In this review, we will be comparing Dovedale and DENTON 80, two Passive Bookshelf speakers by Wharfedale.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of Wharfedale Dovedale and Wharfedale Denton 80 first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
| Key Specs | Wharfedale Dovedale | Wharfedale Denton 80 |
|---|
| Design | 3-way | 2-way |
|---|
| Tweeter | 1" soft dome | 1" Soft-Dome |
|---|
| Midrange | 5" | — |
|---|
| Woofer | 10" black woven Kevlar cone | 5" Woven Kevlar |
|---|
| Frequency response | 36-20K HZ | 44-24k Hz |
|---|
| Sensitivity | 89 DB | 86 dB |
|---|
| Impedance | 6.5 ohms | 6 ohms |
|---|
| Power range | 25-250 watts | 20-100 watts |
|---|
| Weight | 26.20kg / 57.6lbs | 7.90kg / 17.4lbs |
|---|
| Dimensions (H x W x D) | 23.6" x 14.6" x 16.4"
660 x 370 x 417mm | 12-5/8" x 7-7/8" x 12"
320.0 x 200.0 x 305.0mm |
|---|
Dovedale and DENTON 80 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 Dovedale and Wharfedale Denton 80 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 Dovedale |
Wharfedale Denton 80 |
| Near-field |
Poor |
Average |
| Small Room |
Poor |
Good |
| Mid-size Room |
Good |
Average |
| Large Room |
Good |
Poor |
| Very Large Room |
Average |
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.)
The sections below take each area in turn: drivers, frequency response, physical size and what you get in the box.
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through our links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
Drivers
One of the fundamental differences between these two speakers is that Dovedale is a 3-way design whereas the DENTON 80 is a 2-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 DovedaleWharfedale Denton 80
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 Dovedale |
Wharfedale Denton 80 |
|
Driver Setup
|
3-way
|
2-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
1-inch
|
1-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
1 x 5-inch |
- |
|
Woofer
|
1 x 10-inch
|
1 x 5-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 DENTON 80 features a 1" Soft-Dome Tweeter and 1 x 5" Woven Kevlar Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 2300Hz.
Frequency Response
Dovedale has a frequency range of 36-20K HZ whereas DENTON 80 has a frequency range of 44-24k 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 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
Dovedale is a 6.5 ohms speaker compared to the DENTON 80 which has a nominal impedance of 6 ohms.
These two speakers also have different sensitivity levels. Dovedale sensitivity is rated at 89 DB and the DENTON 80's is rated at 86 dB. This 3 dB difference makes the Wharfedale Dovedale 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.
Dovedale can handle a max power of 250 watts RMS, whereas DENTON 80 has a max power handling value of 100 watts RMS, 150 watts less than the Dovedale.
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
Dovedale features Binding post type posts and DENTON 80 has a Binding post type posts. None of these speakers feature bi-amping/bi-wiring.
Wharfedale Dovedale's Post terminals
Cabinet Type and Port Position
Both Dovedale and DENTON 80 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
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 Dovedale's and Wharfedale Denton 80's external dimensions. Wharfedale Dovedale has external dimensions of 660 x 370 x 417mm (23.6 x 14.6 x 16.4 inch) whereas Wharfedale Denton 80 has external dimensions of 320.0 x 200.0 x 305.0mm (12-5/8 x 7-7/8 x 12inch).
Wharfedale Dovedale is clearly the larger of the two speakers. Its body is 170mm wider, 340mm taller and 112mm deeper than Wharfedale Denton 80.
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 Wharfedale Denton 80 is approximately 610.0cm2 / 94.6inch2. The Dovedale requires 153% more surface area than the DENTON 80 which gives it a small disadvantage 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 Dovedale weighs 26.20kg / 57.6lbs and the Wharfedale Denton 80 weighs 7.90kg / 17.4lbs. This makes the Dovedale 232% heavier than the DENTON 80.
Here is a comparison of how Dovedale and DENTON 80's weights compare with the average, max and min weights in Passive Bookshelf class.
