Wharfedale Linton Heritage 85th Anniversary Speakers

Discussion in 'Audio Hardware' started by dolsey01, Mar 12, 2019.

  1. sp25

    sp25 Active Member

    Location:
    Cornwall
    That's very helpful Meehael, the salesman in Richer Sounds who sold me the Lintons thought that a Cambridge CXA61, would be an upgrade on my Onkyo as I had my doubts. It'll be interesting to hear how you find them. The Sansui amp sounds very good, a very very long time ago I used to own a Sansui tuner which I really liked.
     
    Rick58 likes this.
  2. Spooky

    Spooky Forum Resident

    Location:
    Raleigh, NC
    I’m super happy with the Peachtree Nova300 pairing. It’s a Class D amp. But I think it really compliments the Linton’s. For context - I had a Nova150 paired with some Klipsch 8000f’s and ultimately didn’t care for it. But going to the Lintons with their more laid back signature - I knew immediately that the Nova would compliment it as it provides this certain element of detail and spaciousness that opened up the speakers.

    But you really do have a ton of options in that $2k range.
     
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  3. ChrisR2060

    ChrisR2060 Stereo addict

    Location:
    North Carolina
    I have had the same impression when I switched to a psaudio s300, also class D.. the Lintons opened up.
     
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  4. Rick58

    Rick58 Forum Resident

    Location:
    Eagle, ID, USA
    Not 100% sure of the answer but I think the gist of the “current” comment is that (from Stereophile measurements) the Lintons go to <4 ohms around 130Hz and also have a highly capacitive phase at 83Hz with a 5 ohm load at that frequency. IIUC the high phase angle “divides” the impedance so the effective load could be say 2 ohms or something. That’s just at one particular frequency, but there could also be a lot of energy around that frequency in music.

    Unless there’s a peak current or rail voltage spec, I don’t think one can know for sure, but a high power rating into 4 ohms especially if it’s double the 8 ohm rating is a good sign. If the power rating doubles again into 2 ohms that’s an excellent sign it can deliver high current. Not too many amps have a 2 ohm power rating though.

    McIntosh amps with autoformers are a different beast. The autoformers match the output to a particular load, to give the same power at different load impedances. Those would still work great into low impedance loads assuming your speakers were hooked up to the proper tap.
     
    Spooky likes this.
  5. brownmagic

    brownmagic Well-Known Member

    Location:
    Singapore
    As a general rule of thumb, if your amp’s specs double it’s power when the impedance is halved, you can be sure that it is a high current design. Usually these will have a big transformer and will be heavy if they are the class AB variant. Class D use SMPS so they can also be high current but in a different way. They just can’t have power reserves like how AB does. But like I said earlier, the lintons are basic speakers. They are not fussy. As long as the amp has a 4 ohm spec and probably costs the same as the lintons, you should be fine. Play with the Onkyo for a few 100 hours and then start your upgrade journey if you need to.

    While there is a lot of charm in using the Vintage gear, pay attention to the fact that the lintons have one of the least refined highs in its price class. So if your amp (most vintage amps) is not doing a good job in the highs, then the lintons will not play ball and all that smooth warm sound that you are expecting will be missing. On the other hand some vintage apps probably roll off above say 15k and that probably gives that smooth laid back sound as well. If you are going to stick with solid state amps then I suggest you stick to a modern refined amp. Just don’t spend top dollars on vintage gear for the nostalgia.
     
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  6. brownmagic

    brownmagic Well-Known Member

    Location:
    Singapore
    Did you try all taps? My experience with tube amps says that ignore the specs and try the 4 and 8 ohm taps. If you are looking at grippy Low end, solid state is your best bet. No tube amp at any price will give the level of bass control but then again people who use tubes know this already.
     
  7. Spooky

    Spooky Forum Resident

    Location:
    Raleigh, NC
    Yes - played around with both taps. 4ohm sounded best but produced even less power.
     
  8. sp25

    sp25 Active Member

    Location:
    Cornwall
    Yea, new Lintons have arrived. Very impressed by build and finish, if sound matches they'll be great! Not sure how to fit the speakers on to the stands with metal discs and black bubbles?? Anyone help please??
     
