In this review, we will be comparing D330 and XT70, 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 XT70 first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
| Key Specs | Wharfedale D330 | Polk XT70 |
|---|
| Design | 3-way | 2-way |
|---|
| Tweeter | 1" Soft-Dome | 1" dome |
|---|
| Midrange | 5" | — |
|---|
| Woofer | 5" Black woven Kevlar Cone | 2 x 6.5" Bi-laminate paper |
|---|
| Frequency response | 56-20k Hz | 35-40k Hz |
|---|
| Sensitivity | 88 dB | 86 dB |
|---|
| Impedance | 8 ohms | 8 ohms |
|---|
| Power range | 25-120 watts | 25-200 watts |
|---|
| Weight | 18.20kg / 40lbs | 15.91kg / 35lbs |
|---|
| Dimensions (H x W x D) | 38" x 7.9" x 13.3"
965 x 200 x 338mm | 40-9/16" x 10-13/16" x 13-3/8"
1031.0 x 275.0 x 340.0mm |
|---|
What size room are the Wharfedale D330 and Polk XT70 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 XT70 |
| 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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through our links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
Drivers
One of the fundamental differences between these two speakers is that D330 is a 3-way design whereas the XT70 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 XT70
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 XT70 |
|
Driver Setup
|
3-way
|
2-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
1-inch
|
1-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
1 x 5-inch |
- |
|
Woofer
|
1 x 5-inch
|
2 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 XT70 features a 1" Terylene dome Tweeter and 2 x 6.5" Bi-laminate paper Woofer.
Frequency Response
D330 has a frequency range of 56-20k Hz whereas XT70 has a frequency range of 35-40k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 35Hz, the XT70 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 XT70 have the same Impedance of 8 ohms but where they differ is the sensitivity levels. D330 sensitivity is rated at 88 dB and the XT70's is at 86 dB. This 2 dB difference makes the Wharfedale D330 a more sensitive speaker compared to Polk XT70, 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.
XT70 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 XT70.
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 XT70 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 XT70's external dimensions. Wharfedale D330 has external dimensions of 965 x 200 x 338mm (38.0" x 7.9" x 13.3") whereas Polk XT70 has external dimensions of 1031.0 x 275.0 x 340.0mm (40-9/16 x 10-13/16 x 13-3/8inch).
Polk XT70 is clearly the larger of the two speakers. Its body is 75mm wider, 66mm taller and 2mm deeper than Wharfedale D330.
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 XT70 is approximately 935.0cm2 / 144.9inch2. The D330 requires 28% less surface area than the XT70 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 Wharfedale D330 weighs 18.20kg / 40lbs and the Polk XT70 weighs 15.91kg / 35lbs. This makes the D330 14% heavier than the XT70.
Here is a comparison of how D330 and XT70'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 XT70?
Here are the items that come with the XT70:
- 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 |
 Height |
965mm
vs
1031mm
|
Easier to fit in smaller spaces |
 Base Surface Area |
676cm2
vs
935cm2
|
Takes less floor space |
 Price per pair* |
598USD
vs
698USD
|
costs less (*prices may change depending on the seller, location and time) |
 Max Input Power |
200 watts
vs
120 watts
|
Handle more power from your amplifier |
 Woofer Size |
6.5 inches
vs
5 inches
|
Larger woofer |
|
Number of Woofers |
2
vs
1
|
More woofers |
|
Low Frequency Response |
35 Hz
vs
56 Hz
|
Generates deeper bass |
 High Frequency Response |
40k Hz
vs
20k Hz
|
Generates higher frequency |
 Passive Radiator |
two 8-inch
vs
None
|
Increases the bass performance |
 Dolby Atmos Drivers |
Optional
vs
No
|
Dolby Atmos Compatibility |
| General |
Wharfedale D330 |
Polk Audio Monitor XT70 |
| 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 |
35-40k Hz |
Drivers |
|
|
| Woofer Quantity |
1 |
2 |
| 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") |
1031.0mm (40.6") |
| Width |
200.0mm (7.9") |
275.0mm (10.8") |
| Depth |
338.0mm (13.3") |
340.0mm (13.4") |
| Weight |
18.20kg (40lbs) |
15.91kg (35lbs) |
| 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 XT70 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 XT70 digs deeper - 35Hz against 56Hz. |
| Amplifier needs |
A |
Wharfedale D330 is more sensitive (88dB vs 86dB), so it goes louder on the same amplifier. |
| Headroom |
B |
Polk XT70 takes more power (200W vs 120W) - more in hand in a big room. |
| Size |
depends |
Wharfedale D330 is easier to place; Polk XT70 is bigger, which usually goes with fuller bass. Your room decides. |
| Cabinet |
depends |
Ported vs Passive Radiator. |
| Expandability |
B |
Polk XT70: Atmos drivers. Polk XT70 sits in a wider range (9 models), so a matched surround system is easier later. |
| Price |
A |
Wharfedale D330 is cheaper - $598 against $698, about 14% less. |
A Wharfedale D330
B Polk XT70
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?
The usual trade-off: Polk XT70 measures better, Wharfedale D330 costs about 14% 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 Wharfedale D330 much easier to justify. In a large or open-plan room, Polk XT70 has the cabinet volume to fill it more easily; in a small room, near a wall or at desk distance, Wharfedale D330 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.