Weight
All Bookshelf Speakers
 Max Input Power |
250 watts
vs
100 watts
|
Handle more power from your amplifier |
 Driver Setup |
3-way
vs
2-way
|
Have a dedicated mid-range driver |
 Sensitivity |
89 dB
vs
86 dB
|
Play louder with same amount of amplification power |
 Nominal Impedance |
6.5 ohms
vs
6 ohms
|
Less selective with amplifiers |
 Woofer Size |
10 inches
vs
5 inches
|
Larger woofer |
|
Low Frequency Response |
36 Hz
vs
44 Hz
|
Generates deeper bass |
 High Frequency Response |
24k Hz
vs
20k Hz
|
Generates higher frequency |
 Height |
320mm
vs
660mm
|
Easier to fit in smaller spaces |
 Base Surface Area |
610cm2
vs
1542cm2
|
Takes less floor space |
 Price per pair* |
599USD
vs
5000USD
|
costs less (*prices may change depending on the seller, location and time) |
| General |
Wharfedale Dovedale |
Wharfedale Denton 80 |
| Brand |
Wharfedale |
Wharfedale |
| Speaker Type |
Bookshelf speakers |
Bookshelf speakers |
| Power Range |
25-250 watts |
20-100 watts |
| Sensitivity |
89 DB |
86 dB |
| Impedance |
6.5 ohms |
6 ohms |
| Impedance |
3.6 ohms |
n/a |
| Frequency Response |
36-20K HZ |
44-24k Hz |
Drivers |
|
|
| Woofer Quantity |
1 |
1 |
| Woofer Size |
10" |
5" |
| Woofer Composition |
black woven Kevlar cone |
Woven Kevlar |
| Woofer Surround Material |
Rubber |
n/a |
| Tweeter Size |
1" |
1" |
| Tweeter Type |
soft dome |
Soft-Dome |
| Aimable Tweeter |
No |
No |
| Midrange Driver |
5" |
No |
| Crossover Frequency |
560Hz and 2900Hz |
2300Hz |
| Firing Direction |
rear |
rear |
Physical Specs |
|
|
| Height |
660.0mm (26") |
320.0mm (12.6") |
| Width |
370.0mm (14.6") |
200.0mm (7.9") |
| Depth |
417.0mm (16.4") |
305.0mm (12") |
| Weight |
26.20kg (57.6lbs) |
7.90kg (17.4lbs) |
| Enclosure |
Bass Reflex |
Bass Reflex |
| Finish |
MDF/Wood Veneer |
Mahogany red veneer |
| Available Colors |
Walnut |
Mahogany with grey tungsten cloth grille |
| Mounting Bracket |
No |
|
| Grille |
Yes |
Yes |
| Moisture Resistancy |
No |
No |
Connections |
|
|
| Biamp Inputs |
No |
No |
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 |
A |
Wharfedale Dovedale digs deeper - 36Hz against 44Hz. A subwoofer would even that out. |
| Amplifier needs |
A |
Wharfedale Dovedale is more sensitive (89dB vs 86dB), so it goes louder on the same amplifier. |
| Amplifier match |
A |
Wharfedale Dovedale is the easier load at 6.5 ohms. |
| Headroom |
A |
Wharfedale Dovedale takes more power (250W vs 100W) - more in hand in a big room. |
| Size |
depends |
Wharfedale Denton 80 is easier to place; Wharfedale Dovedale is bigger, which usually goes with fuller bass. Your room decides. |
| Price |
B |
Wharfedale Denton 80 is cheaper - $599 against $5,000, about 88% less; arguably a different class. |
A Wharfedale Dovedale
B Wharfedale Denton 80
depends neither is better in the abstract - it turns on your room, placement 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 Dovedale measures better, Wharfedale Denton 80 costs about 88% 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 Dovedale the better fit for a mid-size room, a large room and a very large room, and Wharfedale Denton 80 for near-field listening and a small 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.