In this review, we will be comparing two different types of speakers. Wharfedale Denton 80 is a Bookshelf speaker whereas the La Scala AL6 is a Floor-standing speaker.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of Wharfedale Denton 80 and Klipsch La Scala AL6 first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
| Key Specs | Wharfedale Denton 80 | Klipsch La Scala AL6 |
|---|
| Design | 2-way | 3-way |
|---|
| Tweeter | 1" Soft-Dome | 1" horn-loaded |
|---|
| Midrange | — | 3" |
|---|
| Woofer | 5" Woven Kevlar | 12" fiber-composite cone with folded horn |
|---|
| Frequency response | 44-24k Hz | 40-19k 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 | 93.18kg / 205lbs |
|---|
| Dimensions (H x W x D) | 12-5/8" x 7-7/8" x 12"
320.0 x 200.0 x 305.0mm | 39.1" x 24.5" x 25.5"
994 x 622 x 647mm |
|---|
DENTON 80 and La Scala AL6 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 La Scala AL6 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 La Scala AL6
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 La Scala AL6 |
|
Driver Setup
|
2-way
|
3-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
1-inch
|
1-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
- |
1 x 3-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 La Scala AL6 features a 1" polyimide diaphragm compression horn-loaded Tweeter, a 3" Midrange and 1 x 12" fiber-composite cone with folded horn Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 425Hz - 2900Hz.
Frequency Response
DENTON 80 has a frequency range of 44-24k Hz whereas La Scala AL6 has a frequency range of 40-19k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 40Hz, the La Scala AL6 can go slightly deeper then 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 La Scala AL6 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 La Scala AL6's is rated at 103 dB. This 17 dB difference makes the Klipsch La Scala AL6 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 La Scala AL6 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
La Scala AL6 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 La Scala AL6'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 La Scala AL6'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 La Scala AL6 has external dimensions of 994 x 622 x 647mm (39/1 x 24.5 x 25.5inch).
Klipsch La Scala AL6 is clearly the larger of the two speakers. Its body is 422mm wider, 674mm taller and 342mm 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 La Scala AL6 is approximately 4024.3cm2 / 623.8inch2. The DENTON 80 requires 85% less surface area than the La Scala AL6 which gives it a small advantage on placement in tight spaces.
What's in the Box of Klipsch La Scala AL6?
Here are the items that come with the La Scala AL6:
- 2 Loudspeaker cabinets
- 2 Subwoofer cabinets
- 2 Grilles
- 4 Jumper-straps (pre-installed)
- Owners Manual
- Congratulations letter
- Klipsch brochure