Review Wharfedale Linton Heritage monitor speaker

Set-up and Sound

We don’t play with our reference system in this test, although we tried the Wharfedales on our own system; just for fun. But given that really no one is going to do that, we played with the Audiolab 6000A 99 percent of the time. And then both through a 6000 CDT and a Baby Ambre of Metrum.

Nowadays we regularly make sound sample videos for you to listen to. You can find the video in this article.

Retrosound? Not really

The combination of the Audiolab 6000 series and Wharfedale is particularly nice. We hear a smooth and pleasant reproduction of our music. Who expects the Lintons to present warm and woolly: nope. not at all. The reproduction is surprisingly open and smooth. Although it is certainly not ‘lightning’ fast or super-precise. If you’re looking for that, you’d better go for an active system, like the HEDD, for example. Different approach, different possibilities… Very different sound.

The Wharfedales – in our opinion – mainly try to find a balance between retro / vintage look, modern technology and a not too sterile character. This also makes it suitable for variatey of environments and equipment. And we think they have succeeded quite well in doing so. Although the mid area can sound pretty up-front.

If we have to criticize, it’s the imaging. It’s a little blurry. We just don’t get it really sharp. At least not without drastic measures, like extreme toe in. Voices remain somewhat large and instruments cannot really be pointed at, as we are used to with our own reference models. Or a KEF LS50, for example.

In our opinion, this has to do with the shape of the cabinet. Ah well: perhaps we should just accept that this is not a loudspeaker for super-precision. And that’s not bad at all, because what this Wharfedale Linton Heritage is all about is celebrating an icon. And they certainly succeeded, if you ask us.

AudioLab Sound Demo

Check our lossless samples here.