In this review, we will be comparing Aria Evo X No1 and LINTON Heritage, two Passive Bookshelf speakers from Focal and Wharfedale.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of Focal Aria Evo X No1 and Wharfedale LINTON first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
Focal Aria Evo X No1 Key Specs
- 2-way Design
- 1" inverted dome Tweeter
- 6.5" Flax Woofer
- 55-30kHz Frequency Response
- 89.5 dB Sensitivity
- Impedance: 8ohms
- Power Range:25-120watts
- Weight:8.50kg
- Dimensions (H x W x D): 391.0" x 8-7/8" x 11"( 39 x 22.5 x 28 cm )
Wharfedale LINTON Key Specs
- 3-way Design
- 1" Soft-dome Tweeter
- 5" Midrange
- 8" Woven Kevlar Woofer
- 5" Midrange
- 40-20k Hz Frequency Response
- 90 dB Sensitivity
- Impedance: 6ohms
- Power Range:25-200watts
- Weight:18.40kg
- Dimensions (H x W x D): 565.0" x 11.8" x 14.2"( 565.0 x 300.0 x 360.0mm )
What size room are the Focal Aria Evo X No1 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* |
Focal Aria Evo X No1 |
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.)
In the following sections, we will get into more detail in order to better understand how the Focal Aria Evo X No1 and Wharfedale LINTON compare and hopefully end up with enough arguments to decide which one of these loudspeakers is the better choice for you.
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Drivers
One of the fundamental differences between these two speakers is that Aria Evo X No1 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.
| Driver |
Focal Aria Evo X No1 |
Wharfedale LINTON |
|
Driver Setup
|
2-way
|
3-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
1-inch
|
1-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
- |
1 x 5-inch |
|
Woofer
|
1 x 6.5-inch
|
1 x 8-inch
|
Aria Evo X No1 features a 1" Al/Mg inverted dome Tweeter and 1 x 6.5" Flax Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 2800 Hz. 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
Aria Evo X No1 has a frequency range of 55-30kHz 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 Aria Evo X No1's min frequency of 55Hz.
Below graphs depict how these two speakers compare with the max, min and average values of the Min and Max Frequencies of other speakers in the Bookshelf class in our database.
Low Frequency
Bookshelf Speakers
High Frequency
Bookshelf Speakers
None of these speakers achieves full range experience which is commonly agreed as 20Hz-20kHz. In order to achieve lower lows / deeper bass, we recommend you pair these with a subwoofer. Visit our Powered Subwoofers section to find out more about the available options.
Impedance and Sensitivity
Aria Evo X No1 is a 8 ohms speaker compared to the LINTON Heritage which has a nominal impedance of 6 ohms.
These two speakers also have different sensitivity levels. Aria Evo X No1 sensitivity is rated at 89.5 dB and the LINTON Heritage's is rated at 90 dB.
Sensitivity
Bookshelf Speakers
Power Range
Power
range is the range of input power in watts RMS that a loudspeaker is designed to handle. While using
an amplifier within this range ensures the nominal performance , inputting a power that is higher than the
max wattage can result in a damaged speaker.
Aria Evo X No1 can handle a max power of 200 watts RMS from the amp the whereas Aria Evo X No1 has a max power handling value of 120 watts RMS , 80 watts less than the LINTON Heritage.
Keep in mind that a higher max power handling value doesn't necessarily make that a louder speaker
compared to a lower max handling speaker. Loudness or the sound level is also impacted by parameters
such as Impedance, sensitivity and system efficiencies.
Input Type and Bi-Amping / Bi-Wiring
Aria Evo X No1 features Binding post posts which make bi-amping or bi-wiring possible. LINTON Heritage has a Post which doesn't feature bi-amping/bi-wiring.
Wharfedale LINTON's Post terminals
Cabinet Type and Port Position
Aria Evo X No1 has a front firing port whereas LINTON Heritage has a rear firing ports. Focal Aria Evo X No1's front-firing port gives more flexibility in placement in regards to proximity to walls compared to Wharfedale LINTON with its rear-firing port.
Physical Specs
Size of a speaker can sometimes become an important decision factor due to space constraints or in some cases purely for esthetic reasons. In this section, we are going to compare Focal Aria Evo X No1's and Wharfedale LINTON's external dimensions. Focal Aria Evo X No1 has external dimensions of 39 x 22.5 x 28 cm ( 15-3/8 x 8-⅞ x 11) 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 75mm wider, 174mm taller and 80mm deeper than Focal Aria Evo X No1.
Below you can see the front view size comparison of Focal Aria Evo X No1 and Wharfedale LINTON in scale.
Comparison image of Focal Aria Evo X No1 and Wharfedale LINTON 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 Focal Aria Evo X No1 is approximately 630.0cm2 / 97.7inch2 and base area of the Wharfedale LINTON is approximately 990.0cm2 / 153.5inch2. The Aria Evo X No1 requires 36% less surface area than the LINTON Heritage which gives it a small advantage on placement in tight spaces.