Moisture-proof with internal bracing |
MDF/Wood Veneer |
| Available Colors |
Black, White, Peach, Ocean, Olive |
Walnut, Red Mahogany, Black |
| Mounting Bracket |
No |
No |
| Recommended Stand Height |
n/a |
18-22" |
| Grille |
Yes |
Yes |
| Moisture Resistancy |
No |
No |
Connections |
|
|
| Biamp Inputs |
n/a |
Yes |
Other |
|
|
| Parts Warranty |
10 years on speakers / 2 years on electronics (4 years if registered) |
5 Years |
| Labor Warranty |
10 years on speakers / 2 years on electronics (4 years if registered) |
5 Years |
A generation apart: Buchardt P300 is the newer design, against a 2017 model. Newer is not automatically better, but the older one is more likely to be discounted or near run-out.
| Area | Better | Why |
|---|
| Bass | A | Buchardt P300 digs deeper - 37Hz against 40Hz. A subwoofer would even that out. |
| Amplifier needs | B | Wharfedale LINTON is more sensitive (90dB vs 86dB), so it goes louder on the same amplifier. |
| Amplifier match | B | Wharfedale LINTON is the easier load at 6 ohms; the other is 4 ohms and wants an amplifier rated for it. |
| Headroom | evenly matched | Similar power handling (200W vs 200W). |
| Size | depends | Buchardt P300 is easier to place; Wharfedale LINTON is bigger, which usually goes with fuller bass. Your room decides. |
| Cabinet | depends | Passive Radiator vs Ported. |
| Expandability | B | Wharfedale LINTON: bi-amping. |
| Price | evenly matched | Much the same money ($1,450 vs $1,500 a pair). |
A Buchardt P300 B Wharfedale LINTON
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?
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. In a large or open-plan room, Wharfedale LINTON has the cabinet volume to fill it more easily; in a small room, near a wall or at desk distance, Buchardt P300 is the easier speaker to get right. If your amplifier is modest, vintage or valve-based, Wharfedale LINTON is the safer partner - the other will want more current or more watts to sound its best.
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.