Short answer: the Wharfedale Linton 85. It ranks #37 of 203 bookshelf speakers by sound quality, rated 4.3/5, at $1,999; the Sonus Faber Sonetto II G2 ranks #168, rated 3.1/5, and costs $3,500, so there is little reason to consider the other one.
The Linton 85 is the more neutral, deeper-reaching speaker. An 8-inch Kevlar woofer, a 5-inch midrange and a soft dome tweeter give a very neutral response and bass reaching 52Hz before falling 3dB, with a preference score of 6.07. Its wide driver spacing makes vertical off-axis sound weaker, so keep your ears near tweeter height.
The Sonetto II G2 is a handsome two-way with a bright tilt. Its horizontal directivity narrows smoothly, and its bass reaches about 50Hz in-room. It sounds bright straight on, so toe it out about 30 degrees, and a resonance near 700Hz makes vocals slightly nasal. It needs 1.5 to 2 feet from the rear wall.
Buy the Wharfedale Linton 85. It is rated higher for sound quality than the Sonus Faber Sonetto II G2 and costs less, so it is the default pick unless a specific strength of the other one matters more to you.
Looking for alternatives? See the complete Passive Home rankings.
Specifications Side By Side
| Wharfedale Linton 85 | Sonus Faber Sonetto II G2 | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $1999 per pair | $3500 per pair |
| Ranked | #37 of 203 in Large Size Bookshelf Speakers | #168 of 203 in Large Size Bookshelf Speakers |
| Bass Extension (-10dB) | 35Hz (measured, Erin’s Audio Corner) | 38Hz (measured, Erin’s Audio Corner) |
| Bass Extension (-3dB) | 52Hz (measured, Erin’s Audio Corner) | 62Hz (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) | 16.3”H x 8.9”W x 14”D (414.3 x 227.0 x 355.6 mm) |
| Impedance | 6 ohms nominal, 3.5 ohms minimum (measured above 80Hz, Erin’s Audio Corner) | 4 ohms nominal (4.2 ohms minimum, measured by Erin’s Audio Corner) |
| Drivers | 8”(200mm) black woven Kevlar® cone woofer, 5”(135mm) black woven Kevlar® cone midrange, 1” (25mm) soft dome tweeter | 1x 6.5” mid-woofer (paper cone), 1x 1.1” (28mm) DAD soft dome tweeter |
| Sensitivity | 85.1dB (measured average 300Hz-3kHz @ 2.83V/1m, Erin’s Audio Corner) | 87dB (measured, Erin’s Audio Corner) |
| Weight | 40.6 lbs (18.4 kg) each | 38.4 lbs (17.4 kg) |
| Woofer Cabinet | ported, rear | ported, front |
| Spinorama Preference Score | 6.07 | 4.25 |
| Spinorama Preference Score with Perfect Sub | 7.87 | 6.54 |
| DIY Kit | No | No |
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Prices on this page were last checked October 7, 2026 at 9:25 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.
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The Two Speakers In Full
Wharfedale Linton 85: $1999 per pair Crutchfield eBay
Same family: the Wharfedale Denton 80th Anniversary (smaller bookshelf, rated 3.2/5), the Wharfedale Super Denton (smaller bookshelf, rated 4/5) and the Wharfedale Super Linton (larger bookshelf, ranked higher, rated 4.4/5).
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 Revel M126Be
- Wharfedale Linton 85 vs ELAC VELA BS 403
- Wharfedale Linton 85 vs Philharmonic BMR (v1)
- Wharfedale Linton 85 vs Ascend Acoustics Sierra-2EX V2
- Wharfedale Linton 85 vs Dynaudio Heritage Special
- Wharfedale Linton 85 vs Radiant Acoustics Clarity 6.2
- Wharfedale Linton 85 vs MoFi SourcePoint 10
- See all 68 comparisons
Sonus Faber Sonetto II G2: $3500 per pair Crutchfield eBay
Older model: the Sonus Faber Sonetto II (ranked lower, rated 3/5).
