In this review, we will be comparing SUPER LINTON and Sandwich 250, two Passive Bookshelf speakers from Wharfedale and Leak.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of Wharfedale SUPER LINTON and Leak Sandwich 250 first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
| Key Specs | Wharfedale SUPER LINTON | Leak Sandwich 250 |
|---|
| Brand | Wharfedale
United Kingdom · founded 1932 | Leak
United Kingdom · founded 1934 |
|---|
| Design | 3-way | 3-way |
|---|
| Tweeter | 1" Soft-dome | 1.2" Dome |
|---|
| Midrange | 5" | 4.25" |
|---|
| Woofer | 8" Black Woven Kevlar Cone | 11" Aluminium-Foamcore Sandwich cone |
|---|
| Frequency response | 39-20k Hz | 42Hz-26kHz |
|---|
| Sensitivity | 90 dB | 88.5 dB |
|---|
| Impedance | 6 ohms | 4 ohms |
|---|
| Power range | 25-200 watts | 25-250 watts |
|---|
| Weight | 19.80kg / 43.6lbs | 27.30kg / 60.1lbs |
|---|
| Dimensions (H x W x D) | 23.8" x 12" x 14.2"
605 x 300 x 360 mm | 25.8" x 14.6" x 11.8"
655 x 370 x 300 mm |
|---|
What size room are the Wharfedale SUPER LINTON and Leak Sandwich 250 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 SUPER LINTON |
Leak Sandwich 250 |
| Near-field |
Poor |
Poor |
| Small Room |
Average |
Poor |
| Mid-size Room |
Good |
Good |
| Large Room |
Average |
Good |
| Very Large Room |
Poor |
Average |
(* 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.
Drivers
Both SUPER LINTON and Sandwich 250 are 3-way speakers.
Wharfedale SUPER LINTONLeak Sandwich 250
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 |
Leak Sandwich 250 |
|
Driver Setup
|
3-way
|
3-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
1-inch
|
1.2-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
1 x 5-inch |
1 x 4.25-inch |
|
Woofer
|
1 x 8-inch
|
1 x 11-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 Sandwich 250 features a 1.2" Coated Textile Dome Tweeter, a 4.25" Midrange and 1 x 11" Aluminium-Foamcore Sandwich cone Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 470Hz and 3100Hz.
Frequency Response
SUPER LINTON has a frequency range of 39-20k Hz whereas Sandwich 250 has a frequency range of 42Hz-26kHz. With a minimum frequency of 39Hz, the SUPER LINTON can go slightly deeper then the Sandwich 250's min frequency of 42Hz.
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 Sandwich 250 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 Sandwich 250 can provide this impedance level.
These two speakers also have different sensitivity levels. SUPER LINTON sensitivity is rated at 90 dB and the Sandwich 250's is rated at 88.5 dB. This 1 dB difference makes the Wharfedale SUPER LINTON a more sensitive speaker compared to Leak Sandwich 250, 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.
Sandwich 250 can handle a max power of 250 watts RMS, whereas SUPER LINTON has a max power handling value of 200 watts RMS, 50 watts less than the Sandwich 250.
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
SUPER LINTON features Post posts which make bi-amping or bi-wiring possible. Sandwich 250 has a Binding post which doesn't feature bi-amping/bi-wiring.
Wharfedale SUPER LINTON's Post terminals allows Bi-amping or bi-wiring
Leak Sandwich 250's Binding post terminals
Cabinet Type and Port Position
Both SUPER LINTON and Sandwich 250 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.
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 Leak Sandwich 250'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 Leak Sandwich 250 has external dimensions of 655 x 370 x 300 mm (25.8 x 14.6 x 11.8 inch).
Wharfedale SUPER LINTON is 70mm narrower and 50mm shorter than Leak Sandwich 250 but it is also 60mm deeper.
Below you can see the front view size comparison of Wharfedale SUPER LINTON and Leak Sandwich 250 in scale.
Comparison image of Wharfedale SUPER LINTON and Leak Sandwich 250 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 Leak Sandwich 250 is approximately 1110.0cm2 / 172.1inch2. The SUPER LINTON requires 3% less surface area than the Sandwich 250 which gives it a small advantage 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 SUPER LINTON weighs 19.80kg / 43.6lbs and the Leak Sandwich 250 weighs 27.30kg / 60.1lbs. This makes the Sandwich 250 38% heavier than the SUPER LINTON.
Here is a comparison of how SUPER LINTON and Sandwich 250's weights compare with the average, max and min weights in Passive Bookshelf class.
