In this review, we will be comparing two different types 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.
| Key Specs | Wharfedale Heritage Centre | Wharfedale Denton 85 |
|---|
| Brand | Wharfedale
United Kingdom · founded 1932 | Wharfedale
United Kingdom · founded 1932 |
|---|
| Design | 3-way | 2-way |
|---|
| Tweeter | 1" Soft-Dome | 1" Soft-Dome |
|---|
| Midrange | 2" | — |
|---|
| Woofer | 2 x 6-1/2" | 6.5" Woven Kevlar |
|---|
| Frequency response | 54-20k Hz | 45-20k Hz |
|---|
| Sensitivity | 90 dB | 88 dB |
|---|
| Impedance | 6 ohms | 4 ohms |
|---|
| Power range | — | 20-120 watts |
|---|
| Weight | 14.03kg / 30.9lbs | 9.00kg / 19.8lbs |
|---|
| Dimensions (H x W x D) | 9-7/8" x 21-11/16" x 12-7/16"
251.0 x 551.0 x 316.0mm | 13-7/16" x 9-7/16" x 11-15/16"
342.0 x 240.0 x 304.0mm |
|---|
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
The sections below take each area in turn: drivers, frequency response, physical size and what you get in the box.
Drivers
One of the fundamental differences between these two speakers is that 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.
Wharfedale Heritage CentreWharfedale Denton 85
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 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
|
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
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 Heritage Centre's min frequency of 54Hz.
The graph below depicts how these two speakers compare with the max, min and average Low Frequency values of other speakers in the Center Channel class in our database.
Low Frequency
Center Channel 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
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. 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
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.
Wharfedale Heritage Centre
Input Type and Bi-Amping / Bi-Wiring
Denton 85 features Post posts which make bi-amping or bi-wiring possible. Heritage Centre has a Binding post which doesn't feature bi-amping/bi-wiring.
Wharfedale Denton 85's Post terminals allows Bi-amping or bi-wiring
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 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.
Size, drawn to scale
Both speakers and both views share one scale, so everything here is directly comparable. Hover a box for its dimensions.
One scale for both, standing on the same surface and pushed back to the same wall, so the deeper one visibly sticks out further.
Wharfedale Heritage Centre needs about 139% more floor or shelf area. Wharfedale Denton 85 is 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 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 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