My review: KEF LS50 vs. Wharfedale Denton 80th Anniversary

Really? I thought when you bought them they were at the "sale" price, based on when you first started posting about them. You know better than I do, though. If they dropped down by 50% shortly after you purchased them, did you at least try to return them for a refund, and then repurchase at the new price?

 

You know ... you may be right. My memory of stuff I did last week is already suspect.

Let's go with your version, makes me feel better!

 

Ha!

 

Music direct does this- they will buy out inventory at a good deal (for them) and value price some if not most of the line as they see fit. Unfortunately my experience with some of these speakers is that you get more or less what you pay for compared to the performance of other speakers on the market.

 

Mateo,

Here is a link to the Music Direct room at AXPONA that I visited last April. It featured the Def Tech and Whardales along with some PS Audio amplification. I agree with the written commentary about each speaker but felt that the Definitives sounded a lot better and so did the people running the room- they received by far thr most "air time". The Dentons will be fine for you and your amplifier if you like a more relaxed, recessed sound. Within your budget range up to the $ of the KEF LS50s, the Definitive Technology speakers will give the best overall sound and energy closer to a live performance. Peace and good luck!

AXPONA 2018: Bridging the gap with Music Direct | Part-Time Audiophile

 

In my experience this applies to most fire-sale audio equipment. If it's 50+% off, there is usually a reason (aside from models that went discontinued because a new improved model is available). Then they generate lots of great reviews from buyers who wouldn't normally purchase the item, but did because of the cheap price and then think it the best thing in the world. Item becomes flavor of the month until inventory dries up and then the used marked get's flooded with these items which then drives the resale into the toilet. Been there, done that, at least a few times including the Dentons. That being said, at $399 the Dentons are a good value and do sound pretty damn good.

 

Very cool. I see the Outlaw RR2160 in the rack as well, were they using it at all?

 

Yes, the Outlaw surprised me. I had written it off quite honesty but the sound was very capable. Not as good as the PS audio amplifiers but a good showing considering its price.

 

Thanks, @avanti1960. I'm going to give this a read over lunch.

I took a long look at the Outlaw RR2160 a few months back.

 

I've had one since late last year and have really been enjoying it with the Diamond 225. And extremely well thought-out feature-wise.

 

Y'know, I've read a few reviews for the Def Tech D11s (and D9s) since you posted this and they get really high marks. The gist seems to be that they have an impressive range, soundstage, and clarity for their price and are just warm enough to not sound bright or overly expose weaker systems/recordings. I exchanged emails with one reviewer who said they were the best $1K and under speaker he had ever heard, period. Another said they thought they were the best speaker out there period until the $3K tier. The D9s are well received but garnered some mild criticisms; not so for the D11s. Sounds almost too good to be true.

 

if i hadn't heard them i might feel the same way. they're new and have unique tech that seems reasonable- the passive radiator for example, gives them punch and fullness. i like the modern look too. if i were looking at this price for stand mount speakers i cant think of anything else i would rather buy. peace and good luck.

 

I just started bi-wiring the Dentons with Canare Star Quad 4S11, paired with a Rega Brio-R in the bedroom, and bi-wiring really wakes them up nicely. Smooth and fulsome, and yet very tight.

I was able to get a 6' pair of the Canares, terminated with bananas, for a little over $50 on eBay. Longer runs are also available for not much more.

 

Aside from the Canares, what are folks using for speaker cables on the Dentons?

 

I’m using Transparent “the wave”. Before that I was using kimber 4tc. I found the 4tc sounded thin and slightly edgy in the high registers by comparison. Lacking bass punch and dynamics. I have also tried a friends Kimber Monocle X, which indeed is a better cable, except it also had a slight edgy quality to high frequency transients. This a rather long process of discovery for me, after living with cables long term.

The Kimbers also display this quality in my friends significantly more expensive system, and he has since switched also (though he went with cardas reflection clear, since his budget is much higher than mine.) After hearing that small unpleasantness, neither of us could live with it.

 

Interesting comment! I switched from a single run of 4TC to the biwired Canares, and immediately noticed how much fuller it sounded.

 

Great info. Thanks, @ThorensSme. May I ask if you are using a pair of biwired Waves and, if not, have you swapped out the stock binding posts?

 

No bi-wiring currently, and using the stock jumpers. I’m very happy with this sound quality jump, and intend to get off the merry go round of hifi for as long as possible. The Dentons are such a joy to listen to I am just digging the music.

 

Understood. Thanks for responding.

 

I have been using the canare 4s11, but found them too mellow, i have been using van damme hifi 11awg single wire with silver between the posts, not bad, but the best of the best for me and for all of the speakers i have had, is belden 5t00up 10awg single wire. Sound come cleaner and punchier than any other gauge tried.
It's 33% more pure copper than canare!

 

This is the second time I've read that name today, "van damme." The first time i thought someone had meant to write "van den hul."

 

I am using SignalCable Ultra speaker cables with jumpers made with the same wire.

 

I shared this anecdote in a Wharfedale 225 thread, but it seemed germane here as well so my apologies for anyone who's already seen it. Onward:

I exchanged a few (very brief) emails with a customer service rep at Wharfedale this week asking a few questions about the 225s. The rep said that if I was already in the 225 price range, I should just buy the Dentons because they were "the superior speaker". I was surprised by this because I became aware of the 225s due to recommendations from some folks whom I was talking to while considering the Dentons for purchase. Many of them said that the Dentons were good, but the 225s were great. Larger woofer, better bass, better range and sound in general. Of course, the reviews for the 225s are off the charts. Stereophile in particular loves them, but the accolades hardly begin or end there (this is not to disparage the Dentons by the bye, just to note that the 225s are near-universally considered superior). Anyhow, I asked the rep why they thought the Dentons were "superior" to the 225s and their answer was "the Dentons are made of better materials and therefore are a better speaker". I know the Dentons are heavier and have a fancier grille and cabinet. But I believe their woofer and tweeter are made of the same material as the 225s. And the 225 has a 6.5" woofer as opposed to a 5", has broader range, and is 2db more sensitive. In short, I was very surprised. And a little confused.

 

Speakers are funny things. On paper, the Def Tech BP9040s I brought home last night (got a killer deal on em) should be better speakers than my 2-way Spendors. The Def Techs have 6 drivers and 2 passive radiators each. One of the drivers is a built in sub. They're supposedly 4db more sensitive. They have thicker cabinets and a bipolar configuration that's supposed to improve soundstaging. Somehow the basic looking 2-way Spendors are just all-around better, sans bass extension. It's not even as though the Def Techs use cheap drivers -- I opened one up to confirm their cast aluminum baskets and large magnets. Everything about them looks of high quality, even the Apple-like packaging. The only rational indicator to the Spendor's superior performance is the price.