In this review, we will be comparing two different types of speakers. Wharfedale SUPER LINTON 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 SUPER LINTON and Klipsch La Scala AL5 first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
| Key Specs | Wharfedale SUPER LINTON | Klipsch La Scala AL5 |
|---|
| Brand | Wharfedale
United Kingdom · founded 1932 | Klipsch
United States · founded 1946 |
|---|
| Design | 3-way | 3-way |
|---|
| Tweeter | 1" Soft-dome | 1" horn-loaded |
|---|
| Midrange | 5" | 2" |
|---|
| Woofer | 8" Black Woven Kevlar Cone | 15" fiber-composite cone with folded horn |
|---|
| Frequency response | 39-20k Hz | 51-20k Hz |
|---|
| Sensitivity | 90 dB | 105 dB |
|---|
| Impedance | 6 ohms | 8 ohms |
|---|
| Power range | 25-200 watts | up to 100 watts |
|---|
| Weight | 19.80kg / 43.6lbs | 91.36kg / 201lbs |
|---|
| Dimensions (H x W x D) | 23.8" x 12" x 14.2"
605 x 300 x 360 mm | 40" x 24-1/4" x 25-5/16"
1016.0 x 616.0 x 643.0mm |
|---|
SUPER LINTON 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
The sections below take each area in turn: drivers, frequency response, physical size and what you get in the box.
Drivers
Both SUPER LINTON and La Scala AL5 are 3-way speakers.
Wharfedale SUPER LINTONKlipsch La Scala AL5
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 SUPER 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
|
SUPER LINTON features a 1" woven textile Soft-dome Tweeter, a 5" Midrange and 1 x 8" Black Woven Kevlar Cone Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 550Hz and 2500Hz. 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
SUPER LINTON has a frequency range of 39-20k Hz whereas La Scala AL5 has a frequency range of 51-20k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 39Hz, the SUPER LINTON can go significantly deeper on the low side and provide stronger bass compared to the La Scala AL5's min frequency of 51Hz.
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
SUPER LINTON 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. SUPER LINTON 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 SUPER 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. Staying
within that range gives nominal performance; driving the speaker beyond its maximum wattage can damage it.
SUPER LINTON can handle a max power of 200 watts RMS, whereas La Scala AL5 has a max power handling value of 100 watts RMS, 100 watts less than the SUPER LINTON.
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
Both SUPER LINTON and La Scala AL5 features dual binding post speaker terminals for bi-amping or bi-wiring.
Wharfedale SUPER LINTON's Post terminals allows Bi-amping or bi-wiring
Wharfedale SUPER LINTON dual Port
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 SUPER LINTON's and Klipsch La Scala AL5's external dimensions. Wharfedale SUPER LINTON has external dimensions of 605 x 300 x 360 mm (23.82 x 12 x 14.2 inches) 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, 411mm taller and 283mm deeper than Wharfedale SUPER LINTON.
Below you can see the front view size comparison of Wharfedale SUPER LINTON and Klipsch La Scala AL5 in scale.
Comparison image of Wharfedale SUPER 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 SUPER LINTON is approximately 1080.0cm2 / 167.4inch2 and base area of the Klipsch La Scala AL5 is approximately 3960.9cm2 / 613.9inch2. The SUPER LINTON requires 73% 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 SUPER LINTON?
Here are the items that are included inside the box of SUPER LINTON:
- 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 cabinets
- 2 Subwoofer cabinets
- 2 Grilles
- 4 Jumper-straps (pre-installed)
- Owners Manual
- Congratulations letter
- Klipsch brochure