• WANTED: Happy members who like to discuss audio and other topics related to our interest. Desire to learn and share knowledge of science required. There are many reviews of audio hardware and expert members to help answer your questions. Click here to have your audio equipment measured for free!

Wharfedale Linton 85th Anniversary speaker review & measurements by Erin's Audio Corner

Zvu

Addicted to Fun and Learning
Joined
May 1, 2020
Messages
830
Likes
1,416
Location
Serbia
@Emulator II
When i open the loudspeaker next time (for changing couple of coils, resistors and caps) i'll measure individual frequency and impedance responses of port, woofer, midrange and tweeter.

And i'll listen these songs tonight to see if i can hear something.

Few questions.
- How did you determine there is a resonance that origins in cabinet ?
- Have you compared the sound to headphones ? They can help distinguish if the sound is supposed to be there (on the recording) or not (product of the cabinet).
- Have you tried to take the spade off from woofer and then play the songs ? That would help determine if the resonance is product of midrange or bass enclosure.
 
Last edited:

Emulator II

Member
Joined
Nov 10, 2020
Messages
76
Likes
188
Listen to the rear of the speaker? Port noise?
No, I pressed my ear directly to the speaker cabinet above the ports. The frequencies in question are in the midrange (unfortunately I don't have any measuring equipment) and do not affect the bass range.
 

Emulator II

Member
Joined
Nov 10, 2020
Messages
76
Likes
188
@Emulator II
When i open the loudspeaker next time (for changing couple of coils, resistors and caps) i'll measure individual frequency and impedance responses of port, woofer, midrange and tweeter.

And i'll listen these songs tonight to see if i can hear something.

Few questions.
- How did you determine there is a resonance that origins in cabinet ?
- Have you compared the sound to headphones ? They can help distinguish if the sound is supposed to be there (on the recording) or not (product of the cabinet).
- Have you tried to take the spade off from woofer and then play the songs ? That would help determine if the resonance is product of midrange or bass enclosure.
Oh, this is nice. Thanks.

Regarding your questions:
-With my ear pressed to the rear of the cabinet.
-Yes I did. I couldn't hear the said noises there.
-No, I didn't.
 

Zvu

Addicted to Fun and Learning
Joined
May 1, 2020
Messages
830
Likes
1,416
Location
Serbia
So, i've just used spectrum analyzer. Those sounds you hear at the begining of first YT video are two component tone - spikes located at around 140Hz and 280Hz and moving up to 360Hz. That rules out the midrange since the crossover point between it and woofer is at quite high 630Hz.

I will look deeper into this as i am curious but from this first hand inspection i think it is more likely you've found first music production that sounds unlistenable on Lintons rather than flaw in Linton design. Linton does have some compromises (of which i've spoken before) but these songs aren't exposing them in my opinion, because they lie elsewhere.
 

192kbps

Addicted to Fun and Learning
Joined
Apr 3, 2019
Messages
534
Likes
614
Is there a pairing for this speaker? Its tweeter doesn't seem to be centered. Should I ask the dealer to send me a pair of LOGOs in the same direction?
29056_Lintons%20with%20stands%20(walnut%20finish%2C%20lifestyle%20shot).jpg
51194459591_5ea2d9dccb_c.jpg
 

192kbps

Addicted to Fun and Learning
Joined
Apr 3, 2019
Messages
534
Likes
614
Yes, they come in pairs, a left and right one. The photo on the left is incorrect. Peter Comeau recommends that the tweeters are on the inside (like in the second photo).
Thank you very much.
 

JayGilb

Major Contributor
Joined
Jul 22, 2021
Messages
1,371
Likes
2,307
Location
West-Central Wisconsin
Since I've been listening to more and more electronic music lately after many "jazzy" years, I have to say first of all that especially more recent productions in this area demand a lot more from a speaker than acoustic music can. Of course, this affects the bass range, but also the higher frequency ranges. In the last few days I have come across two productions that have made my Lintons stumble:

Recondite - Rise (first track on "Hinterland")


Here there is first on the left channel at 0:04 and then on the right at 0:12 a bad cabinet resonance. Since it occurs on both speakers, I don't really assume it's a defect. If you listen to the rear of the speakers during these passages, the resonance can be narrowed down to the area of the midrange enclosure.

Roger Eno & Brian Eno - Spring Frost (first track on "Mixing Colours")


My Lintons cannot reproduce the beginning of the track cleanly. Here, too, I hear cabinet resonances in the midrange driver area on both speakers.

Maybe there's a Linton user here who can listen to the two tracks at a slightly higher volume and would like to share his impressions? Thanks in advance.
I can hear the resonances on my headphones. Sounds like they miked a cabinet that exhibited those sounds. I have several songs where it sounds like my cabinets are leaking air or resonating strangely, but I hear them on other speakers and headphones, so I have chalked them up to being part of the actual recording.
 

