Klipsch Forte IV vs Wharfedale Denton 80 Comparison

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Klipsch Forte IV

Passive Floor-standing | 38-20k Hz

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Wharfedale Denton 80

Passive Bookshelf | 44-24k Hz

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Klipsch Forte IV

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Wharfedale Denton 80

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Klipsch Forte IV

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Wharfedale Denton 80

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Klipsch Forte IV vs Wharfedale Denton 80 Speaker Comparison

In this review, we will be comparing two different types of speakers. Klipsch Heritage Forte IV is a Floor-standing speaker whereas the DENTON 80 is a Bookshelf speaker.

Let's have a brief look at the main features of Klipsch Forte IV and Wharfedale Denton 80 first before getting into our more detailed comparison.

Key Specs	Klipsch Forte IV	Wharfedale Denton 80
Design	3-way	2-way
Tweeter	1" horn-loaded	1" Soft-Dome
Midrange	1.75"	—
Woofer	12" Fibercomposite	5" Woven Kevlar
Frequency response	38-20k Hz	44-24k Hz
Sensitivity	99 dB	86 dB
Impedance	8 ohms	6 ohms
Power range	up to 100 watts	20-100 watts
Weight	32.73kg / 72lbs	7.90kg / 17.4lbs
Dimensions (H x W x D)	35-3/4" x 16-5/8" x 13" 909.0 x 423.0 x 331.0mm	12-5/8" x 7-7/8" x 12" 320.0 x 200.0 x 305.0mm

Forte IV and DENTON 80 are members of Wharfedale's Heritage series of speakers. Below you can find the loudspeakers from this series.

Klipsch Heritage Series History

Model	Body	Frequency	Sensitivity	Impedance	Woofer
Klipsch Cornwall IV	Floor-standing	34-20k Hz	102 dB	8Ω	1 x 15"
Klipsch La Scala AL6	Floor-standing	40-19k Hz	103 dB	8Ω	1 x 12"
Klipsch Forte IV	Floor-standing	38-20k Hz	99 dB	8Ω	1 x 12"
Klipsch Heresy IV	Floor-standing	48-20k Hz	99 dB	8Ω	1 x 12"
Klipsch Klipschorn AK7	Floor-standing	34-19k Hz	103 dB	8Ω	1 x 15"
Klipsch La Scala AL5	Floor-standing	51-20k Hz	105 dB	8Ω	1 x 15"
Klipsch Klipschorn AK6	Floor-standing	33-20k Hz	105 dB	8Ω	1 x 15"
Klipsch Heresy III	Floor-standing	58-20k Hz	99 dB	8Ω	1 x 12"
Klipsch Heritage Rebellion	Bookshelf	60-20k Hz	95 dB	8Ω	1 x 8"
Klipsch Heritage Klipschorn 80th Anniversary	Floor-standing	34-20k Hz	103 dB	8Ω	1 x 15"

The sections below take each area in turn: drivers, frequency response, physical size and what you get in the box.

**This post contains affiliate links, and we will be compensated if you make a purchase after clicking through our links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Drivers

One of the fundamental differences between these two speakers is that Forte IV is a 3-way design whereas the DENTON 80 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 Forte IV

Wharfedale Denton 80

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 Forte IV	Wharfedale Denton 80
Driver Setup	3-way	2-way
Tweeter	1-inch	1-inch
Midrange	1 x 1.75-inch	-
Woofer	1 x 12-inch	1 x 5-inch

Forte IV features a 1" titanium-diaphragm compression horn-loaded Tweeter, a 1.75" Midrange and 1 x 12" Fibercomposite Woofer. On the other hand, the DENTON 80 features a 1" Soft-Dome Tweeter and 1 x 5" Woven Kevlar Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 2300Hz.

Frequency Response

Forte IV has a frequency range of 38-20k Hz whereas DENTON 80 has a frequency range of 44-24k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 38Hz, the Forte IV can go significantly deeper on the low side and provide stronger bass compared to the DENTON 80's min frequency of 44Hz.

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

Forte IV

DENTON 80

Min

Average

Median

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

Forte IV is a 8 ohms speaker compared to the DENTON 80 which has a nominal impedance of 6 ohms.

These two speakers also have different sensitivity levels. Forte IV sensitivity is rated at 99 dB and the DENTON 80's is rated at 86 dB. This 13 dB difference makes the Klipsch Forte IV a more sensitive speaker compared to Wharfedale Denton 80, hence will play louder with the same amount of watts.

Sensitivity

Floor-standing Speakers

Forte IV

DENTON 80

Min

Average

Median

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 100 watts RMS, though Forte IV is rated up to 100 watts and DENTON 80 20-100 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.

Amplifier — change this

Distance

Playing as

Klipsch Forte IV

Wharfedale Denton 80

Input Type and Bi-Amping / Bi-Wiring

Forte IV features Post posts which make bi-amping or bi-wiring possible. DENTON 80 has a Binding post which doesn't feature bi-amping/bi-wiring.

Cabinet Type and Port Position

Both Forte IV and DENTON 80 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 Klipsch Forte IV's and Wharfedale Denton 80's external dimensions. Klipsch Forte IV has external dimensions of 909.0 x 423.0 x 331.0mm (35-3/4 x 16-5/8 x 13inch) whereas Wharfedale Denton 80 has external dimensions of 320.0 x 200.0 x 305.0mm (12-5/8 x 7-7/8 x 12inch).

