In this review, we will be comparing two different types 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.
| Key Specs | Wharfedale D330 | Wharfedale D320 |
|---|
| Design | 3-way | 2-way |
|---|
| Tweeter | 1" Soft-Dome | 1" Soft-Dome |
|---|
| Midrange | 5" | — |
|---|
| Woofer | 5" Black woven Kevlar Cone | 5" Woven Kevlar |
|---|
| Frequency response | 56-20k Hz | 56-20k Hz |
|---|
| Sensitivity | 88 dB | 87 dB |
|---|
| Impedance | 8 ohms | 8 ohms |
|---|
| Power range | 25-120 watts | 25-100 watts |
|---|
| Weight | 18.20kg / 40lbs | 6.02kg / 13.2lbs |
|---|
| Dimensions (H x W x D) | 38" x 7.9" x 13.3"
965 x 200 x 338mm | 12-5/8" 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.)
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 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.
Wharfedale D330Wharfedale D320
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 |
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.
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 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. Staying
within that range gives nominal performance; driving the speaker beyond its maximum wattage can damage it.
D330 can handle a max power of 120 watts RMS, whereas D320 has a max power handling value of 100 watts RMS, 20 watts less than the D330.
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 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
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 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 loudspeakers
- 2 Tweeter grilles (pre-installed)
- 2 Woofer grilles (pre-installed)
- User-feets Manual
- Installation Guide