In this review, we will be comparing RP-600M II and LINTON Heritage, two Passive Bookshelf speakers from Klipsch and Wharfedale.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of Klipsch RP-600M II and Wharfedale LINTON first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
| Key Specs | Klipsch RP-600M II | Wharfedale LINTON |
|---|
| Brand | Klipsch
United States · founded 1946 | Wharfedale
United Kingdom · founded 1932 |
|---|
| Design | 2-way | 3-way |
|---|
| Tweeter | 1" Hybrid Tractrix Horn | 1" Soft-dome |
|---|
| Midrange | — | 5" |
|---|
| Woofer | 6.5" Cerametallic cone | 8" Woven Kevlar |
|---|
| Frequency response | 44-25k Hz | 40-20k Hz |
|---|
| Sensitivity | 94.5 dB | 90 dB |
|---|
| Impedance | 8 ohms | 6 ohms |
|---|
| Power range | up to 100 watts | 25-200 watts |
|---|
| Weight | 8.20kg / 18lbs | 18.40kg / 40.5lbs |
|---|
| Dimensions (H x W x D) | 15-13/16" x 8" x 13-1/16"
402.0 x 204.0 x 332.0mm | 22.2" x 11.8" x 14.2"
565.0 x 300.0 x 360.0mm |
|---|
What size room are the Klipsch RP-600M II and Wharfedale LINTON 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 RP-600M II |
Wharfedale LINTON |
| Near-field |
Average |
Poor |
| Small Room |
Good |
Average |
| Mid-size Room |
Average |
Good |
| Large Room |
Poor |
Average |
| Very Large Room |
Bad |
Poor |
(* 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.
Drivers
One of the fundamental differences between these two speakers is that RP-600M II is a 2-way design whereas the LINTON Heritage is a 3-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 RP-600M IIWharfedale LINTON
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 RP-600M II |
Wharfedale LINTON |
|
Driver Setup
|
2-way
|
3-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
1-inch
|
1-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
- |
1 x 5-inch |
|
Woofer
|
1 x 6.5-inch
|
1 x 8-inch
|
RP-600M II features a 1" titanium Hybrid Tractrix Horn Tweeter and 1 x 6.5" Cerametallic cone Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 1500 Hz. On the other hand, the LINTON Heritage features a 1" woven textile Soft-dome Tweeter, a 5" Midrange and 1 x 8" Woven Kevlar Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 630Hz and 2400Hz.
Frequency Response
RP-600M II has a frequency range of 44-25k Hz whereas LINTON Heritage has a frequency range of 40-20k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 40Hz, the LINTON Heritage can go slightly deeper then the RP-600M II'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 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
RP-600M II is a 8 ohms speaker compared to the LINTON Heritage which has a nominal impedance of 6 ohms.
These two speakers also have different sensitivity levels. RP-600M II sensitivity is rated at 94.5 dB and the LINTON Heritage's is rated at 90 dB. This 4 dB difference makes the Klipsch RP-600M II a more sensitive speaker compared to Wharfedale LINTON, 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.
LINTON Heritage can handle a max power of 200 watts RMS, whereas RP-600M II has a max power handling value of 100 watts RMS, 100 watts less than the LINTON Heritage.
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 RP-600M II and LINTON Heritage features dual binding post speaker terminals for bi-amping or bi-wiring.
Klipsch RP-600M II's Binding post terminals allows Bi-amping or bi-wiring
Wharfedale LINTON's Post terminals allows Bi-amping or bi-wiring
Cabinet Type and Port Position
Both RP-600M II and LINTON Heritage 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 RP-600M II's and Wharfedale LINTON's external dimensions. Klipsch RP-600M II has external dimensions of 402.0 x 204.0 x 332.0mm (15-13/16 x 8 x 13-1/16inch) whereas Wharfedale LINTON has external dimensions of 565.0 x 300.0 x 360.0mm (22.2 x 11.8 x 12.9inch).
Wharfedale LINTON is clearly the larger of the two speakers. Its body is 96mm wider, 163mm taller and 28mm deeper than Klipsch RP-600M II.
Below you can see the front view size comparison of Klipsch RP-600M II and Wharfedale LINTON in scale.
Comparison image of Klipsch RP-600M II and Wharfedale LINTON 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 RP-600M II is approximately 677.3cm2 / 105.0inch2 and base area of the Wharfedale LINTON is approximately 1080.0cm2 / 167.4inch2. The RP-600M II requires 37% less surface area than the LINTON Heritage which gives it a small advantage 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 RP-600M II weighs 8.20kg / 18lbs and the Wharfedale LINTON weighs 18.40kg / 40.5lbs. This makes the LINTON Heritage 124% heavier than the RP-600M II.
Here is a comparison of how RP-600M II and LINTON Heritage's weights compare with the average, max and min weights in Passive Bookshelf class.
Weight
All Bookshelf Speakers
What's in the Box of Klipsch RP-600M II?
