In this review, we will be comparing D310 and BW 607, two Passive Bookshelf speakers from Wharfedale and Bowers Wilkins.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of Wharfedale D310 and B&W 607 first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
| Key Specs | Wharfedale D310 | B&W 607 |
|---|
| Brand | Wharfedale
United Kingdom · founded 1932 | Bowers Wilkins
United Kingdom · founded 1966 |
|---|
| Design | 2-way | 2-way |
|---|
| Tweeter | 1" Soft-Dome | 1" Hard-Dome |
|---|
| Woofer | 4" Woven Kevlar | 5" Continuum |
|---|
| Frequency response | 65-20k Hz | 52-28k Hz |
|---|
| Sensitivity | 86 dB | 84 dB |
|---|
| Impedance | 8 ohms | 8 ohms |
|---|
| Power range | 20-60 watts | 30-100 watts |
|---|
| Weight | 4.00kg / 8.8lbs | 4.70kg / 10.3lbs |
|---|
| Dimensions (H x W x D) | 10-7/16" x 6-1/8" x 8-13/16"
266.0 x 156.0 x 224.0mm | 11.8" x 6.4" x 8.1"
300.0 x 165.0 x 207.0mm |
|---|
What size room are the Wharfedale D310 and B&W 607 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* |
Wharfedale D310 |
B&W 607 |
| Near-field |
Good |
Average |
| Small Room |
Good |
Good |
| Mid-size Room |
Average |
Average |
| Large Room |
Poor |
Poor |
| Very Large Room |
No way |
Bad |
(* 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 D310 and BW 607 are 2-way speakers.
Wharfedale D310B&W 607
TweeterWoofer
Front view, drawn to scale - cabinets and drivers share one scale, so sizes are directly comparable. Hover a driver for its size.
| Driver |
Wharfedale D310 |
B&W 607 |
|
Driver Setup
|
2-way
|
2-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
1-inch
|
1-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
- |
- |
|
Woofer
|
1 x 4-inch
|
1 x 5-inch
|
D310 features a 1" Soft-Dome Tweeter and 1 x 4" Woven Kevlar Woofer. On the other hand, the BW 607 features a 1" Decoupled Carbon Hard-Dome Tweeter and 1 x 5" Continuum Woofer.
Frequency Response
D310 has a frequency range of 65-20k Hz whereas BW 607 has a frequency range of 52-28k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 52Hz, the BW 607 can go significantly deeper on the low side and provide stronger bass compared to the D310's min frequency of 65Hz.
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
D310 and BW 607 have the same Impedance of 8 ohms but where they differ is the sensitivity levels. D310 sensitivity is rated at 86 dB and the BW 607's is at 84 dB. This 2 dB difference makes the Wharfedale D310 a more sensitive speaker compared to B&W 607, 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.
BW 607 can handle a max power of 100 watts RMS, whereas D310 has a max power handling value of 60 watts RMS, 40 watts less than the BW 607.
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
BW 607 features Post posts which make bi-amping or bi-wiring possible. D310 has a Post which doesn't feature bi-amping/bi-wiring.
Wharfedale D310's Post terminals
Cabinet Type and Port Position
D310 has a bottom firing port whereas BW 607 has a rear firing ports. Wharfedale D310's bottom-firing port gives more flexibility in placement in regards to proximity to walls compared to B&W 607 with its rear-firing 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 Wharfedale D310's and B&W 607's external dimensions. Wharfedale D310 has external dimensions of 266.0 x 156.0 x 224.0mm (10-7/16 x 6-1/8 x 8-13/16inch) whereas B&W 607 has external dimensions of 300.0 x 165.0 x 207.0mm (11.8 x 6.4 x 8.1inch).
Wharfedale D310 is 9mm narrower and 34mm shorter than B&W 607 but it is also 17mm deeper.
Below you can see the front view size comparison of Wharfedale D310 and B&W 607 in scale.
Comparison image of Wharfedale D310 and B&W 607 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 Wharfedale D310 is approximately 349.4cm2 / 54.2inch2 and base area of the B&W 607 is approximately 341.6cm2 / 52.9inch2. The D310 requires 2% more surface area than the BW 607 which gives it a small disadvantage on placement in tight spaces.
Here is another comparison that shows both speakers on a BDI Octave Media Cabinet, next to a standard size amplifier and turntable in scale:
Size Comparison image of Wharfedale D310 and B&W 607 on a Media Console
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 Wharfedale D310 weighs 4.00kg / 8.8lbs and the B&W 607 weighs 4.70kg / 10.3lbs. This makes the BW 607 18% heavier than the D310.
