In this review, we will be comparing Rebellion and DENTON 80, two Passive Bookshelf speakers from Klipsch and Wharfedale.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of Klipsch Heritage Rebellion and Wharfedale Denton 80 first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
| Key Specs | Klipsch Heritage Rebellion | Wharfedale Denton 80 |
|---|
| Design | 2-way | 2-way |
|---|
| Tweeter | Compression Horn | 1" Soft-Dome |
|---|
| Woofer | 8" Paper | 5" Woven Kevlar |
|---|
| Frequency response | 60-20k Hz | 44-24k Hz |
|---|
| Sensitivity | 95 dB | 86 dB |
|---|
| Impedance | 8 ohms | 6 ohms |
|---|
| Power range | up to 200 watts | 20-100 watts |
|---|
| Weight | 14.51kg / 31.9lbs | 7.90kg / 17.4lbs |
|---|
| Dimensions (H x W x D) | 19-1/8" x 12" x 9-3/4"
485.0 x 305.0 x 247.0mm | 12-5/8" x 7-7/8" x 12"
320.0 x 200.0 x 305.0mm |
|---|
Rebellion 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
What size room are the Klipsch Heritage Rebellion and Wharfedale Denton 80 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* |
Klipsch Heritage Rebellion |
Wharfedale Denton 80 |
| Near-field |
Poor |
Average |
| Small Room |
Average |
Good |
| Mid-size Room |
Good |
Average |
| Large Room |
Average |
Poor |
| Very Large Room |
Poor |
Bad |
(* 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
Both Rebellion and DENTON 80 are 2-way speakers.
Klipsch Heritage RebellionWharfedale Denton 80
TweeterWoofer
Front view, drawn to scale - cabinets and drivers share one scale, so sizes are directly comparable. Hover a driver for its size.
| Driver |
Klipsch Heritage Rebellion |
Wharfedale Denton 80 |
|
Driver Setup
|
2-way
|
2-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
-inch
|
1-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
- |
- |
|
Woofer
|
1 x 8-inch
|
1 x 5-inch
|
Rebellion features a " K-702 driver Compression Horn Tweeter and 1 x 8" Paper Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 715Hz. 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
Rebellion has a frequency range of 60-20k Hz whereas DENTON 80 has a frequency range of 44-24k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 44Hz, the DENTON 80 can go significantly deeper on the low side and provide stronger bass compared to the Rebellion's min frequency of 60Hz.
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
Rebellion 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. Rebellion sensitivity is rated at 95 dB and the DENTON 80's is rated at 86 dB. This 9 dB difference makes the Klipsch Heritage Rebellion a more sensitive speaker compared to Wharfedale Denton 80, 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.
Rebellion can handle a max power of 200 watts RMS, whereas DENTON 80 has a max power handling value of 100 watts RMS, 100 watts less than the Rebellion.
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.
Klipsch Heritage Rebellion
Input Type and Bi-Amping / Bi-Wiring
Rebellion features Binding post type posts and DENTON 80 has a Binding post type posts. None of these speakers feature bi-amping/bi-wiring.
Cabinet Type and Port Position
Both Rebellion 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 Heritage Rebellion's and Wharfedale Denton 80's external dimensions. Klipsch Heritage Rebellion has external dimensions of 485.0 x 305.0 x 247.0mm (19-1/8 x 12 x 9-3/4inch) 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).
Wharfedale Denton 80 is 105mm narrower and 165mm shorter than Klipsch Heritage Rebellion but it is also 58mm deeper.
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 Heritage Rebellion is approximately 753.4cm2 / 116.8inch2 and base area of the Wharfedale Denton 80 is approximately 610.0cm2 / 94.6inch2. The Rebellion requires 24% more surface area than the DENTON 80 which gives it a small disadvantage 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 Klipsch Heritage Rebellion weighs 14.51kg / 31.9lbs and the Wharfedale Denton 80 weighs 7.90kg / 17.4lbs. This makes the Rebellion 84% heavier than the DENTON 80.
