Wharfedale Linton Heritage - What an all rounder!!

vivek_r

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There are probably very few speakers that offer greater value then Wharfdale Linton's!

Drama start no? I heard the Wharfdale Linton driven by the magnificent Luxman M-700u power amp (oozing finish and those mesmeric VU meters) and the Audiolab 6000A serving as the preamp. Front end was my RAL24192 RATOC DAC. And the venue was Designer Audio - Anil from Hifimart wanted to know whether I wanted to listen (I have been rather hifi deprived lately, and did I need a second ask), and there I was with Anil and the gregarious Kshitij (good to know a 2 channel Distributor keeping prices sane and seems to be doing well).

The music had all the attributes of a well balanced system. To start with the dynamic swings were mightily handled (my own Graham LS5/9 would have strained a bit). So when we listened to something big like Shostakovich's 10th (Karajan) the macrodynamic changes were handled with ease. As Shostakovich’s anguished howl was unleashed, the system did not flinch.

And the bass - everyone wants to hear about it (I want to hear about the midrange). When we listened to Art Farmer's "Blame it on my Youth" the bass was strong and present, and a great anchor. More deep than tight, but positioning was good that there was not too much overhang.

And that, we saw when we listened to Kendrik Lamar's "Bitch Don't Kill My Vibe". The bass was satisfying and punchy. The chorus was well handled with good separation, and Kendrik's voice came across as natural.

Which was also the impression when we listened to Michael Buble singing "Feeling Good". The music was foot tapping good, and the voice came across with great transparency.

The depth perspective was good in the system as well - with the woodwinds in the aforementioned Shostakovich showing good tone. In fact the tone was good through out - sounded natural without sounding hifi (nothing tilted for fake detail). This was particularly true of the relatively decent treble - sibilants kept under check.

We also listened to Schubert (Maisky and Argerich), and that came across without boxiness. Sure, the midrange was not limned with microdynamic texture like my pricier Graham was (and I just love them for that), but the music was a satisfying whole.

In fact, what you get when you pay a lot more is more nuance, more texture, better refined sound. A bit of spooky reality. Like say a LS3/5 with voices, but bye bye dynamics and bass. However, at its price, the Linton’s balance of virtues is remarkable. It wowed me like the Castle Knight 2 did when I heard it first - musical.

At the current price of less than INR 1.2 lakhs including stands - the Wharfedale Linton Heritage Speakers offer serious value! Of course, it was driven by a mighty expensive amp, but how well it sounded and across how many different genres. Non fatiguing, big sound with good transparency. No need to make a small speaker compromise and google for subwoofer reviews and integration.

A no brainer, if someone with a big room starts with "I have a budget of about INR 1 lakh for a pair of speakers"...you have to hear them.

Hifimart or Designer Audio should be able to help.
 
There are probably very few speakers that offer greater value then Wharfdale Linton's!

Drama start no? I heard the Wharfdale Linton driven by the magnificent Luxman M-700u power amp (oozing finish and those mesmeric VU meters) and the Audiolab 6000A serving as the preamp. Front end was my RAL24192 RATOC DAC. And the venue was Designer Audio - Anil from Hifimart wanted to know whether I wanted to listen (I have been rather hifi deprived lately, and did I need a second ask), and there I was with Anil and the gregarious Kshitij (good to know a 2 channel Distributor keeping prices sane and seems to be doing well).

The music had all the attributes of a well balanced system. To start with the dynamic swings were mightily handled (my own Graham LS5/9 would have strained a bit). So when we listened to something big like Shostakovich's 10th (Karajan) the macrodynamic changes were handled with ease. As Shostakovich’s anguished howl was unleashed, the system did not flinch.

And the bass - everyone wants to hear about it (I want to hear about the midrange). When we listened to Art Farmer's "Blame it on my Youth" the bass was strong and present, and a great anchor. More deep than tight, but positioning was good that there was not too much overhang.

And that, we saw when we listened to Kendrik Lamar's "Bitch Don't Kill My Vibe". The bass was satisfying and punchy. The chorus was well handled with good separation, and Kendrik's voice came across as natural.

