In this review, we will be comparing two different type of speakers . Wharfedale LINTON Heritage is a Bookshelf speaker whereas the La Scala AL5 is a Floor-standing speaker.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of Wharfedale LINTON and Klipsch La Scala AL5 first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
Wharfedale LINTON Key Specs
- 3-way Design
- 1" Soft-dome Tweeter
- 5" Midrange
- 8" Woven Kevlar Woofer
- 40-20k Hz Frequency Response
- 90 dB Sensitivity
- Impedance: 6ohms
- Power Range:25-200watts
- Weight:18.40kg
- Dimensions (H x W x D): 565.0" x 11.8" x 14.2"( 565.0 x 300.0 x 360.0mm )
Klipsch La Scala AL5 Key Specs
- 3-way Design
- 1" horn-loaded Tweeter
- 2" Midrange
- 15" fiber-composite cone with folded horn Woofer
- 2" Midrange
- 51-20k Hz Frequency Response
- 105 dB Sensitivity
- Impedance: 8ohms
- Power Range:up to 100watts
- Weight:91.36kg
- Dimensions (H x W x D): 1016.0" x 24-1/4" x 25-5/16"( 1016.0 x 616.0 x 643.0mm )
LINTON Heritage and La Scala AL5 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 LINTON and Klipsch La Scala AL5 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 LINTON Heritage and La Scala AL5 are 3-way speakers.
| Driver |
Wharfedale LINTON |
Klipsch La Scala AL5 |
|
Driver Setup
|
3-way
|
3-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
1-inch
|
1-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
1 x 5-inch |
1 x 2-inch |
|
Woofer
|
1 x 8-inch
|
1 x 15-inch
|
LINTON Heritage features a 1" woven textile Soft-dome Tweeter , a 5" Midrange and 1 x 8" Woven Kevlar Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 630Hz and 2400Hz. On the other hand, the La Scala AL5 features a 1" polyimide diaphragm compression horn-loaded Tweeter , a 2" Midrange and 1 x 15" fiber-composite cone with folded horn Woofer .
Frequency Response
LINTON Heritage has a frequency range of 40-20k Hz whereas La Scala AL5 has a frequency range of 51-20k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 40Hz, the LINTON Heritage can go significantly deeper on the low side and provide stronger bass compared to the La Scala AL5's min frequency of 51Hz.
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
LINTON Heritage is a 6 ohms speaker compared to the La Scala AL5 which has a nominal impedance of 8 ohms.
These two speakers also have different sensitivity levels. LINTON Heritage sensitivity is rated at 90 dB and the La Scala AL5's is rated at 105 dB. This 15 dB difference makes the Klipsch La Scala AL5 a more sensitive speaker compared to Wharfedale LINTON, 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.
LINTON Heritage can handle a max power of 200 watts RMS from the amp the whereas La Scala AL5 has a max power handling value of 100 watts RMS, 100 watts less than the LINTON Heritage.
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
La Scala AL5 features Binding post posts which make bi-amping or bi-wiring possible. LINTON Heritage has a Post which doesn't feature bi-amping/bi-wiring.
Wharfedale LINTON's Post terminals
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 LINTON's and Klipsch La Scala AL5's external dimensions. Wharfedale LINTON has external dimensions of 565.0 x 300.0 x 360.0mm ( 22.2 x 11.8 x 12.9inch) whereas Klipsch La Scala AL5 has external dimensions of 1016.0 x 616.0 x 643.0mm ( 40 x 24-1/4 x 25-5/16inch) .
Klipsch La Scala AL5 is clearly the larger of the two speakers. Its body is 316mm wider, 451mm taller and 283mm deeper than Wharfedale LINTON.
Below you can see the front view size comparison of Wharfedale LINTON and Klipsch La Scala AL5 in scale.
Comparison image of Wharfedale LINTON and Klipsch La Scala AL5 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 LINTON is approximately 990.0cm2 / 153.5inch2 and base area of the Klipsch La Scala AL5 is approximately 3960.9cm2 / 613.9inch2. The LINTON Heritage requires 75% less surface area than the La Scala AL5 which gives it a small advantage on placement in tight spaces.
What's in the Box of Wharfedale LINTON?
Here are the items that are included inside the box of LINTON Heritage:
Bookshelf loudspeaker Grille (pre-installed) 4 Self-adhesive rubber feet Pair of white gloves User's Manual
What's in the Box of Klipsch La Scala AL5?
Here are the items that come with the La Scala AL5:
2 Loudspeaker cabinets2 Subwoofer cabinets2 Grilles4 Jumper-straps (pre-installed)Owners ManualCongratulations letterKlipsch brochure
Max Input Power 
Low Frequency Response 
Height 
Base Surface Area 
Price per pair* 
Sensitivity 
Nominal Impedance 
Bi-Amping and Bi-Wiring