Wharfedale Denton 85 is a 2-way Passive Bass Reflex Bookshelf speaker by Wharfedale. It features a 1" Soft-Dome Tweeter and 1 x 6.5" Woven Kevlar Woofer. The speaker has a frequency range of 45-20k Hz and a sensitivity of 88 dB. Wharfedale Denton 85 has an MSRP of 999$ per pair.
Room Size Suitability
The size of the room where you plan to use the Wharfedale Denton 85 is a crucial factor in your decision. We have assessed its suitability for various room sizes based on its dimensions and maximum power output:
| Listening Environment* |
Suitability |
| Near-field | Poor |
| Small Room | Average |
| Mid-size Room | Good |
| Large Room | Average |
| Very Large Room | Poor |
(* 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.)
Wharfedale Denton 85 Lifestyle
Wharfedale's Heritage Series of Loudspeakers
Denton 85 is a member of Wharfedale's Heritage series of Passive speakers. To celebrate its history, Wharfedale has established the Heritage Series, recreations of famous models from its past, entirely re-engineered using contemporary techniques and materials. The range of Heritage speakers consists of the Denton 80, the Denton 85th Anniversary Edition, Linton and the latest installment of the Dovedale. Below you can see the main specs of these speakers.
Wharfedale Heritage Series Speakers
Wharfedale Heritage Series Speakers
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Frequency Response of the Wharfedale Denton 85 Speaker
Wharfedale Denton 85 has a Frequency response range of 45-20k Hz at ±3dB and Power Range of 20-120 watts. With a minimum frequency of 45 Hz, Denton 85 delivers moderate bass depth so depending on your use case, you might want to consider adding a subwoofer to your system.
To focus on the subwoofers that are in a similar price range with Wharfedale Denton 85, check out the Powered Subwoofers under $1000. Alternatively, find the Full list of Powered Subwoofers regardless of the price.
Here we have a comparison of how Denton 85's Low and High frequency values compare with the average, max and min Low and High frequency values in its class.
Low Frequency
Bookshelf Speakers
High Frequency
Bookshelf Speakers
Crossover frequency of the Wharfedale Denton 85?
The Crossover frequency of the Denton 85 is set to 3100Hz. This is the threshold frequency where the higher frequency signals over this level are sent to the tweeter and the lower-frequency signals are sent to the woofer by the crossover component.
Impedance and Sensitivity
Wharfedale Denton 85's nominal impedance level is
4 ohms but can go down to as low as
3.8 ohms, and has a sensitivity of
88 dB.
Sensitivity
Bookshelf Speakers
Nominal Impedance of the 4 Ohms means that the Wharfedale Denton 85 is a difficult to drive speaker from nominal Impedance perspective, make sure that you choose an amplifier than can provide 4 Ohms for this speaker.
Many AVRs (audio/video receiver) in the market may have difficulty when the speakers dip below the 4 Ohms levels (this may cause clipping or even physical damage), so we recommend to not pair the Wharfedale Denton 85 with an AVR but use an Integrated Amplifier instead.
Sensitivity
88dB of the Wharfedale Denton 85 is an average sensitivity for stereo speaker so it is neither easy nor difficult to drive Sensitivity wise.
Minimum Impedance of the Wharfedale Denton 85
Even though the nominal impedance of the Denton 85 is 4 ohms, the minimum impedance level of this speaker according to Wharfedale is 3.8 ohms Wharfedale Denton 85 so while choosing an amplifier, you should ideally check if the unit you are considering can provide this impedance level.
Check the amplifiers that are in a similar price range to the Wharfedale Denton 85:
Input Type
Denton 85 has Post type connectors and lets bi-amping/bi-wiring. Bi-wiring can enhance the overall transparency of your loudspeakers by using separate speaker wires for the low and high-frequency drivers from a single amplifier. Bi-amping, on the other hand, involves using separate amplifiers for the high and low-frequency drivers, potentially resulting in a greater dynamic range and reduced distortion.
