In this review, we will be comparing DENTON 80 and Dovedale, two Passive Bookshelf speakers by Wharfedale
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of Wharfedale Denton 80 and Wharfedale Dovedale first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
Wharfedale Denton 80 Key Specs
- 2-way Design
- 1" Soft-Dome Tweeter
- 5" Woven Kevlar Woofer
- 44-24k Hz Frequency Response
- 86 dB Sensitivity
- Impedance: 6ohms
- Power Range:20-100watts
- Weight:7.90kg
- Dimensions (H x W x D): 12-5/8" x 7-7/8" x 12" ( 320.0 x 200.0 x 305.0mm )
Wharfedale Dovedale Key Specs
- 3-way Design
- 1" soft dome Tweeter
- 5" Midrange
- 10" black woven Kevlar cone Woofer
- 5" Midrange
- 36-20K HZ Frequency Response
- 89 DB Sensitivity
- Impedance: 6.5ohms
- Power Range:25-250watts
- Weight:26.20kg
- Dimensions (H x W x D): 23.6" x 14.6" x 16.4" ( 660 x 370 x 417mm )
DENTON 80 and Dovedale are members of Wharfedale's Heritage series of speakers. Below you can find the loudspeakers from this series.
Wharfedale Heritage Series
History
What size room are the Wharfedale Denton 80 and Wharfedale Dovedale 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 Denton 80 |
Wharfedale Dovedale |
| Near-field |
Average |
Poor |
| Small Room |
Good |
Poor |
| Mid-size Room |
Average |
Good |
| Large Room |
Poor |
Good |
| Very Large Room |
Bad |
Average |
(* 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 Denton 80 and Wharfedale Dovedale compare and hopefully end up with enough arguments to decide which one of these loudspeakers is the better choice for you.
**This post contains affiliate links, and I will be compensated if you make a purchase after clicking
through my 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 Dovedale 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.
| Driver |
Wharfedale Denton 80 |
Wharfedale Dovedale |
|
Driver Setup
|
2-way
|
3-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
1-inch
|
1-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
- |
1 x 5-inch |
|
Woofer
|
1 x 5-inch
|
1 x 10-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 Dovedale features a 1" soft dome Tweeter , a 5" Midrange and 1 x 10" black woven Kevlar cone Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 560Hz and 2900Hz.
Frequency Response
DENTON 80 has a frequency range of 44-24k Hz whereas Dovedale has a frequency range of 36-20K HZ. With a minimum frequency of 36Hz, the Dovedale can go significantly deeper on the low side and provide stronger bass compared to the DENTON 80's min frequency of 44Hz.
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 Bookshelf class in our database.
Low Frequency
Bookshelf Speakers
High Frequency
Bookshelf 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
DENTON 80 is a 6 ohms speaker compared to the Dovedale which has a nominal impedance of 6.5 ohms.
These two speakers also have different sensitivity levels. DENTON 80 sensitivity is rated at 86 dB and the Dovedale's is rated at 89 DB. This 3 dB difference makes the Wharfedale Dovedale 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. 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.
DENTON 80 can handle a max power of 250 watts RMS from the amp the whereas DENTON 80 has a max power handling value of 100 watts RMS , 150 watts less than the Dovedale.
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
DENTON 80 features Post type posts and Dovedale has a Post type posts. None of these speakers feature bi-amping/bi-wiring.
Wharfedale Dovedale's Post terminals
Cabinet Type and Port Position
Both DENTON 80 and Dovedale 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
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 Denton 80's and Wharfedale Dovedale'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 Wharfedale Dovedale has external dimensions of 660 x 370 x 417mm ( 23.6 x 14.6 x 16.4 inch) .
Wharfedale Dovedale is clearly the larger of the two speakers. Its body is 170mm wider, 340mm taller and 112mm 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 Wharfedale Dovedale is approximately 1542.9cm2 / 239.1inch2. The DENTON 80 requires 60% less surface area than the Dovedale which gives it a small advantage on placement in tight spaces.