Same family: the Sonus Faber Sonetto I G2 (smaller bookshelf, estimated 3/5), the Sonus Faber Sonetto III G2 (smaller floorstanding, estimated 3.2/5), the Sonus Faber Sonetto V G2 (larger floorstanding, estimated 3.3/5) and the Sonus Faber Sonetto Center G2 (center, estimated 3/5).
Pros: Two-way design with a 1.125” damped Apex Dome silk tweeter and 6.5” cone woofer, using a base of concrete, aluminum, and steel with under-cabinet venting. Notably more neutral than Sonus Faber’s own Lumina 2, which runs 2-5dB hotter in the treble. Horizontal directivity narrows at a fairly constant, well-behaved rate rather than narrowing-then-widening-then-narrowing like some rivals (including the Lumina 2), meaning sidewall reflections match the direct sound well enough that the reviewer doesn’t recommend sidewall absorption for this speaker. The tweeter-to-woofer crossover handoff around 3kHz looks clean, suggesting a higher-order crossover than typical for the size/price class. Good dynamic range: the low end loses only about 2dB from 76dB to 96dB, otherwise holding up well. Not a difficult amplifier load (about 4.2 ohms minimum impedance). Bass extension reaches a genuine 50Hz in-room, fuller than the Lumina 2. Measured bass extension of 62Hz (-3dB), with a measured sensitivity of 87dB.
Cons: Sounds notably bright pointed directly on-axis; toeing the speaker out about 30° reduces treble energy and sibilance meaningfully. A resonance around 700Hz gives vocals a slightly nasal, hollow quality. A dip in the upper midrange (roughly 1-2kHz) reduces perceived detail and attack, while the elevated treble can read as “analytical” or “detailed” to some listeners despite being a coloration rather than true resolution. Needs more clearance from the rear wall than some rivals (about 1.5-2 feet in an ideal room, more or less depending on your specific room modes) or the 80-120Hz region can become boomy. Vertical listening window is limited to about ±10-15° from the tweeter axis. Some unexplained directivity irregularities appear around 1.2kHz and 1.6kHz, possibly port-related, along with a longer decay in the 800Hz-1600Hz range in burst-decay measurements. Multitone distortion approaches the reviewer’s 3% threshold through the midrange, though likely not obviously audible without direct A/B comparison. A resonance in the cabinet appears around 400Hz in impedance measurements.
Full Sonus Faber Sonetto II G2 review and specifications →
| Bass Extension (-10dB) | 38Hz (measured, Erin’s Audio Corner) |
|---|---|
| Bass Extension (-3dB) | 62Hz (measured, Erin’s Audio Corner) |
| DIY Kit | No |
| Dimensions | 16.3”H x 8.9”W x 14”D (414.3 x 227.0 x 355.6 mm) |
| Drivers | 1x 6.5” mid-woofer (paper cone), 1x 1.1” (28mm) DAD soft dome tweeter |
| Impedance | 4 ohms nominal (4.2 ohms minimum, measured by Erin’s Audio Corner) |
| Sensitivity | 87dB (measured, Erin’s Audio Corner) |
| Spinorama Preference Score | 4.25 |
| Spinorama Preference Score with Perfect Sub | 6.54 |
| Weight | 38.4 lbs (17.4 kg) |
| Woofer Cabinet | ported, front |
- Links
- Reviews, Comparisons and Sound Samples
- Head-to-Head Comparisons
- Sonus Faber Sonetto II G2 vs Audio Craftsmen Victoria
- Sonus Faber Sonetto II G2 vs Emotiva Airmotiv B2+
- Sonus Faber Sonetto II G2 vs Pylon Jasper Monitor 18
- Sonus Faber Sonetto II G2 vs JBL XPL-90
- Sonus Faber Sonetto II G2 vs KEF Q350
- Sonus Faber Sonetto II G2 vs Sonus Faber Lumina II Amator
- Sonus Faber Sonetto II G2 vs Polk R200
- Sonus Faber Sonetto II G2 vs Sonus Faber Sonetto II
- See all 64 comparisons