Wharfedale Denton 85 Back View
Wharfedale Denton 85's Post terminals allows Bi-amping or bi-wiring
Wharfedale Denton 85 External Dimensions and Weight
Wharfedale Denton 85 has external dimensions of (Height x Width x Depth) 13-7/16 x 9-7/16 x 11-15/16inch (342.0 x 240.0 x 304.0mm ).
Base Surface Area
Base surface area of a loudspeaker may become a determining factor when the space in your room or desk is limited.
The base area of Wharfedale Denton 85 is approximately 729.6cm2 / 113.1inch2.
To get a better perspective on the real life size of Wharfedale Denton 85, let's compare it with a standard size Compact Disc which has a diameter of 4.7inch (120mm).
Wharfedale Denton 85 Speaker Size Compared to a Compact Disc
Here we place the Wharfedale Denton 85 virtually next to a standard width amplifier and turntable on a BDI Octave Media Cabinet to get a better idea about the size.
Wharfedale Denton 85 Speaker next to an amplifier and turntable
WeightThe Wharfedale Denton 85 weighs 9.00kg / 19.8lbs per piece. Here is a comparison of how Denton 85's weight compares with the average, max and min weights in its class.
Weight
All Bookshelf Speakers
Weight
Bookshelf Speakers under $1000
Cabinet type and Materials
Wharfedale Denton 85 has a
Bass Reflex type cabinet and a MDF/Wood Veneer finish. Bass Reflex type loudspeakers (aka Ported, Vented or Reflex Port) have enclosures that uses a port, hole or vent cut into the cabinet. Ported designs are generally more efficient than the Sealed designs.
Speaker Feet
Wharfedale Denton 85 comes with
8 Self-adhesive rubber feet which you can use to secure your loudspeaker on the surface that you are putting on. It is always recommended to use some kind of feet under all types of speakers. Besides limiting the movement of the speakers, it also compensates for non-flat surfaces and limits the contact surface area of the speaker. Rubber based feet also help isolating the vibrations within certain frequency ranges.
Port Position
Wharfedale Denton 85 is a rear-firing port speaker so you have to make sure you leave enough space between the back of the speaker and wall or bookshelf so that it has room to breathe.
Available colors
Wharfedale Denton 85 is available in Walnut, Mahogany and Black.
Wall Mounting
Denton 85 doesn't sport any built-in mounting bracket, so you need an external structure to mount it on walls.
Does the Wharfedale Denton 85 come with a Grille?
Denton 85 comes with removable cloth grilles in Black color choices. The purpose of the grille is to protect the delicate driver elements from external impacts while still allowing the sound to pass as clearly as possible.
Wharfedale Denton 85 with Grille
What's in the Box of Wharfedale Denton 85?
Here are the items that are included inside the box of Denton 85:
2 Bookshelf loudspeakers 2 Grilles 4 Jumper-bars (pre-installed) 8 Self-adhesive rubber feet Pair of white cloth gloves User Manual
Recommended Accessories
Here is a list of accessories that we think you may need for the Wharfedale Denton 85.
- Speaker Cable and Connectors
- Vibration Isolators: IsoAcoustics isolators more affordable options too.
- Acoustic Panels and Treatments: Your room is as important as your stereo equipment so acoustic treatments goes a long way in improving the overall performance.
- Speaker Stands: Stands bring your bookshelf speakers to ideal height (rule of thumb is to have the tweeter level with your ear in your listening position), helps stability and acoustical isolation.
User's Manual
For more information about how to setup, use and maintain the Wharfedale Denton 85, use the direct link below to download the official manual document:
Download User Manual for Wharfedale Denton 85
Official Brochure
Here is a link to download the official brochure for the Wharfedale Denton 85 speaker:
Official Brochure for Wharfedale Denton 85
Official Product Page
Official manufacturer's product page for the Wharfedale Denton 85 speaker can be found below:
Official Product Page for Wharfedale Denton 85
Warranty
5 Years of parts warranty and 5 Years of labor warranty is generally provided by the manufacturer.