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Wharfedale Heritage Centre vs Wharfedale Denton 85 Comparison

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Speaker to replace
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Wharfedale Heritage Centre

Passive Center Channel | 54-20k Hz

Wharfedale Heritage Centre
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Wharfedale Denton 85

Passive Bookshelf | 45-20k Hz

Wharfedale Denton 85
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Wharfedale Heritage Centre Wharfedale Heritage...
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Wharfedale Denton 85 Wharfedale Denton 85
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Wharfedale Heritage...
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Wharfedale Denton 85
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Wharfedale Heritage Centre vs Wharfedale Denton 85 Speaker Comparison

In this review, we will be comparing two different type of speakers by Wharfedale. Wharfedale Heritage Centre is a Center Channel speaker whereas the Denton 85 is a Bookshelf speaker.

Let's have a brief look at the main features of Wharfedale Heritage Centre and Wharfedale Denton 85 first before getting into our more detailed comparison.

Wharfedale Heritage Centre Key Specs

  • 3-way Design
  • 1" Soft-Dome Tweeter
  • 2" Midrange
  • 2 x 6-1/2" Woofer
  • 54-20k Hz Frequency Response
  • 90 dB Sensitivity
  • Impedance: 6ohms
  • Weight:14.03kg
  • Dimensions (H x W x D): 251.0" x 21-11/16" x 12-7/16"( 251.0 x 551.0 x 316.0mm )

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 Heritage Centre and Denton 85 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"
Wharfedale Heritage Centre
Center Channel 54-20k Hz 90 dB6Ω 2 x 6-1/2"

In the following sections, we will get into more detail in order to better understand how the Wharfedale Heritage Centre and Wharfedale Denton 85 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 Wharfedale Heritage Centre is a 3-way design whereas the Denton 85 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.

Driver Wharfedale Heritage Centre Wharfedale Denton 85
Driver Setup 3-way 2-way
Tweeter 1-inch 1-inch
Midrange 1 x 2-inch -
Woofer 2 x 6-1/2-inch 1 x 6.5-inch

Wharfedale Heritage Centre features a 1" Soft-Dome Tweeter , a 2" Midrange and 2 x 6-1/2" Woofer . On the other hand, the Denton 85 features a 1" woven textile Soft-Dome Tweeter and 1 x 6.5" Woven Kevlar Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 3100Hz.

Frequency Response

Wharfedale Heritage Centre has a frequency range of 54-20k Hz whereas Denton 85 has a frequency range of 45-20k 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 Wharfedale Heritage Centre's min frequency of 54Hz.

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 Center Channel class in our database.

Low Frequency

Center Channel Speakers

Wharfedale Heritage Centre
Denton 85
Min
Average
Max
High Frequency

Center Channel Speakers

Wharfedale Heritage Centre
Wharfedale Denton 85
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

Wharfedale Heritage Centre is a 6 ohms speaker compared to the Denton 85 which has a nominal impedance of 4 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. Wharfedale Heritage Centre sensitivity is rated at 90 dB and the Denton 85's is rated at 88 dB. This 2 dB difference makes the Wharfedale Heritage Centre a more sensitive speaker compared to Wharfedale Denton 85, hence will play louder with the same amount of watts.

Sensitivity

Center Channel Speakers

Wharfedale Heritage Centre
Denton 85
Min
Average
Max

Input Type and Bi-Amping / Bi-Wiring

Denton 85 features Post posts which make bi-amping or bi-wiring possible. Wharfedale Heritage Centre has a Binding 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

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 Heritage Centre's and Wharfedale Denton 85's external dimensions. Wharfedale Heritage Centre has external dimensions of 251.0 x 551.0 x 316.0mm ( 9-7/8inch x 21-11/16inch x 12-7/16inch ) whereas 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) .

Wharfedale Denton 85 is 311mm narrower and 12mm less deeper than Wharfedale Heritage Centre but it is also 91mm taller.

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 Heritage Centre is approximately 1741.2cm2 / 269.9inch2 and base area of the Wharfedale Denton 85 is approximately 729.6cm2 / 113.1inch2. The Wharfedale Heritage Centre requires 139% more surface area than the Denton 85 which gives it a small disadvantage on placement in tight spaces.

What's in the Box of Wharfedale Heritage Centre?

Here are the items that are included inside the box of Wharfedale Heritage Centre:
  • Center-channel loudspeaker
  • Grille
  • 4 Self-adhesive feet
  • Pair of white gloves
  • User's Manual
  • What's in the Box of Wharfedale Denton 85?

    Here are the items that come with the 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 Heritage Centre over Wharfedale Denton 85
    Driver Setup 3-way vs 2-way Have a dedicated mid-range driver
    Sensitivity 90 dB vs 88 dB Play louder with same amount of amplification power
    Nominal Impedance 6 ohms vs 4 ohms Less selective with amplifiers
    Number of Woofers 2 vs 1 More woofers
    Height 251mm vs 342mm Easier to fit in smaller spaces

    Reasons to choose Wharfedale Denton 85 over Wharfedale Heritage Centre

    Woofer Size 6.5 inches vs 6-1/2 inches Larger woofer
    Low Frequency Response 45 Hz vs 54 Hz Generates deeper bass
    Base Surface Area 729cm2 vs 1741cm2 Takes less floor space
    Price per pair* 999USD vs 1998USD costs less (*prices may change depending on the seller, location and time)
    Wharfedale Heritage Centre vs Wharfedale Denton 85 Specs Table
    Detailed comparison of specifications
    General Wharfedale Heritage Centre Wharfedale Denton 85
    Brand Wharfedale Wharfedale
    Speaker Type Center channel speaker Bookshelf speakers
    Sensitivity 90 dB 88 dB
    Impedance 6 ohms 4 ohms
    Impedance n/a 3.8 ohms
    Frequency Response 54-20k Hz 45-20k Hz
    Drivers
    Woofer Quantity 2 1
    Woofer Size 6-1/2" 6.5"
    Woofer Composition Woven Kevlar
    Woofer Surround Material n/a Rubber
    Tweeter Size 1" 1"
    Tweeter Type Soft-Dome Soft-Dome
    Aimable Tweeter No No
    Midrange Driver 2" No
    Crossover Frequency n/a 3100Hz
    Firing Direction n/a rear
    Physical Specs
    Height 251.0mm (9.9") 342.0mm (13.5")
    Width 551.0mm (21.7") 240.0mm (9.4")
    Depth 316.0mm (12.4") 304.0mm (12")
    Weight 14.03kg (30.9lbs) 9.00kg (19.8lbs)
    Enclosure Bass Reflex
    Finish n/a MDF/Wood Veneer
    Available Colors Black Walnut, Mahogany, Black
    Mounting Bracket No No
    Recommended Stand Height n/a 24-28"
    Grille n/a Yes
    Moisture Resistancy No No
    Connections
    Biamp Inputs n/a Yes
    Other
    Parts Warranty 5 Years 5 Years
    Labor Warranty 5 Years 5 Years

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