In this review, we will be comparing Sandwich 250 and Dovedale, two Passive Bookshelf speakers from Leak and Wharfedale.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of Leak Sandwich 250 and Wharfedale Dovedale first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
| Key Specs | Leak Sandwich 250 | Wharfedale Dovedale |
|---|
| Brand | Leak
United Kingdom · founded 1934 | Wharfedale
United Kingdom · founded 1932 |
|---|
| Design | 3-way | 3-way |
|---|
| Tweeter | 1.2" Dome | 1" soft dome |
|---|
| Midrange | 4.25" | 5" |
|---|
| Woofer | 11" Aluminium-Foamcore Sandwich cone | 10" black woven Kevlar cone |
|---|
| Frequency response | 42Hz-26kHz | 36-20k Hz |
|---|
| Sensitivity | 88.5 dB | 89 DB |
|---|
| Impedance | 4 ohms | 6.5 ohms |
|---|
| Power range | 25-250 watts | 25-250 watts |
|---|
| Weight | 27.30kg / 60.1lbs | 26.20kg / 57.6lbs |
|---|
| Dimensions (H x W x D) | 25.8" x 14.6" x 11.8"
655 x 370 x 300 mm | 26.0" x 14.6" x 16.4"
660 x 370 x 417mm |
|---|
What size room are the Leak Sandwich 250 and Wharfedale Dovedale 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* |
Leak Sandwich 250 |
Wharfedale Dovedale |
| Near-field |
Poor |
Poor |
| Small Room |
Poor |
Poor |
| Mid-size Room |
Good |
Good |
| Large Room |
Good |
Good |
| Very Large Room |
Average |
Average |
(* 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
Both Sandwich 250 and Dovedale are 3-way speakers.
Leak Sandwich 250Wharfedale 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 |
Leak Sandwich 250 |
Wharfedale Dovedale |
|
Driver Setup
|
3-way
|
3-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
1.2-inch
|
1-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
1 x 4.25-inch |
1 x 5-inch |
|
Woofer
|
1 x 11-inch
|
1 x 10-inch
|
Sandwich 250 features a 1.2" Coated Textile Dome Tweeter, a 4.25" Midrange and 1 x 11" Aluminium-Foamcore Sandwich cone Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 470Hz and 3100Hz. 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
Sandwich 250 has a frequency range of 42Hz-26kHz whereas Dovedale has a frequency range of 36-20k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 36Hz, the Dovedale can go significantly deeper on the low side and provide stronger bass compared to the Sandwich 250's min frequency of 42Hz.
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
Sandwich 250 is a 4 ohms speaker compared to the Dovedale which has a nominal impedance of 6.5 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 Sandwich 250 can provide this impedance level.
These two speakers also have different sensitivity levels. Sandwich 250 sensitivity is rated at 88.5 dB and the Dovedale's is rated at 89 DB.
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.
Sandwich 250 and Dovedale have the same power range of 25-250 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.
Input Type and Bi-Amping / Bi-Wiring
Dovedale features Post posts which make bi-amping or bi-wiring possible. Sandwich 250 has a Binding post which doesn't feature bi-amping/bi-wiring.
Leak Sandwich 250's Binding post terminals
Wharfedale Dovedale's Post terminals allows Bi-amping or bi-wiring
Cabinet Type and Port Position
Both Sandwich 250 and Dovedale 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 Leak Sandwich 250's and Wharfedale Dovedale's external dimensions. Leak Sandwich 250 has external dimensions of 655 x 370 x 300 mm (25.8 x 14.6 x 11.8 inch) whereas Wharfedale Dovedale has external dimensions of 660 x 370 x 417mm (23.6 x 14.6 x 16.4 inch).
Below you can see the front view size comparison of Leak Sandwich 250 and Wharfedale Dovedale in scale.
Comparison image of Leak Sandwich 250 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 Leak Sandwich 250 is approximately 1110.0cm2 / 172.1inch2 and base area of the Wharfedale Dovedale is approximately 1542.9cm2 / 239.1inch2. The Sandwich 250 requires 28% less surface area than the Dovedale 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 Leak Sandwich 250 weighs 27.30kg / 60.1lbs and the Wharfedale Dovedale weighs 26.20kg / 57.6lbs. This makes the Sandwich 250 4% heavier than the Dovedale.
