I agree with you. And I try to avoid making emotive statements if I can. These new Dovedales may well be - and most likely are - directly comparable with other speakers in their price bracket. My comment was simply limited to the vagaries of market perception/value and pricing which - for better or worse - is partially influenced by brand prestige. And Wharfedales just isn't as high as others that have long occupied this market sector. Also I don't believe there is any inherent value added by UK based manufacture. If you gave the Chinese factory the additional budget per unit to manufacture these to the same specification they'd be every bit as good and they'd be much cheaper. Peter Comeau himself says UK manufacture costs are up to 5 times higher than manufacturing in China. It's a point I've made before - but in effect - what we're being asked to do here is pay many times more for a "Made in" sticker. Thanks, but no thanks. Of course this could also be part of much larger trend. We see the signs that the Globalisation "party" is over. Sentiment toward China is turning as their influence grows and nationalist sentiment grows in the West and we may well see a larger trend of repatriation of manufacture back to the West. I for one will watch with some suspicion as corporates may see it as little more than a siren call for exploitation of the situation. As in - get your "warm fuzzies" from a "made in" badge... but pay five times more as we screw down costs anyway thanks. There are rich countries where minimum wage workers don't do that great despite our empty moralizing about workers rights and conditions in China? But I take your point. If we are merely interested in a quality comparison between the new Dovedales vs "others" in something like an academic "vacuum" then sure... I will also read the reviews purely out of interest. I'm merely unable to see past the fact that products don't come to market in an academic vacuum.
Yes, I hear you and I do agree, but at the same time you have to glance at the "higher profile" brands. What do you get for 5500£? With the Dovedales you get a (by all accounts) beautifully finished large full range speaker set. For all we know Wharfedale may actually have a gem on their hands with these. But again: They have to perform big time.
For slightly less money the Atalante 5 looks more exquisite. The Dovedale seems to be made from the same materials as the Lintons.
Difficult to tell on sound due to system and music differences but I suggest the Proac D2/R and the Tannoy Classic VIII for better build / components at a lower price point as well as ATC SCM 4o (which I missed at the show). Will hold value better. The drivers in the Dovedale look at least like the presumably cheap Chinese Kevlar drivers in other models. The bass unit looks similar to that in my £150 subs. They sounded nice but in the demo room nothing spectacular (not playing loud enough). There is obvious bass depth weigh there even on the bland music being played. My guess is they might overpower smaller rooms.
The cabinet is far deader as I knocked both to check this. I recon the cabinet is where most of the extra cost goes plus there are two crossovers of higher component quality similar to the 770s. The later I think are a better bet if you want a more open and detailed sound.
Low volume and insufficient partnering gear leads to a bad demo conclusion. The true verdict will come once the reviews are published/posted. To many, but not all I know, a 5500£ speaker will be end game boxes making the whole resale thing less of a concern. We will see how it turns out.
The 9000 series Audiolab gear used should be more than good enough. Reviews suggest far better than 6000 series. Just other rooms were using more expensive amplification and vinyl sources. Not an ideal demonstration however. Nothing obviously bad about the sound which is a good sign at shows. They should be great for extended listening. Not sure about the look and how they won't dominate most rooms (more than a slim floorstander). That could well be a deal breaker for many people. These are big speakers. The old (smaller) SP models I had over 40 years ago I sold due to their size not working in my room. They were not as well built as these by a large margin. At this price speakers need a good demo with suitable partnering equipment at a dealer and preferably a home demo.
Wharfedale Dovedale is the latest, biggest speaker to join the Heritage Series revival from whathifi….no mention of Aston
They would be perfect in my room but the Atalante 5 would even look better! What would you guys do if you have the chance to buy the Dovedales at half the price? Let's say $3000, including stands? Personally, I think it's still a lot of money for something that looks like a Linton.
I'm eagerly awaiting the reports and reviews to tick in. Personally I shall not be buying new speakers, I'm that happy with my Lintons. Regardless of price I think they are incredible speakers capable of presenting the music in a way that is..... just right. To provide you with some kind of an answer: had I payed 3000$ for my Lintons I would be perfectly happy. There, I said it. Regarding the Dovedales I cannot answer your question. I have not heard them.
Dovedales $6500 - $7000 in the US while Atalante 5s and Mission 770s only 5k….Dovies are dead to me too….
What you have posted is very logical. I have the impression IAG is trying to get more UK manufacturing and elevate Wharfedale back to their roots and heritage. I like what I am seeing. I love the direction IAG is heading. Nice to see Wharfedale get some love and respect.
That was my view at the time. Back when I assumed something like a 200-250%, maybe even 300% price inflation over the Linton's - as I said in that quote - a-la Mission 770. Sadly subsequent to the announcement of the actual prices of these Dovedales it could appear that IAG are either trying to cynically cash in on a trend we see towards "do it because I can" price inflation of luxury goods or just flat out price gouging. To employ that most British of colloquiums... "They're taking the p!ss"
That would completely change the equation for me. They would instantly be back on the interest list. Seems similar looks are only skin deep - while fundamentally similar, there's clearly a bit more going on here than in the - built to a budget - Lintons. Separate crossover units and if this cut-away/exploded diagram is anything to go by, thicker cabinet walls and baffle too... so easily worth more IMO, but even with those improvements and a 2" larger woofer, that price jump of several hundred percent still seems out of whack relative to value... and I still harbor a deep suspicion that this speaker features drivers from the same off the shelf range as the Lintons do. I seem to recall Erin took his review Lintons apart and thought they might be SEAS brand (?)... right down to those bucking magnets. So again - worth more, but not that much more.
Aren't his shoes nice and shiny? I'm not keen on this 'Made in the UK' thing if it's just to give them a slight re-branding opportunity. Under the US rules that Schiit and the like have to put up with, they probably wouldn't be able to say it. Is every bit of it sourced in the UK? I love my Neat speakers that use this 'Made in the UK' thing but I bought them used at £500 instead of £1700 new. The true value of these Dovedales will be seen eventually in the used market, the same with the Mission 770 which is already being reduced in price by vendors in the UK.
Erin said that? Odd, because IAG makes their own drivers. Everything is manufactured in-house, even the screws. Yes, the Dovedale has more going on inside the cabinet (especially the acoustic damping foam) but on the outside it kinda looks the same as Linton. I'm not going to get any kicks from its looks.
It takes some time to get used to them, I suppose. I'm actually starting to like the grilles more and more.
I had to go back and look... actually he thought they might be "Scan-speak" not SEAS... doesn't matter... my point is they appear to be very similar to (if not the same as) the drivers in the Linton again further emphasizing the disjunct in value. Well they are, aren't they. And the jumper under the blazer in the old-timey room... he looks like such a nice man, it's hard for me to stay angry about these new prices You're probably right to wonder about component sourcing... if our Belgian friend is correct and IAG does make their own could these be fabricated in China along with crossover parts etc? It's fun to speculate - I guess there's no real way of knowing.
