Wharfedale Denton 80th Anniversary Speaker Review

[Musicofchance]

I take it neither the owner nor Amir have seen the measurements of the Linton? Yes there is still a directivity error but the response becomes significantly more linear.
Grille off:
View attachment 346243
Grille on:
View attachment 346242

Big shame about this oversight and likely an unfair assessment of this speaker

Plus they look bloomin handsome with them on too

 

[Yevhen]

My standard reference clips simply didn't sound enjoyable

I suspect it's because of the dominance of the 3rd harmonic below 100Hz. It might create a forest of intermodulation products in the mid-high region, so the EQ did not help with the brightness. It seems like Revels have a 2nd harmonic dominating at low frequencies, they should sound warmer.

 

[Atomicdog]

@amirm
I have to add.....
Note that there is an "85th" anniversary version of the same speaker which uses a different tweeter. Wonder if every 5 years they are going to produce a different version!

80th anniversary has a 5" woofer

The 85th has a 6.5" woofer and a different tweeter.

Fans of the Denton 80s, and there are many, have to wonder about your response, since these are great little speakers with warmth and rich mids. Not perfect, but delivering a lot of bang for the buck, and the authentic wood veneer looks great—rare for this price range. The poor man’s Harbeth Monitor 80s

 

[beagleman]

Fans of the Denton 80s, and there are many, have to wonder about your response, since these are great little speakers with warmth and rich mids. Not perfect, but delivering a lot of bang for the buck, and the authentic wood veneer looks great—rare for this price range. The poor man’s Harbeth Monitor 80s

Im not sure I get your reply??

I was merely wondering if they will produce a new "anniversary" edition speaker every 5 years.
I am a fan of Wharfedale also, and was looking forward to more in the future.

 

[ToPa]

New https://www.wharfedale.co.uk/aston/

 

[Barry_Sound]

New https://www.wharfedale.co.uk/aston/

Made in UK, 500 pairs, 2000 Euro each pair. A very different beast I believe.

 

[audioenthousiast1988]

Fans of the Denton 80s, and there are many, have to wonder about your response, since these are great little speakers with warmth and rich mids. Not perfect, but delivering a lot of bang for the buck, and the authentic wood veneer looks great—rare for this price range. The poor man’s Harbeth Monitor 80s

After buying this speaker last week i can honestly say im done with internet measurements and reviews. This isnt a perfect speaker for hifi people sitting on the edge of their seat with pen and paper writing down all the things they hear. But for people wanting to enjoy their music and relax this is excellent value. This is the first speaker where i didnt have to skip through my playlist for perfect tracks, everything plays very very well ( combined with sub).
I had speaker of 2000 euro, and they were always so revealing of all the flaws. Why would you want that. A speaker needs to be a little imperfect to be able to play older records as well.

 

[audioenthousiast1988]

The current Denton 85th anniversary edition (not the previous model reviewed here) is a scaled down version of their current Linton 85th anniversary edition. So, no reputation problems. The 80th anniversary edition has its fanbase too, but I have never used it personally. I like the bottom-room the Denton 85th has and everything feels well balanced. I would be surprised if measuring results would be negative, but numbers tell as well.

The 85 is a very bright and revealing speaker that sounds nothing like the lintons.

 

[audioenthousiast1988]

I owned these speakers for about a week and immediately sold them. They sounded dull, hollow, and lifeless. I couldn't understand all the great reviews.

I dont know what amp you used but these speakers do not sound dull at all with my yamaha as 1100

 

[billou5767]

After buying this speaker last week i can honestly say im done with internet measurements and reviews. This isnt a perfect speaker for hifi people sitting on the edge of their seat with pen and paper writing down all the things they hear. But for people wanting to enjoy their music and relax this is excellent value. This is the first speaker where i didnt have to skip through my playlist for perfect tracks, everything plays very very well ( combined with sub).
I had speaker of 2000 euro, and they were always so revealing of all the flaws. Why would you want that. A speaker needs to be a little imperfect to be able to play older records as well.

yes

its the same probleme with tv : they test with blueray , 4K etc , but in real life its tv channel , tnt ...

 

[audioenthousiast1988]

yes

its the same probleme with tv : they test with blueray , 4K etc , but in real life its tv channel , tnt ...

Very good comparison. This is indeed the same. And when you come home and watch SD tv material it looks crap.

Thats why i laugh always on hifi shows people listening to a speaker as if its a measuring device. No one is actually enjoying or feeling the music which is why we started this hobby

 

[billou5767]

Very good comparison. This is indeed the same. And when you come home and watch SD tv material it looks crap.

