Short answer: the AsciLab C6B. It ranks #7 of 84 bookshelf speakers by sound quality at $1145; the Wharfedale Linton 85 ranks #26 and costs $1700, so there is not much of a tradeoff to weigh.
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
What the AsciLab C6B offers: Two-way design pairing a 1” aluminum ceramic dome tweeter on a large waveguide with a 6” aluminum ceramic cone woofer, crossed over at 1.1kHz, plus a rear passive radiator. Watch for: Bass rolls off around 50Hz in-room (F3 54Hz, F10 35Hz), so a subwoofer is needed for real extension below that.
Buy the AsciLab C6B. It ranks higher for sound quality than the Wharfedale Linton 85 and costs less, so there is no real case for the other one.
Specifications Side By Side
| Wharfedale Linton 85 | AsciLab C6B | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $1700 | $1145 |
| Ranked | #26 of 84 in Large Size Bookshelf Speakers | #7 of 84 in Large Size Bookshelf Speakers |
| Bass Extension (-10dB) | 35Hz (measured, Erin’s Audio Corner) | 35Hz (measured, Erin’s Audio Corner) |
| Bass Extension (-3dB) | 52Hz (measured, Erin’s Audio Corner) | 54Hz (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) | 15.7"H x 8"W x 10.4"D (398.8 x 203.2 x 264.2 mm) |
| Impedance | 6 ohms nominal, 3.5 ohms minimum (measured above 80Hz, Erin’s Audio Corner) | 4 ohms nominal, 2.6 ohms minimum (measured, Erin’s Audio Corner) |
| Drivers | 8"(200mm) black woven Kevlar® cone woofer, 5"(135mm) black woven Kevlar® cone midrange, 1" (25mm) soft dome tweeter | 6" Aluminium Ceramic Cone with cast Aluminium Chassis woofer, 1" Aluminium Ceramic Dome tweeter |
| Sensitivity | 85.1dB (measured average 300Hz-3kHz @ 2.83V/1m, Erin’s Audio Corner) | 85.6dB (measured, Erin’s Audio Corner) |
| Weight | 40.6 lbs / 18.4 kg each | 18.5 lbs / 8.4 kg each |
| Woofer Cabinet | ported, rear | passive radiator |
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The Two Speakers In Full
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 MoFi SourcePoint 8
- 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 March Audio Sointuva AWG
- See all 12 comparisons
AsciLab C6B: $1145 Ascilab
Pros: Two-way design pairing a 1” aluminum ceramic dome tweeter on a large waveguide with a 6” aluminum ceramic cone woofer, crossed over at 1.1kHz, plus a rear passive radiator. Unusual trait: horizontal radiation actually widens at higher frequencies instead of narrowing like most two-way designs, which keeps image focus and soundstage depth consistent whether you toe the speakers in or out (5-10° off-axis was the sweet spot in testing). Vertical radiation also stays wide straight through the 2kHz crossover region, so the sound doesn’t collapse when standing up - unusual at this price. CA2034 measurements show strong on-axis linearity, listening window, early reflections, and directivity. Midrange and tweeter distortion stay very low even at 96dB, holding up against a $5,900 Arendal speaker in that regard despite roughly a 5x price gap. At $935 (about $1,135 shipped to the US), the reviewer calls it the best-value bookshelf speaker he’s tested, rivaling speakers 2-5x the price.
Cons: Bass rolls off around 50Hz in-room (F3 54Hz, F10 35Hz), so a subwoofer is needed for real extension below that. Low-frequency harmonic distortion increases substantially at 96dB versus 86dB, though it’s second-order and less audible than it looks on paper. Minimum impedance dips to 2.6 ohms (EPDR as low as 1.2 ohms), so it wants an amplifier comfortable driving 4-ohm loads, ideally 100W or more. At 102dB, compression noticeably eats into midrange, bass, and some treble output. Shipping to the US adds roughly $200 on top of the $935 price. Against the reviewer’s reference Audiofirst Fidelia at a similar price, has slightly less lower-midrange body (about 1dB difference) and a smaller perceived soundstage size.
Full AsciLab C6B review and specifications →
| Bass Extension (-10dB) | 35Hz (measured, Erin's Audio Corner) |
|---|---|
| Bass Extension (-3dB) | 54Hz (measured, Erin's Audio Corner) |
| Dimensions | 15.7"H x 8"W x 10.4"D (398.8 x 203.2 x 264.2 mm) |
| Drivers | 6" Aluminium Ceramic Cone with cast Aluminium Chassis woofer, 1" Aluminium Ceramic Dome tweeter |
| Impedance | 4 ohms nominal, 2.6 ohms minimum (measured, Erin's Audio Corner) |
| Sensitivity | 85.6dB (measured, Erin's Audio Corner) |
| Weight | 18.5 lbs / 8.4 kg each |
| Woofer Cabinet | passive radiator |
As an eBay Partner, we may be compensated if you make a purchase.
- Links
- Reviews, Comparisons and Sound Samples
- Head-to-Head Comparisons
- AsciLab C6B vs March Audio Sointuva AWG
- AsciLab C6B vs KEF R3 Meta
- AsciLab C6B vs GR-Research NX-Studio
- AsciLab C6B vs KEF Reference 1 Meta
- AsciLab C6B vs KEF Q Concerto Meta
- AsciLab C6B vs MoFi SourcePoint 8
- AsciLab C6B vs GR-Research NX-Bravo
- AsciLab C6B vs MoFi SourcePoint 10
- See all 15 comparisons