Short answer: the MoFi SourcePoint 8 for better sound quality, the Wharfedale Linton 85 for the lower price. The MoFi SourcePoint 8 ranks #17 of 84 bookshelf speakers at $2200. The Wharfedale Linton 85 ranks #26 at $1700, $500 cheaper.
What the MoFi SourcePoint 8 offers: 8” twin-drive concentric driver paired with a 1.25” soft dome tweeter, in a diffraction-reducing baffle design; rated 47Hz-30kHz. Watch for: Like other coincident designs, produces diffraction dips around 4kHz and 7kHz when pointed directly on-axis; needs about 10-15° of toe-out to smooth those out.
What the Wharfedale Linton 85 offers: Very neutral frequency response and good bass extension. Watch for: The spacing of the drivers makes the vertical off axis not very good
Buy the MoFi SourcePoint 8 if sound quality matters more than the price. Buy the Wharfedale Linton 85 if the price matters more than sound quality.
Specifications Side By Side
| MoFi SourcePoint 8 | Wharfedale Linton 85 | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $2200 | $1700 |
| Ranked | #17 of 84 in Large Size Bookshelf Speakers | #26 of 84 in Large Size Bookshelf Speakers |
| Bass Extension (-10dB) | 43Hz (measured, Erin’s Audio Corner) | 35Hz (measured, Erin’s Audio Corner) |
| Bass Extension (-3dB) | 52Hz (measured, Erin’s Audio Corner) | 52Hz (measured, Erin’s Audio Corner) |
| Dimensions | 18"H x 11.4"W x 13.2"D (457.2 x 289.6 x 335.3 mm) | 22.2"H x 11.8"W x 13"D (563.9 x 299.7 x 330.2 mm) |
| Impedance | 8 ohms nominal (8 ohms minimum above 80Hz, measured, Erin’s Audio Corner) | 6 ohms nominal, 3.5 ohms minimum (measured above 80Hz, Erin’s Audio Corner) |
| Sensitivity | 86.3dB (measured, Erin’s Audio Corner) | 85.1dB (measured average 300Hz-3kHz @ 2.83V/1m, Erin’s Audio Corner) |
| Drivers | 8" woofer, 1.25-inch soft-dome tweeter | 8"(200mm) black woven Kevlar® cone woofer, 5"(135mm) black woven Kevlar® cone midrange, 1" (25mm) soft dome tweeter |
| Weight | 28 lbs / 12.7 kg each | 40.6 lbs / 18.4 kg each |
| Woofer Cabinet | ported, rear | ported, rear |
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- Wharfedale Linton 85 vs Focal Aria 906
- MoFi SourcePoint 8 vs GR-Research NX-Bravo
The Two Speakers In Full
MoFi SourcePoint 8: $2200 Crutchfield
Pros: 8” twin-drive concentric driver paired with a 1.25” soft dome tweeter, in a diffraction-reducing baffle design; rated 47Hz-30kHz. Notably more neutral and true-to-source than its sibling SourcePoint 10, which the reviewer found a bit too bright in the treble by comparison - measured about 4-5dB less high-frequency output. Excellent imaging: passed multiple stereo-panning and depth tests, including smooth continuous left-to-right pans without wobble and correct front-to-back layering of vocals versus percussion. Wide horizontal dispersion of about ±60°, broader than the reviewer expected from a coaxial design, and forgiving enough in placement that about 10° of toe-out variance and moving above or below the tweeter axis both still sound good. Excellent dynamic range and compression linearity - about 26dB of headroom up to 102dB/1m equivalent, with issues only appearing below about 60Hz. 8-ohm nominal impedance made it easy to drive on everything from a budget Denon AVR to a high-end Macintosh amplifier. No significant evidence of woofer-cone modulation distortion affecting the tweeter, even at 96dB/1m.
Cons: Like other coincident designs, produces diffraction dips around 4kHz and 7kHz when pointed directly on-axis; needs about 10-15° of toe-out to smooth those out. The rear-ported cabinet (two ports) means it can’t be placed too close to a wall without the bass becoming overblown - the reviewer settled on about 2 feet of clearance. F3 of 52Hz and F10 of 43Hz mean genuine deep bass tops out in the mid-40s Hz in-room - a subwoofer is still needed for true low-end extension. Harmonic distortion crosses the reviewer’s 3% threshold at 96dB (though it’s second-order and less audibly significant), and multitone distortion becomes noticeably more audible at that same output level. Vertical response doesn’t perfectly mirror horizontal, since the cabinet is a rectangle rather than a perfect square around the driver.
