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

[AC1]

 

[AC1]

Despite all the measurements I've seen by Erin (one of his favorite speakers no matter the price), Hifi World (condluding the Lintons are not warm but accurate), Jon Atkinson from Stereophile (calling it surprisingly linear) and others, John Darko is somehow taking a different stance and calls the Linton 85 a colored and character speaker, designed to mimick the sound of vintage speakers. He does think that the new Super Linton is much more accurate. Is Darko right? Would I have been just as happy with a cheap pair of Marantz speakers from the '70s? Have the measurement guys falsified their findings?

 

[Zvu]

Measurements won't tell you how the loudspeaker sounds other than tonality. He does have about 15k euros invested in room treatment so maybe he does hear something that is masked for us in our predominantly reverberant living rooms.

His conclusion though i consider false or very poorly communicated. I have listened those 70's , 80's and 90's loudspeakers for most of my youth (i was born in 80's but couldnt afford new speakers so i bought vintage which were cheap) and i know the sound of vintage Marantz, kabuki japanese loudspeakers and british (Wharfedale, Spendor, Kef etc.). Linton is nothing like it. Actually, generalizing like that is completely wrong. There is no such thing as "vintage sound". Vintage is JBL 4355, Sansui SP5500X and Spendor SP1. They couldn't be more different in sound, aesthetics and construction.

Wharfedale Linton 85's are less resolving/revealing than some other popular loudspeakers. I've had direct comparison of Linton 85 next to Kef Blade 2 and Kef LS50meta. You immediately hear how much more revealing LS50 and LS50meta are compared to Linton. I've had them both but i kept Linton and i have very good reason for it - they simply sound better to me.

I'd suggest to not try to read something out of other people comments and/or opinions. If you bought Linton, i guess there was a reason for it (other than -some ABX reviewer told it was good-). Now you have it, be happy and enjoy. If you are not satisfied with sound, sell them and buy something else. Simple as that. I also follow Darko but for entertainment purposes only. I like the aesthetics of his videos, electronic music in the background and presenting new stuff on the hifi scene in a fun and interesting way.

 

[AC1]

If you bought Linton, i guess there was a reason for it (other than -some ABX reviewer told it was good-). Now you have it, be happy and enjoy. If you are not satisfied with sound, sell them and buy something else. Simple as that. I also follow Darko but for entertainment purposes only. I like the aesthetics of his videos, electronic music in the background and presenting new stuff on the hifi scene in a fun and interesting way.

A few years ago I wanted to buy an extra pair of speakers. I had good speakers but sometimes you want variation. Having heard good things about the Lintons and the KEF LS50 Meta, I decided to compare them at my local hifi shop. I'm not really a genuine audiophile (I don't care how many feet there is above the cellist) but a musician that values tonal balance above anything else. What I heard from these 2 speakers was that both sounded very balanced to me, with no particular region sticking out or calling for your attention. However, while the instruments on the Lintons sounded life-sized (it feels like a grand piano is standing in the room with you), they sounded disappointedly small on the KEF LS50 Meta. It reminded me of a compact studio monitor but with a less dry sound. I do remember that the saxophone on 'Dat There' by Rickie Lee Jones had a little more presence on the LS50 than on the Lintons. Anyway, I went home with a pair of Lintons because I didn't think the LS50 was going to be able to fill my room.

In my experience a flat-ish sounding speaker simply means it sounds tonally balanced, with no discernible dips or bumps. However, most speakers want to impress you with a more exciting sound. It is for this reason that I think reviewers like Darko might have the wrong idea about what is colored or not. Hearing the finest details jump out of the music is more of an indication that the speakers has specific bumps in the frequency range.

 

[ahofer]

Despite all the measurements I've seen by Erin (one of his favorite speakers no matter the price), Hifi World (condluding the Lintons are not warm but accurate), Jon Atkinson from Stereophile (calling it surprisingly linear) and others, John Darko is somehow taking a different stance and calls the Linton 85 a colored and character speaker, designed to mimick the sound of vintage speakers. He does think that the new Super Linton is much more accurate. Is Darko right? Would I have been just as happy with a cheap pair of Marantz speakers from the '70s? Have the measurement guys falsified their findings?