Which was also the impression when we listened to Michael Buble singing "Feeling Good". The music was foot tapping good, and the voice came across with great transparency.

The depth perspective was good in the system as well - with the woodwinds in the aforementioned Shostakovich showing good tone. In fact the tone was good through out - sounded natural without sounding hifi (nothing tilted for fake detail). This was particularly true of the relatively decent treble - sibilants kept under check.

We also listened to Schubert (Maisky and Argerich), and that came across without boxiness. Sure, the midrange was not limned with microdynamic texture like my pricier Graham was (and I just love them for that), but the music was a satisfying whole.

In fact, what you get when you pay a lot more is more nuance, more texture, better refined sound. A bit of spooky reality. Like say a LS3/5 with voices, but bye bye dynamics and bass. However, at its price, the Linton’s balance of virtues is remarkable. It wowed me like the Castle Knight 2 did when I heard it first - musical.

At the current price of less than INR 1.2 lakhs including stands - the Wharfedale Linton Heritage Speakers offer serious value! Of course, it was driven by a mighty expensive amp, but how well it sounded and across how many different genres. Non fatiguing, big sound with good transparency. No need to make a small speaker compromise and google for subwoofer reviews and integration.

A no brainer, if someone with a big room starts with "I have a budget of about INR 1 lakh for a pair of speakers"...you have to hear them.

Hifimart or Designer Audio should be able to help.

Excellent review @vivek_r. It’s indeed a loveable speaker and great value too. I was similarly impressed when I heard it with Anil at the same place. Except the bass, which could have been tighter and a bit less refinement than what one could get at the price range, what the Linton Heritage brings, few others can. It has a kind of happy entertaining sound, a musicality that engages you. These are speakers you can have fun time with - they leave a smile on your face. I’d say the have the personality of a Kishore Kumar to use a musical metaphor.

My review/listening experience which I posted back then:https://www.hifivision.com/threads/...on-heritage-and-castle-avon-5-speakers.77617/
It’s an amateur write up from a subjective point of view.

In fact, my current speakers (for three years now) are the Castle Knight 2 that you’ve mentioned in the post. Your review on it was one of the few I could find back then on the CK2 - an underrated gem. No wonder we both liked the Heritage too! :D

Please review more gear.
 
Sachin thank you for your kind comments. I searched and missed your thread. I think it makes sense to put this as one thread perhaps if the mods can do it. Add my thread to yours perhaps?

Any bass issue can be somewhat ameliorated by pulling out the speaker a bit. In fact I was Ok with the bass - yes a little tighter would be nicer, but the punch is really nice.

For the price, wow!
 
Non fatiguing, big sound with good transparency. No need to make a small speaker compromise and google for subwoofer reviews and integration.

A no brainer, if someone with a big room starts with "I have a budget of about INR 1 lakh for a pair of speakers"...you have to hear them.

Vivek, first of all thank you for the very helpful review.

I'm not sure if you have heard the Klipsch Forte IIIs but I would describe them as "non fatiguing, big sound with good transparency" too. One other thing the Fortes excel at is low volume listening. Would you have anything to say about the Lintons in this regard?
 
Vivek, first of all thank you for the very helpful review.

I'm not sure if you have heard the Klipsch Forte IIIs but I would describe them as "non fatiguing, big sound with good transparency" too. One other thing the Fortes excel at is low volume listening. Would you have anything to say about the Lintons in this regard?

I’d like to read Vivek’s reply on this. But allow me to pitch in. Based on what I heard of the Lintons, I’d say they’d qualify as non-fatiguing (warm) and big sounding (dynamic), but ‘transparency’ isn’t their standout feature. Not to mean they sound muffled - not at all - they are airy - but not the most transparent. An appreciative way to look at the Lintons is as ‘affordable dynamic speakers with emotionally involving and rhythmically foot-tapping sound’. Comparing with Forte III that cost three times wouldn’t do justice to the Lintons. But one could say both models are trying to achieve something similar at two different price points and seem to be succeeding.
 
Linton is British. Klipsch is US. So it’s the usual thing. Tone and timbre vs dynamics and staging :)

Also for both the speakers, choice of amplifier is very crucial. Ideally low powered tube for Klipsch and a good British amplifier like Naim or Quad or Sonneteer for Linton.
 
