Short answer: the Wharfedale Linton 85. It ranks #26 of 100 bookshelf speakers by sound quality at $1699.99; the Revel M126Be ranks #28 and costs $4400, so there is not much of a tradeoff to weigh.
On the Wharfedale Linton 85 side: Very neutral frequency response and good bass extension. Set against that: The spacing of the drivers makes the vertical off axis not very good.
What the Revel M126Be offers: Two-way design pairing a 6.5” midwoofer with a 1” beryllium dome tweeter, the smaller sibling to the reviewer’s favorite Revel F226Be. Watch for: At $4,400/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.
Buy the Wharfedale Linton 85. It ranks higher for sound quality than the Revel M126Be and costs less, so there is no real case for the other one.
Specifications Side By Side
| Wharfedale Linton 85 | Revel M126Be | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $1699.99 | $4400 |
| Ranked | #26 of 100 in Large Size Bookshelf Speakers | #28 of 100 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 |
Related Speaker Comparisons
More useful head-to-heads from the same speaker class:
- Selah Audio Purezza vs ELAC VELA BS 403
- ELAC VELA BS 403 vs Buchardt S400 MKII
- ELAC VELA BS 403 vs Philharmonic BMR (v1)
- Wharfedale Linton 85 vs March Audio Sointuva AWG
- Revel M126Be vs JBL HDI-1600
The Two Speakers In Full
Wharfedale Linton 85: $1699.99 Crutchfield
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 ELAC VELA BS 403
- Wharfedale Linton 85 vs Dynaudio Heritage Special
- Wharfedale Linton 85 vs GR-Research NX-Bravo
- Wharfedale Linton 85 vs Emotiva Airmotiv XB2
- Wharfedale Linton 85 vs Wharfedale Super Linton
- Wharfedale Linton 85 vs ELAC DB63
- Wharfedale Linton 85 vs MoFi SourcePoint 8
- Wharfedale Linton 85 vs JBL HDI-1600
- See all 18 comparisons
Revel M126Be: $4400 Crutchfield
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.
Cons: At $4,400/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) |
| 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) |
| Weight | 22 lbs / 10.0 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
- Head-to-Head Comparisons
- Revel M126Be vs ELAC VELA BS 403
- Revel M126Be vs Selah Audio Purezza
- Revel M126Be vs Emotiva Airmotiv XB2
- Revel M126Be vs Dynaudio Heritage Special
- Revel M126Be vs ELAC DB63
- Revel M126Be vs Radiant Acoustics Clarity 6.2
- Revel M126Be vs JBL HDI-1600
- Revel M126Be vs Wharfedale Super Linton
- See all 10 comparisons