In this review, we will be comparing two different type of speakers by Wharfedale. Wharfedale D330 is a Floor-standing speaker whereas the D320 is a Bookshelf speaker.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of Wharfedale D330 and Wharfedale D320 first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
Wharfedale D330 Key Specs
- 3-way Design
- 1" Soft-Dome Tweeter
- 5" Midrange
- 5" Black woven Kevlar Cone Woofer
- 56-20k Hz Frequency Response
- 88 dB Sensitivity
- Impedance: 8ohms
- Power Range:25-120watts
- Weight:18.20kg
- Dimensions (H x W x D): 965.0" x 7.9" x 13.3"( 965 x 200 x 338mm )
Wharfedale D320 Key Specs
- 2-way Design
- 1" Soft-Dome Tweeter
- 5" Woven Kevlar Woofer
- 56-20k Hz Frequency Response
- 87 dB Sensitivity
- Impedance: 8ohms
- Power Range:25-100watts
- Weight:6.02kg
- Dimensions (H x W x D): 321.0" x 7-1/8" x 10-7/8"( 321.0 x 181.0 x 277.0mm )
D330 and D320 are members of Wharfedale's D300 series of speakers. Below you can find the loudspeakers from this series.
Wharfedale D300 Series History
What size room are the Wharfedale D330 and Wharfedale D320 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 |
Wharfedale D320 |
| Near-field |
Bad |
Average |
| Small Room |
Poor |
Good |
| Mid-size Room |
Good |
Average |
| Large Room |
Good |
Poor |
| Very Large Room |
Poor |
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.)
In the following sections, we will get into more detail in order to better understand how the Wharfedale D330 and Wharfedale D320 compare and hopefully end up with enough arguments to decide which one of these loudspeakers is the better choice for you.
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Drivers
One of the fundamental differences between these two speakers is that D330 is a 3-way design whereas the D320 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.
| Driver |
Wharfedale D330 |
Wharfedale D320 |
|
Driver Setup
|
3-way
|
2-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
1-inch
|
1-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
1 x 5-inch |
- |
|
Woofer
|
1 x 5-inch
|
1 x 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 D320 features a 1" Soft-Dome Tweeter and 1 x 5" Woven Kevlar Woofer .
Frequency Response
D330 and D320 has exactly the same frequency range of 56-20k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 40Hz, the D330 can go significantly deeper on the low side and provide stronger bass compared to the D320's min frequency of 56Hz.
Below graphs depict how these two speakers compare with the max, min and average values of the Min and Max Frequencies of other speakers in the Floor-standing class in our database.
Low Frequency
Floor-standing Speakers
High Frequency
Floor-standing Speakers
None of these speakers achieves full range experience which is commonly agreed as 20Hz-20kHz. In order to achieve lower lows / deeper bass, we recommend you pair these with a subwoofer. Visit our Powered Subwoofers section to find out more about the available options.
Impedance and Sensitivity
D330 and D320 have the same Impedance of 8 ohms but where they differ is the sensitivity levels. D330 sensitivity is rated at 88 dB and the D320's is at 87 dB. This 1 dB difference makes the Wharfedale D330 a more sensitive speaker compared to Wharfedale D320, 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. While using an amplifier within this range ensures the nominal performance , inputting a power that is higher than the max wattage can result in a damaged speaker.
D330 can handle a max power of 120 watts RMS from the amp the whereas D320 has a max power handling value of 100 watts RMS, 20 watts less than the D330.
Keep in mind that a higher max power handling value doesn't necessarily make that a louder speaker
compared to a lower max handling speaker. Loudness or the sound level is also impacted by parameters
such as Impedance, sensitivity and system efficiencies.
Input Type and Bi-Amping / Bi-Wiring
D330 features Post type posts and D320 has a Post type posts. None of these speakers feature bi-amping/bi-wiring.
Wharfedale D330's Post terminals
Wharfedale D320's Post terminals
Cabinet Type and Port Position
Both D330 and D320 have bottom firing ports.
Physical Specs
Size of a speaker can sometimes become 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 Wharfedale D320's external dimensions. Wharfedale D330 has external dimensions of 965 x 200 x 338mm ( 38.0" x 7.9" x 13.3") whereas Wharfedale D320 has external dimensions of 321.0 x 181.0 x 277.0mm ( 12-5/8 x 7-1/8 x 10-7/8inch) .
Wharfedale D330 is clearly the larger of the two speakers. Its body is 19mm wider, 644mm taller and 61mm deeper than Wharfedale D320.
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 Wharfedale D320 is approximately 501.4cm2 / 77.7inch2. The D330 requires 35% more surface area than the D320 which gives it a small disadvantage on placement in tight spaces.
What's in the Box of Wharfedale D320?
Here are the items that come with the D320:
2 Bookshelf loudspeakers2 Tweeter grilles (pre-installed)2 Woofer grilles (pre-installed)User-feets ManualInstallation Guide
Max Input Power 
Driver Setup 
Sensitivity 
Minimum Impedance 
Low Frequency Response 
Height 
Base Surface Area 
Price per pair*