THANKS! When I looked at Music Direct, even earlier on Monday morning, they were showing the speakers only for $1499.00, Stand were extra. Not sure what happened, But I have ordered them!
Yes, that would be a fun experiment. Having said that, I'm in no doubt the change is rather dramatic, but of course your ears getting used to the sound is a factor as well.
Could be, but when I first heard them in a store, I had absolutely no problems with the Lintons, so I ordered a pair, got home with them (shop owner warned me not to judge too quickly because they need at least 200 hours of burn-in time) and darn, wouldn't you know, they didn't sound as I expected: bass was good, but they had harsh mids and upper treble was too withdrawn. After 8 hours of playing things started to improve. The recommended 200 hours is no joke. Testing the Dynaudio C1 on top of the Lintons.
I'm curious to know what some of you who have demoed (in the same space, around the same time) both the Linton and the KLH Model 5 think about them. I'm currently reviewing the Model 5 and am not fond of it. IMHO, the Linton is the better of the two by a clear margin. But I have seen a lot of people praising the Model 5. I'm curious what it is about the 5 that people find they prefer over the Linton, specifically. *Note: I'm listening to the Model 5 with any of the (3) tonal settings, with a lot of time spent trying to position them to get them most from them. Not just plopping them down and hoping for the best.
I've been powering mine with the Yamaha A-S1200 and they sound great with this combo. Never felt they were too warm, nicely balanced imo.
I can see a pair of Linton's for sale in your neighborhood one day I for one, would love to hear your comparisons of these two
Firstly - cause I gotta check … you’re not the Erin who did the Linton review linked upthread are you? I’m interested in this comparison because I’ve often had the FOMO with these Model 5’s wondering if I’m missing out… and yet over time the “slow burn” quality of these Linton’s have come to make them a pair of speakers I’m now making more ambitious system plans around. I know audio logic dictates that such a “cheap” pair of speakers wouldn’t be worth taking seriously as a long term prospect - and of course I’m not suggesting that they’re perfect - but I reckon there’s some “keeper” value going on here. There’s just something right about how they make music. So to ask a specific question… in what ways do the Model 5’s fall short in your estimation?
Yes. Sometimes it's hard to put your finger on what exactly you don't like about a speaker. But, the midrange stood out to me as being "off". The HF was also too hot. The midbass sounds like it's lower in level. IOW, it just sounds overall non-neutral. Whereas, with the Lintons, I just found myself listening to track after track and really appreciating their (mostly) neutral character. Whatever I played, they stuck to the original recording where the Model 5's really alter the sound in a way that doesn't sound accurate to me.
Been demoing the Lintons and 5s with an a-s2200 and Hegel H190. With both I feel the 5s provide more resolution, air around instruments, vocals. That being said they both are excellent…
Which setting do you have the 5's on? I do notice that the Lo setting is better in my room than the Hi setting, even though the Hi setting should be more ideal for my room per the manual. Also, grille on or off? Oh, and how do you have them aimed? Sorry to be so inquisitive... but those details help me have a better understanding of why your feedback is what it is. Thanks in advance.
Interesting. Danny from GR Research really likes the KLH Model Fives but not the Lintons (which he does like if you order his $750 upgrade kit ). Personally, I've never heard the KLH 5, but based on forum comments they seem like speakers designed specifically for rock music. Never heard them being praised by classical musicians or classical recording engineers though ... There's a Spanish speaking reviewer who likes both the KLH 5 and the Lintons (he bought the Lintons though which he thinks could be a reference speaker if they had a little more HF clarity) and he said the KLH 5 has a more forward, in-your-face, American sound while the Lintons have a typical more reserved British sound. To be honest, all reviewers have praised the KLH 5, except for Steve Guttenberg (who didn't think they were special or worth a review) and now Erin. Andrew Robinson loves both but prefers the Lintons because sometimes he detected some sibilance/treble edginess with the Model 5.
PS: Spanish speaking reviewer did detect that the Model 5 has some resonance issues and a bass bump at 125 kHz.
I mentioned this to a friend who was looking for speakers and had read quite a bit about the Lintons and was looking to also pick up a pair. He informed that the link no longer wors, and that Music Direct is back to showing the speakers only for $1500.00. And an additional $499.00 for the stands. Wharfedale - Linton 85th Anniversary Bookshelf Speakers (Pair) - Music Direct Wharfedale - Linton Speaker Stands (Pair) - Music Direct I have to wonder what's going on there?
Having rewatched Thomas & Stereo's review, he seems to agree with that, as he noticed the Yamaha 2200 seems to accentuate upper mids and lower treble. I remember, when I was breaking in the Lintons, that was something I initially missed. However, I'm not sure if that is still the case today.
Haha. Well, certainly for me. But like I said in the video, your needs are going to drive which choice is better for you. Some may not have the luxury of giving the Lintons the space they work best in (off the wall) and need a speaker that can be placed near a wall. In which case the KLH is probably the better choice (especially when you factor in the multiple settings it can be dialed in with). But, yes, for me it's easy: Wharfedale. For others, it may not be the same answer. This is what I find very fun/interesting/cool about being able to provide data; it's that it allows me to look past just what I hear and understand the how's and why's one speaker may perform better than another for a given application.
Quick question …..For those of you that have or had the Lintons hooked up to a Yamaha integrated, did you have the impedance switch on low for 4 ohm or high for 6 ohm? I am using one as my backup because I think my PS Audio Stellar stack needs some repairs
Switching amps between Marantz model 30 and NAIM Uniti Star has me perplexed. The Marantz has a much higher power rating but refused to go as loud and has even cut out on the Linton's.
Appreciate it. I wish I knew. It’s such a long, convoluted couple week story but I think some root issue I had fried something in them, I just can’t figure out what that root cause was. I started having just a slight left channel volume problem that was fixable with the fade left to 2 or 3, then the amp started going into protection mode and shutting off. Found a loose speaker wire that was probably causing the protection mode and fixed the turn off issue at least. Which is baffling in and of itself because they are banana plugs that tighten with a screw. Then I kept getting static shocks when touching some of the equipment….After troubleshooting I thought I had isolated it to the SGCD being the issue because I was getting next to nothing out of the left channel using headphones too. Stuff was working directly to the S300 for a couple days and then it wasn’t. Tried new surge protector, tried connecting the SGCD again, tried amp plugged right into the wall. Now no more shocks or shut off but when playing my phone through my portable DAC directly through the power amp the music just stops when I try and raise the volume. It’s baffling and incredibly frustrating. I just moved about a month ago and finally have a room more appropriate for listening and this all started. My buddy imaging to check my electric this weekend but I really don’t think that’s the issue. Speakers are brand new so I don’t think they are the problem but I guess I’ll find out when I connect the Yamaha. I assume the S300 wouldn’t have issue with the 4 ohm load. It’s not some cheap mass produced integrated or AVR. Especially if someone like you hasn’t had any issues with your PS Audio connected to them
That’s the enigma of class D. Nearly all of them putter out when the going gets tough, regardless of claimed power. For home stereo purposes, class D should be abandoned in favor of class H and THX AAA.