Here is a comparison of how D310 and BW 607'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 D310?
Here are the items that are included inside the box of D310:
- 2 Bookshelf loudspeakers
- 2 Tweeter grilles (pre-installed)
- 2 Woofer grilles (pre-installed)
- User-feets Manual
- Installation Guide
What's in the Box of B&W 607?
Here are the items that come with the BW 607:
- 2 Bookshelf loudspeakers
- 2 Grilles
- 2 Two-piece foam port plugs
- 8 Self-adhesive rubber feet
- 4 Jumper-straps
- Manual
- Bowers & Wilkins brochure
- Warranty Information
 Sensitivity |
86 dB
vs
84 dB
|
Play louder with same amount of amplification power |
 Minimum Impedance |
3.6 ohms
vs
3.0 ohms
|
Very low impedance levels puts more pressure on amplifier |
 Height |
266mm
vs
300mm
|
Easier to fit in smaller spaces |
 Price per pair* |
199USD
vs
799USD
|
costs less (*prices may change depending on the seller, location and time) |
 Max Input Power |
100 watts
vs
60 watts
|
Handle more power from your amplifier |
 Woofer Size |
5 inches
vs
4 inches
|
Larger woofer |
|
Low Frequency Response |
52 Hz
vs
65 Hz
|
Generates deeper bass |
 High Frequency Response |
28k Hz
vs
20k Hz
|
Generates higher frequency |
 Bi-Amping and Bi-Wiring |
Yes
vs
No
|
Allows bi-amping and bi-wiring connections |
 Base Surface Area |
341cm2
vs
349cm2
|
Takes less floor space |
| General |
Wharfedale D310 |
Bowers & Wilkins 607 |
| Brand |
Wharfedale |
Bowers Wilkins |
| Speaker Type |
Compact bookshelf speakers |
Bookshelf speakers |
| Power Range |
20-60 watts |
30-100 watts |
| Sensitivity |
86 dB |
84 dB |
| Impedance |
8 ohms |
8 ohms |
| Impedance |
3.6 ohms |
3.0 ohms |
| Frequency Response |
65-20k Hz |
52-28k Hz |
Drivers |
|
|
| Woofer Quantity |
1 |
1 |
| Woofer Size |
4" |
5" |
| Woofer Composition |
Woven Kevlar |
Continuum |
| Woofer Surround Material |
Foamed Polyether |
Rubber |
| Tweeter Size |
1" |
1" |
| Tweeter Type |
Soft-Dome |
Hard-Dome |
| Aimable Tweeter |
No |
No |
| Midrange Driver |
No |
No |
| Firing Direction |
bottom |
rear |
Physical Specs |
|
|
| Height |
266.0mm (10.5") |
300.0mm (11.8") |
| Width |
156.0mm (6.1") |
165.0mm (6.5") |
| Depth |
224.0mm (8.8") |
207.0mm (8.1") |
| Weight |
4.00kg (8.8lbs) |
4.70kg (10.3lbs) |
| Enclosure |
Bass Reflex |
Bass Reflex |
| Finish |
MDF/Wood-grain vinyl |
MDF/Vinyl |
| Available Colors |
Rosewood, Black, White, Walnut |
Black, White, Oak |
| Mounting Bracket |
No |
No |
| Recommended Stand Height |
22-26" |
24-26" |
| 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 - B&W 607 costs roughly 4x what Wharfedale D310 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 | B&W 607 digs deeper - 52Hz against 65Hz. |
| Amplifier needs | A | Wharfedale D310 is more sensitive (86dB vs 84dB), so it goes louder on the same amplifier. |
| Headroom | B | B&W 607 takes more power (100W vs 60W) - more in hand in a big room. |
| Size | depends | Similar cabinet size - neither is easier to fit. |
| Expandability | B | B&W 607: bi-amping. |
| Price | A | Wharfedale D310 is cheaper - $199 against $799, about 75% less; arguably a different class. |
A Wharfedale D310 B B&W 607
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: B&W 607 measures better, Wharfedale D310 costs about about 4x the price% 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 65Hz anyway, which makes the cheaper Wharfedale D310 much easier to justify. Match it to your room: we rate Wharfedale D310 the better fit for near-field listening; elsewhere the two are rated the same.
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.