Wharfedale Linton with HEADquarter Audio modification

[Confused]

Does anyone have experience with the modification(s) done on the Linton by this German company HEADquarter Audio? They say it enhances detail (opens up the sound) while keeping the signature sound of the Lintons.
What does this mean for accuracy of the sound?
Link to Youtube channel HEADquarter Audio:

HEADquarter Audio

Video-Blog mit Informationen rund um Audio und High End auch abseits des Mainstreams. Hier geht es um den Weg zur Weltklasse. Ich bin immer auf der Suche nach Gleichgesinnten, die überdurchschnittliche Produkte kennen und weiterempfehlen möchten. Ich selber baue Open Baffle Lautsprecher, mein...

www.youtube.com

 

[JSmith]

modification

Why does it need modification?

Wharfedale Linton 85th Anniversary Speaker Review

Wharfedale Linton 85th Anniversary Review

www.erinsaudiocorner.com

JSmith

 

[Confused]

Why does it need modification?

Wharfedale Linton 85th Anniversary Speaker Review

Wharfedale Linton 85th Anniversary Review

www.erinsaudiocorner.com

JSmith

To make it sound even better or 'High End'. I've seen Erin's very good review, but there's always room for improvement. I don't know if this modification is an improvement.

 

[Beave]

Does anyone have experience with the modification(s) done on the Linton by this German company HEADquarter Audio? They say it enhances detail (opens up the sound) while keeping the signature sound of the Lintons.
What does this mean for accuracy of the sound?
Link to Youtube channel HEADquarter Audio:

HEADquarter Audio

Video-Blog mit Informationen rund um Audio und High End auch abseits des Mainstreams. Hier geht es um den Weg zur Weltklasse. Ich bin immer auf der Suche nach Gleichgesinnten, die überdurchschnittliche Produkte kennen und weiterempfehlen möchten. Ich selber baue Open Baffle Lautsprecher, mein...

www.youtube.com

Do they supply high resolution on-axis and off-axis before and after measurements for their "upgrades?" If not, why not?

 

[Foxxy]

Complete audiophile garbage. Change ceramic resistor to MOX, change MKT cap to MKT cap from Jantzen, redo internal cabling because "it makes the speaker sound thin".

 

[Emulator II]

The designer of the Lintons, Mr. Peter Comeau, commented on exactly this topic some time ago:

Wharfedale Linton 85 crossover upgrade

Hi, I wanted to upgrade the crossovers of a Wharfedale Linton 85th. I was trying to find out what the signal path is before reaching the driver so I found a schematic online and various images. Looking at the schematic it looks like after the signal reaches the tweeter, it goes through R2, C3...

www.diyaudio.com

Therefore, nuff said

 

[MAB]

To make it sound even better or 'High End'. I've seen Erin's very good review, but there's always room for improvement. I don't know if this modification is an improvement.

You are confused.

 

[Confused]

You are confused.

I'm confused about many things.

 

[MAB]

I'm confused about many things.

It's easy to be live in a circle of FUD, with all of these videos making all of these claims. I don't know what's worse, when some 'guru' says that they can make a bad speaker sound good... or when someone parts-swaps supposedly better components into a good design like the Lintons.

And, since this is ASR, and these days speaker measurements are cheap and easy. It begs the question; why these gurus don't just give us on- and off-axis measurements before and after they go hack away at a speaker?

 

[kemmler3D]

They know enough to swap components out but not enough to show the result in a quantifiable way...? You have to wonder.

"This makes your car go faster" but no horsepower or even an actual speed number to go with it? This is basically that.

 

[Confused]

It's easy to be live in a circle of FUD, with all of these videos making all of these claims. I don't know what's worse, when some 'guru' says that they can make a bad speaker sound good... or when someone parts-swaps supposedly better components into a good design like the Lintons.

And, since this is ASR, and these days speaker measurements are cheap and easy. It begs the question; why these gurus don't just give us on- and off-axis measurements before and after they go hack away at a speaker?

I know we shouldn't generalise, but Germans usually don't promise too much when it comes to engineering. Rather the opposite. Being a resident of a neighbouring country, this is immediately noticeable when working with people from Germany.

Anyway, I've asked the company for "high resolution on-axis and off-axis before and after measurements". As soon as I receive something I will share it here.

 

[Jim Taylor]

I know we shouldn't generalise, but Germans usually don't promise too much when it comes to engineering. Rather the opposite

Beware of investing in national stereotypes. There are always individuals in every country who are remarkable ... in either a good way or a bad way.

Jim

 

[Confused]

Beware of investing in national stereotypes. There are always individuals in every country who are remarkable ... in either a good way and a bad way.

Jim

You're right of course. I'm not trusting (or judging) anyone because of their nationality. It's just my overall experience combined with what I've seen on their website that has drawn my interest. And still I question their modification, that's why I ask here if anyone knows something about it.

 

[Verig]

Lintons don't even have any problems with mids and highs. Bass could be better certainly but that's well outside simple mods.
Replacing crimp with solder. Hnngh, why, like adding a weak point instead of metal-metal connection is a good idea. There are a couple of things that could make sense but benefit/cost/work would be in the realm of overkill DIY just-because attitude.

 

[MAB]

I know we shouldn't generalise, but Germans usually don't promise too much when it comes to engineering. Rather the opposite. Being a resident of a neighbouring country, this is immediately noticeable when working with people from Germany.

Germany is for sure a marvel of engineering talent, as are so many other countries.
Sadly, the video starts out poorly for the craft of engineering. The discussion of 'lack of details', 'not high-end sounding' is a warning sign we have exited engineering reality and are entering a dark zone of black magic. It may be a language translation thing, but he continues: "and you have to play it loud so there will be more details... then it sounds a little bit compressed" is odd an odd statement and a mish-mash of engineering concepts. At that point he does the melodramatic reveal, and holds up a sandcast resistor and claims "I hate these parts because I know, no music." Nikola Tesla, who was not German, is rolling in his grave at this statement, since the bifilar coil is his invention. Not that being invented by Tesla makes it automatically good for speaker crossovers, but if you want high power and negligible self-inductance and good precision then there are few better options. Fortunately, this resistor construction is prefect for audio, as demonstrated over an over. If he really hates these resistors, perhaps he should do some work to show how and why rather than tell us a silly story while rolling his eyes.

Anyway, I've asked the company for "high resolution on-axis and off-axis before and after measurements". As soon as I receive something I will share it here.

Don't hold your breath. While you are waiting, perhaps read a very knowledgeable member's posts on actual performance of different passive components:

Replace resistor by low-inductance resistor - Is it audible?

Since it is often claimed here in the forum that replacing cheap sand-cast resistors with low-inductance resistors would lead to clearly audible improvements, and since it's no use pointing out that the sound change (unless it's completely imagined) is very likely due to slight deviations in the...

www.audiosciencereview.com

 

[Confused]

I agree that the explanation in the video lacks scientific backup. It's probably intentionally aimed to attract the attention of a broader than knowledgable audience . Thank you for the link to the more scientific explanation. Thus 'the music' isn't in the resistor.