Short answer: the KEF Q Concerto Meta. It ranks #11 of 84 bookshelf speakers by sound quality at $1399.99; the Wharfedale Super Linton ranks #19 and costs $2699, so there is not much of a tradeoff to weigh.
What the KEF Q Concerto Meta offers: Really good in-room neutrality with consistent horizontal directivity from seat to seat. Watch for: Radiation pattern measures about ±50°, narrower than the reviewer’s preferred ±60° for a stronger sense of envelopment.
What the Wharfedale Super Linton offers: Three-way design with a 1” soft dome tweeter, 5” woven Kevlar mid-range, and 8” woven Kevlar woofer in a dual rear-ported, heavily damped MDF/particle-board cabinet. Watch for: Rolls off earlier than the original Linton (F3 77Hz versus the original’s 52Hz), a deliberate trade-off for the closer-wall-placement flexibility.
Buy the KEF Q Concerto Meta. It ranks higher for sound quality than the Wharfedale Super Linton and costs less, so there is no real case for the other one.
Specifications Side By Side
| KEF Q Concerto Meta | Wharfedale Super Linton | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $1,399.99 | $2,699.00 |
| Ranked | #11 of 84 in Large Size Bookshelf Speakers | #19 of 84 in Large Size Bookshelf Speakers |
| Bass Extension (-10dB) | 35Hz (measured, Erin’s Audio Corner) | 34Hz (measured, Erin’s Audio Corner) |
| Bass Extension (-3dB) | 53Hz (measured, Erin’s Audio Corner) | 77Hz (measured, Erin’s Audio Corner) |
| Dimensions | 16.3"H x 8.3"W x 12.4"D (414 x 210.8 x 315 mm) | 23.8"H x 11.8"W x 13"D (604.5 x 299.7 x 330.2 mm) |
| Impedance | 4 ohms nominal (3.3 ohms minimum above 80Hz, measured by Erin’s Audio Corner) | 4 ohms nominal (3 ohms minimum, measured, Erin’s Audio Corner) |
| Drivers | 165 mm (6.5 in.) hybrid aluminium cone woofer, 100 mm (4 in.) aluminium cone midrange, 19 mm (0.75 in.) vented aluminium dome with MAT tweeter | 8"(200mm) black woven Kevlar® cone woofer, 5"(135mm) black woven Kevlar® cone midrange, 1" (25mm) soft dome tweeter |
| Sensitivity | 84.2dB (measured average, Erin’s Audio Corner) | 88.2dB (measured, Erin’s Audio Corner) |
| Weight | 20.9 lbs / 9.5 kg each | 43.7 lbs / 19.8 kg each |
| Woofer Cabinet | ported, rear | ported, rear |
Related Speaker Comparisons
More useful head-to-heads from the same speaker class:
- GR-Research NX-Bravo vs KEF R3 Meta
- KEF R3 Meta vs Wharfedale Linton 85
- MoFi SourcePoint 8 vs GR-Research NX-Bravo
- KEF Q Concerto Meta vs KEF R3 Meta
- Wharfedale Linton 85 vs Wharfedale Super Linton
The Two Speakers In Full
KEF Q Concerto Meta: $1,399.99 Amazon Crutchfield
Pros: Really good in-room neutrality with consistent horizontal directivity from seat to seat. Directivity holds remarkably steady from lower treble into upper treble, where many similarly-priced speakers narrow sharply as frequency rises - one of the reviewer’s top 10 picks under $1,500.
Cons: Radiation pattern measures about ±50°, narrower than the reviewer’s preferred ±60° for a stronger sense of envelopment. Needs to be pointed closer to on-axis rather than heavily toed out - combined with its rolled-off, shelved-down top end, too much toe-out makes it sound noticeably dark.
Full KEF Q Concerto Meta review and specifications →
| Bass Extension (-10dB) | 35Hz (measured, Erin's Audio Corner) |
|---|---|
| Bass Extension (-3dB) | 53Hz (measured, Erin's Audio Corner) |
| Dimensions | 16.3"H x 8.3"W x 12.4"D (414 x 210.8 x 315 mm) |
| Drivers | 165 mm (6.5 in.) hybrid aluminium cone woofer, 100 mm (4 in.) aluminium cone midrange, 19 mm (0.75 in.) vented aluminium dome with MAT tweeter |
| Impedance | 4 ohms nominal (3.3 ohms minimum above 80Hz, measured by Erin's Audio Corner) |
| Sensitivity | 84.2dB (measured average, Erin's Audio Corner) |
| Weight | 20.9 lbs / 9.5 kg each |
| Woofer Cabinet | ported, rear |
As an eBay Partner, we may be compensated if you make a purchase.
