Short answer: the Wharfedale Linton 85 on value, though the Revel M126Be is the better-engineered speaker. The M126Be pairs a 6.5-inch midwoofer with a 1-inch beryllium dome, smaller sibling to the reviewer’s favorite F226Be, but the reviewer does not consider it a strong value, better than the M106 and Performa3 but not proportional to the price jump. The Linton 85 is very neutral, but its driver spacing weakens vertical off-axis response.
Buy the Wharfedale Linton 85. Both are rated the same for sound quality, and it costs $2,401 less than the Revel M126Be.
Still deciding? The full Passive Home rankings cover every ranked option.
Specifications Side By Side
| Wharfedale Linton 85 | Revel M126Be | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $1999 per pair | $4,400 per pair |
| Ranked | #32 of 134 in Large Size Bookshelf Speakers | #34 of 134 in Large Size Bookshelf Speakers |
| Bass Extension (-10dB) | 35Hz (measured, Erin’s Audio Corner) | 44Hz (measured, Erin’s Audio Corner) |
| Bass Extension (-3dB) | 52Hz (measured, Erin’s Audio Corner) | 103Hz (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) | 15.2”H x 8.3”W x 10.3”D (386.1 x 210.8 x 261.6 mm) |
| Impedance | 6 ohms nominal, 3.5 ohms minimum (measured above 80Hz, Erin’s Audio Corner) | 6 ohms nominal (4.9 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 | 6.5” Deep Ceramic Composite (DCC) Aluminum Cone with cast frame woofer, 1” Beryllium dome with acoustic lens waveguide tweeter |
| Sensitivity | 85.1dB (measured average 300Hz-3kHz @ 2.83V/1m, Erin’s Audio Corner) | 86.1dB (measured, Erin’s Audio Corner) |
| Weight | 40.6 lbs (18.4 kg) each | 22 lbs (10.0 kg) each |
| Woofer Cabinet | ported, rear | ported, rear |
| Spinorama Preference Score | 6.07 | 5.08 |
| Spinorama Preference Score with Perfect Sub | 7.87 | 7.34 |
| DIY Kit | No | No |
Related Speaker Comparisons
How Wharfedale Linton 85 compares with other leading options:
- Wharfedale Linton 85 vs Perlisten S4b
- Wharfedale Linton 85 vs KEF Reference 1 Meta
- Wharfedale Linton 85 vs GR-Research NX-Studio
- Wharfedale Linton 85 vs March Audio Sointuva AWG
- Wharfedale Linton 85 vs AsciLab C6B
Prices on this page were last checked October 2, 2026 at 10:18 PM UTC. Product prices and availability are accurate as of that date/time and are subject to change; the price and availability shown on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.
As an eBay Partner, we may be compensated if you make a purchase.
The Two Speakers In Full
Wharfedale Linton 85: $1999 per pair Crutchfield eBay
Pros: Very neutral frequency response and good bass extension. Measured bass extension of 52Hz (-3dB), with a measured sensitivity of 85.1dB.
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) |
| DIY Kit | No |
| 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) |
| Spinorama Preference Score | 6.07 |
| Spinorama Preference Score with Perfect Sub | 7.87 |
| Weight | 40.6 lbs (18.4 kg) each |
| Woofer Cabinet | ported, rear |
- Links
- Reviews, Comparisons and Sound Samples
- Erin’s Audio Corner: Discover Why I Can’t Stop Raving About the Wharfedale Linton 85th Anniversary Speaker More from Erin’s Audio Corner →
- 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
- Erin’s Audio Corner Measurements (spinorama.org)
- Erin’s Audio Corner: KLH Model 5 or Wharfedale Linton? Linton for me. But you may disagree. Here is why.