  9. ChrisR2060

    ChrisR2060 Stereo addict

    Location:
    North Carolina
    Black bubbles for sure. They kill resonances and keep the speakers solidly in place.
     
  10. sp25

    sp25 Active Member

    Location:
    Cornwall
    Yeah think I've sussed it out now, I was a bit slow and leary about doing anything wrong! First impressions music wise are positive, good rounded sound and better bass than my old Mission floorstanders, though they were only £180! The Linton's are bigger than expected so that might take a bit of getting used to and they may be a bit over big for my room. Fortunately? there is only me to please with regard to appearance so will no doubt get used to them.
     
  11. DrGoon

    DrGoon Forum Resident

    Location:
    St. Petersburg, FL
    As you've no doubt realized, the metal discs are to put under the spikes on hardwood floors. I stuck the black bubbles in a drawer. More than one review mentioned that Peter Comeau of Wharfedale recommended Blu-Tack, so that's what I used.
     
    Dafox likes this.
  12. sp25

    sp25 Active Member

    Location:
    Cornwall
    Yeah the penny eventually dropped what the discs, were meant to do! I'm hanging on sticking anything to the speakers just in case I have to return them (nice In Search Of Space avatar btw :0))
     
  13. sp25

    sp25 Active Member

    Location:
    Cornwall
    For the record... A day in the life with the Lintons, first impressions not by a hifi expert but someone who's listened to music for 50 years.

    So these are big, bigger than expected and seem very well made and finished, couldn't ask for more appearance wise, including the stands. But, if these are going into a normal living room
    their size means they will dominate the living room space, I'm still getting used to that and wonder if the smaller Dentons might have made more sense. As it is I only have them set 6 feet apart and feel
    they really need to be another couple of foot wider for proper stereo separation and staging. My previous smaller floorstanders by comparison seem less fussy as to placement, I think as they
    were smaller the sound was more focused whereas with these bigger boxes its more spread out. The bigger box space on one hand is giving the music more room to breath but also sometimes its a
    bit boomy. This is not so much a criticism as an observation with this design. Also it seems to make a difference if I'm absolutely dead centre or not. I have them a bit toed in, as I generally
    like. Going forward, for a 'serious' listening session it would be worth moving furniture and speakers around to get a better experience. For casual listening eg 20 mins why bother or is it
    worth the upgrade. btw my Onkyo amp is driving them fine so far as I can tell, seems plenty powerful enough at the moderate volume I listen at.

    The music itself bearing in mind they've yet to burn in. Sourced mainly off my NAS drive, been listening to Beatles Lost Album bootlegs (96 cds!) Bob Marley, Hendrix, Johnny Cash, Ivor Cutler, Pink Fairies,
    Fairport Convention etc etc, some hi-res files, all sound good, at times wonderful at times a little boomy at the ends of the spectrum. These speakers do give the body and space to the music that I've been looking
    for but not really for the faint hearted when it comes to their physical presence in the room. One final mention for classical music, I listened to a little Bach on Tidal and though I'm not a particular
    classical fan I was really taken by it and drawn in rather than left cold.

    Summary, these are serious audiophile speakers, if you want something for more casual home use there's probably easier options around. But for old school sitting and listening to music these are
    classic old school speakers taking effort to set up and stage right. Maybe I'll give an update after a few months use.
     
    #1Zero, Rick58, Meehael and 2 others like this.
  14. Crush87

    Crush87 Forum Resident

    Location:
    New York
    Bumping this one up...
     
  15. brownmagic

    brownmagic Well-Known Member

    Location:
    Singapore
    Join the linton group on Facebook. There a whole lot of amps that people are using.
     
  16. Meehael

    Meehael Forum Resident

    Location:
    Slovenia
    First day with Lintons... "Happy as a radio"
    I'm very thankful for all the support in this forum.

    Gear used:
    Sansui AU-X701,
    Pioneer VSX-LX503 as a streamer,
    Rega P3.

    Being used to Dentons 80th Anniversary they are just what I was hoping for. Lintons are better in every aspect, most notably in scale (symphonic orchestra finally sounds acceptable), dynamics (much better at low and high volume), more detail (didn't expect that according to some reviews), better imaging - less sound drifting compared to Dentons (sometimes vocals or solo instruments drifted for few inches left or right, probably due to reflections), timbre is more or less the same (natural, cymbals can sometimes sound a tad to smooth, silky), attack is faster, more precise.

