In this review, we will be comparing D330 and XT60, two Passive Floor-standing speakers from Wharfedale and Polk Audio.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of Wharfedale D330 and Polk XT60 first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
| Key Specs | Wharfedale D330 | Polk XT60 |
|---|
| Design | 3-way | 2-way |
|---|
| Tweeter | 1" Soft-Dome | 1" dome |
|---|
| Midrange | 5" | — |
|---|
| Woofer | 5" Black woven Kevlar Cone | 6.5" Bi-laminate paper |
|---|
| Frequency response | 56-20k Hz | 38-40k Hz |
|---|
| Sensitivity | 88 dB | 86 dB |
|---|
| Impedance | 8 ohms | 8 ohms |
|---|
| Power range | 25-120 watts | 25-200 watts |
|---|
| Weight | 18.20kg / 40lbs | 9.09kg / 20lbs |
|---|
| Dimensions (H x W x D) | 38" x 7.9" x 13.3"
965 x 200 x 338mm | 36-9/16" x 9-1/16" x 9-15/16"
929.0 x 231.0 x 253.0mm |
|---|
What size room are the Wharfedale D330 and Polk XT60 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 D330 |
Polk XT60 |
| Near-field |
Bad |
Bad |
| Small Room |
Poor |
Poor |
| Mid-size Room |
Good |
Good |
| Large Room |
Good |
Good |
| 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.
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Drivers
One of the fundamental differences between these two speakers is that D330 is a 3-way design whereas the XT60 is a 2-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.
Wharfedale D330Polk XT60
TweeterMidrangeWoofer
Front view, drawn to scale - cabinets and drivers share one scale, so sizes are directly comparable. Hover a driver for its size.
| Driver |
Wharfedale D330 |
Polk XT60 |
|
Driver Setup
|
3-way
|
2-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
1-inch
|
1-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
1 x 5-inch |
- |
|
Woofer
|
1 x 5-inch
|
1 x 6.5-inch
|
D330 features a 1" Soft-Dome Tweeter, a 5" Midrange and 1 x 5" Black woven Kevlar Cone Woofer. On the other hand, the XT60 features a 1" Terylene dome Tweeter and 1 x 6.5" Bi-laminate paper Woofer.
Frequency Response
D330 has a frequency range of 56-20k Hz whereas XT60 has a frequency range of 38-40k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 38Hz, the XT60 can go significantly deeper on the low side and provide stronger bass compared to the D330'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 Floor-standing class in our database.
Low Frequency
Floor-standing 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
D330 and XT60 have the same Impedance of 8 ohms but where they differ is the sensitivity levels. D330 sensitivity is rated at 88 dB and the XT60's is at 86 dB. This 2 dB difference makes the Wharfedale D330 a more sensitive speaker compared to Polk XT60, hence will play louder with the same amount of watts.
Sensitivity
Floor-standing 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.
XT60 can handle a max power of 200 watts RMS, whereas D330 has a max power handling value of 120 watts RMS, 80 watts less than the XT60.
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
D330 features 5-Way post type posts and XT60 has a 5-Way post type posts. None of these speakers feature bi-amping/bi-wiring.
Wharfedale D330's Post terminals
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 D330's and Polk XT60's external dimensions. Wharfedale D330 has external dimensions of 965 x 200 x 338mm (38.0" x 7.9" x 13.3") whereas Polk XT60 has external dimensions of 929.0 x 231.0 x 253.0mm (36-9/16 x 9-1/16 x 9-15/16inch).
Polk XT60 is 36mm shorter and 85mm less deeper than Wharfedale D330 but it is also 31mm wider.
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 D330 is approximately 676.0cm2 / 104.8inch2 and base area of the Polk XT60 is approximately 584.4cm2 / 90.6inch2. The D330 requires 16% more surface area than the XT60 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 Wharfedale D330 weighs 18.20kg / 40lbs and the Polk XT60 weighs 9.09kg / 20lbs. This makes the D330 100% heavier than the XT60.
Here is a comparison of how D330 and XT60's weights compare with the average, max and min weights in Passive Floor-standing class.
Weight
All Floor-standing Speakers
What's in the Box of Polk XT60?