No. Too many modern speaker companies have a “showroom treble” boost.

 

[Ropeburn]

It's starting:

Now that's what I call a good deal.

 

[funkera91]

Besides the Kef Q6 Meta, I might also suggest the Revel C205.

Just bought Wharfedale EVO 4.C which is okay for its price, I couldnt find here for sale the KEF Q6 meta nowhere, and they offered me that one. It is big!

 

[IngMishael]

Has anyone tried the Super Lintons and compared them with the normal ones?

I found an offer for 1650€/pair and initially thought it was a no brainer but still... I am not sure if the difference is worth the extra 700€... 'cause actually the old version sounds great

The main advantage in my case would be to be able to place the closer to the wall

The Super Linton is more efficient, front wall friendly, more transient attack perceived and can play much louder without compression or distortion. And you're getting them for almost half off? Why are you still asking the question?

 

[Jimbob54]

The Super Linton is more efficient, front wall friendly, more transient attack perceived and can play much louder without compression or distortion. And you're getting them for almost half off? Why are you still asking the question?

Let's try and be less curt with responses to genuine questions please .

 

[harrisonjr98]

Question for other Linton owners. When I first got mine, the dealer accidentally sent me two left-side speakers instead of the matched L/R pair I was expecting. They rectified this and sent me a L/R pair now but I am trying to figure out if it is matched from the factory as it's supposed to be.

On the speaker boxes, they are *both* labeled in large letters "CLE055". I have a left speaker and right speaker, and respectively the serials are xxxxxxxxCLE0109 and xxxxxxxxCLE0110. So the individual speakers are sequential but the box shares a shortened serial(?). Everything I have heard about these speakers says that the serial numbers should be identical and *not* sequential. So I am trying to confirm whether the matching "CLE055" on the two boxes makes them a matched pair, or if the serial numbers on each individual speaker are supposed to match as opposed to being one off from one another?

The stands I have also share "CLE061" on the boxes but then are sequenced from each other individually by one number in the actual full-length serials, like the speakers. I assume that the stands are not supposed to match with the "CLE055" of the speakers, but maybe they are?

I am just trying to ensure that I do in fact have a matched pair with matched stands before much time passes, so I can go back to the dealer if not.

 

[dougi]

Question for other Linton owners. When I first got mine, the dealer accidentally sent me two left-side speakers instead of the matched L/R pair I was expecting. They rectified this and sent me a L/R pair now but I am trying to figure out if it is matched from the factory as it's supposed to be.

On the speaker boxes, they are *both* labeled in large letters "CLE055". I have a left speaker and right speaker, and respectively the serials are xxxxxxxxCLE0109 and xxxxxxxxCLE0110. So the individual speakers are sequential but the box shares a shortened serial(?). Everything I have heard about these speakers says that the serial numbers should be identical and *not* sequential. So I am trying to confirm whether the matching "CLE055" on the two boxes makes them a matched pair, or if the serial numbers on each individual speaker are supposed to match as opposed to being one off from one another?

The stands I have also share "CLE061" on the boxes but then are sequenced from each other individually by one number in the actual full-length serials, like the speakers. I assume that the stands are not supposed to match with the "CLE055" of the speakers, but maybe they are?

I am just trying to ensure that I do in fact have a matched pair with matched stands before much time passes, so I can go back to the dealer if not.

Mine are fairly early ones. Both the short and the end of the long numbers on the boxes are the same on both L&R. Long serials match on both L&R speakers. Hence I think they should all be the same. i.e. L&R serials should match.

 

[harrisonjr98]

Mine are fairly early ones. Both the short and the end of the long numbers on the boxes are the same on both L&R. Long serials match on both L&R speakers. Hence I think they should all be the same. i.e. L&R serials should match.

