In this review, we will be comparing two different type of speakers . Klipsch Heritage Cornwall IV 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 Cornwall IV and Wharfedale Denton 85 first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
Cornwall IV 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
In the following sections, we will get into more detail in order to better understand how the Klipsch Cornwall IV and Wharfedale Denton 85 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 Cornwall IV 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.
| Driver |
Klipsch Cornwall IV |
Wharfedale Denton 85 |
|
Driver Setup
|
3-way
|
2-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
1-inch
|
1-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
1 x 1.75-inch |
- |
|
Woofer
|
1 x 15-inch
|
1 x 6.5-inch
|
Cornwall IV features a 1" titanium-diaphragm compression horn-loaded Tweeter , a 1.75" Midrange and 1 x 15" 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
Cornwall IV has a frequency range of 34-20k Hz whereas Denton 85 has a frequency range of 45-20k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 34Hz, the Cornwall IV can go significantly deeper on the low side and provide stronger bass compared to the Denton 85's min frequency of 45Hz.
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 Floor-standing class in our database.
Low Frequency
Floor-standing Speakers
High Frequency
Floor-standing 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
Cornwall IV 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. Cornwall IV sensitivity is rated at 102 dB and the Denton 85's is rated at 88 dB. This 14 dB difference makes the Klipsch Cornwall IV 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. 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.
Cornwall IV can handle a max power of 120 watts RMS from the amp the whereas Cornwall IV has a max power handling value of 100 watts RMS , 20 watts less than the Denton 85.
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
Both Cornwall IV 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
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 Klipsch Cornwall IV's and Wharfedale Denton 85's external dimensions. Klipsch Cornwall IV has external dimensions of 966.0 x 643.0 x 394.0mm ( 38 x 25-5/16 x 15-1/2inch) 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 Cornwall IV is clearly the larger of the two speakers. Its body is 403mm wider, 624mm taller and 90mm deeper than Wharfedale Denton 85.
Below you can see the front view size comparison of Klipsch Cornwall IV and Wharfedale Denton 85 in scale.
Comparison image of Klipsch Cornwall IV 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 Cornwall IV is approximately 2533.4cm2 / 392.7inch2 and base area of the Wharfedale Denton 85 is approximately 729.6cm2 / 113.1inch2. The Cornwall IV requires 247% 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 Cornwall IV?
Here are the items that are included inside the box of Cornwall IV:
2 Floorstanding loudspeakers2 GrillesOwners ManualCongratulations letterKlipsch 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