More deep than tight
That sums it up for a speaker in this price range ; basically deep bass is easier than achieving tight or precise bass and if this is with an Amp which is 5-7X the price of the speaker , then this is something one should be even more careful about. I have Audio Note AX-2s and will describe them to be of similar nature overall . I have learnt an important lesson spend all you got on a speaker and then get an amp just good enough to drive them . Even a decent class D amp will do great things with a great speaker , tonal/colour choices IMHO are wrong notions to harbour however if that floats one's boat better to achieve them at the time of speaker selection and then later one can simply play with other variables (tube buffers , interconnects or even source)
 
Vivek, first of all thank you for the very helpful review.

I'm not sure if you have heard the Klipsch Forte IIIs but I would describe them as "non fatiguing, big sound with good transparency" too. One other thing the Fortes excel at is low volume listening. Would you have anything to say about the Lintons in this regard?
I’d like to read Vivek’s reply on this. But allow me to pitch in. Based on what I heard of the Lintons, I’d say they’d qualify as non-fatiguing (warm) and big sounding (dynamic), but ‘transparency’ isn’t their standout feature. Not to mean they sound muffled - not at all - they are airy - but not the most transparent. An appreciative way to look at the Lintons is as ‘affordable dynamic speakers with emotionally involving and rhythmically foot-tapping sound’. Comparing with Forte III that cost three times wouldn’t do justice to the Lintons. But one could say both models are trying to achieve something similar at two different price points and seem to be succeeding.
Hi both,

I have only listened to the Klipsch here and there (shows) and not carefully set up in someone’s home.

I think Sachin describes it very well. By transparency, if one were to talk about a vivid and more fleshed out midrange, then the other expensive BBCs are better than the Linton. However, at its price point, none will come close to presenting all parts of the music in a big smooth and satisfying way. Like you can listen to an orchestra on song with an ability to play loud without strain.

I find many of the classic American designs strong on leading edge which would work for me only half the time. A bit forward sounding. It is exciting with some music and has issues with others (mainly strings in classical western). This describes it well.




As we know, we are listening to a whole chain and not speakers alone I have never heard the combination of Klipsch and single ended tube amplifier- now that for many is magic.

I think the Linton’s are VFM. Not perhaps for an experienced audiophile who is looking for certain specific attributes (tone dynamics and so on), but certainly for one who is looking for good speakers that does a lot well, listenable and without any compromises in that price range.
 
This describes it well.


I liked the immediacy in the guy’s (Mark Marcantonio’s) review. Need to read more of his blogging.

“It’s the consummation of everything, rather than the individual ingredients that make the Forte III’s so much damn fun.”

That’s what I felt about the Linton Heritage too. They engross you with the whole sound. A speaker for the experiencers, not for the analysts.
 
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I liked the immediacy in the guy’s (Mark Marcantonio’s) review. Need to read more of his blogging.

“It’s the consummation of everything, rather than the individual ingredients that make the Forte III’s so much damn fun.”

That’s what I felt about the Linton Heritage too. They engross you with the whole sound. A speaker for the experiencers, not for the analysts.

This is exactly why I invited @vivek_r thoughts on the Linton - Forte comparison. They seem to be similar speakers at different price points like you pointed out.

Sorry to insist but can either of you comment on low volume listening with the Lintons?
 
A no brainer, if someone with a big room starts with "I have a budget of about INR 1 lakh for a pair of speakers"...you have to hear them.

Hifimart or Designer Audio should be able to help.
Just Curious to know , Can Wharfedale Linton Heritage be used as LCR speakers for home theater ?

As per above you tube demo , the speakers sounded too good for music with very good BASS and high crisp and powerful. I imagined it should sound good for Home theater , but it's designed for music only ?
 
Linton specialists, would it run on low power SE tube 8Wpc or ACA (bridged mono - 4 Ohm 5W per block, 8Ohm 15W per block, Parallel mono - 4 Ohm 16W per block)?
 
Wharfedale Linton Heritage Speakers in Red Mahogany finish at a Special Offer Price. BUY now before the price increase.
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