Wharfedale Denton 80 vs Klipsch Forte IV Comparison

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Wharfedale Denton 80

Passive Bookshelf | 44-24k Hz

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Klipsch Forte IV

Passive Floor-standing | 38-20k Hz

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Wharfedale Denton 80

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Klipsch Forte IV

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Wharfedale Denton 80

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Klipsch Forte IV

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Wharfedale Denton 80 vs Klipsch Forte IV Speaker Comparison

In this review, we will be comparing two different types of speakers. Wharfedale Denton 80 is a Bookshelf speaker whereas the Forte IV is a Floor-standing speaker.

Let's have a brief look at the main features of Wharfedale Denton 80 and Klipsch Forte IV first before getting into our more detailed comparison.

Key Specs	Wharfedale Denton 80	Klipsch Forte IV
Design	2-way	3-way
Tweeter	1" Soft-Dome	1" horn-loaded
Midrange	—	1.75"
Woofer	5" Woven Kevlar	12" Fibercomposite
Frequency response	44-24k Hz	38-20k Hz
Sensitivity	86 dB	99 dB
Impedance	6 ohms	8 ohms
Power range	20-100 watts	up to 100 watts
Weight	7.90kg / 17.4lbs	32.73kg / 72lbs
Dimensions (H x W x D)	12-5/8" x 7-7/8" x 12" 320.0 x 200.0 x 305.0mm	35-3/4" x 16-5/8" x 13" 909.0 x 423.0 x 331.0mm

DENTON 80 and Forte IV are members of Klipsch's Heritage series of speakers. Below you can find the loudspeakers from this series.

Wharfedale Heritage Series History

Model	Body	Frequency	Sensitivity	Impedance	Woofer
Wharfedale SUPER LINTON	Bookshelf	39-20k Hz	90 dB	6Ω	1 x 8"
Wharfedale LINTON	Bookshelf	40-20k Hz	90 dB	6Ω	1 x 8"
Wharfedale Denton 85	Bookshelf	45-20k Hz	88 dB	4Ω	1 x 6.5"
Wharfedale Super Denton	Bookshelf	52-20k Hz	87 dB	6Ω	1 x 6.5"
Wharfedale Dovedale	Bookshelf	36-20K HZ	89 DB	6.5Ω	1 x 10"
Wharfedale Heritage Centre	Center Channel	54-20k Hz	90 dB	6Ω	2 x 6-1/2"
Wharfedale Denton 80	Bookshelf	44-24k Hz	86 dB	6Ω	1 x 5"

The sections below take each area in turn: drivers, frequency response, physical size and what you get in the box.

**This post contains affiliate links, and we will be compensated if you make a purchase after clicking through our links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Drivers

One of the fundamental differences between these two speakers is that DENTON 80 is a 2-way design whereas the Forte IV is a 3-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 Denton 80

Klipsch Forte IV

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 Denton 80	Klipsch Forte IV
Driver Setup	2-way	3-way
Tweeter	1-inch	1-inch
Midrange	-	1 x 1.75-inch
Woofer	1 x 5-inch	1 x 12-inch

DENTON 80 features a 1" Soft-Dome Tweeter and 1 x 5" Woven Kevlar Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 2300Hz. On the other hand, the Forte IV features a 1" titanium-diaphragm compression horn-loaded Tweeter, a 1.75" Midrange and 1 x 12" Fibercomposite Woofer.

Frequency Response

DENTON 80 has a frequency range of 44-24k Hz whereas Forte IV has a frequency range of 38-20k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 38Hz, the Forte IV can go significantly deeper on the low side and provide stronger bass compared to the DENTON 80's min frequency of 44Hz.

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

DENTON 80

Forte IV

Min

Average

Median

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

DENTON 80 is a 6 ohms speaker compared to the Forte IV which has a nominal impedance of 8 ohms.

These two speakers also have different sensitivity levels. DENTON 80 sensitivity is rated at 86 dB and the Forte IV's is rated at 99 dB. This 13 dB difference makes the Klipsch Forte IV a more sensitive speaker compared to Wharfedale Denton 80, hence will play louder with the same amount of watts.

Sensitivity

Bookshelf Speakers

DENTON 80

Forte IV

Min

Average

Median

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.

Both handle the same maximum of 100 watts RMS, though DENTON 80 is rated 20-100 watts and Forte IV up to 100 watts.

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.

Amplifier — change this

Distance

Playing as

Wharfedale Denton 80

Klipsch Forte IV

Input Type and Bi-Amping / Bi-Wiring

Forte IV features Post posts which make bi-amping or bi-wiring possible. DENTON 80 has a Binding post which doesn't feature bi-amping/bi-wiring.

Cabinet Type and Port Position

Both DENTON 80 and Forte IV have rear firing ports. Rear ported speakers generally need more room between the backside of the speaker and the wall compared to sealed and front/bottom ported speakers. Placing the speakers too close to the walls may cause the bass to sound boomy.

If you are limited in space and can't get the speakers away from the backwall, check our Speakers with Front Firing Ports page.

