Wharfedale - Denton 80th (Walnut) Walnut

Product Information

Can anyone who has used both sets of speakers clarify the differences and similarities between the two? These drive units are combined by a highly researched crossover that is near inaudible to the listener, resulting in a coherent, seamless musical output that is both thrilling and natural in its rendition of any source material.

At moderate levels the difference between the old *Wharfedale Denton and the KEF Q350 speakers are subtle. The Q350s are a touch cleaner with a brighter tone. Detail - neither are what I would call overachievers here - is also a little better, perhaps the difference between aluminum and woven Kevlar drivers. The bass out of the 6.5" KEF woofers go down a touch deeper and with a bit more definition than the 5" unit on the Dentons.The Denton will have strong upper bass and a full bodied presentation, with smooth treble and plenty of mid-range detail. Bass looks controlled and should be of good quality. This is a very modern, well executed design. Only the cabinet is trad. NK The new Denton 85th Anniversary Edition will sound lighter and brighter than the 80th, due to raised tweeter output. It has smoother bass that runs deeper and will sound controlled when close to a wall. Sensitivity is very high too. Very good, but with overly strong treble. And they have no trouble being pushed hard. Wharfedale recommend amplifiers of 25-100 watts. I cranked up the volume with 80 watts of Naim amplification and it was only at unsociably loud levels that they really started to show any strain. That’s undoubtedly a consequence of the quality of cabinet construction and drive units employed. Even pushed relatively hard they remain civilised. The Kef LS50 bookshelf speakers are highly recommended for their exceptional sound quality, versatile frequency response, unique design, and range of connectivity options, making them suitable for a range of music genres and listening environments.

In regards of Rotel I like them better than NAD in regards of reliability but you are right in your assessment that they are bright. Plenty of their amps are bright and need carefully speaker match and also this differentiate from model to model. Sonics, Craftsmanship, Value, Character, and Heritage: Wharfedale Denton80th Anniversary Bookshelf Speakers Pay Homage to Legendary Original Model All-in-all it was a good experience, and one thing it's confirmed: My current system for the money is blinding. Advanced Computer Modeled Crossover: Denton’s crossover is based upon phase-perfect Linkwitz-Riley filters, modeled in Wharfedale's advanced crossover simulation software and then fine-tuned by ear to yield the traditional Wharfedale character of sound. Plenty of audiophiles have a fondness for retro design, but many would agree that it’s modern technology and fresh thinking that shapes our world. This is true up to a point, but plenty of hi-fi companies such as JBL and Technics, for example, are re-examining past ideas too.

Wharfedale Denton Speakers (Pair) - Mahogany

Wharfedale founder, Gilbert Briggs' focus on quality and value for money led the company to become one of the most famous loudspeaker manufacturers in the world. The Denton exemplified this through its balance fine craftsmanship, natural sound quality and affordability inside a compact loudspeaker that was bought in millions right across the globe. Anniversary Edition Pros: great bass extension, full mids, perfect aesthetics (for my taste, with my gear, with my ear, etc). Our 200mS decay spectrum (not shown here) was clean, even at low frequencies; the cabinet is not ‘hot’ and will not overhang or boom. The drive units are relatively uncoloured too. The original Denton hit the market in 1967 and became one of the then Yorkshire-based outfit’s biggest-selling models – bringing a taste of high fidelity to those who couldn’t afford Wharfedale’s more exotic (and expensive) speakers. The treble on this 12" cut was clean though perhaps a bit rolled-off. Very British polite, if I do say so myself. The brashness of the cymbals were muted, though to what degree would require further exploration. But the first impression was of a very listenable speaker that didn't sound forward or overly bright. That can be a difficult thing for many small speakers since the temptation for manufacturers is to make a speaker that has a lot of fake detail by having a tipped-up response.

And if you’re perhaps harbouring any fears that recessed 1960s-style front baffle may restrict imaging then you can put them to one side immediately. In comes the Wharfedale Denton 85th Anniversary (of which 10 attemps to post different pictures of it here failed) To celebrate its 80th anniversary Wharfedale has launched the Denton 80th Anniversary Edition loudspeaker. But can it cut it in today’s market? Jon Myles finds out. The original Denton was well known for its warm, rich and natural sounding character and the 85th Anniversary Edition retains that character but imbues it with an open, detailed performance that will entice you to explore your whole music collection.The 220 is probably made for the new hifi user with budget equipment in mind ie. it is probably more sensitive and easier to drive (I haven't actually looked up the spec so may be wrong). Factor in the superb build quality and there’s no doubt Wharfedale has done a fine job of updating a classic from its illustrious The Wharfedale Denton 80th Anniversary Edition measured flat on-axis, grill on or off. Slightly off-axis (i.e. pointing straight down a room and not at the listener), with grill on, it gave the result published. Taking the grill off made little difference, even above 10kHz where wavelengths are short, and off-axis balance differed little from on-axis so dispersion is good. Phase matching was also very good, response varying little with height. Although looking retro, the Denton was in fact better than most modern loudspeakers in these important areas. The drive units are very high quality. The original Denton was known for its warm, rich sound and the 80th Anniversary Edition manages to retain the original character while delivering a more detailed, seamless performance. Wharfedale successfully combines its strong history and modern technology in perfect fusion in this Denton 80th Anniversary Edition. Truly a modern classic!

Last friday I made up my mind and might have set the bargain record for a brand new pair after a little negotiation. Meantime Mrs. P immediately disliked them from the off. Once the proper height stands turned up there was a difference in terms of the boxy bass. Problem was they didn't sound retro to me: Sounding more modern than my PMCs, the midrange is quite prominent. The wife said they sounded "shrill" to her ears. Although not shrill to my ears they were brighter than I expected. The Dentons are noticeably more restrained on top, with a gentle roll-off that gives them their "touch of warmth," as their designer described it. In this respect they do remind me of vintage speakers from the '60s, which I believe was Peter Comeau's intention. What HiFi accurately summarized them thusly: "Smooth, rich and expressive presentation." Traditional Front Grille: The front grille has been designed to ensure it has no adverse effect on the speaker’s performance. The cloth chosen for the grille not only emphasizes the traditional look but also enhances the sonic performance. The LS3/5a's on their own as a small space monitor are great because they were developed with those small spaces in mind according to what I have read about this subject. Mentioned the TV vans already, it is where they did much better then anything else around those days and set a bar. It is also where the myth comes from that studio monitors are only for near field, because the Ls3/5a was dedicated to that. Anything large in a small van would not really do it and the stiff casing had to assure that not much of the surrounding space would be in the way of the ones dealing with the audio.I like the character and the aesthetic of the 80s, but the misnomer about the 'treble roll off' kills it for me. The LS50's, despite having metal drivers, are not really bright at all, but they definitely have more top-end clarity and extension than the Dentons, but still they capably reproduce whatever midrange lushness is in the source. Indeed, I find them perfectly smooth and 'musical' with tubes, and yet they were forward, crisp, and slightly strident with a (re-capped) '78 Yamaha CR-1020. Their presentation is very much source-dependent, whereas I would expect the Dentons to be more forgiving. (My plan is to eventually use the Dentons with a Pioneer SX-780 that is currently being serviced.) At 86dB sensitivity was high as small loudspeakers go, largely because a 4 Ohm bass unit has been used and, below 500Hz, this is a 4 Ohm loudspeaker our impedance curve shows (5.7 Ohms overall). This curve also confirms excellent bass unit damping by absence of residual peaks either side of the anti-resonant port system. The load is largely resistive, another plus point, as energy is not returned to the amplifier.