In this review, we will be comparing two different types of speakers. Wharfedale Denton 80 is a Bookshelf speaker whereas the AK7 is a Floor-standing speaker.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of Wharfedale Denton 80 and Klipsch Klipschorn AK7 first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
| Key Specs | Wharfedale Denton 80 | Klipsch Klipschorn AK7 |
|---|
| Design | 2-way | 3-way |
|---|
| Tweeter | 1" Soft-Dome | 1" Tractrix horn |
|---|
| Midrange | — | 3" |
|---|
| Woofer | 5" Woven Kevlar | 15" fiber-composite with a trihedral exponential folded horn |
|---|
| Frequency response | 44-24k Hz | 34-19k Hz |
|---|
| Sensitivity | 86 dB | 103 dB |
|---|
| Impedance | 6 ohms | 8 ohms |
|---|
| Power range | 20-100 watts | up to 100 watts |
|---|
| Weight | 7.90kg / 17.4lbs | 118.18kg / 260lbs |
|---|
| Dimensions (H x W x D) | 12-5/8" x 7-7/8" x 12"
320.0 x 200.0 x 305.0mm | 53" x 31-1/4" x 28-1/4"
1347.0 x 794.0 x 718.0mm |
|---|
DENTON 80 and AK7 are members of Klipsch's Heritage series of speakers. Below you can find the loudspeakers from this series.
Wharfedale Heritage Series
History
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 DENTON 80 is a 2-way design whereas the AK7 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 80Klipsch Klipschorn AK7
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 Klipschorn AK7 |
|
Driver Setup
|
2-way
|
3-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
1-inch
|
1-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
- |
1 x 3-inch |
|
Woofer
|
1 x 5-inch
|
1 x 15-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 AK7 features a 1" polyimide diaphragm compression Tractrix horn Tweeter, a 3" Midrange and 1 x 15" fiber-composite with a trihedral exponential folded horn Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 380Hz - 290Hz.
Frequency Response
DENTON 80 has a frequency range of 44-24k Hz whereas AK7 has a frequency range of 34-19k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 34Hz, the AK7 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
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 AK7 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 AK7's is rated at 103 dB. This 17 dB difference makes the Klipsch Klipschorn AK7 a more sensitive speaker compared to Wharfedale Denton 80, hence will play louder with the same amount of watts.
Sensitivity
Bookshelf 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.
Both handle the same maximum of 100 watts RMS, though DENTON 80 is rated 20-100 watts and AK7 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.
Input Type and Bi-Amping / Bi-Wiring
AK7 features Binding post posts which make bi-amping or bi-wiring possible. DENTON 80 has a Binding post which doesn't feature bi-amping/bi-wiring.
Klipsch Klipschorn AK7's Binding post terminals allows Bi-amping or bi-wiring
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 Klipschorn AK7'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 Klipschorn AK7 has external dimensions of 1347.0 x 794.0 x 718.0mm (53 x 31-1/4 x 28-1/4inch).
Klipsch Klipschorn AK7 is clearly the larger of the two speakers. Its body is 594mm wider, 1027mm taller and 413mm 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 Klipschorn AK7 is approximately 5700.9cm2 / 883.6inch2. The DENTON 80 requires 89% less surface area than the AK7 which gives it a small advantage on placement in tight spaces.
What's in the Box of Klipsch Klipschorn AK7?
Here are the items that come with the AK7:
- 2 Loudspeaker cabinets
- 2 Subwoofer cabinets
- 2 Grilles
- Owners Manual
- Congratulations letter
- Klipsch brochure