In this review, we will be comparing two different type of speakers . Wharfedale Dovedale is a Bookshelf speaker whereas the AK7 is a Floor-standing speaker.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of Wharfedale Dovedale and Klipsch Klipschorn AK7 first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
Wharfedale Dovedale Key Specs
- 3-way Design
- 1" soft dome Tweeter
- 5" Midrange
- 10" black woven Kevlar cone Woofer
- 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 )
Klipsch Klipschorn AK7 Key Specs
- 3-way Design
- 1" Tractrix horn Tweeter
- 3" Midrange
- 15" fiber-composite with a trihedral exponential folded horn Woofer
- 3" Midrange
- 34-19k Hz Frequency Response
- 103 dB Sensitivity
- Impedance: 8ohms
- Power Range:up to 100watts
- Weight:118.00kg
- Dimensions (H x W x D): 1347.0" x 31-1/4" x 28-1/4"( 1347.0 x 794.0 x 718.0mm )
Dovedale and AK7 are members of Klipsch's Heritage series of speakers. Below you can find the loudspeakers from this series.
Wharfedale Heritage Series
History
In the following sections, we will get into more detail in order to better understand how the Wharfedale Dovedale and Klipsch Klipschorn AK7 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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Drivers
Both Dovedale and AK7 are 3-way speakers.
| Driver |
Wharfedale Dovedale |
Klipsch Klipschorn AK7 |
|
Driver Setup
|
3-way
|
3-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
1-inch
|
1-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
1 x 5-inch |
1 x 3-inch |
|
Woofer
|
1 x 10-inch
|
1 x 15-inch
|
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. On the other hand, the AK7 features a 1" polyimide diaphragm compression Tractrix horn Tweeter , a 3" Midrange and 1 x 15" fiber-composite with a trihedral exponential folded horn Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 380Hz - 290Hz.
Frequency Response
Dovedale has a frequency range of 36-20K HZ whereas AK7 has a frequency range of 34-19k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 34Hz, the AK7 can go slightly deeper then the Dovedale's min frequency of 36Hz.
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
Dovedale is a 6.5 ohms speaker compared to the AK7 which has a nominal impedance of 8 ohms.
These two speakers also have different sensitivity levels. Dovedale sensitivity is rated at 89 DB and the AK7's is rated at 103 dB. This 14 dB difference makes the Klipsch Klipschorn AK7 a more sensitive speaker compared to Wharfedale Dovedale, 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.
Dovedale can handle a max power of 250 watts RMS from the amp the whereas AK7 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
AK7 features Binding post posts which make bi-amping or bi-wiring possible. Dovedale has a Post which doesn't feature bi-amping/bi-wiring.
Wharfedale Dovedale's Post terminals
Klipsch Klipschorn AK7's Binding post terminals allows Bi-amping or bi-wiring
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 Dovedale's and Klipsch Klipschorn AK7's external dimensions. Wharfedale Dovedale has external dimensions of 660 x 370 x 417mm ( 23.6 x 14.6 x 16.4 inch) whereas Klipsch Klipschorn AK7 has external dimensions of 1347.0 x 794.0 x 718.0mm ( 53 x 31-1/4 x 28-1/4inch) .
Klipsch Klipschorn AK7 is clearly the larger of the two speakers. Its body is 424mm wider, 687mm taller and 301mm deeper than Wharfedale Dovedale.
Below you can see the front view size comparison of Wharfedale Dovedale and Klipsch Klipschorn AK7 in scale.
Comparison image of Wharfedale Dovedale and Klipsch Klipschorn AK7 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 Dovedale is approximately 1542.9cm2 / 239.1inch2 and base area of the Klipsch Klipschorn AK7 is approximately 5700.9cm2 / 883.6inch2. The Dovedale requires 73% less surface area than the AK7 which gives it a small advantage on placement in tight spaces.
What's in the Box of Klipsch Klipschorn AK7?
Here are the items that come with the AK7:
2 Loudspeaker cabinets2 Subwoofer cabinets2 GrillesOwners ManualCongratulations letterKlipsch brochure