In this review, we will be comparing 5010 and LINTON Heritage, two Passive Bookshelf speakers from Q Acoustics and Wharfedale.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of Q Acoustics 5010 and Wharfedale LINTON first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
| Key Specs | Q Acoustics 5010 | Wharfedale LINTON |
|---|
| Brand | Q Acoustics
United Kingdom · founded 2006 | Wharfedale
United Kingdom · founded 1932 |
|---|
| Design | 2-way | 3-way |
|---|
| Tweeter | 1" Soft-dome | 1" Soft-dome |
|---|
| Midrange | — | 5" |
|---|
| Woofer | 4.5" Continuous Curved Cone | 8" Woven Kevlar |
|---|
| Frequency response | 56-30k Hz | 40-20k Hz |
|---|
| Sensitivity | 86.3 dB | 90 dB |
|---|
| Impedance | 6 ohms | 6 ohms |
|---|
| Power range | 15-90 watts | 25-200 watts |
|---|
| Weight | 5.59kg / 12.3lbs | 18.40kg / 40.5lbs |
|---|
| Dimensions (H x W x D) | 10-7/16" x 6-5/16" x 10-7/16"
266.0 x 161.0 x 266.0mm | 22.2" x 11.8" x 14.2"
565.0 x 300.0 x 360.0mm |
|---|
What size room are the Q Acoustics 5010 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* |
Q Acoustics 5010 |
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.
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Drivers
One of the fundamental differences between these two speakers is that 5010 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.
Q Acoustics 5010Wharfedale 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 |
Q Acoustics 5010 |
Wharfedale LINTON |
|
Driver Setup
|
2-way
|
3-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
1-inch
|
1-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
- |
1 x 5-inch |
|
Woofer
|
1 x 4.5-inch
|
1 x 8-inch
|
5010 features a 1" Soft-dome Tweeter and 1 x 4.5" Continuous Curved Cone Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 2500 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
5010 has a frequency range of 56-30k 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 5010's min frequency of 56Hz.
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
5010 and LINTON Heritage have the same Impedance of 6 ohms but where they differ is the sensitivity levels. 5010 sensitivity is rated at 86.3 dB and the LINTON Heritage's is at 90 dB. This 4 dB difference makes the Wharfedale LINTON a more sensitive speaker compared to Q Acoustics 5010, 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 5010 has a max power handling value of 90 watts RMS, 110 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
LINTON Heritage features Post posts which make bi-amping or bi-wiring possible. 5010 has a Binding post which doesn't feature bi-amping/bi-wiring.
Q Acoustics 5010's Binding post terminals
Wharfedale LINTON's Post terminals allows Bi-amping or bi-wiring
Cabinet Type and Port Position
Both 5010 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 Q Acoustics 5010's and Wharfedale LINTON's external dimensions. Q Acoustics 5010 has external dimensions of 266.0 x 161.0 x 266.0mm (10-7/16inch x 6-5/16inch x 10-7/16inch) 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 139mm wider, 299mm taller and 94mm deeper than Q Acoustics 5010.
Below you can see the front view size comparison of Q Acoustics 5010 and Wharfedale LINTON in scale.
Comparison image of Q Acoustics 5010 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 Q Acoustics 5010 is approximately 428.3cm2 / 66.4inch2 and base area of the Wharfedale LINTON is approximately 1080.0cm2 / 167.4inch2. The 5010 requires 60% 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 Q Acoustics 5010 weighs 5.59kg / 12.3lbs and the Wharfedale LINTON weighs 18.40kg / 40.5lbs. This makes the LINTON Heritage 229% heavier than the 5010.
Here is a comparison of how 5010 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 Q Acoustics 5010?
Here are the items that are included inside the box of 5010:
- 2x 5010 loudspeaker
- 1x Owners manual
- 2x Foam bung
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 |
30k Hz
vs
20k Hz
|
Generates higher frequency |
 Height |
266mm
vs
565mm
|
Easier to fit in smaller spaces |
 Base Surface Area |
428cm2
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
90 watts
|
Handle more power from your amplifier |
 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 |
 Minimum Impedance |
3.5 ohms
vs
3.3 ohms
|
Very low impedance levels puts more pressure on amplifier |
 Woofer Size |
8 inches
vs
4.5 inches
|
Larger woofer |
|
Low Frequency Response |
40 Hz
vs
56 Hz
|
Generates deeper bass |
 Bi-Amping and Bi-Wiring |
Yes
vs
No
|
Allows bi-amping and bi-wiring connections |
| General |
Q Acoustics 5010 |
Wharfedale LINTON Heritage |
| Brand |
Q Acoustics |
Wharfedale |
| Speaker Type |
Bookshelf speakers |
Bookshelf speakers |
| Power Range |
15-90 watts |
25-200 watts |
| Sensitivity |
86.3 dB |
90 dB |
| Impedance |
6 ohms |
6 ohms |
| Impedance |
3.3 ohms |
3.5 ohms |
| Frequency Response |
56-30k Hz |
40-20k Hz |
Drivers |
|
|
| Woofer Quantity |
1 |
1 |
| Woofer Size |
4.5" |
8" |
| Woofer Composition |
Continuous Curved Cone |
Woven Kevlar |
| Woofer Surround Material |
Rubber |
Rubber |
| Tweeter Size |
1" |
1" |
| Tweeter Type |
Soft-dome |
Soft-dome |
| Aimable Tweeter |
No |
No |
| Midrange Driver |
No |
5" |
| Crossover Frequency |
2500 Hz |
630Hz and 2400Hz |
| Firing Direction |
rear |
rear |
Physical Specs |
|
|
| Height |
266.0mm (10.5") |
565.0mm (22.2") |
| Width |
161.0mm (6.3") |
300.0mm (11.8") |
| Depth |
266.0mm (10.5") |
360.0mm (14.2") |
| Weight |
5.59kg (12.3lbs) |
18.40kg (40.5lbs) |
| Enclosure |
Bass Relfex |
Bass Reflex |
| Finish |
MDF |
MDF/Wood Veneer |
| Available Colors |
Holme Oak,Satin Black,Satin White,Santos Rosewood |
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 |
5 Years |
| Labor Warranty |
5 years |
5 Years |
These sit in different price classes - Wharfedale LINTON costs roughly 2x what Q Acoustics 5010 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 56Hz. |
| Amplifier needs | B | Wharfedale LINTON is more sensitive (90dB vs 86dB), so it goes louder on the same amplifier. |
| Headroom | B | Wharfedale LINTON takes more power (200W vs 90W) - more in hand in a big room. |
| Size | depends | Q Acoustics 5010 is easier to place; Wharfedale LINTON is bigger, which usually goes with fuller bass. Your room decides. |
| Expandability | B | Wharfedale LINTON: bi-amping. |
| Price | A | Q Acoustics 5010 is cheaper - $749 against $1,500, about 50% less; arguably a different class. |
A Q Acoustics 5010 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?
The usual trade-off: Wharfedale LINTON measures better, Q Acoustics 5010 costs about about 100% 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 56Hz anyway, which makes the cheaper Q Acoustics 5010 much easier to justify. Match it to your room: we rate Q Acoustics 5010 the better fit for near-field listening and a small room, and Wharfedale LINTON for a mid-size room and a large 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.