Here are the items that come with the XT60:
- Floorstanding loudspeaker
- Grille (attached)
- Owners Manual
- Online Product Registration
 Driver Setup |
3-way
vs
2-way
|
Have a dedicated mid-range driver |
 Sensitivity |
88 dB
vs
86 dB
|
Play louder with same amount of amplification power |
 Max Input Power |
200 watts
vs
120 watts
|
Handle more power from your amplifier |
 Woofer Size |
6.5 inches
vs
5 inches
|
Larger woofer |
|
Low Frequency Response |
38 Hz
vs
56 Hz
|
Generates deeper bass |
 High Frequency Response |
40k Hz
vs
20k Hz
|
Generates higher frequency |
 Passive Radiator |
two 6-1/2-inch
vs
None
|
Increases the bass performance |
 Dolby Atmos Drivers |
Optional
vs
No
|
Dolby Atmos Compatibility |
 Height |
929mm
vs
965mm
|
Easier to fit in smaller spaces |
 Base Surface Area |
584cm2
vs
676cm2
|
Takes less floor space |
 Price per pair* |
498USD
vs
598USD
|
costs less (*prices may change depending on the seller, location and time) |
| General |
Wharfedale D330 |
Polk Audio Monitor XT60 |
| Brand |
Wharfedale |
Polk Audio |
| Speaker Type |
Floor-standing speaker |
Floor-standing speaker |
| Power Range |
25-120 watts |
25-200 watts |
| Sensitivity |
88 dB |
86 dB |
| Impedance |
8 ohms |
8 ohms |
| Impedance |
4.1 ohms |
n/a |
| Frequency Response |
56-20k Hz |
38-40k Hz |
Drivers |
|
|
| Woofer Quantity |
1 |
1 |
| Woofer Size |
5" |
6.5" |
| Woofer Composition |
Black woven Kevlar Cone |
Bi-laminate paper |
| Woofer Surround Material |
Foamed Polyether |
Rubber |
| Tweeter Size |
1" |
1" |
| Tweeter Type |
Soft-Dome |
dome |
| Aimable Tweeter |
No |
No |
| Midrange Driver |
5" |
No |
| Firing Direction |
bottom |
n/a |
Physical Specs |
|
|
| Height |
965.0mm (38") |
929.0mm (36.6") |
| Width |
200.0mm (7.9") |
231.0mm (9.1") |
| Depth |
338.0mm (13.3") |
253.0mm (10") |
| Weight |
18.20kg (40lbs) |
9.09kg (20lbs) |
| Enclosure |
Bass Reflex |
Passive Radiator |
| Finish |
MDF/Wood-grain vinyl |
MDF, Vinyl |
| Available Colors |
Rosewood, Black, White, Walnut |
Black |
| Grille |
Yes |
Yes |
| Moisture Resistancy |
No |
No |
Connections |
|
|
| Biamp Inputs |
No |
No |
Other |
|
|
| Parts Warranty |
5 Years |
5 Years |
| Labor Warranty |
5 Years |
5 Years |
A generation apart: Polk XT60 is the newer design, against a 2014 model. Newer is not automatically better, but the older one is more likely to be discounted or near run-out.
| Area | Better | Why |
|---|
| Bass |
B |
Polk XT60 digs deeper - 38Hz against 56Hz. |
| Amplifier needs |
A |
Wharfedale D330 is more sensitive (88dB vs 86dB), so it goes louder on the same amplifier. |
| Headroom |
B |
Polk XT60 takes more power (200W vs 120W) - more in hand in a big room. |
| Size |
depends |
Similar cabinet size - neither is easier to fit. |
| Cabinet |
depends |
Ported vs Passive Radiator. |
| Expandability |
B |
Polk XT60: Atmos drivers. Polk XT60 sits in a wider range (9 models), so a matched surround system is easier later. |
| Price |
B |
Polk XT60 is cheaper - $498 against $598, about 17% less. |
A Wharfedale D330
B Polk XT60
depends neither is better in the abstract - it turns on your room, placement 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?
Polk XT60 is the easier recommendation: it leads on most of the measured areas and costs less. Take Wharfedale D330 if its size, looks or fit in your room suit you better. If a subwoofer is in your plans, the bass gap largely stops mattering - you would be crossing over above 56Hz anyway, so judge these on the other rows instead. If your amplifier is modest, vintage or valve-based, Wharfedale D330 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.