In this review, we will be comparing DENTON 80 and SUPER LINTON, two Passive Bookshelf speakers by Wharfedale.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of Wharfedale Denton 80 and Wharfedale SUPER LINTON first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
| Key Specs | Wharfedale Denton 80 | Wharfedale SUPER LINTON |
|---|
| Brand | Wharfedale
United Kingdom · founded 1932 | Wharfedale
United Kingdom · founded 1932 |
|---|
| Design | 2-way | 3-way |
|---|
| Tweeter | 1" Soft-Dome | 1" Soft-dome |
|---|
| Midrange | — | 5" |
|---|
| Woofer | 5" Woven Kevlar | 8" Black Woven Kevlar Cone |
|---|
| Frequency response | 44-24k Hz | 39-20k Hz |
|---|
| Sensitivity | 86 dB | 90 dB |
|---|
| Impedance | 6 ohms | 6 ohms |
|---|
| Power range | 20-100 watts | 25-200 watts |
|---|
| Weight | 7.90kg / 17.4lbs | 19.80kg / 43.6lbs |
|---|
| Dimensions (H x W x D) | 12-5/8" x 7-7/8" x 12"
320.0 x 200.0 x 305.0mm | 23.8" x 12" x 14.2"
605 x 300 x 360 mm |
|---|
DENTON 80 and SUPER LINTON 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 SUPER LINTON 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 SUPER LINTON |
| Near-field |
Average |
Poor |
| Small Room |
Good |
Average |
| Mid-size Room |
Average |
Good |
| Large Room |
Poor |
Average |
| Very Large Room |
Bad |
Poor |
(* 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.
Drivers
One of the fundamental differences between these two speakers is that DENTON 80 is a 2-way design whereas the SUPER LINTON 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 80Wharfedale SUPER LINTON
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 |
Wharfedale SUPER LINTON |
|
Driver Setup
|
2-way
|
3-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
1-inch
|
1-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
- |
1 x 5-inch |
|
Woofer
|
1 x 5-inch
|
1 x 8-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 SUPER LINTON features a 1" woven textile Soft-dome Tweeter, a 5" Midrange and 1 x 8" Black Woven Kevlar Cone Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 550Hz and 2500Hz.
Frequency Response
DENTON 80 has a frequency range of 44-24k Hz whereas SUPER LINTON has a frequency range of 39-20k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 39Hz, the SUPER LINTON 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 and SUPER LINTON have the same Impedance of 6 ohms but where they differ is the sensitivity levels. DENTON 80 sensitivity is rated at 86 dB and the SUPER LINTON's is at 90 dB. This 4 dB difference makes the Wharfedale SUPER LINTON 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.
SUPER LINTON can handle a max power of 200 watts RMS, whereas DENTON 80 has a max power handling value of 100 watts RMS, 100 watts less than the SUPER LINTON.
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
Both DENTON 80 and SUPER LINTON features dual binding post speaker terminals for bi-amping or bi-wiring.
Wharfedale SUPER LINTON's Post terminals allows Bi-amping or bi-wiring
Cabinet Type and Port Position
Both DENTON 80 and SUPER LINTON 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.
Wharfedale SUPER LINTON dual Port
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 Wharfedale SUPER LINTON'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 SUPER LINTON has external dimensions of 605 x 300 x 360 mm (23.82 x 12 x 14.2 inches).
Wharfedale SUPER LINTON is clearly the larger of the two speakers. Its body is 100mm wider, 285mm taller and 55mm deeper than Wharfedale Denton 80.
Size, drawn to scale
Both speakers and both views share one scale, so everything here is directly comparable. Hover a box for its dimensions.
One scale for both, standing on the same surface and pushed back to the same wall, so the deeper one visibly sticks out further.
Wharfedale SUPER LINTON needs about 77% more floor or shelf area. Wharfedale SUPER LINTON is 55mm deeper, so it stands that much further out from the wall. Wharfedale SUPER LINTON is 285mm taller.
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 SUPER LINTON is approximately 1080.0cm2 / 167.4inch2. The DENTON 80 requires 44% less surface area than the SUPER LINTON which gives it a small advantage on placement in tight spaces.
Weight Comparison The weight of a loudspeaker can become an important factor if you need to move and reposition the unit often. Weight of a speaker can also "sometimes" be an indicator of the rigidity of the enclosure and the quality of the internal components used. The Wharfedale Denton 80 weighs 7.90kg / 17.4lbs and the Wharfedale SUPER LINTON weighs 19.80kg / 43.6lbs. This makes the SUPER LINTON 151% heavier than the DENTON 80.