Here are the items that are included inside the box of RP-600M II:
- 2 Bookshelf loudspeakers
- 2 Grilles
- 4 Terminal jumpers (pre-installed)
- User Manual
- Important Safety Instructions
- Warranty Information
What's in the Box of Wharfedale LINTON?
Here are the items that come with the LINTON Heritage:
- Bookshelf loudspeaker
- Grille (pre-installed)
- 4 Self-adhesive rubber feet
- Pair of white gloves
- User's Manual
 Sensitivity |
94 dB
vs
90 dB
|
Play louder with same amount of amplification power |
 Nominal Impedance |
8 ohms
vs
6 ohms
|
Less selective with amplifiers |
 High Frequency Response |
25k Hz
vs
20k Hz
|
Generates higher frequency |
 Height |
402mm
vs
565mm
|
Easier to fit in smaller spaces |
 Base Surface Area |
677cm2
vs
1080cm2
|
Takes less floor space |
 Price per pair* |
749USD
vs
1500USD
|
costs less (*prices may change depending on the seller, location and time) |
 Max Input Power |
200 watts
vs
100 watts
|
Handle more power from your amplifier |
 Driver Setup |
3-way
vs
2-way
|
Have a dedicated mid-range driver |
 Woofer Size |
8 inches
vs
6.5 inches
|
Larger woofer |
|
Low Frequency Response |
40 Hz
vs
44 Hz
|
Generates deeper bass |
| General |
Klipsch Reference Premiere RP-600M II |
Wharfedale LINTON Heritage |
| Brand |
Klipsch |
Wharfedale |
| Speaker Type |
Bookshelf speakers |
Bookshelf speakers |
| Power Range |
up to 100 watts |
25-200 watts |
| Sensitivity |
94.5 dB |
90 dB |
| Impedance |
8 ohms |
6 ohms |
| Impedance |
n/a |
3.5 ohms |
| Frequency Response |
44-25k Hz |
40-20k Hz |
Drivers |
|
|
| Woofer Quantity |
1 |
1 |
| Woofer Size |
6.5" |
8" |
| Woofer Composition |
Cerametallic cone |
Woven Kevlar |
| Woofer Surround Material |
Rubber |
Rubber |
| Tweeter Size |
1" |
1" |
| Tweeter Type |
Hybrid Tractrix Horn |
Soft-dome |
| Aimable Tweeter |
No |
No |
| Midrange Driver |
No |
5" |
| Crossover Frequency |
1500 Hz |
630Hz and 2400Hz |
| Firing Direction |
rear |
rear |
Physical Specs |
|
|
| Height |
402.0mm (15.8") |
565.0mm (22.2") |
| Width |
204.0mm (8") |
300.0mm (11.8") |
| Depth |
332.0mm (13.1") |
360.0mm (14.2") |
| Weight |
8.20kg (18lbs) |
18.40kg (40.5lbs) |
| Enclosure |
Bass Reflex |
Bass Reflex |
| Finish |
MDF/Wood-grain vinyl |
MDF/Wood Veneer |
| Available Colors |
Walnut, Black |
Walnut, Red Mahogany, Black |
| Mounting Bracket |
|
No |
| Recommended Stand Height |
22-26" |
18-22" |
| Grille |
Yes |
Yes |
| Moisture Resistancy |
No |
No |
Connections |
|
|
| Biamp Inputs |
Yes |
Yes |
Other |
|
|
| Parts Warranty |
5 Years |
5 Years |
| Labor Warranty |
5 Years |
5 Years |
These sit in different price classes - Wharfedale LINTON costs roughly 2x what Klipsch RP-600M II does. Expect it to lead on paper; the question is whether the gap is audible enough in your room to be worth it.
| Area | Better | Why |
|---|
| Bass | B | Wharfedale LINTON digs deeper - 40Hz against 44Hz. A subwoofer would even that out. |
| Amplifier needs | A | Klipsch RP-600M II is more sensitive (94dB vs 90dB), so it goes louder on the same amplifier. |
| Amplifier match | A | Klipsch RP-600M II is the easier load at 8 ohms. |
| Headroom | B | Wharfedale LINTON takes more power (200W vs 100W) - more in hand in a big room. |
| Size | depends | Klipsch RP-600M II is easier to place; Wharfedale LINTON is bigger, which usually goes with fuller bass. Your room decides. |
| Expandability | depends | Klipsch RP-600M II: bi-amping; Wharfedale LINTON: bi-amping. Klipsch RP-600M II sits in a wider range (10 models), so a matched surround system is easier later. |
| Price | A | Klipsch RP-600M II is cheaper - $749 against $1,500, about 50% less; arguably a different class. |
A Klipsch RP-600M II B Wharfedale LINTON
depends neither is better in the abstract - it turns on your room, your system 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?
Neither runs away with it - they trade advantages. Let the "depends" rows and your own room settle it. Match it to your room: we rate Klipsch RP-600M II the better fit for near-field listening and a small room, and Wharfedale LINTON for a mid-size room and a large room. In a large or open-plan room, Wharfedale LINTON has the cabinet volume to fill it more easily; in a small room, near a wall or at desk distance, Klipsch RP-600M II 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.