Wharfedale Linton 85th Anniversary Review

Looks like my Lintons will be arriving tomorrow if FedEx sticks to schedule. Unfortunately, my amp will not arrive until next Wednesday it appears, going to soak in the last 6 days with my little entry level rig and milk em for all they're worth. Will share pics when they touch down!
 
Lintons are in, or 3/4 of them lol. One of the stands for some reason is on a different delivery truck and will arrive later today or tomorrow. Quick question: how does one get the grill off? Feels like its really on there lol, was expecting a much easier removal
 
Ghost said:
Lintons are in, or 3/4 of them lol. One of the stands for some reason is on a different delivery truck and will arrive later today or tomorrow. Quick question: how does one get the grill off? Feels like its really on there lol, was expecting a much easier removal
Click to expand...
They are tough to remove. In fact, I never have.
 
HiFi Guy said:
They are tough to remove. In fact, I never have.
Click to expand...
Nervous about getting something under there and potentially scratching the cabinet or bending the grill. Think they look better with the grills off but I know the grill is actually engineered to improve the sound a good deal, just want to look at em hahaha
 
Ghost said:
Lintons are in, or 3/4 of them lol. One of the stands for some reason is on a different delivery truck and will arrive later today or tomorrow. Quick question: how does one get the grill off? Feels like its really on there lol, was expecting a much easier removal
Click to expand...

They're held on with magnets which is why they’re so tight. You need to pry them off but unless you have a soft pry tool (I had a little soft plastic yoke for taking the screen off an iMac), I wouldn’t bother for fear of damaging the veneer and because from what I gather they were designed for grill on rather than either/or
 
hey folks! long time no see

so I am looking for new speakers and I have fallen in love with the Lintons -- more honestly with the sight and idea of them, as I cannot get an audition sadly. Even more so as they are listed for ~800 euros WITH stands at a regional store, which seems like a great deal.

However, I do have some worries, namely the positioning and the driving amplifier.. I was hoping I could get some advice over here, as I've been reading inconclusive reviews and forums like crazy over the past week, so here it goes:
  1. Positioning: I cannot get them too far away from the rear wall. The room is a tad under 400 square feet (37 m^2) (with high ceiling if that matters), but I will not be able to pull them off more than 20 cm (8 inches) measured from the back of the speaker to the wall. Preferably closer than that. How bad does it get that close to a wall? Would a well placed pair of socks in the rear ports make that position more tolerable?
  2. Amp: I'm currently running an old Pioneer A-656 mk. 2, which should be pretty sturdy: 70 W/channel at 8 ohms, and rated with a Dynamic Power Output of 150W at 4 ohms and 170W at 2 ohms. Would this be good enough you think? I like it, and wouldn't change it for now.
 
syngts said:
hey folks! long time no see

so I am looking for new speakers and I have fallen in love with the Lintons -- more honestly with the sight and idea of them, as I cannot get an audition sadly. Even more so as they are listed for ~800 euros WITH stands at a regional store, which seems like a great deal.

However, I do have some worries, namely the positioning and the driving amplifier.. I was hoping I could get some advice over here, as I've been reading inconclusive reviews and forums like crazy over the past week, so here it goes:
  1. Positioning: I cannot get them too far away from the rear wall. The room is a tad under 400 square feet (37 m^2) (with high ceiling if that matters), but I will not be able to pull them off more than 20 cm (8 inches) measured from the back of the speaker to the wall. Preferably closer than that. How bad does it get that close to a wall? Would a well placed pair of socks in the rear ports make that position more tolerable?
  2. Amp: I'm currently running an old Pioneer A-656 mk. 2, which should be pretty sturdy: 70 W/channel at 8 ohms, and rated with a Dynamic Power Output of 150W at 4 ohms and 170W at 2 ohms. Would this be good enough you think? I like it, and wouldn't change it for now.
Click to expand...

€800 with stands is an absolute steal! The retail is €1200 with stands and €1000 without!

With the wall positioning, the closer they are the bigger the bass will be. I managed to get the rear of mine 50cm off the wall but I think they could be moved a bit closer without it being too boomy. You’d just have to experiment. They like a decent toe in too.

They connect to the 4 ohm port and you have ooodles of power there, I’d not be worried about that, I’m running them with a much lower output tube amp.
 
Last edited:
Joe Mac said:
They connect to the 4 ohm port and you have ooodles of power there, I’d not be worried about that, I’m running them with a much lower output tube amp.
Click to expand...

That's the thing that makes me worried, there's a single speaker output port out of the amp, the label on the back saying "For speakers between 4 - 16 ohms".
 
syngts said:
hey folks! long time no see

so I am looking for new speakers and I have fallen in love with the Lintons -- more honestly with the sight and idea of them, as I cannot get an audition sadly. Even more so as they are listed for ~800 euros WITH stands at a regional store, which seems like a great deal.

However, I do have some worries, namely the positioning and the driving amplifier.. I was hoping I could get some advice over here, as I've been reading inconclusive reviews and forums like crazy over the past week, so here it goes:
  1. Positioning: I cannot get them too far away from the rear wall. The room is a tad under 400 square feet (37 m^2) (with high ceiling if that matters), but I will not be able to pull them off more than 20 cm (8 inches) measured from the back of the speaker to the wall. Preferably closer than that. How bad does it get that close to a wall? Would a well placed pair of socks in the rear ports make that position more tolerable?
  2. Amp: I'm currently running an old Pioneer A-656 mk. 2, which should be pretty sturdy: 70 W/channel at 8 ohms, and rated with a Dynamic Power Output of 150W at 4 ohms and 170W at 2 ohms. Would this be good enough you think? I like it, and wouldn't change it for now.
Click to expand...
You’ll have no problems with the Pioneer driving the Wharfedales. Pioneer made really good amps for Europe back then. The US got junk.
 
Ghost said:
Nervous about getting something under there and potentially scratching the cabinet or bending the grill. Think they look better with the grills off but I know the grill is actually engineered to improve the sound a good deal, just want to look at em hahaha
Click to expand...
take a non-serrated butter knife and put it in one of the fingers in the white glove you received with the speakers and carefully pry it lengthwise from the top center and they'll loosen up and pop right off
 
My amp has just touched down, now just waiting for Amazon to deliver the banana plugs I ordered and we’re in business baby! After a week I’ll finally be able to hook this beauties up, I can’t remember the last time I was this giddy about something lol! Gonna break them in continuing my A-Z collection walk through, think I’m cracking into Art Blakey tonight!
 
Ghost said:
My amp has just touched down, now just waiting for Amazon to deliver the banana plugs I ordered and we’re in business baby! After a week I’ll finally be able to hook this beauties up, I can’t remember the last time I was this giddy about something lol! Gonna break them in continuing my A-Z collection walk through, think I’m cracking into Art Blakey tonight!
Click to expand...
Get ready for some quality bass son. ;)
 
Last edited:
Ghost said:
Uh oh. So should the speakers be 24 inches out from the back wall measured from the front of speakers or the back?
Click to expand...

@HiFi Guy @Joe Mac and others are your best bet there, but I can add you may have to play around /tweak placement a little bit. Do you know how many hours they have on them btw ? They do need to break in.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top