- Links
- Reviews, Comparisons and Sound Samples
- Erin’s Audio Corner: HiFi Perfection? KEF CONCERTO META Delivers!
- Erin’s Audio Corner Website KEF Q Concerto Meta
- Erin’s Audio Corner: I Tested 250 Speakers So You Don’t Have To!
- Erin’s Audio Corner: HiFi Perfection? KEF CONCERTO META Delivers!
- Erin’s Audio Corner: My Absolute Favorite Products of 2024 Revealed
- Reddit Search for KEF Q Concerto Meta Review
- Head-to-Head Comparisons
- KEF Q Concerto Meta vs KEF R3 Meta
- KEF Q Concerto Meta vs Wharfedale Aura 2
- KEF Q Concerto Meta vs AsciLab C6B
- KEF Q Concerto Meta vs MoFi SourcePoint 8
- KEF Q Concerto Meta vs March Audio Sointuva AWG
- KEF Q Concerto Meta vs GR-Research NX-Bravo
- KEF Q Concerto Meta vs MoFi SourcePoint 10
- KEF Q Concerto Meta vs Wharfedale Linton 85
- See all 14 comparisons
Wharfedale Super Linton: $2,699.00 Amazon Crutchfield
Pros: Three-way design with a 1” soft dome tweeter, 5” woven Kevlar mid-range, and 8” woven Kevlar woofer in a dual rear-ported, heavily damped MDF/particle-board cabinet. Comes as a genuinely matched pair (measured within about 1dB of each other) and includes custom matching stands. A major dynamic-range improvement over the original Heritage Linton - kick drums retain their impact from low to high volume instead of compressing, the standout objective improvement in this update. Fixes the original Linton’s main flaw: a 1-3kHz scoop that made it sound a bit soft and subdued is filled in here, giving noticeably more attack and dynamic punch. About 3dB more sensitivity than the original Linton (measured ~88.2dB), meaning roughly half the amplifier power for the same output. Wide horizontal radiation of about ±70°, right in the reviewer’s preferred range for an enveloping soundstage. Lower midrange distortion than the original Linton. Bass-shelf tuning intentionally allows closer-to-wall placement (about 1 foot worked well) without excess boominess, more flexible than the original Linton in that regard.
Cons: Rolls off earlier than the original Linton (F3 77Hz versus the original’s 52Hz), a deliberate trade-off for the closer-wall-placement flexibility. On-axis, there’s a mild treble lift around 4-6kHz that can sound a touch sibilant, though the reviewer found it not very noteworthy in practice. Diffraction shows up around 1.5-2kHz on-axis; needs about 10° of toe-out to smooth this out, though going further to 30° starts to lose some top-end air. Distortion peaks slightly higher than the original Linton in the 50-70Hz region. Minimum impedance dips to about 3 ohms around 150Hz, so a 4-ohm-stable amplifier is recommended for best results. Vertical dispersion of about ±20° means multi-row home theater seating outside that window will hear reduced top-end. Asymmetrical design requires attention to setup (tweeters need to face outward) for the most linear in-room response. A costly upgrade for existing Linton owners if the original’s specific flaws didn’t bother them.
Full Wharfedale Super Linton review and specifications →
| Bass Extension (-10dB) | 34Hz (measured, Erin's Audio Corner) |
|---|---|
| Bass Extension (-3dB) | 77Hz (measured, Erin's Audio Corner) |
| Dimensions | 23.8"H x 11.8"W x 13"D (604.5 x 299.7 x 330.2 mm) |
| Drivers | 8"(200mm) black woven Kevlar® cone woofer, 5"(135mm) black woven Kevlar® cone midrange, 1" (25mm) soft dome tweeter |
| Impedance | 4 ohms nominal (3 ohms minimum, measured, Erin's Audio Corner) |
| Sensitivity | 88.2dB (measured, Erin's Audio Corner) |
| Weight | 43.7 lbs / 19.8 kg each |
| Woofer Cabinet | ported, rear |
As an eBay Partner, we may be compensated if you make a purchase.
- Links
- Reviews, Comparisons and Sound Samples
- Erin’s Audio Corner: 5 Reasons Wharfedale Super Linton is the Hidden Gem of Audio Equipment
- Erin’s Audio Corner Website Wharfedale Super Linton Review
- Erin’s Audio Corner: Upgrade Your Sound with These 6 Surprisingly Affordable Speakers!
- Erin’s Audio Corner: My Absolute Favorite Products of 2024 Revealed
- Reddit Search for Wharfedale Super Linton Review
- Head-to-Head Comparisons