In this review, we will be comparing Denton 85 and S10, two Passive Bookshelf speakers from Wharfedale and Polk Audio.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of Wharfedale Denton 85 and Polk S10 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 )
Polk S10 Key Specs
- 2-way Design
- 1" Soft-Dome Tweeter
- 4" Mica-reinforced polypropylene Woofer
- 67-40k Hz Frequency Response
- 87 dB Sensitivity
- Impedance: 8ohms
- Power Range:20-100watts
- Weight:2.73kg
- Dimensions (H x W x D): 214.0" x 5.0" x 6.1"( 214.0 x 127.0 x 155.0mm )
What size room are the Wharfedale Denton 85 and Polk S10 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 |
Polk S10 |
| Near-field |
Poor |
Average |
| Small Room |
Average |
Good |
| Mid-size Room |
Good |
Average |
| Large Room |
Average |
Poor |
| Very Large Room |
Poor |
Bad |
(* 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 Polk S10 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 S10 are 2-way speakers.
| Driver |
Wharfedale Denton 85 |
Polk S10 |
|
Driver Setup
|
2-way
|
2-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
1-inch
|
1-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
- |
- |
|
Woofer
|
1 x 6.5-inch
|
1 x 4-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 S10 features a 1" Terylene Soft-Dome Tweeter and 1 x 4" Mica-reinforced polypropylene Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 2500Hz.
Frequency Response
Denton 85 has a frequency range of 45-20k Hz whereas S10 has a frequency range of 67-40k 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 S10's min frequency of 67Hz.
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 S10 which has a nominal impedance of 8 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 S10's is rated at 87 dB. This 1 dB difference makes the Wharfedale Denton 85 a more sensitive speaker compared to Polk S10, 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 120 watts RMS from the amp the whereas S10 has a max power handling value of 100 watts RMS, 20 watts less than the Denton 85.
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. S10 has a 5-way post which doesn't feature bi-amping/bi-wiring.
Wharfedale Denton 85's Post terminals allows Bi-amping or bi-wiring
Polk S10's 5-way post terminals
Cabinet Type and Port Position
Both Denton 85 and S10 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 Polk S10'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 Polk S10 has external dimensions of 214.0 x 127.0 x 155.0mm ( 8.4 x 5.0 x 6.1inch) .
Wharfedale Denton 85 is clearly the larger of the two speakers. Its body is 113mm wider, 128mm taller and 149mm deeper than Polk S10.
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 Polk S10 is approximately 196.9cm2 / 30.5inch2. The Denton 85 requires 271% more surface area than the S10 which gives it a small disadvantage on placement in tight spaces.