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 Denton 80's and Klipsch Forte IV's external dimensions. Wharfedale Denton 80 has external dimensions of 320.0 x 200.0 x 305.0mm (12-5/8 x 7-7/8 x 12inch) whereas Klipsch Forte IV has external dimensions of 909.0 x 423.0 x 331.0mm (35-3/4 x 16-5/8 x 13inch).

Klipsch Forte IV is clearly the larger of the two speakers. Its body is 223mm wider, 589mm taller and 26mm deeper than Wharfedale Denton 80.

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 Denton 80 is approximately 610.0cm² / 94.6inch² and base area of the Klipsch Forte IV is approximately 1400.1cm² / 217.0inch². The DENTON 80 requires 56% less surface area than the Forte IV which gives it a small advantage on placement in tight spaces.

What's in the Box of Klipsch Forte IV?

Here are the items that come with the Forte IV:

2 Floorstanding loudspeakers
2 Grilles
8 Self-adhesive rubber feet
Owners Manual
Congratulations letter
Klipsch brochure

Reasons to choose Wharfedale Denton 80 over Klipsch Heritage Forte IV

High Frequency Response	24k Hz vs 20k Hz	Generates higher frequency
Height	320mm vs 909mm	Easier to fit in smaller spaces
Base Surface Area	610cm² vs 1400cm²	Takes less floor space
Price per pair*	599USD vs 4998USD	costs less (*prices may change depending on the seller, location and time)

Reasons to choose Klipsch Heritage Forte IV over Wharfedale Denton 80

Driver Setup	3-way vs 2-way	Have a dedicated mid-range driver
Sensitivity	99 dB vs 86 dB	Play louder with same amount of amplification power
Nominal Impedance	8 ohms vs 6 ohms	Less selective with amplifiers
Woofer Size	12 inches vs 5 inches	Larger woofer
Low Frequency Response	38 Hz vs 44 Hz	Generates deeper bass
Bi-Amping and Bi-Wiring	Yes vs No	Allows bi-amping and bi-wiring connections
Passive Radiator	rear-firing 15-inch vs None	Increases the bass performance

Wharfedale Denton 80 vs Klipsch Forte IV Specs Table

Detailed comparison of specifications

General	Wharfedale Denton 80	Klipsch Heritage Forte IV
Brand	Wharfedale	Klipsch
Speaker Type	Bookshelf speakers	Floor-standing speaker
Power Range	20-100 watts	up to 100 watts
Sensitivity	86 dB	99 dB
Impedance	6 ohms	8 ohms
Frequency Response	44-24k Hz	38-20k Hz
Drivers
Woofer Quantity	1	1
Woofer Size	5"	12"
Woofer Composition	Woven Kevlar	Fibercomposite
Woofer Surround Material	n/a	Rubber
Tweeter Size	1"	1"
Tweeter Type	Soft-Dome	horn-loaded
Aimable Tweeter	No	No
Midrange Driver	No	1.75"
Crossover Frequency	2300Hz	n/a
Firing Direction	rear	rear
Physical Specs
Height	320.0mm (12.6")	909.0mm (35.8")
Width	200.0mm (7.9")	423.0mm (16.7")
Depth	305.0mm (12")	331.0mm (13")
Weight	7.90kg (17.4lbs)	32.73kg (72lbs)
Enclosure	Bass Reflex	Passive Radiator
Finish	Mahogany red veneer	MDF/Wood veneer
Available Colors	Mahogany with grey tungsten cloth grille	Black
Mounting Bracket		No
Grille	Yes	Yes
Moisture Resistancy	No	No
Connections
Biamp Inputs	No	Yes
Other
Parts Warranty	5 Years	10 Years
Labor Warranty	5 Years	10 Years

Verdict

A bookshelf against a floor-standing. They are built for different places in a room, so start with where these have to go rather than which looks better on paper.

Area	Better	Why
Bass	B	Klipsch Forte IV digs deeper - 38Hz against 44Hz. A subwoofer would even that out.
Amplifier needs	B	Klipsch Forte IV is more sensitive (99dB vs 86dB), so it goes louder on the same amplifier.
Amplifier match	B	Klipsch Forte IV is the easier load at 8 ohms.
Headroom	evenly matched	Similar power handling (100W vs 100W).
Size	depends	Wharfedale Denton 80 is easier to place; Klipsch Forte IV is bigger, which usually goes with fuller bass. Your room decides.
Type	depends	A Passive Bookshelf against a Passive Floor-standing - a different job rather than a better one.
Cabinet	depends	Ported vs Passive Radiator.
Expandability	B	Klipsch Forte IV: bi-amping. Klipsch Forte IV sits in a wider range (12 models), so a matched surround system is easier later.
Price	A	Wharfedale Denton 80 is cheaper - $599 against $4,998, about 88% less; arguably a different class.

A Wharfedale Denton 80 B Klipsch Forte IV
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: Klipsch Forte IV measures better, Wharfedale Denton 80 costs about 88% 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 44Hz anyway, which makes the cheaper Wharfedale Denton 80 much easier to justify. In a large or open-plan room, Klipsch Forte IV has the cabinet volume to fill it more easily; in a small room, near a wall or at desk distance, Wharfedale Denton 80 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.