In this review, we will be comparing Sandwich 250 and LINTON Heritage, two Passive Bookshelf speakers from Leak and Wharfedale.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of Leak Sandwich 250 and Wharfedale LINTON first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
| Key Specs | Leak Sandwich 250 | Wharfedale LINTON |
|---|
| 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 | 8" Woven Kevlar |
|---|
| Frequency response | 42Hz-26kHz | 40-20k Hz |
|---|
| Sensitivity | 88.5 dB | 90 dB |
|---|
| Impedance | 4 ohms | 6 ohms |
|---|
| Power range | 25-250 watts | 25-200 watts |
|---|
| Weight | 27.30kg / 60.1lbs | 18.40kg / 40.5lbs |
|---|
| Dimensions (H x W x D) | 25.8" x 14.6" x 11.8"
655 x 370 x 300 mm | 22.2" x 11.8" x 14.2"
565.0 x 300.0 x 360.0mm |
|---|
What size room are the Leak Sandwich 250 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* |
Leak Sandwich 250 |
Wharfedale LINTON |
| Near-field |
Poor |
Poor |
| Small Room |
Poor |
Average |
| Mid-size Room |
Good |
Good |
| Large Room |
Good |
Average |
| Very Large Room |
Average |
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
Both Sandwich 250 and LINTON Heritage are 3-way speakers.
Leak Sandwich 250Wharfedale 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 |
Leak Sandwich 250 |
Wharfedale LINTON |
|
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 8-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 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
Sandwich 250 has a frequency range of 42Hz-26kHz 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 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 LINTON Heritage which has a nominal impedance of 6 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 LINTON Heritage's is rated at 90 dB. This 1 dB difference makes the Wharfedale LINTON a more sensitive speaker compared to Leak Sandwich 250, 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.
Sandwich 250 can handle a max power of 250 watts RMS, whereas LINTON Heritage has a max power handling value of 200 watts RMS, 50 watts less than the Sandwich 250.
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
LINTON Heritage 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 LINTON's Post terminals allows Bi-amping or bi-wiring
Cabinet Type and Port Position
Both Sandwich 250 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 Leak Sandwich 250's and Wharfedale LINTON'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 LINTON has external dimensions of 565.0 x 300.0 x 360.0mm (22.2 x 11.8 x 12.9inch).
Wharfedale LINTON is 70mm narrower and 90mm shorter than Leak Sandwich 250 but it is also 60mm deeper.
Below you can see the front view size comparison of Leak Sandwich 250 and Wharfedale LINTON in scale.
Comparison image of Leak Sandwich 250 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 Leak Sandwich 250 is approximately 1110.0cm2 / 172.1inch2 and base area of the Wharfedale LINTON is approximately 1080.0cm2 / 167.4inch2. The Sandwich 250 requires 3% more surface area than the LINTON Heritage 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 Leak Sandwich 250 weighs 27.30kg / 60.1lbs and the Wharfedale LINTON weighs 18.40kg / 40.5lbs. This makes the Sandwich 250 48% heavier than the LINTON Heritage.
Here is a comparison of how Sandwich 250 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 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
 Max Input Power |
250 watts
vs
200 watts
|
Handle more power from your amplifier |
 Woofer Size |
11 inches
vs
8 inches
|
Larger woofer |
 High Frequency Response |
26k Hz
vs
20k Hz
|
Generates higher frequency |
 Sensitivity |
90 dB
vs
89 dB
|
Play louder with same amount of amplification power |
 Nominal Impedance |
6 ohms
vs
4 ohms
|
Less selective with amplifiers |
|
Low Frequency Response |
40 Hz
vs
42 Hz
|
Generates deeper bass |
 Bi-Amping and Bi-Wiring |
Yes
vs
No
|
Allows bi-amping and bi-wiring connections |
 Height |
565mm
vs
655mm
|
Easier to fit in smaller spaces |
 Base Surface Area |
1080cm2
vs
1110cm2
|
Takes less floor space |
 Price per pair* |
1500USD
vs
2399USD
|
costs less (*prices may change depending on the seller, location and time) |
| General |
Leak Sandwich 250 |
Wharfedale LINTON Heritage |
| Brand |
Leak |
Wharfedale |
| Speaker Type |
Bookshelf speakers |
Bookshelf speakers |
| Power Range |
25-250 watts |
25-200 watts |
| Sensitivity |
88.5 dB |
90 dB |
| Impedance |
4 ohms |
6 ohms |
| Impedance |
n/a |
3.5 ohms |
| Frequency Response |
42Hz-26kHz |
40-20k Hz |
Drivers |
|
|
| Woofer Quantity |
1 |
1 |
| Woofer Size |
11" |
8" |
| Woofer Composition |
Aluminium-Foamcore Sandwich cone |
Woven Kevlar |
| 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 |
630Hz and 2400Hz |
| Firing Direction |
rear |
rear |
Physical Specs |
|
|
| Height |
655.0mm (25.8") |
565.0mm (22.2") |
| Width |
370.0mm (14.6") |
300.0mm (11.8") |
| Depth |
300.0mm (11.8") |
360.0mm (14.2") |
| Weight |
27.30kg (60.1lbs) |
18.40kg (40.5lbs) |
| Enclosure |
Bass Reflex |
Bass Reflex |
| Finish |
real-wood veneer |
MDF/Wood Veneer |
| Available Colors |
walnut |
Walnut, Red Mahogany, Black |
| Mounting Bracket |
No |
No |
| Recommended Stand Height |
n/a |
18-22" |
| Grille |
Yes |
Yes |
| Moisture Resistancy |
No |
No |
Connections |
|
|
| Biamp Inputs |
No |
Yes |
Other |
|
|
| Parts Warranty |
|
5 Years |
| Labor Warranty |
|
5 Years |
A generation apart: Leak Sandwich 250 is the newer design, against a 2017 model. Newer is not automatically better, but the older one is more likely to be discounted or near run-out.
| Area | Better | Why |
|---|
| Bass | evenly matched | Much the same reach (42Hz vs 40Hz). |
| Amplifier needs | evenly matched | Similar sensitivity (89dB vs 90dB) - both want much the same power. |
| Amplifier match | B | Wharfedale LINTON is the easier load at 6 ohms; the other is 4 ohms and wants an amplifier rated for it. |
| Headroom | A | Leak Sandwich 250 takes more power (250W vs 200W) - more in hand in a big room. |
| Size | depends | Similar cabinet size - neither is easier to fit. |
| Expandability | B | Wharfedale LINTON: bi-amping. Wharfedale LINTON sits in a wider range (7 models), so a matched surround system is easier later. |
| Price | B | Wharfedale LINTON is cheaper - $1,500 against $2,399, about 37% less. |
A Leak Sandwich 250 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?
Wharfedale LINTON has the edge on paper, though the margin is not large. The rows marked "depends" may matter more to you than the score does. Match it to your room: we rate Leak Sandwich 250 the better fit for a large room and a very large room, and Wharfedale LINTON for a small room. If your amplifier is modest, vintage or valve-based, Wharfedale LINTON is the safer partner - the other will want more current or more watts to sound its best.
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.