    I'm getting used to bigger scale. If Dentons were imaging a pub or a garage performance, Lintons image a smaller concert hall. Works great for most of the music, but with some recordings I don't get the personal in-room performance that I used to with Dentons. Sometimes instruments play in a room but are presented too big to sound realistic. Imagine a tin whistle being as big as a flute ...A minor problem.

    What I love most with Lintons is their natural, organic, cohesive presentation and ability to make you relax and exhale as soon as you turn them on. Because of that you can listen louder and longer... A woman friendly speaker according to experience and (non)reactions from my lady.
     
    Rick58, sp25, maglorine and 5 others like this.
  17. Steve Lawrence

    Steve Lawrence Forum Resident

    Location:
    London
    Pink Fairies... class
     
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  18. sp25

    sp25 Active Member

    Location:
    Cornwall
    I made what seems a big upgrade to the sound a couple of days ago. I was looking for an alternative to the rubber feet that came with them to put between speaker and stands and had a go with some foam pipe insulation cut down the middle and then into small squares. (You can get it from Screwfix (UK) for only £0.72 a metre). Then put the eight of them under the corners of the speakers. It could all be in my mind but I noticed an immediate improvement, the music was more contained and precise and lost much of the boominess, dispelling any doubts I had about the speakers, they are sounding great. I would have posted pictures but I can't work out how to do it? I've joined the Linton facebook group so I'll try and post pictures there if I can. Would be interested to know if anyone else has the same such positive results and its not me off my head! :)
     
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  19. Silverwolf

    Silverwolf Occasional Esoteric Freak

    I haven’t, but next time I’m in screwfix I’ll be tempted to get some! I’ve got small standmounts so I’ll only need a metre!
     
  20. sp25

    sp25 Active Member

    Location:
    Cornwall
    You won't need a metre, so plenty left over to insulate a pipe! You need to cut it down a bit because its curved round of course, about 5 cm square. The sound and the speakers will get a lift :)
     
  21. Silverwolf

    Silverwolf Occasional Esoteric Freak

    Sounds interesting thanks. My speakers aren’t big, but neither is my listening space, so up for trying anything to tame the upper bass a bit.. until I can afford some decent acoustic panels.
     
  22. swintonlion

    swintonlion Forum Resident

    Location:
    Manchester UK
    I'm sure one of the post mentioned that they had compared the Wharfedale Linton Heritage to the JBL L82 speakers, both these speakers have had favourable reviews as being a very good listen,that being said the Lintons are half the price,would anyone who has made the comparison like to give there opinion regardless of price on sound quality and which they preferred and why .
     
  23. Classicrock

    Classicrock Senior Member

    Location:
    South West, UK.
    You are going to get different opinions on that. Unfortunately not heard the L82's in the flesh (who has other than buying them - due to Covid?) ,but they seem tempting, My impression is they have far better quality drivers (check out the Upscale Audio YouTube video). The Linton tweeter is probably it's main weakness, why I went for the Evo 4.4 for around same price (AMT tweeter). Also more scale if you play orchestral music (or anything ). The L82 is going to be brighter / more detailed sounding with the metal tweeter (though it's adjustable) but it's a smaller box than the Linton (dedicated stands are extra £200). So more than double the cost of Linton + stands package.
     
    swintonlion likes this.
  24. chronic

    chronic Member

    Location:
    Lyon
    Hi,
    Did You try Linton's and EVO 4.4 ? I don't but on the measurments it looks like that...

    https://www.hifi-voice.com/images//...tage//2021-01-31-TST-Wharfedale-Linton-m1.png
    https://www.hifi-voice.com/images/t...o-4-4/2020-09-30-TST-Wharfedale-EVO-44-m1.png
    https://audio.com.pl/images/2/9/2/62292-Wharfedale-Evo-4.4-lab1.jpg
     
  25. brownmagic

    brownmagic Well-Known Member

    Location:
    Singapore
    I A/B the two and for me, the Lintons were the winners so I took them home. The EVO are good as well and for many that might be the better speaker. Thank God for choices.
     
    DrGoon and Rick58 like this.

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