In this review, we will be comparing Aon 2 and LINTON Heritage, two Passive Bookshelf speakers from GoldenEar and Wharfedale.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of GoldenEar Aon 2 and Wharfedale LINTON first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
| Key Specs | GoldenEar Aon 2 | Wharfedale LINTON |
|---|
| Design | 2-way | 3-way |
|---|
| Tweeter | Folded Ribbon | 1" Soft-dome |
|---|
| Midrange | — | 5" |
|---|
| Woofer | 6" Polypropylene | 8" Woven Kevlar |
|---|
| Frequency response | 42-35k Hz | 40-20k Hz |
|---|
| Sensitivity | 89 dB | 90 dB |
|---|
| Impedance | 8 ohms | 6 ohms |
|---|
| Power range | 10-200 watts | 25-200 watts |
|---|
| Weight | 5.45kg / 12lbs | 18.40kg / 40.5lbs |
|---|
| Dimensions (H x W x D) | 12" x 8" x 10-1/8"
305.0 x 204.0 x 258.0mm | 22.2" x 11.8" x 14.2"
565.0 x 300.0 x 360.0mm |
|---|
What size room are the GoldenEar Aon 2 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* |
GoldenEar Aon 2 |
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.
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Drivers
One of the fundamental differences between these two speakers is that Aon 2 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.
GoldenEar Aon 2Wharfedale 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 |
GoldenEar Aon 2 |
Wharfedale LINTON |
|
Driver Setup
|
2-way
|
3-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
-inch
|
1-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
- |
1 x 5-inch |
|
Woofer
|
1 x 6-inch
|
1 x 8-inch
|
Aon 2 features a " Folded Ribbon Tweeter and 1 x 6" Polypropylene Woofer. 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
Aon 2 has a frequency range of 42-35k Hz whereas LINTON Heritage has a frequency range of 40-20k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 40Hz, the LINTON Heritage can go slightly deeper then the Aon 2's min frequency of 42Hz.
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
Aon 2 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. Aon 2 sensitivity is rated at 89 dB and the LINTON Heritage's is rated at 90 dB. This 1 dB difference makes the Wharfedale LINTON a more sensitive speaker compared to GoldenEar Aon 2, 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 Aon 2 is rated 10-200 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.
Input Type and Bi-Amping / Bi-Wiring
Aon 2 features Post type posts and LINTON Heritage has a Post type posts. None of these speakers feature bi-amping/bi-wiring.
GoldenEar Aon 2's 5-way post terminals
Wharfedale LINTON's Post terminals
Cabinet Type and Port Position
Both Aon 2 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 GoldenEar Aon 2's and Wharfedale LINTON's external dimensions. GoldenEar Aon 2 has external dimensions of 305.0 x 204.0 x 258.0mm (12 x 8 x 10-1/8inch) 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 96mm wider, 260mm taller and 102mm deeper than GoldenEar Aon 2.
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 GoldenEar Aon 2 is approximately 526.3cm2 / 81.6inch2 and base area of the Wharfedale LINTON is approximately 990.0cm2 / 153.5inch2. The Aon 2 requires 47% 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 GoldenEar Aon 2 weighs 5.45kg / 12lbs and the Wharfedale LINTON weighs 18.40kg / 40.5lbs. This makes the LINTON Heritage 238% heavier than the Aon 2.
Here is a comparison of how Aon 2 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 GoldenEar Aon 2?
Here are the items that are included inside the box of Aon 2:
- Bookshelf loudspeaker
Key-hole hanger
2 Screws
Owner's Manual
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
 Nominal Impedance |
8 ohms
vs
6 ohms
|
Less selective with amplifiers |
 High Frequency Response |
35k Hz
vs
20k Hz
|
Generates higher frequency |
 Mounting Bracket |
Yes
vs
No
|
Allows mounting on walls |
 Passive Radiator |
two 6-1/2
vs
None
|
Increases the bass performance |
 Height |
305mm
vs
565mm
|
Easier to fit in smaller spaces |
 Base Surface Area |
526cm2
vs
990cm2
|
Takes less floor space |
 Price per pair* |
898USD
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
89 dB
|
Play louder with same amount of amplification power |
 Woofer Size |
8 inches
vs
6 inches
|
Larger woofer |
|
Low Frequency Response |
40 Hz
vs
42 Hz
|
Generates deeper bass |
| General |
GoldenEar Aon 2 |
Wharfedale LINTON Heritage |
| Brand |
GoldenEar |
Wharfedale |
| Speaker Type |
Bookshelf speakers |
Bookshelf speakers |
| Power Range |
10-200 watts |
25-200 watts |
| Sensitivity |
89 dB |
90 dB |
| Impedance |
8 ohms |
6 ohms |
| Impedance |
n/a |
3.5 ohms |
| Frequency Response |
42-35k Hz |
40-20k Hz |
Drivers |
|
|
| Woofer Quantity |
1 |
1 |
| Woofer Size |
6" |
8" |
| Woofer Composition |
Polypropylene |
Woven Kevlar |
| Woofer Surround Material |
Rubber |
Rubber |
| Tweeter Size |
- |
1" |
| Tweeter Type |
Folded Ribbon |
Soft-dome |
| Aimable Tweeter |
No |
No |
| Midrange Driver |
No |
5" |
| Crossover Frequency |
n/a |
630Hz and 2400Hz |
| Firing Direction |
rear |
rear |
Physical Specs |
|
|
| Height |
305.0mm (12") |
565.0mm (22.2") |
| Width |
204.0mm (8") |
300.0mm (11.8") |
| Depth |
258.0mm (10.2") |
360.0mm (14.2") |
| Weight |
5.45kg (12lbs) |
18.40kg (40.5lbs) |
| Enclosure |
Acoustic Suspension |
Bass Reflex |
| Finish |
MDF/Lacquer |
MDF/Wood Veneer |
| Available Colors |
Black |
Walnut, Red Mahogany, Black |
| Mounting Bracket |
Yes |
No |
| Recommended Stand Height |
26-28" |
18-22" |
| Grille |
n/a |
Yes |
| Moisture Resistancy |
No |
No |
Connections |
|
|
| Biamp Inputs |
No |
No |
Other |
|
|
| Parts Warranty |
5 Years |
5 Years |
| Labor Warranty |
5 Years |
5 Years |
These sit in different price classes - Wharfedale LINTON costs roughly 1.7x what GoldenEar Aon 2 does. Expect it to lead on paper; the question is whether the gap is audible enough in your room to be worth it.
| Area | Better | Why |
|---|
| Bass |
evenly matched |
Much the same reach (42Hz vs 40Hz). |
| Amplifier needs |
evenly matched |
Similar sensitivity (89dB vs 90dB) - both want much the same power. |
| Amplifier match |
A |
GoldenEar Aon 2 is the easier load at 8 ohms. |
| Headroom |
evenly matched |
Similar power handling (200W vs 200W). |
| Size |
depends |
GoldenEar Aon 2 is easier to place; Wharfedale LINTON is bigger, which usually goes with fuller bass. Your room decides. |
| Cabinet |
depends |
Sealed vs Ported. Sealed is tighter and happier near a wall; ported digs lower but wants space behind it. |
| 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 |
A |
GoldenEar Aon 2 is cheaper - $898 against $1,500, about 40% less; arguably a different class. |
A GoldenEar Aon 2
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?
GoldenEar Aon 2 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, GoldenEar Aon 2 is the easier speaker to get right. Think about the whole system, not just the speakers: the roughly $602 saved by taking the cheaper pair would buy a subwoofer or a better amplifier, and either usually does more for the sound than the difference between these two.
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.