The cxa61 can drive the linton effortlessly. When it was located in our small bedroom the volume at 12 o'clock is already loud. In my living room 15ft x 25ft volume at past 1 o'clock is pretty loud. Playing lots of pop, movie scores and new wave.
Auditioning these at a local shop this morning. Not worried about my amp driving them but more interested in what they deliver above and beyond my Denton 80ths. I run those with a subwoofer and integration hasn't been a serious issue for me but I also wouldn't mind if it were no longer needed and I could just run the Linton's full range with a satisfying bass quality/quantity.
Let us know your impression I'm am using Lintons without a sub and am not missing any bottom end. Never tried to add a sub though.
Spent a solid hour with them today. First of all, they have a very well proportioned appearance and the veneers are wonderful to behold. As far as performance, the midrange was the standout to me. It was clear, resolving, and present without being forward. Good instrument separation and a well developed soundstage with both good width and depth. The bass was not helped by the unfortunate room, which was structured in a way that left the area behind both speakers open to a long hallway to the back offices. Even so, it was tuneful and agile, never bloated or boomy. I expect in my properly configured room with a bit of boundary reinforcement (or just boundaries at all) that I would be satisfied without a subwoofer and just running a Lintons full range. Treble was smooth and not calling attention to itself. I’d say it was a bit less laid back than my Dentons. Definitely not aggressive. I did get some good air and ambiance on live recordings. He was running them off a modest Audiolab integrated and a digital front end I didn’t recognize played CD. All listening done with grilles on and moderately toed in at about an 8 foot distance. I have every confidence they will sound as good as and more likely better than this in my room with my gear. These are now on my “to buy” list and several items here are on my “to sell” list to facilitate the future purchase.
They are incredibly good and full for the money aren't they? I's love to have mine driven by higher-end integrated or separates than what i have now.
I still want to hear a report of how classical orchestral and choir music fares on the Lintons. Can anyone share their experiences, thanks?
Soundsense - I'm no help with Choir at all. Not a genre I'm familiar with. I will eventually get around to some orchestral works, though they are not a purchase deciding factor for me, so it would be after I have them in house. I could post my thoughts, for whatever they're worth, when that happens if no current owners already cover off on that. ChrisR - yeah, I was expecting a full range, bigger, louder and more dynamic version of the Dentons, and they are that. But they are also more than that - more refined, more resolving, and more spacious. They are a lot of speaker for the money.
These are on my list (being my 'once I've moved house, whenever the housing market opens up list'. Slightly concerned that they could be overkill for my system? Project Debut Carbon Esprit SB Ortofon 2mBlue Musical Fidelity V90-LPS Cambridge 651A
Not that I'm an expert, but I think this is a great system for driving these speakers. They're 6 ohms, with a minimum below 4 ohms though ... Wharfedale Linton Heritage loudspeaker Measurements so it'd be good to know what the 651A does into 4 ohms. Seems like Cambridge isn't forthcoming with that information though. But the speaker is pretty dang efficient, 88dB/W/m is pretty good. I'd be willing to bet that for moderate listening levels, the 651A will be just fine. Just don't expect rocket engine levels in a large room. PS: nothing wrong with getting something that's above the league of your other gear, most of us do things that way. My Parasound preamp should be good enough to last for many other system upgrades, my speakers are possibly/likely the next thing on the list. These 85th Anniversary units look appealing (with a nice Parasound A21 to drive them properly). This Wharfedale LINTON Heritage (Walnut) Matched pair of stand-mount speakers with speaker stands at Crutchfield answered a question I had ... which 'side' to put the tweeter on? Inside. I already HAVE a pair of these (actually the next ones down, the Silver 8s) Monitor Audio Silver 10 (Gloss Black Lacquer) Floor-standing speaker at Crutchfield so I like British and French speakers, I guess. Thinking about getting an A21 to try with the Silver 8s, altho it'd be perfect for the Lintons as well.
Actually looks like pricewise it would be an excellent match. Can't comment on the match from a sound perspective. I have the Lintons here with Audiolab 6000a amp Audiolab 6000n streamer Thorens td145mkii Ortofon 2m blues I like the combination, but want to switch back to the luciousness of a nagaoka element in the future.
has anyone compared the Lintons to the Denton 85s? I know it's a whole other price bracket, really, so not a fair comparison, but I'm just curious. Either way, the Lintons are on my list. Thanks to both of the above replies (Bieske and Rick).
