In this review, we will be comparing two different types of speakers. Klipsch Capitol Heresy III is a Floor-standing speaker whereas the Denton 85 is a Bookshelf speaker.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of Klipsch Heresy III and Wharfedale Denton 85 first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
| Key Specs | Klipsch Heresy III | Wharfedale Denton 85 |
|---|
| Brand | Klipsch
United States · founded 1946 | Wharfedale
United Kingdom · founded 1932 |
|---|
| Design | 3-way | 2-way |
|---|
| Tweeter | 1" Tractrix horn | 1" Soft-Dome |
|---|
| Midrange | 1.75" | — |
|---|
| Woofer | 12" Fiber-composite | 6.5" Woven Kevlar |
|---|
| Frequency response | 58-20k Hz | 45-20k Hz |
|---|
| Sensitivity | 99 dB | 88 dB |
|---|
| Impedance | 8 ohms | 4 ohms |
|---|
| Power range | 100 watts | 20-120 watts |
|---|
| Weight | 20.00kg / 44lbs | 9.00kg / 19.8lbs |
|---|
| Dimensions (H x W x D) | 23-7/8" x 15-1/2" x 13-7/16"
607.0 x 394.0 x 342.0mm | 13-7/16" x 9-7/16" x 11-15/16"
342.0 x 240.0 x 304.0mm |
|---|
Heresy III and Denton 85 are members of Wharfedale's Heritage series of speakers. Below you can find the loudspeakers from this series.
Klipsch Heritage Series
History
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 Heresy III is a 3-way design whereas the Denton 85 is a 2-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.
Klipsch Heresy IIIWharfedale Denton 85
TweeterMidrangeWoofer
Front view, drawn to scale - cabinets and drivers share one scale, so sizes are directly comparable. Hover a driver for its size.
| Driver |
Klipsch Heresy III |
Wharfedale Denton 85 |
|
Driver Setup
|
3-way
|
2-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
1-inch
|
1-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
1 x 1.75-inch |
- |
|
Woofer
|
1 x 12-inch
|
1 x 6.5-inch
|
Heresy III features a 1" titanium-diaphragm compression Tractrix horn Tweeter, a 1.75" Midrange and 1 x 12" Fiber-composite Woofer. On the other hand, the Denton 85 features a 1" woven textile Soft-Dome Tweeter and 1 x 6.5" Woven Kevlar Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 3100Hz.
Frequency Response
Heresy III has a frequency range of 58-20k Hz whereas Denton 85 has a frequency range of 45-20k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 45Hz, the Denton 85 can go significantly deeper on the low side and provide stronger bass compared to the Heresy III's min frequency of 58Hz.
The graph below depicts how these two speakers compare with the max, min and average Low Frequency values of other speakers in the Floor-standing class in our database.
Low Frequency
Floor-standing 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
Heresy III is a 8 ohms speaker compared to the Denton 85 which has a nominal impedance of 4 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 Denton 85 can provide this impedance level.
These two speakers also have different sensitivity levels. Heresy III sensitivity is rated at 99 dB and the Denton 85's is rated at 88 dB. This 11 dB difference makes the Klipsch Heresy III a more sensitive speaker compared to Wharfedale Denton 85, hence will play louder with the same amount of watts.
Sensitivity
Floor-standing 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.
Denton 85 can handle a max power of 120 watts RMS, whereas Heresy III has a max power handling value of 100 watts RMS, 20 watts less than the Denton 85.
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
Both Heresy III and Denton 85 features dual binding post speaker terminals for bi-amping or bi-wiring.
Wharfedale Denton 85's Post terminals allows Bi-amping or bi-wiring
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 Klipsch Heresy III's and Wharfedale Denton 85's external dimensions. Klipsch Heresy III has external dimensions of 607.0 x 394.0 x 342.0mm (23-7/8 x 15-1/2 x 13-7/16inch) whereas Wharfedale Denton 85 has external dimensions of 342.0 x 240.0 x 304.0mm (13-7/16 x 9-7/16 x 11-15/16inch).
Klipsch Heresy III is clearly the larger of the two speakers. Its body is 154mm wider, 265mm taller and 38mm deeper than Wharfedale Denton 85.
Below you can see the front view size comparison of Klipsch Heresy III and Wharfedale Denton 85 in scale.
Comparison image of Klipsch Heresy III and Wharfedale Denton 85 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 Klipsch Heresy III is approximately 1347.5cm2 / 208.9inch2 and base area of the Wharfedale Denton 85 is approximately 729.6cm2 / 113.1inch2. The Heresy III requires 85% more surface area than the Denton 85 which gives it a small disadvantage on placement in tight spaces.
What's in the Box of Klipsch Heresy III?
Here are the items that are included inside the box of Heresy III:
- Floor-standing loudspeaker
- Detachable grille (installed)
- Base riser (installed)
- 4 Self-adhesive rubber feet
- Owners Manual
- Congratulations letter
- Klipsch brochure
What's in the Box of Wharfedale Denton 85?
Here are the items that come with the Denton 85:
- 2 Bookshelf loudspeakers
- 2 Grilles
- 4 Jumper-bars (pre-installed)
- 8 Self-adhesive rubber feet
- Pair of white cloth gloves
- User Manual