Here is a comparison of how Rebellion and DENTON 80's weights compare with the average, max and min weights in Passive Bookshelf class.
Weight
All Bookshelf Speakers
Klipsch Heritage Rebellion
 Max Input Power |
200 watts
vs
100 watts
|
Handle more power from your amplifier |
 Sensitivity |
95 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 |
8 inches
vs
5 inches
|
Larger woofer |
|
Low Frequency Response |
44 Hz
vs
60 Hz
|
Generates deeper bass |
 High Frequency Response |
24k Hz
vs
20k Hz
|
Generates higher frequency |
 Height |
320mm
vs
485mm
|
Easier to fit in smaller spaces |
 Base Surface Area |
610cm2
vs
753cm2
|
Takes less floor space |
| General |
Klipsch Heritage Rebellion |
Wharfedale Denton 80 |
| Brand |
Klipsch |
Wharfedale |
| Speaker Type |
Bookshelf speakers |
Bookshelf speakers |
| Power Range |
up to 200 watts |
20-100 watts |
| Sensitivity |
95 dB |
86 dB |
| Impedance |
8 ohms |
6 ohms |
| Impedance |
3.3 ohms |
n/a |
| Frequency Response |
60-20k Hz |
44-24k Hz |
Drivers |
|
|
| Woofer Quantity |
1 |
1 |
| Woofer Size |
8" |
5" |
| Woofer Composition |
Paper |
Woven Kevlar |
| Tweeter Size |
- |
1" |
| Tweeter Type |
Compression Horn |
Soft-Dome |
| Aimable Tweeter |
No |
No |
| Midrange Driver |
No |
No |
| Crossover Frequency |
715Hz |
2300Hz |
| Firing Direction |
rear |
rear |
Physical Specs |
|
|
| Height |
485.0mm (19.1") |
320.0mm (12.6") |
| Width |
305.0mm (12") |
200.0mm (7.9") |
| Depth |
247.0mm (9.7") |
305.0mm (12") |
| Weight |
14.51kg (31.9lbs) |
7.90kg (17.4lbs) |
| Enclosure |
Bass Reflex |
Bass Reflex |
| Finish |
18 mm MDF with real wood veneer |
Mahogany red veneer |
| Available Colors |
Black Ash, Walnut |
Mahogany with grey tungsten cloth grille |
| Mounting Bracket |
|
|
| Grille |
Yes |
Yes |
| Moisture Resistancy |
No |
No |
Connections |
|
|
| Biamp Inputs |
No |
No |
Other |
|
|
| Parts Warranty |
5 Years |
5 Years |
| Labor Warranty |
5 Years |
5 Years |
No single best speaker here - they are built to different priorities, and the right one depends on your room, your amplifier and what you listen to.
| Area | Better | Why |
|---|
| Bass |
B |
Wharfedale Denton 80 digs deeper - 44Hz against 60Hz. |
| Amplifier needs |
A |
Klipsch Heritage Rebellion is more sensitive (95dB vs 86dB), so it goes louder on the same amplifier. |
| Amplifier match |
A |
Klipsch Heritage Rebellion is the easier load at 8 ohms. |
| Headroom |
A |
Klipsch Heritage Rebellion takes more power (200W vs 100W) - more in hand in a big room. |
| Size |
depends |
Wharfedale Denton 80 is easier to place; Klipsch Heritage Rebellion is bigger, which usually goes with fuller bass. Your room decides. |
| Expandability |
depends |
Neither adds bi-amping, a sub output or height drivers. Klipsch Heritage Rebellion sits in a wider range (12 models), so a matched surround system is easier later. |
A Klipsch Heritage Rebellion
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?
Klipsch Heritage Rebellion has the edge on paper, though the margin is not large. The rows marked "depends" may matter more to you than the score does. If a subwoofer is in your plans, the bass gap largely stops mattering - you would be crossing over above 60Hz anyway, so judge these on the other rows instead. Match it to your room: we rate Klipsch Heritage Rebellion the better fit for a mid-size room and a large room, and Wharfedale Denton 80 for near-field listening and a small room.
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.