I had been following this thread for a while, and finally pulled the trigger on the Linton's three weeks ago. They've got about 50 hours on them now, and everything everyone says about them is true. The midrange is stunningly clear and beautiful, highs don't feel rolled off at all, and the bass is solid. There is such a clarity to the speaker. Everything is just where it should be. I was coming from Diamond 225's, and these are just in another league (as they should be for the price jump!). Been driving them with a restored Marantz 2245, but looking to add tubes to them now. Perhaps Primaluna...
I do rarely listen to this genre of music, but I can tell you that the soundstage projected by the Lintons is big, wide, and deep depending on how they are positioned in the room. Consequently, they are well suited to play large choirs as in Brahms' requiem Op.45:II, but also reproducing large instruments like pipe organs. In this particular Brahms recording, it is very difficult to position where the piano is; it sounds like it has been captured from a separate set of mics from the choir, it is also difficult to pinpoint how the different voices have been grouped, if they have been grouped. I guess that was not recorded close and you get the full mix of direct and indirect sounds. The Mahler Symphony No2, you get a much greater sense of how the musicians are seated... violins and high-pitch percussions on the left, wind instruments more centered and easy to locate left to right, cellos on the right... a connoiseur should be able to draw and name the seats especially in the wind instruments section. Voice in Resurrection IV comes from one spot and in front of the orchestra. It is not as precise as with fewer musicians captured in booth and then mixed by an engineer, but the Lintons are totally capable of giving you a correct rendition of how it has been recorded. What I like about them, they are really showing the advantage of a big box speaker compared to a bookshelf. Can they image as well as my Totem Hawks setup in mid-field? not quite. But the totems are twice the price and the soundstage is not as big. The response curve sounds a bit more v-shaped with the totems, whereas the Lintons sound a bit more linear, or flatter. If you have the seating arrangement of this particular Mahler recording, it would be interesting to dissect it from different set of speakers and compare... All in all, at the price point, the Lintons are definetely not a failure, to the contrary...
Much obliged for your review! I'm becoming more interested now. Orchestral music really needs the larger drivers to begin to create scale. Crescendo passages, with a lot of instruments playing forte are the real test....
I have not tried them in a bigger space. I might eventually move them to our main living room which is bigger than where I have them now, not a huge space, maybe 13 x 19. Would want the subwoofer with them too. Although I'm thinking a set of Magnepan LSR could be great in the living space, although they need room behind them, which could be a pain...
Just read this whole thread and also other sources here and there. Still not sure if they would be good fit for my needs. Currently I am playing B&W 706 S2 with Naim 5SI. With B&W there is too much trebles and after a half an hour listening to the rock music I am really tired. Also the bass is lacking. So to be honest I've lost fun from listening to the music and needed to restrain from listening to some favorite albums. Hence I am thinking about radical change and checking Lintons. Maybe somebody could share opinion on: 1) Would Lintons match Naim 5SI? 2) How Lintons play rock / progressive / metal music? Any experiences? In such music the dynamics and also separation are important. BTW, my room is 22 sq meters. Thanks for any anwers.
You'll dig more details with the B&W than you would with the Lintons. BUT, in your case as in many, they are a safe bet, especially with quality electronics like Naim. Do they play rock with dynamics and great imaging/soundstage? YES. They are quite efficient at 90db if iremember well. Will they fill your 22sq.m room? yes Wharfedale Linton review | What Hi-Fi?
Never experienced listening fatigue with my Lintons in the last 8 months. I mostly listen to 50s Blues, Jazz, R&B and Classical music.
I've got another appointment to audition these on Friday. Dealer is open to a weekend take home audition which I may schedule for the following weekend. I've got my finances in order to keep them if I like them in my space with my gear.
Just as an update, now driving the Linton's with a Primaluna Evo 200. Out of curiosity, for those of you with a tube amp, what taps are you using, 4 or 8 ohm?
Still breaking in the combination, but so far, it is exactly the sound I've been looking for. I was worried it might feel too rolled off with the warm sounding Linton's, but it does not at all. There is a sense of clarity and depth I have not heard before, and the bass extension the Evo provides is so, so solid. Can't wait to see how the tubes open up over the next few weeks.
