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Wharfedale Denton 85 vs Wharfedale Dovedale Comparison

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Wharfedale Denton 85

Passive Bookshelf | 45-20k Hz

Wharfedale Denton 85
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Wharfedale Dovedale

Passive Bookshelf | 36-20K HZ

Wharfedale Dovedale
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Wharfedale Denton 85 Wharfedale Denton 85
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Wharfedale Dovedale Wharfedale Dovedale
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Wharfedale Denton 85
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Wharfedale Dovedale
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Wharfedale Denton 85 vs Wharfedale Dovedale Speaker Comparison

In this review, we will be comparing Denton 85 and Dovedale, two Passive Bookshelf speakers by Wharfedale

Let's have a brief look at the main features of Wharfedale Denton 85 and Wharfedale Dovedale 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 )

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): 660.0" x 14.6" x 16.4"( 660 x 370 x 417mm )

Denton 85 and Dovedale are members of Wharfedale's Heritage series of speakers. Below you can find the loudspeakers from this series.

Wharfedale Heritage Series History
Model Body Frequency SensitivityImpedance Woofer
Wharfedale SUPER LINTON
  
Bookshelf 39-20k Hz 90 dB6Ω 1 x 8"
Wharfedale LINTON
  
Bookshelf 40-20k Hz 90 dB6Ω 1 x 8"
Wharfedale Denton 85
Bookshelf 45-20k Hz 88 dB4Ω 1 x 6.5"
Wharfedale Super Denton
  
Bookshelf 52-20k Hz 87 dB6Ω 1 x 6.5"
Wharfedale Dovedale
Bookshelf 36-20K HZ 89 DB6.5Ω 1 x 10"

What size room are the Wharfedale Denton 85 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 85 Wharfedale Dovedale
Near-field Poor Poor
Small Room Average Poor
Mid-size Room Good Good
Large Room Average Good
Very Large Room Poor 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 85 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 85 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 85 Wharfedale Dovedale
Driver Setup 2-way 3-way
Tweeter 1-inch 1-inch
Midrange - 1 x 5-inch
Woofer 1 x 6.5-inch 1 x 10-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 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 85 has a frequency range of 45-20k 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 85's min frequency of 45Hz.

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

Denton 85
Dovedale
Min
Average
Max
High Frequency

Bookshelf Speakers

Wharfedale Denton 85
Wharfedale Dovedale
Min
Average
Max

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 Dovedale which has a nominal impedance of 6.5 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 Dovedale's is rated at 89 DB. This 1 dB difference makes the Wharfedale Dovedale a more sensitive speaker compared to Wharfedale Denton 85, hence will play louder with the same amount of watts.

Sensitivity

Bookshelf Speakers

Denton 85
Dovedale
Min
Average
Max

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 250 watts RMS from the amp the whereas Denton 85 has a max power handling value of 120 watts RMS , 130 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 85 features Post posts which make bi-amping or bi-wiring possible. Dovedale has a Post which doesn't feature bi-amping/bi-wiring.

Wharfedale Denton 85 Terminals
Wharfedale Denton 85's Post terminals allows Bi-amping or bi-wiring

Wharfedale DovedalePost Terminals
Wharfedale Dovedale's Post terminals

Cabinet Type and Port Position

Both Denton 85 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 85's and Wharfedale Dovedale'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 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 130mm wider, 318mm taller and 113mm deeper than Wharfedale Denton 85.

Below you can see the front view size comparison of Wharfedale Denton 85 and Wharfedale Dovedale in scale.

Wharfedale Denton 85 vs Wharfedale Dovedale Size Comparison - Front View
Comparison image of Wharfedale Denton 85 and Wharfedale Dovedale Size and External Dimensions

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 Wharfedale Dovedale is approximately 1542.9cm2 / 239.1inch2. The Denton 85 requires 53% less surface area than the Dovedale 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 85 weighs 9.00kg / 19.8lbs and the Wharfedale Dovedale weighs 26.20kg / 57.6lbs. This makes the Dovedale 191% heavier than the Denton 85.

Here is a comparison of how Denton 85 and Dovedale's weights compare with the average, max and min weights in Passive Bookshelf class.

Weight
All Bookshelf Speakers
Wharfedale Denton 85
Wharfedale Dovedale
Min
Average
Max

What's in the Box of Wharfedale Denton 85?

Here are the items that are included inside the box of Denton 85:
  • 2 Bookshelf loudspeakers
  • 2 Grilles
  • 4 Jumper-bars (pre-installed)
  • 8 Self-adhesive rubber feet
  • Pair of white cloth gloves
  • User Manual

  • Reasons to choose Wharfedale Denton 85 over Wharfedale Dovedale
    Minimum Impedance 3.8 ohms vs 3.6 ohms Very low impedance levels puts more pressure on amplifier
    Bi-Amping and Bi-Wiring Yes vs No Allows bi-amping and bi-wiring connections
    Height 342mm vs 660mm Easier to fit in smaller spaces
    Base Surface Area 729cm2 vs 1542cm2 Takes less floor space
    Price per pair* 999USD vs 5000USD costs less (*prices may change depending on the seller, location and time)

    Reasons to choose Wharfedale Dovedale over Wharfedale Denton 85

    Max Input Power 250 watts vs 120 watts Handle more power from your amplifier
    Driver Setup 3-way vs 2-way Have a dedicated mid-range driver
    Sensitivity 89 dB vs 88 dB Play louder with same amount of amplification power
    Nominal Impedance 6.5 ohms vs 4 ohms Less selective with amplifiers
    Woofer Size 10 inches vs 6.5 inches Larger woofer
    Low Frequency Response 36 Hz vs 45 Hz Generates deeper bass
    Wharfedale Denton 85 vs Wharfedale Dovedale Specs Table
    Detailed comparison of specifications
    General Wharfedale Denton 85 Wharfedale Dovedale
    Brand Wharfedale Wharfedale
    Speaker Type Bookshelf speakers Bookshelf speakers
    Power Range 20-120 watts 25-250 watts
    Sensitivity 88 dB 89 DB
    Impedance 4 ohms 6.5 ohms
    Impedance 3.8 ohms 3.6 ohms
    Frequency Response 45-20k Hz 36-20K HZ
    Drivers
    Woofer Quantity 1 1
    Woofer Size 6.5" 10"
    Woofer Composition Woven Kevlar black woven Kevlar cone
    Woofer Surround Material Rubber Rubber
    Tweeter Size 1" 1"
    Tweeter Type Soft-Dome soft dome
    Aimable Tweeter No No
    Midrange Driver No 5"
    Crossover Frequency 3100Hz 560Hz and 2900Hz
    Firing Direction rear rear
    Physical Specs
    Height 342.0mm (13.5") 660.0mm (26")
    Width 240.0mm (9.4") 370.0mm (14.6")
    Depth 304.0mm (12") 417.0mm (16.4")
    Weight 9.00kg (19.8lbs) 26.20kg (57.6lbs)
    Enclosure Bass Reflex Bass Reflex
    Finish MDF/Wood Veneer MDF/Wood Veneer
    Available Colors Walnut, Mahogany, Black Walnut
    Mounting Bracket No No
    Recommended Stand Height 24-28" n/a
    Grille Yes Yes
    Moisture Resistancy No No
    Connections
    Biamp Inputs Yes No
    Other
    Parts Warranty 5 Years 5 Years
    Labor Warranty 5 Years 5 Years

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