Here is a comparison of how DENTON 80 and SUPER LINTON's weights compare with the average, max and min weights in Passive Bookshelf class.
Weight
All Bookshelf Speakers
What's in the Box of Wharfedale SUPER LINTON?
Here are the items that come with the SUPER LINTON:
- Bookshelf loudspeaker
- Grille (pre-installed)
- 4 Self-adhesive rubber feet
- Pair of white gloves
- User's Manual
 High Frequency Response |
24k Hz
vs
20k Hz
|
Generates higher frequency |
 Height |
320mm
vs
605mm
|
Easier to fit in smaller spaces |
 Base Surface Area |
610cm2
vs
1080cm2
|
Takes less floor space |
 Price per pair* |
599USD
vs
2500USD
|
costs less (*prices may change depending on the seller, location and time) |
 Max Input Power |
200 watts
vs
100 watts
|
Handle more power from your amplifier |
 Driver Setup |
3-way
vs
2-way
|
Have a dedicated mid-range driver |
 Sensitivity |
90 dB
vs
86 dB
|
Play louder with same amount of amplification power |
 Woofer Size |
8 inches
vs
5 inches
|
Larger woofer |
|
Low Frequency Response |
39 Hz
vs
44 Hz
|
Generates deeper bass |
| General |
Wharfedale Denton 80 |
Wharfedale SUPER LINTON |
| Brand |
Wharfedale |
Wharfedale |
| Speaker Type |
Bookshelf speakers |
Bookshelf speakers |
| Power Range |
20-100 watts |
25-200 watts |
| Sensitivity |
86 dB |
90 dB |
| Impedance |
6 ohms |
6 ohms |
| Impedance |
n/a |
3.9 ohms |
| Frequency Response |
44-24k Hz |
39-20k Hz |
Drivers |
|
|
| Woofer Quantity |
1 |
1 |
| Woofer Size |
5" |
8" |
| Woofer Composition |
Woven Kevlar |
Black Woven Kevlar Cone |
| Woofer Surround Material |
n/a |
Rubber |
| Tweeter Size |
1" |
1" |
| Tweeter Type |
Soft-Dome |
Soft-dome |
| Aimable Tweeter |
No |
No |
| Midrange Driver |
No |
5" |
| Crossover Frequency |
2300Hz |
550Hz and 2500Hz |
| Firing Direction |
rear |
rear |
Physical Specs |
|
|
| Height |
320.0mm (12.6") |
605.0mm (23.8") |
| Width |
200.0mm (7.9") |
300.0mm (11.8") |
| Depth |
305.0mm (12") |
360.0mm (14.2") |
| Weight |
7.90kg (17.4lbs) |
19.80kg (43.6lbs) |
| Enclosure |
Bass Reflex |
Bass Reflex |
| Finish |
Mahogany red veneer |
MDF/Wood Veneer |
| Available Colors |
Mahogany with grey tungsten cloth grille |
Walnut, Mahogany, Black |
| Mounting Bracket |
|
No |
| Recommended Stand Height |
n/a |
18-22" |
| Grille |
Yes |
Yes |
| Moisture Resistancy |
No |
No |
Connections |
|
|
| Biamp Inputs |
Yes |
Yes |
Other |
|
|
| Parts Warranty |
5 Years |
5 Years |
| Labor Warranty |
5 Years |
5 Years |
Siblings in Wharfedale's Heritage series, so they share a family sound. It comes down to size, output and price.
| Area | Better | Why |
|---|
| Bass | B | Wharfedale SUPER LINTON digs deeper - 39Hz against 44Hz. A subwoofer would even that out. |
| Amplifier needs | B | Wharfedale SUPER LINTON is more sensitive (90dB vs 86dB), so it goes louder on the same amplifier. |
| Headroom | B | Wharfedale SUPER LINTON takes more power (200W vs 100W) - more in hand in a big room. |
| Size | depends | Wharfedale Denton 80 is easier to place; Wharfedale SUPER LINTON is bigger, which usually goes with fuller bass. Your room decides. |
| Expandability | depends | Wharfedale Denton 80: bi-amping; Wharfedale SUPER LINTON: bi-amping. |
| Price | A | Wharfedale Denton 80 is cheaper - $599 against $2,500, about 76% less; arguably a different class. |
A Wharfedale Denton 80 B Wharfedale SUPER LINTON
depends neither is better in the abstract - it turns on your room, your system 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: Wharfedale SUPER LINTON measures better, Wharfedale Denton 80 costs about about 4.2x the price% 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. Match it to your room: we rate Wharfedale Denton 80 the better fit for near-field listening and a small room, and Wharfedale SUPER LINTON for a mid-size room and a large room.
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.