Steve Dallas

Major Contributor
Joined
May 28, 2020
Messages
1,201
Likes
2,784
Location
A Whole Other Country
I can hear the resonances on my headphones. Sounds like they miked a cabinet that exhibited those sounds. I have several songs where it sounds like my cabinets are leaking air or resonating strangely, but I hear them on other speakers and headphones, so I have chalked them up to being part of the actual recording.
I found this interesting and tried to reproduce it. I cranked up my R3s to an average of ~82dB and could not hear hear it from my seating position. So, I queued it up again and put my ear near the left speaker and then the right speaker and could barely hear something like a resonance. I repeated the exercise with my F206s with the same results. Then I tried through headphones and definitely can hear something in the recording. But it sounds like it is really exciting your Lintons, where my speakers just play it without excitement. Probably worth further investigation.
 

cavedriver

Addicted to Fun and Learning
Joined
Jul 10, 2020
Messages
629
Likes
602
Location
Maryland, USA
Both speakers need to have the same serial number. That's how you know they are pair and that veneer on them is mirrored.
I think you mean "consecutive serial numbers" since each would have it's own number. I would add that while it would be ideal, at the very least you definitely need to have one "left" and one "right" based on the tweeter positioning. I got mine from an open box sale so they are not consecutive, but I did make sure I got one of each to make a proper pair.
 

Zvu

Addicted to Fun and Learning
Joined
May 1, 2020
Messages
830
Likes
1,416
Location
Serbia
No. I mean exact same serial number. They are made as exact pairs. Packed one piece in a box since they are large but both of my Lintons have exact same serial number. One is marked as left, other one as right.
 
Last edited:

cavedriver

Addicted to Fun and Learning
Joined
Jul 10, 2020
Messages
629
Likes
602
Location
Maryland, USA
No. I mean exact same serial number. They are made as exact pairs. Packed one piece in a box since they are large but both of my Lintons have exact same serial number. One is marked as left, other one as right.
Interesting because there are also "single" boxes so that they ship separately (mine did, although one of the two came in a non-original box, but the other did). I also don't see any markings as "left" or "right" on my serial number but presumably it's on the labels somewhere and on the box. I'll try to remember to check later.
 

Zvu

Addicted to Fun and Learning
Joined
May 1, 2020
Messages
830
Likes
1,416
Location
Serbia
Interesting because there are also "single" boxes so that they ship separately (mine did, although one of the two came in a non-original box, but the other did). I also don't see any markings as "left" or "right" on my serial number but presumably it's on the labels somewhere and on the box. I'll try to remember to check later.

Lintons are packed in single boxes because of their size. Left/Right markings are inside, on white felt bags that cabinets are in.

Only reason i can think of why would they ship separately is if someone wants HT with Lintons (i can't imagine how would that even look like :) ).
 
Last edited:

Emulator II

Member
Joined
Nov 10, 2020
Messages
76
Likes
188
So, i've just used spectrum analyzer. Those sounds you hear at the begining of first YT video are two component tone - spikes located at around 140Hz and 280Hz and moving up to 360Hz. That rules out the midrange since the crossover point between it and woofer is at quite high 630Hz.

I just looked at the Stereophile review again. Among other things, a strong, high-Q mode at 281Hz was measured there, which was present on the side walls as well as on the top and rear panels.

That would explain the behavior of the Lintons when playing the track.

 
  • Like
Reactions: Zvu

Zvu

Addicted to Fun and Learning
Joined
May 1, 2020
Messages
830
Likes
1,416
Location
Serbia
Unfortunately, i don't have accelerometer at my disposal, but you're probably right. The vibrations are on the sidewalls so that excludes midrange and turns attention to the woofer.
 

Kachda

Addicted to Fun and Learning
Forum Donor
Joined
May 31, 2020
Messages
903
Likes
1,578
Location
NY
Since I've been listening to more and more electronic music lately after many "jazzy" years, I have to say first of all that especially more recent productions in this area demand a lot more from a speaker than acoustic music can. Of course, this affects the bass range, but also the higher frequency ranges. In the last few days I have come across two productions that have made my Lintons stumble:

Recondite - Rise (first track on "Hinterland")


Here there is first on the left channel at 0:04 and then on the right at 0:12 a bad cabinet resonance. Since it occurs on both speakers, I don't really assume it's a defect. If you listen to the rear of the speakers during these passages, the resonance can be narrowed down to the area of the midrange enclosure.

Roger Eno & Brian Eno - Spring Frost (first track on "Mixing Colours")


My Lintons cannot reproduce the beginning of the track cleanly. Here, too, I hear cabinet resonances in the midrange driver area on both speakers.

Maybe there's a Linton user here who can listen to the two tracks at a slightly higher volume and would like to share his impressions? Thanks in advance.
Could this be a YouTube encoding problem ? I listened to the tracks on Apple Music and it doesn’t sound as resonant as YouTube. Both tracks definitely have a lot of low frequency energy, so without room correction I can imagine them sounding very boomy
 
Top Bottom