Klipsch Forte IV is clearly the larger of the two speakers. Its body is 223mm wider, 589mm taller and 26mm deeper than Wharfedale Denton 80.

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 Forte IV is approximately 1400.1cm² / 217.0inch² and base area of the Wharfedale Denton 80 is approximately 610.0cm² / 94.6inch². The Forte IV requires 130% more surface area than the DENTON 80 which gives it a small disadvantage on placement in tight spaces.

What's in the Box of Klipsch Forte IV?

Here are the items that are included inside the box of Forte IV:

2 Floorstanding loudspeakers
2 Grilles
8 Self-adhesive rubber feet
Owners Manual
Congratulations letter
Klipsch brochure

Reasons to choose Klipsch Heritage Forte IV over Wharfedale Denton 80

Driver Setup	3-way vs 2-way	Have a dedicated mid-range driver
Sensitivity	99 dB vs 86 dB	Play louder with same amount of amplification power
Nominal Impedance	8 ohms vs 6 ohms	Less selective with amplifiers
Woofer Size	12 inches vs 5 inches	Larger woofer
Low Frequency Response	38 Hz vs 44 Hz	Generates deeper bass
Bi-Amping and Bi-Wiring	Yes vs No	Allows bi-amping and bi-wiring connections
Passive Radiator	rear-firing 15-inch vs None	Increases the bass performance

Reasons to choose Wharfedale Denton 80 over Klipsch Heritage Forte IV

High Frequency Response	24k Hz vs 20k Hz	Generates higher frequency
Height	320mm vs 909mm	Easier to fit in smaller spaces
Base Surface Area	610cm² vs 1400cm²	Takes less floor space
Price per pair*	599USD vs 4998USD	costs less (*prices may change depending on the seller, location and time)

Klipsch Forte IV vs Wharfedale Denton 80 Specs Table

Detailed comparison of specifications

General	Klipsch Heritage Forte IV	Wharfedale Denton 80
Brand	Klipsch	Wharfedale
Speaker Type	Floor-standing speaker	Bookshelf speakers
Power Range	up to 100 watts	20-100 watts
Sensitivity	99 dB	86 dB
Impedance	8 ohms	6 ohms
Frequency Response	38-20k Hz	44-24k Hz
Drivers
Woofer Quantity	1	1
Woofer Size	12"	5"
Woofer Composition	Fibercomposite	Woven Kevlar
Woofer Surround Material	Rubber	n/a
Tweeter Size	1"	1"
Tweeter Type	horn-loaded	Soft-Dome
Aimable Tweeter	No	No
Midrange Driver	1.75"	No
Crossover Frequency	n/a	2300Hz
Firing Direction	rear	rear
Physical Specs
Height	909.0mm (35.8")	320.0mm (12.6")
Width	423.0mm (16.7")	200.0mm (7.9")
Depth	331.0mm (13")	305.0mm (12")
Weight	32.73kg (72lbs)	7.90kg (17.4lbs)
Enclosure	Passive Radiator	Bass Reflex
Finish	MDF/Wood veneer	Mahogany red veneer
Available Colors	Black	Mahogany with grey tungsten cloth grille
Mounting Bracket	No
Grille	Yes	Yes
Moisture Resistancy	No	No
Connections
Biamp Inputs	Yes	No
Other
Parts Warranty	10 Years	5 Years
Labor Warranty	10 Years	5 Years

Verdict

A floor-standing against a bookshelf. They are built for different places in a room, so start with where these have to go rather than which looks better on paper.

Area	Better	Why
Bass	A	Klipsch Forte IV digs deeper - 38Hz against 44Hz. A subwoofer would even that out.
Amplifier needs	A	Klipsch Forte IV is more sensitive (99dB vs 86dB), so it goes louder on the same amplifier.
Amplifier match	A	Klipsch Forte IV is the easier load at 8 ohms.
Headroom	evenly matched	Similar power handling (100W vs 100W).
Size	depends	Wharfedale Denton 80 is easier to place; Klipsch Forte IV is bigger, which usually goes with fuller bass. Your room decides.
Type	depends	A Passive Floor-standing against a Passive Bookshelf - a different job rather than a better one.
Cabinet	depends	Passive Radiator vs Ported.
Expandability	A	Klipsch Forte IV: bi-amping. Klipsch Forte IV sits in a wider range (12 models), so a matched surround system is easier later.
Price	B	Wharfedale Denton 80 is cheaper - $599 against $4,998, about 88% less; arguably a different class.

A Klipsch Forte IV B Wharfedale Denton 80
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?

The usual trade-off: Klipsch Forte IV measures better, Wharfedale Denton 80 costs about 88% less. Whether that gap is worth the money is the call only you can make - and in a normal room it is often smaller than the numbers suggest. If a subwoofer is in your plans, the bass gap largely stops mattering - you would be crossing over above 44Hz anyway, which makes the cheaper Wharfedale Denton 80 much easier to justify. In a large or open-plan room, Klipsch Forte IV has the cabinet volume to fill it more easily; in a small room, near a wall or at desk distance, Wharfedale Denton 80 is the easier speaker to get right.

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.