Weight
All Bookshelf Speakers
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
 Sensitivity |
90 dB
vs
89 dB
|
Play louder with same amount of amplification power |
 Nominal Impedance |
6 ohms
vs
4 ohms
|
Less selective with amplifiers |
 Low Frequency Response |
39 Hz
vs
42 Hz
|
Generates deeper bass |
 Bi-Amping and Bi-Wiring |
Yes
vs
No
|
Allows bi-amping and bi-wiring connections |
 Height |
605mm
vs
655mm
|
Easier to fit in smaller spaces |
 Base Surface Area |
1080cm2
vs
1110cm2
|
Takes less floor space |
 Max Input Power |
250 watts
vs
200 watts
|
Handle more power from your amplifier |
|
Woofer Size |
11 inches
vs
8 inches
|
Larger woofer |
 High Frequency Response |
26k Hz
vs
20k Hz
|
Generates higher frequency |
 Price per pair* |
2399USD
vs
2500USD
|
costs less (*prices may change depending on the seller, location and time) |
| General |
Wharfedale SUPER LINTON |
Leak Sandwich 250 |
| Brand |
Wharfedale |
Leak |
| Speaker Type |
Bookshelf speakers |
Bookshelf speakers |
| Power Range |
25-200 watts |
25-250 watts |
| Sensitivity |
90 dB |
88.5 dB |
| Impedance |
6 ohms |
4 ohms |
| Impedance |
3.9 ohms |
n/a |
| Frequency Response |
39-20k Hz |
42Hz-26kHz |
Drivers |
|
|
| Woofer Quantity |
1 |
1 |
| Woofer Size |
8" |
11" |
| Woofer Composition |
Black Woven Kevlar Cone |
Aluminium-Foamcore Sandwich cone |
| Woofer Surround Material |
Rubber |
Rubber |
| Tweeter Size |
1" |
1.2" |
| Tweeter Type |
Soft-dome |
Dome |
| Aimable Tweeter |
No |
No |
| Midrange Driver |
5" |
4.25" |
| Crossover Frequency |
550Hz and 2500Hz |
470Hz and 3100Hz |
| Firing Direction |
rear |
rear |
Physical Specs |
|
|
| Height |
605.0mm (23.8") |
655.0mm (25.8") |
| Width |
300.0mm (11.8") |
370.0mm (14.6") |
| Depth |
360.0mm (14.2") |
300.0mm (11.8") |
| Weight |
19.80kg (43.6lbs) |
27.30kg (60.1lbs) |
| Enclosure |
Bass Reflex |
Bass Reflex |
| Finish |
MDF/Wood Veneer |
real-wood veneer |
| Available Colors |
Walnut, Mahogany, Black |
walnut |
| Mounting Bracket |
No |
No |
| Recommended Stand Height |
18-22" |
n/a |
| Grille |
Yes |
Yes |
| Moisture Resistancy |
No |
No |
Connections |
|
|
| Biamp Inputs |
Yes |
No |
Other |
|
|
| Parts Warranty |
5 Years |
|
| Labor Warranty |
5 Years |
|
No single best speaker here - they are built to different priorities, and the right one depends on your room, your amplifier and what you listen to.
| Area | Better | Why |
|---|
| Bass | A | Wharfedale SUPER LINTON digs deeper - 39Hz against 42Hz. A subwoofer would even that out. |
| Amplifier needs | evenly matched | Similar sensitivity (90dB vs 89dB) - both want much the same power. |
| Amplifier match | A | Wharfedale SUPER LINTON is the easier load at 6 ohms; the other is 4 ohms and wants an amplifier rated for it. |
| Headroom | B | Leak Sandwich 250 takes more power (250W vs 200W) - more in hand in a big room. |
| Size | depends | Similar cabinet size - neither is easier to fit. |
| Expandability | A | Wharfedale SUPER LINTON: bi-amping. Wharfedale SUPER LINTON sits in a wider range (7 models), so a matched surround system is easier later. |
| Price | evenly matched | Much the same money ($2,500 vs $2,399 a pair). |
A Wharfedale SUPER LINTON B Leak Sandwich 250
depends neither is better in the abstract - it turns on your room, your system 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?
Wharfedale SUPER LINTON has the edge on paper, though the margin is not large. The rows marked "depends" may matter more to you than the score does. Match it to your room: we rate Wharfedale SUPER LINTON the better fit for a small room, and Leak Sandwich 250 for a large room and a very large room. If your amplifier is modest, vintage or valve-based, Wharfedale SUPER LINTON is the safer partner - the other will want more current or more watts to sound its best.
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.