In this review, we will be comparing L200 and LINTON Heritage, two Passive Bookshelf speakers from Polk Audio and Wharfedale.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of Polk L200 and Wharfedale LINTON first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
| Key Specs | Polk L200 | Wharfedale LINTON |
|---|
| Brand | Polk Audio
United States · founded 1972 | Wharfedale
United Kingdom · founded 1932 |
|---|
| Design | 2-way | 3-way |
|---|
| Tweeter | 1" Ring Radiator | 1" Soft-dome |
|---|
| Midrange | — | 5" |
|---|
| Woofer | 6.5" Polypropylene | 8" Woven Kevlar |
|---|
| Frequency response | 46-38k Hz | 40-20k Hz |
|---|
| Sensitivity | 85.5 dB | 90 dB |
|---|
| Impedance | 4 ohms | 6 ohms |
|---|
| Power range | 30-200 watts | 25-200 watts |
|---|
| Weight | 10.00kg / 22lbs | 18.40kg / 40.5lbs |
|---|
| Dimensions (H x W x D) | 15-11/16" x 8-3/8" x 13-5/16"
399.0 x 213.0 x 339.0mm | 22.2" x 11.8" x 14.2"
565.0 x 300.0 x 360.0mm |
|---|
What size room are the Polk L200 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* |
Polk L200 |
Wharfedale LINTON |
| Near-field |
Poor |
Poor |
| Small Room |
Average |
Average |
| Mid-size Room |
Good |
Good |
| Large Room |
Average |
Average |
| Very Large Room |
Poor |
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 L200 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.
Polk L200Wharfedale 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 |
Polk L200 |
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
|
L200 features a 1" Ring Radiator Tweeter and 1 x 6.5" Polypropylene Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 2600Hz. 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
L200 has a frequency range of 46-38k Hz whereas LINTON Heritage has a frequency range of 40-20k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 40Hz, the LINTON Heritage can go significantly deeper on the low side and provide stronger bass compared to the L200's min frequency of 46Hz.
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
L200 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 L200 can provide this impedance level.
These two speakers also have different sensitivity levels. L200 sensitivity is rated at 85.5 dB and the LINTON Heritage's is rated at 90 dB. This 4 dB difference makes the Wharfedale LINTON a more sensitive speaker compared to Polk L200, 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.
Both handle the same maximum of 200 watts RMS, though L200 is rated 30-200 watts and LINTON Heritage 25-200 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
Both L200 and LINTON Heritage features dual binding post speaker terminals for bi-amping or bi-wiring.
Polk L200's 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 L200 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.
Polk L200 Enhanced Power Port Port
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 Polk L200's and Wharfedale LINTON's external dimensions. Polk L200 has external dimensions of 399.0 x 213.0 x 339.0mm (15-11/16 x 8-3/8 x 13-5/16inch) 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 87mm wider, 166mm taller and 21mm deeper than Polk L200.
Below you can see the front view size comparison of Polk L200 and Wharfedale LINTON in scale.
Comparison image of Polk L200 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 Polk L200 is approximately 722.1cm2 / 111.9inch2 and base area of the Wharfedale LINTON is approximately 1080.0cm2 / 167.4inch2. The L200 requires 33% 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 Polk L200 weighs 10.00kg / 22lbs and the Wharfedale LINTON weighs 18.40kg / 40.5lbs. This makes the LINTON Heritage 84% heavier than the L200.
Here is a comparison of how L200 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 Polk L200?
Here are the items that are included inside the box of L200:
- 2 Bookshelf loudspeakers
- 2 Grilles
- Cleaning cloth
- Owners Manual
- Online Registration
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
 High Frequency Response |
38k Hz
vs
20k Hz
|
Generates higher frequency |
 Height |
399mm
vs
565mm
|
Easier to fit in smaller spaces |
 Base Surface Area |
722cm2
vs
1080cm2
|
Takes less floor space |
 Price per pair* |
1499USD
vs
1500USD
|
costs less (*prices may change depending on the seller, location and time) |
 Driver Setup |
3-way
vs
2-way
|
Have a dedicated mid-range driver |
 Sensitivity |
90 dB
vs
86 dB
|
Play louder with same amount of amplification power |
 Nominal Impedance |
6 ohms
vs
4 ohms
|
Less selective with amplifiers |
 Minimum Impedance |
3.5 ohms
vs
3 ohms
|
Very low impedance levels puts more pressure on amplifier |
 Woofer Size |
8 inches
vs
6.5 inches
|
Larger woofer |
|
Low Frequency Response |
40 Hz
vs
46 Hz
|
Generates deeper bass |
| General |
Polk Audio Legend L200 |
Wharfedale LINTON Heritage |
| Brand |
Polk Audio |
Wharfedale |
| Speaker Type |
Bookshelf speakers |
Bookshelf speakers |
| Power Range |
30-200 watts |
25-200 watts |
| Sensitivity |
85.5 dB |
90 dB |
| Impedance |
4 ohms |
6 ohms |
| Impedance |
3 ohms |
3.5 ohms |
| Frequency Response |
46-38k Hz |
40-20k Hz |
Drivers |
|
|
| Woofer Quantity |
1 |
1 |
| Woofer Size |
6.5" |
8" |
| Woofer Composition |
Polypropylene |
Woven Kevlar |
| Woofer Surround Material |
Rubber |
Rubber |
| Tweeter Size |
1" |
1" |
| Tweeter Type |
Ring Radiator |
Soft-dome |
| Aimable Tweeter |
No |
No |
| Midrange Driver |
No |
5" |
| Crossover Frequency |
2600Hz |
630Hz and 2400Hz |
| Firing Direction |
rear |
rear |
Physical Specs |
|
|
| Height |
399.0mm (15.7") |
565.0mm (22.2") |
| Width |
213.0mm (8.4") |
300.0mm (11.8") |
| Depth |
339.0mm (13.3") |
360.0mm (14.2") |
| Weight |
10.00kg (22lbs) |
18.40kg (40.5lbs) |
| Enclosure |
Bass Reflex |
Bass Reflex |
| Finish |
MDF/Wood veneer |
MDF/Wood Veneer |
| Available Colors |
Brown Walnut, Black Ash |
Walnut, Red Mahogany, Black |
| Mounting Bracket |
No |
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 |
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 LINTON digs deeper - 40Hz against 46Hz. A subwoofer would even that out. |
| Amplifier needs | B | Wharfedale LINTON is more sensitive (90dB vs 86dB), so it goes louder on the same amplifier. |
| 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 | evenly matched | Similar power handling (200W vs 200W). |
| Size | depends | Polk L200 is easier to place; Wharfedale LINTON is bigger, which usually goes with fuller bass. Your room decides. |
| Expandability | depends | Polk L200: bi-amping; Wharfedale LINTON: bi-amping. |
| Price | evenly matched | Much the same money ($1,499 vs $1,500 a pair). |
A Polk L200 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. If a subwoofer is in your plans, the bass gap largely stops mattering - you would be crossing over above 46Hz anyway, so judge these on the other rows instead. 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, Polk L200 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.