Full MoFi SourcePoint 8 review and specifications →
| Bass Extension (-10dB) | 43Hz (measured, Erin's Audio Corner) |
|---|---|
| Bass Extension (-3dB) | 52Hz (measured, Erin's Audio Corner) |
| Dimensions | 18"H x 11.4"W x 13.2"D (457.2 x 289.6 x 335.3 mm) |
| Drivers | 8" woofer, 1.25-inch soft-dome tweeter |
| Impedance | 8 ohms nominal (8 ohms minimum above 80Hz, measured, Erin's Audio Corner) |
| Sensitivity | 86.3dB (measured, Erin's Audio Corner) |
| Weight | 28 lbs / 12.7 kg each |
| Woofer Cabinet | ported, rear |
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- Links
- Reviews, Comparisons and Sound Samples
- Erin’s Audio Corner: Why Do People Love the MoFi SourcePoint 8?
- Erin’s Audio Corner Website MoFi SourcePoint 8
- Erin’s Audio Corner: Upgrade Your Sound with These 6 Surprisingly Affordable Speakers!
- Erin’s Audio Corner: My Personal Favorite Speakers Under $2500
- Erin’s Audio Corner: My Top Picks of 2023: Must-Haves Under $3000
- GR-Research: Danny Tackles Andrews Jones: The Source Point 8! Spoiler Alert (It’s Really Good)
- Reddit Search for MoFi SourcePoint 8 Review
- Head-to-Head Comparisons
- MoFi SourcePoint 8 vs Wharfedale Super Linton
- MoFi SourcePoint 8 vs KEF R3
- MoFi SourcePoint 8 vs GR-Research NX-Bravo
- MoFi SourcePoint 8 vs MoFi SourcePoint 10
- MoFi SourcePoint 8 vs Wharfedale Aura 2
- MoFi SourcePoint 8 vs Radiant Acoustics Clarity 6.2
- MoFi SourcePoint 8 vs KEF Q Concerto Meta
- MoFi SourcePoint 8 vs KEF R3 Meta
- See all 16 comparisons
Wharfedale Linton 85: $1700 Audioadvice
Pros: Very neutral frequency response and good bass extension.
Cons: The spacing of the drivers makes the vertical off axis not very good
Full Wharfedale Linton 85 review and specifications →
| Bass Extension (-10dB) | 35Hz (measured, Erin's Audio Corner) |
|---|---|
| Bass Extension (-3dB) | 52Hz (measured, Erin's Audio Corner) |
| Dimensions | 22.2"H x 11.8"W x 13"D (563.9 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 | 6 ohms nominal, 3.5 ohms minimum (measured above 80Hz, Erin's Audio Corner) |
| Sensitivity | 85.1dB (measured average 300Hz-3kHz @ 2.83V/1m, Erin's Audio Corner) |
| Weight | 40.6 lbs / 18.4 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: Discover Why I Can’t Stop Raving About the Wharfedale Linton 85th Anniversary Speaker
- Erin’s Audio Corner Website Wharfedale Linton 85 Review
- Erin’s Audio Corner: My Top 5 Speakers at Any Price
- Erin’s Audio Corner: Upgrade Your Sound with These 6 Surprisingly Affordable Speakers!
- Erin’s Audio Corner: My Personal Favorite Speakers Under $2500
- Reddit Search for Wharfedale Linton 85 Review
- Head-to-Head Comparisons
- Wharfedale Linton 85 vs GR-Research NX-Bravo
- Wharfedale Linton 85 vs Wharfedale Super Linton
- Wharfedale Linton 85 vs Wharfedale Aura 2
- Wharfedale Linton 85 vs KEF Q Concerto Meta
- Wharfedale Linton 85 vs ELAC DBR62
- Wharfedale Linton 85 vs KEF R3 Meta
- Wharfedale Linton 85 vs AsciLab C6B
- Wharfedale Linton 85 vs March Audio Sointuva AWG
- See all 12 comparisons