Thats why i laugh always on hifi shows people listening to a speaker as if its a measuring device. No one is actually enjoying or feeling the music which is why we started this hobby

and moreover its spécialist who hear a fly at 100 m , not youtube , mp3 , your room . I have bad mp3 , but i like them , from stax 404 ( sold ) to iaonic 50 ( bluethooth is shit ) , I stop headphone more 150e

 

[antcollinet]

I dont know what amp you used but these speakers do not sound dull at all with my yamaha as 1100

If you read the review you'll find the directivity/dispersion of this speaker makes it highly room dependent.

What you hear in your room will be significantly different from what someone else might hear in theirs. This is one of the reasons it is a poor review.

It will have nothing to do with the amp.

 

[billou5767]

If you read the review you'll find the directivity/dispersion of this speaker makes it highly room dependent.

What you hear in your room will be significantly different from what someone else might hear in theirs. This is one of the reasons it is a poor review.

It will have nothing to do with the amp.

i dont buy them because you see there is a right and left speaker , some time maketing dont show real 2 speaker : 2 left or right

 

[Mart68]

Very good comparison. This is indeed the same. And when you come home and watch SD tv material it looks crap.

Thats why i laugh always on hifi shows people listening to a speaker as if its a measuring device. No one is actually enjoying or feeling the music which is why we started this hobby

People do go to shows with the intent of comparing, and show environment isn't very conducive to relaxing and enjoying anyway.

I'm usually listening for problems when auditioning speakers, I'm not doing that when listening at home.

Plus the music they play at shows is often dreadfully boring.

Most of the TV I watch was made before 1980 - even on a 55'' 4K screen I can't say the picture quality bothers me. It's still better than watching it on the black and white 12'' portable I used to have. Likewise crude recordings are still more fun to listen to on my five grand speakers than the £40 Fisher speakers I started out with.

 

[tw 2022]

Very good comparison. This is indeed the same. And when you come home and watch SD tv material it looks crap.

Thats why i laugh always on hifi shows people listening to a speaker as if its a measuring device. No one is actually enjoying or feeling the music which is why we started this hobby

this is why i listen to my little emotiva b1 mods( by @Dennis Murphy).... i still like them after 6 yrs of use...there are plenty of "better" speakers out there, but not many for me...

 

[DOuG pRATt]

After buying this speaker last week i can honestly say im done with internet measurements and reviews. This isnt a perfect speaker for hifi people sitting on the edge of their seat with pen and paper writing down all the things they hear. But for people wanting to enjoy their music and relax this is excellent value. This is the first speaker where i didnt have to skip through my playlist for perfect tracks, everything plays very very well ( combined with sub).
I had speaker of 2000 euro, and they were always so revealing of all the flaws. Why would you want that. A speaker needs to be a little imperfect to be able to play older records as well.

My first speakers, in high school, were the Realistic MC-1000. The Dynaco A25 was a significant improvement during college. Post-college were Allison Threes, and other speakers along the way included the Boston Acoustics A40 (first series), EPI 100, Allison LC110, and the Large Advent 25th Anniversary Edition. I still have all of them, except for the MC-1000.

(Obviously, I favor what used to be called "The New England Sound." One complaint I had with acoustic suspension speakers is they are bass shy at the low listening levels I almost always played them. Rather than cranking them up to get the bass going, there was the temptation to use the loudness control, which would then muddy the sound. That was one reason why, along with an MC phono preamp, I bought a Mitsubishi DA-R20 receiver, now in storage. It has a midrange reduction knob instead of a bass boost button.)

The Allison Threes are, by far, the finest speakers I have ever owned, but at 45+ years old they are far from performing at the best. As fantastic as their sound used to be, there were recordings that I avoided playing on them because they just didn't sound good, so I didn't enjoy listening to them.

I have owned a pair of Wharfedale Denton 80th Anniversary Edition speakers for ten years. Despite their technical failings, or perhaps because of them, based on their sound the Denton is my all-time favorite pair of speakers. Some speakers, like the Allisons in their prime, are accurate and revealing. The results are often spectacular, but not always. Other speakers, like the Denton, exhibit what I think of as "euphoniously inaccurate sound," and everything does indeed sound good on them. Which I appreciate, considering that half of my listening these days is MP3/AAC streaming audio from a Logitech Squeezebox Touch, that's now running with Lyrion, the excellent replacement for Logitech Media Server.

Here's George Martin with a first generation Denton.