In this review, we will be comparing two different types of speakers. Klipsch Heritage Klipschorn AK7 is a Floor-standing speaker whereas the Dovedale is a Bookshelf speaker.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of Klipsch Klipschorn AK7 and Wharfedale Dovedale first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
| Key Specs | Klipsch Klipschorn AK7 | Wharfedale Dovedale |
|---|
| Brand | Klipsch
United States · founded 1946 | Wharfedale
United Kingdom · founded 1932 |
|---|
| Design | 3-way | 3-way |
|---|
| Tweeter | 1" Tractrix horn | 1" soft dome |
|---|
| Midrange | 3" | 5" |
|---|
| Woofer | 15" fiber-composite with a trihedral exponential folded horn | 10" black woven Kevlar cone |
|---|
| Frequency response | 34-19k Hz | 36-20k Hz |
|---|
| Sensitivity | 103 dB | 89 DB |
|---|
| Impedance | 8 ohms | 6.5 ohms |
|---|
| Power range | up to 100 watts | 25-250 watts |
|---|
| Weight | 118.18kg / 260lbs | 26.20kg / 57.6lbs |
|---|
| Dimensions (H x W x D) | 53" x 31-1/4" x 28-1/4"
1347.0 x 794.0 x 718.0mm | 26.0" x 14.6" x 16.4"
660 x 370 x 417mm |
|---|
AK7 and Dovedale 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.
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Drivers
Both AK7 and Dovedale are 3-way speakers.
Klipsch Klipschorn AK7Wharfedale Dovedale
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 Klipschorn AK7 |
Wharfedale Dovedale |
|
Driver Setup
|
3-way
|
3-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
1-inch
|
1-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
1 x 3-inch |
1 x 5-inch |
|
Woofer
|
1 x 15-inch
|
1 x 10-inch
|
AK7 features a 1" polyimide diaphragm compression Tractrix horn Tweeter, a 3" Midrange and 1 x 15" fiber-composite with a trihedral exponential folded horn Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 380Hz - 290Hz. On the other hand, the Dovedale features a 1" soft dome Tweeter, a 5" Midrange and 1 x 10" black woven Kevlar cone Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 560Hz and 2900Hz.
Frequency Response
AK7 has a frequency range of 34-19k Hz whereas Dovedale has a frequency range of 36-20k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 34Hz, the AK7 can go slightly deeper then the Dovedale's min frequency of 36Hz.
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
AK7 is a 8 ohms speaker compared to the Dovedale which has a nominal impedance of 6.5 ohms.
These two speakers also have different sensitivity levels. AK7 sensitivity is rated at 103 dB and the Dovedale's is rated at 89 DB. This 14 dB difference makes the Klipsch Klipschorn AK7 a more sensitive speaker compared to Wharfedale Dovedale, 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.
Dovedale can handle a max power of 250 watts RMS, whereas AK7 has a max power handling value of 100 watts RMS, 150 watts less than the Dovedale.
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 AK7 and Dovedale features dual binding post speaker terminals for bi-amping or bi-wiring.
Klipsch Klipschorn AK7's Binding post terminals allows Bi-amping or bi-wiring
Wharfedale Dovedale'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 Klipschorn AK7's and Wharfedale Dovedale's external dimensions. Klipsch Klipschorn AK7 has external dimensions of 1347.0 x 794.0 x 718.0mm (53 x 31-1/4 x 28-1/4inch) whereas Wharfedale Dovedale has external dimensions of 660 x 370 x 417mm (23.6 x 14.6 x 16.4 inch).
Klipsch Klipschorn AK7 is clearly the larger of the two speakers. Its body is 424mm wider, 687mm taller and 301mm deeper than Wharfedale Dovedale.
Below you can see the front view size comparison of Klipsch Klipschorn AK7 and Wharfedale Dovedale in scale.
Comparison image of Klipsch Klipschorn AK7 and Wharfedale Dovedale 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 Klipschorn AK7 is approximately 5700.9cm2 / 883.6inch2 and base area of the Wharfedale Dovedale is approximately 1542.9cm2 / 239.1inch2. The AK7 requires 269% more surface area than the Dovedale which gives it a small disadvantage on placement in tight spaces.
What's in the Box of Klipsch Klipschorn AK7?
Here are the items that are included inside the box of AK7:
- 2 Loudspeaker cabinets
- 2 Subwoofer cabinets
- 2 Grilles
- Owners Manual
- Congratulations letter
- Klipsch brochure