In this review, we will be comparing Denton 85 and Motion 15, two Passive Bookshelf speakers from Wharfedale and MartinLogan.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of Wharfedale Denton 85 and MartinLogan 15 first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
Wharfedale Denton 85 Key Specs
- 2-way Design
- 1" Soft-Dome Tweeter
- 6.5" Woven Kevlar Woofer
- 45-20k Hz Frequency Response
- 88 dB Sensitivity
- Impedance: 4ohms
- Power Range:20-120watts
- Weight:9.00kg
- Dimensions (H x W x D): 342.0" x 9-7/16" x 11-15/16"( 342.0 x 240.0 x 304.0mm )
MartinLogan 15 Key Specs
- 2-way Design
- 1.0 x 1.4" Folded Motion Tweeter
- 5.25" Aluminum Woofer
- 60-25k Hz Frequency Response
- 92 dB Sensitivity
- Impedance: 5ohms
- Power Range:20-200watts
- Weight:5.40kg
- Dimensions (H x W x D): 290.0" x 6.8" x 9.4"( 290.0 x 173.0 x 240.0mm )
What size room are the Wharfedale Denton 85 and MartinLogan 15 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 85 |
MartinLogan 15 |
| Near-field |
Poor |
Poor |
| Small Room |
Average |
Average |
| Mid-size Room |
Good |
Good |
| Large Room |
Average |
Average |
| Very Large Room |
Poor |
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.)
In the following sections, we will get into more detail in order to better understand how the Wharfedale Denton 85 and MartinLogan 15 compare and hopefully end up with enough arguments to decide which one of these loudspeakers is the better choice for you.
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through my links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
Drivers
Both Denton 85 and Motion 15 are 2-way speakers.
| Driver |
Wharfedale Denton 85 |
MartinLogan 15 |
|
Driver Setup
|
2-way
|
2-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
1-inch
|
1.0 x 1.4-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
- |
- |
|
Woofer
|
1 x 6.5-inch
|
1 x 5.25-inch
|
Denton 85 features a 1" woven textile Soft-Dome Tweeter and 1 x 6.5" Woven Kevlar Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 3100Hz. On the other hand, the Motion 15 features a 1.0 x 1.4" Folded Motion Tweeter and 1 x 5.25" Aluminum Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 2700Hz.
Frequency Response
Denton 85 has a frequency range of 45-20k Hz whereas Motion 15 has a frequency range of 60-25k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 45Hz, the Denton 85 can go significantly deeper on the low side and provide stronger bass compared to the Motion 15's min frequency of 60Hz.
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 85 is a 4 ohms speaker compared to the Motion 15 which has a nominal impedance of 5 ohms. Lower impedance speakers, especially the ones that are rated at 4 ohms may put more pressure on the amplifier unit especially when played at high volume levels, so make sure the amp you pair with the Denton 85 can provide this impedance level.
These two speakers also have different sensitivity levels. Denton 85 sensitivity is rated at 88 dB and the Motion 15's is rated at 92 dB. This 4 dB difference makes the MartinLogan 15 a more sensitive speaker compared to Wharfedale Denton 85, 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 85 can handle a max power of 200 watts RMS from the amp the whereas Denton 85 has a max power handling value of 120 watts RMS , 80 watts less than the Motion 15.
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 85 features Post posts which make bi-amping or bi-wiring possible. Motion 15 has a Custom 5-way tool-less binding posts which doesn't feature bi-amping/bi-wiring.
Wharfedale Denton 85's Post terminals allows Bi-amping or bi-wiring
Cabinet Type and Port Position
Both Denton 85 and Motion 15 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 85's and MartinLogan 15's external dimensions. Wharfedale Denton 85 has external dimensions of 342.0 x 240.0 x 304.0mm ( 13-7/16 x 9-7/16 x 11-15/16inch) whereas MartinLogan 15 has external dimensions of 290.0 x 173.0 x 240.0mm ( 11.4 x 6.8 x 9.4inch) .
Wharfedale Denton 85 is clearly the larger of the two speakers. Its body is 67mm wider, 52mm taller and 64mm deeper than MartinLogan 15.
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 85 is approximately 729.6cm2 / 113.1inch2 and base area of the MartinLogan 15 is approximately 415.2cm2 / 64.4inch2. The Denton 85 requires 76% more surface area than the Motion 15 which gives it a small disadvantage on placement in tight spaces.