Gotcha, hmm. Are the short numbers the same as the end of the long ones on yours? I'm wondering if they might've switched to sequential serials at some point and using the short numbers to indicate pairs.

 

[dougi]

Gotcha, hmm. Are the short numbers the same as the end of the long ones on yours? I'm wondering if they might've switched to sequential serials at some point and using the short numbers to indicate pairs.

Yes the short numbers on the boxes are the same as the end of the long ones. Long ones on the box match the serial on the speakers themselves. (and both L&R the same).

 

[harrisonjr98]

Thanks for clarifying. I am thinking they probably changed at some point to sequential serials for L/R in that case since the short numbers *do* match for mine (and they did not match on the original non-matched pair I got from the dealer.) Still waiting for Wharfedale UK to clarify for me and will update here for posterity when I hear from them!

 

[DMill]

Thanks for clarifying. I am thinking they probably changed at some point to sequential serials for L/R in that case since the short numbers *do* match for mine (and they did not match on the original non-matched pair I got from the dealer.) Still waiting for Wharfedale UK to clarify for me and will update here for posterity when I hear from them!

I think it very unlikely that even a non sequential pair would sound any different from a sequential pair. But some people like that if you ever decide to sell them. So I get it. I had a cat knock over a floorstander years ago that was so badly damaged I had to replace it with a new single speaker. It made no audible difference I could hear.

 

[harrisonjr98]

Yeah I am less concerned about the driver matching and more about the resale value and just receiving the matched pair I paid for. If I was buying secondhand I would not be as much of a stickler but a new speaker purchase is quite a rare occasion for me!

 

[ZolaIII]

Yeah I am less concerned about the driver matching and more about the resale value and just receiving the matched pair I paid for. If I was buying secondhand I would not be as much of a stickler but a new speaker purchase is quite a rare occasion for me!

Based on what you even think there is some precise matching of driver's in the first place? Those are budget passive speakers. They check if something is off and that's quality control nothing else.

 

[harrisonjr98]

I have no clue whether there is driver matching from the factory. I was responding to you casting doubt on whether a matched pair would make a difference sound-wise, to which I agreed.

 

[ZolaIII]

Let me put this otherwise. Why to hell would I try to precisely match and even response on something where I hardly can even limitedly and even that much so with a lot of effort? Even Dany will smile at you for costume matched crossover with hand wired coils. They do a quality check and that's about it. If there whose some major revision in the meantime (different drivers or crossovers) they will sound different but in this case at least I didn't hear of such and from when.

 

[harrisonjr98]

match and even response on something where I hardly can even limitedly and even that much so with a lot of effort?

I am having trouble reading this but I think you're just saying that it wouldn't make sense to match drivers because of the relative performance level that the Lintons full under? If that is the case, I am thinking you might've misunderstood my original premise. The reason I was asking others for their experience with the serial numbers was to ensure I was getting a matched pair, because that's how they're advertised by Wharfedale. The book-matched grain veneers are the biggest factor for me personally, followed by the resale value, followed by simply wanting to ensure I received the product I purchased, as advertised, on principle - granted, it probably wouldn't have occurred to me to double check the serial matching had the dealer not screwed up the first time and sent me two left-side speakers from different pairs (which *is* significant on the Lintons due to the off-center tweeters.)

Never did I mention anything about the actual sound/performance until DMill brought it up to which I pointed out that it wasn't a concern of mine. I agree with you that yes, it seems unlikely that a product of this price point made with overseas labor would employ any kind of hand-matching of components. Let me know if I am misreading the tone of your replies but I don't quite get why you've taken the offensive here. This is my first set of modern speakers after playing the craigslist game for years and window shopping for a while- I am proud to own them and was asking the question to help ensure I got what I paid for, regardless of however low on the totem pole they fall in the wider world of stereo equipment. Hope that explains a bit and thanks to the others for chipping in re the serials!