Here is a comparison of how Sandwich 250 and Dovedale's weights compare with the average, max and min weights in Passive Bookshelf class.
Weight
All Bookshelf Speakers
 Woofer Size |
11 inches
vs
10 inches
|
Larger woofer |
 High Frequency Response |
26k Hz
vs
20k Hz
|
Generates higher frequency |
 Height |
655mm
vs
660mm
|
Easier to fit in smaller spaces |
 Base Surface Area |
1110cm2
vs
1542cm2
|
Takes less floor space |
 Price per pair* |
2399USD
vs
5000USD
|
costs less (*prices may change depending on the seller, location and time) |
 Nominal Impedance |
6.5 ohms
vs
4 ohms
|
Less selective with amplifiers |
|
Low Frequency Response |
36 Hz
vs
42 Hz
|
Generates deeper bass |
 Bi-Amping and Bi-Wiring |
Yes
vs
No
|
Allows bi-amping and bi-wiring connections |
| General |
Leak Sandwich 250 |
Wharfedale Dovedale |
| Brand |
Leak |
Wharfedale |
| Speaker Type |
Bookshelf speakers |
Bookshelf speakers |
| Power Range |
25-250 watts |
25-250 watts |
| Sensitivity |
88.5 dB |
89 DB |
| Impedance |
4 ohms |
6.5 ohms |
| Impedance |
n/a |
3.6 ohms |
| Frequency Response |
42Hz-26kHz |
36-20k Hz |
Drivers |
|
|
| Woofer Quantity |
1 |
1 |
| Woofer Size |
11" |
10" |
| Woofer Composition |
Aluminium-Foamcore Sandwich cone |
black woven Kevlar cone |
| Woofer Surround Material |
Rubber |
Rubber |
| Tweeter Size |
1.2" |
1" |
| Tweeter Type |
Dome |
soft dome |
| Aimable Tweeter |
No |
No |
| Midrange Driver |
4.25" |
5" |
| Crossover Frequency |
470Hz and 3100Hz |
560Hz and 2900Hz |
| Firing Direction |
rear |
rear |
Physical Specs |
|
|
| Height |
655.0mm (25.8") |
660.0mm (26") |
| Width |
370.0mm (14.6") |
370.0mm (14.6") |
| Depth |
300.0mm (11.8") |
417.0mm (16.4") |
| Weight |
27.30kg (60.1lbs) |
26.20kg (57.6lbs) |
| Enclosure |
Bass Reflex |
Bass Reflex |
| Finish |
real-wood veneer |
MDF/Wood Veneer |
| Available Colors |
walnut |
Walnut |
| Mounting Bracket |
No |
No |
| Grille |
Yes |
Yes |
| Moisture Resistancy |
No |
No |
Connections |
|
|
| Biamp Inputs |
No |
Yes |
Other |
|
|
| Parts Warranty |
|
5 Years |
| Labor Warranty |
|
5 Years |
These sit in different price classes - Wharfedale Dovedale costs roughly 2.1x what Leak Sandwich 250 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 Dovedale digs deeper - 36Hz against 42Hz. A subwoofer would even that out. |
| Amplifier needs | evenly matched | Similar sensitivity (89dB vs 89dB) - both want much the same power. |
| Amplifier match | B | Wharfedale Dovedale is the easier load at 6.5 ohms; the other is 4 ohms and wants an amplifier rated for it. |
| Headroom | evenly matched | Similar power handling (250W vs 250W). |
| Size | depends | Leak Sandwich 250 is easier to place; Wharfedale Dovedale is bigger, which usually goes with fuller bass. Your room decides. |
| Expandability | B | Wharfedale Dovedale: bi-amping. Wharfedale Dovedale sits in a wider range (7 models), so a matched surround system is easier later. |
| Price | A | Leak Sandwich 250 is cheaper - $2,399 against $5,000, about 52% less; arguably a different class. |
A Leak Sandwich 250 B Wharfedale Dovedale
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?
The usual trade-off: Wharfedale Dovedale measures better, Leak Sandwich 250 costs about about 108% more% 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 42Hz anyway, which makes the cheaper Leak Sandwich 250 much easier to justify. In a large or open-plan room, Wharfedale Dovedale has the cabinet volume to fill it more easily; in a small room, near a wall or at desk distance, Leak Sandwich 250 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.