- Head-to-Head Comparisons
- Wharfedale Linton 85 vs Ascend Acoustics Sierra-LX
- Wharfedale Linton 85 vs ELAC VELA BS 403
- Wharfedale Linton 85 vs Dynaudio Heritage Special
- Wharfedale Linton 85 vs Philharmonic BMR (v1)
- Wharfedale Linton 85 vs Radiant Acoustics Clarity 6.2
- Wharfedale Linton 85 vs Ascend Acoustics Sierra-2EX V2
- Wharfedale Linton 85 vs MoFi SourcePoint 10
- Wharfedale Linton 85 vs GR-Research NX-Bravo
- See all 67 comparisons
Revel M126Be: $4,400 per pair Crutchfield eBay
Older model: the Revel M106 (ranked higher, rated 4.6/5).
Pros: Two-way design pairing a 6.5” midwoofer with a 1” beryllium dome tweeter, the smaller sibling to the reviewer’s favorite Revel F226Be. Wide, immersive stereo imaging: hard-panned sounds in test tracks localized 2-3 feet outside the physical speaker positions without losing pinpoint precision. Horizontal radiation of about 60-70°, landing right in the reviewer’s preferred range for an enveloping yet still well-focused soundstage. Extended bass-shelf tuning (similar in concept to the KEF R3 Meta) combines with in-room gain for a more linear low end rather than a boomy hump. Diffraction dips visible on-axis around 3kHz and 7kHz largely disappear in the estimated in-room response, since they fill in as you move off-axis. Distortion stays within 3% down to about 100Hz at both 86dB and 96dB output: strong performance for a 6.5” bookshelf woofer. Can be driven by a standard AVR thanks to a manageable 4.9-ohm minimum impedance. Measured bass extension of 103Hz (-3dB), with a measured sensitivity of 86.1dB.
Cons: At $2200/pair, the reviewer doesn’t consider it a strong value: an improvement over Revel’s less expensive M106 and Performa3 models, but not proportional to the price jump. Bass tops out around 50Hz in-room; a subwoofer is still needed for real low-end extension. Vertical placement is fairly critical: there’s a notable hole in the response around the 1.7kHz crossover if you sit above the tweeter axis. Toeing the speaker out to a full 30° introduces a roughly 1dB discontinuity in the midrange along with high-frequency rolloff; the reviewer recommends staying close to on-axis or within about 10°. An unexplained jump in distortion appears right at the 1.7kHz crossover point under compression testing, which may be linked to an occasional “glaring” quality the reviewer noticed in the 2-3kHz region at very high volumes (92-93dB from 2 meters). A mild 2-3kHz forwardness occasionally stood out on some tracks, correctable with about 1dB of EQ, though the reviewer considers it minor.
Full Revel M126Be review and specifications →
| Bass Extension (-10dB) | 44Hz (measured, Erin’s Audio Corner) |
|---|---|
| Bass Extension (-3dB) | 103Hz (measured, Erin’s Audio Corner) |
| DIY Kit | No |
| Dimensions | 15.2”H x 8.3”W x 10.3”D (386.1 x 210.8 x 261.6 mm) |
| Drivers | 6.5” Deep Ceramic Composite (DCC) Aluminum Cone with cast frame woofer, 1” Beryllium dome with acoustic lens waveguide tweeter |
| Impedance | 6 ohms nominal (4.9 ohms minimum, measured, Erin’s Audio Corner) |
| Sensitivity | 86.1dB (measured, Erin’s Audio Corner) |
| Spinorama Preference Score | 5.08 |
| Spinorama Preference Score with Perfect Sub | 7.34 |
| Weight | 22 lbs (10.0 kg) each |
| Woofer Cabinet | ported, rear |
- Links
- Reviews, Comparisons and Sound Samples
- Head-to-Head Comparisons
- Revel M126Be vs ELAC VELA BS 403
- Revel M126Be vs Ascend Acoustics Sierra-LX
- Revel M126Be vs Selah Audio Purezza
- Revel M126Be vs Ascend Acoustics Sierra-2EX V2
- Revel M126Be vs JTR Noesis 210HT
- Revel M126Be vs Dynaudio Heritage Special
- Revel M126Be vs Radiant Acoustics Clarity 6.2
- Revel M126Be vs Emotiva Airmotiv XB2
- See all 23 comparisons