Short answer: the Super Linton for dynamics, the Linton 85 for bass extension and price. These rank #32 and #24 out of 134 large bookshelf speakers, and the price gap between them is $700.
This is a genuine engineering tradeoff, not just a step up. Erin’s Audio Corner measurements show the Linton 85 reaching a -3dB point of 52Hz, versus 77Hz on the Super Linton, a deliberate compromise the Super Linton makes in exchange for closer-to-wall placement flexibility. In return, the Super Linton fixes the original Linton’s main flaw, a 1-3kHz scoop that made it sound soft and subdued, and measurements show a major dynamic-range improvement where kick drums retain their impact at high volume instead of compressing. It also measures about 3dB more sensitive at 88.2dB versus the Linton 85’s 85.1dB, meaning it needs roughly half the amplifier power for the same output.
Both use the same core drivers: an 8” woven Kevlar woofer, a 5” woven Kevlar midrange, and a 1” soft dome tweeter, in a rear-ported cabinet. The Super Linton’s measured horizontal radiation is wide at about ±70°, which Erin’s notes call right in the preferred range for an enveloping soundstage, though its vertical dispersion narrows to about ±20°, meaning multi-row seating outside that window loses top-end. The Linton 85’s own con is the drivers’ spacing hurting its vertical off-axis response. The Super Linton also ships as a genuinely matched pair, measured within about 1dB of each other, and comes with custom matching stands.
Setup matters more on the Super Linton: its asymmetrical design needs the tweeters facing outward for the most linear in-room response, and about 10 degrees of toe-out to smooth out diffraction that shows up around 1.5 to 2kHz on-axis. Its minimum impedance also dips to about 3 ohms around 150Hz, so a 4-ohm-stable amplifier is recommended.
Buy the Super Linton if dynamic range and a filled-in midrange matter more to you than deep bass extension, and you have the room and amplifier to set it up properly.
Buy the Linton 85 if you want deeper bass extension for less money, or if the original Linton’s more relaxed 1-3kHz balance suits your taste better than the Super Linton’s added punch.
Still deciding? The full Passive Home rankings cover every ranked option.
Specifications Side By Side
| Wharfedale Linton 85 | Wharfedale Super Linton | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $1999 per pair | $2,699.00 per pair |
| Ranked | #32 of 134 in Large Size Bookshelf Speakers | #24 of 134 in Large Size Bookshelf Speakers |
| Bass Extension (-10dB) | 35Hz (measured, Erin’s Audio Corner) | 34Hz (measured, Erin’s Audio Corner) |
| Bass Extension (-3dB) | 52Hz (measured, Erin’s Audio Corner) | 77Hz (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) | 23.8”H x 11.8”W x 13”D (604.5 x 299.7 x 330.2 mm) |
| Impedance | 6 ohms nominal, 3.5 ohms minimum (measured above 80Hz, Erin’s Audio Corner) | 4 ohms nominal (3 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 | 8”(200mm) black woven Kevlar® cone woofer, 5”(135mm) black woven Kevlar® cone midrange, 1” (25mm) soft dome tweeter |
| Sensitivity | 85.1dB (measured average 300Hz-3kHz @ 2.83V/1m, Erin’s Audio Corner) | 88.2dB (measured, Erin’s Audio Corner) |
| Weight | 40.6 lbs (18.4 kg) each | 43.7 lbs (19.8 kg) each |
| Woofer Cabinet | ported, rear | ported, rear |
| Spinorama Preference Score | 6.07 | 6.09 |
| Spinorama Preference Score with Perfect Sub | 7.87 | 7.94 |
| DIY Kit | No | No |
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- Wharfedale Super Linton vs GR-Research NX-Studio
- Wharfedale Super Linton vs AsciLab C6B
- Wharfedale Super Linton vs Audio First Cadentia 3
Prices on this page were last checked September 30, 2026 at 2:57 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
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 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
- See all 67 comparisons
Wharfedale Super Linton: $2,699.00 per pair Amazon Crutchfield eBay
Pros: Three-way design with a 1” soft dome tweeter, 5” woven Kevlar mid-range, and 8” woven Kevlar woofer in a dual rear-ported, heavily damped MDF/particle-board cabinet. Comes as a genuinely matched pair (measured within about 1dB of each other) and includes custom matching stands. A major dynamic-range improvement over the original Heritage Linton: kick drums retain their impact from low to high volume instead of compressing, the standout objective improvement in this update. Fixes the original Linton’s main flaw: a 1-3kHz scoop that made it sound a bit soft and subdued is filled in here, giving noticeably more attack and dynamic punch. About 3dB more sensitivity than the original Linton (measured ~88.2dB), meaning roughly half the amplifier power for the same output. Wide horizontal radiation of about ±70°, right in the reviewer’s preferred range for an enveloping soundstage. Lower midrange distortion than the original Linton. Bass-shelf tuning intentionally allows closer-to-wall placement (about 1 foot worked well) without excess boominess, more flexible than the original Linton in that regard. Measured bass extension of 77Hz (-3dB), with a measured sensitivity of 88.2dB.
Cons: Rolls off earlier than the original Linton (F3 77Hz versus the original’s 52Hz), a deliberate trade-off for the closer-wall-placement flexibility. On-axis, there’s a mild treble lift around 4-6kHz that can sound a touch sibilant, though the reviewer found it not very noteworthy in practice. Diffraction shows up around 1.5-2kHz on-axis; needs about 10° of toe-out to smooth this out, though going further to 30° starts to lose some top-end air. Distortion peaks slightly higher than the original Linton in the 50-70Hz region. Minimum impedance dips to about 3 ohms around 150Hz, so a 4-ohm-stable amplifier is recommended for best results. Vertical dispersion of about ±20° means multi-row home theater seating outside that window will hear reduced top-end. Asymmetrical design requires attention to setup (tweeters need to face outward) for the most linear in-room response. A costly upgrade for existing Linton owners if the original’s specific flaws didn’t bother them.
Full Wharfedale Super Linton review and specifications →
| Bass Extension (-10dB) | 34Hz (measured, Erin’s Audio Corner) |
|---|---|
| Bass Extension (-3dB) | 77Hz (measured, Erin’s Audio Corner) |
| DIY Kit | No |
| Dimensions | 23.8”H x 11.8”W x 13”D (604.5 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 | 4 ohms nominal (3 ohms minimum, measured, Erin’s Audio Corner) |
| Sensitivity | 88.2dB (measured, Erin’s Audio Corner) |
| Spinorama Preference Score | 6.09 |
| Spinorama Preference Score with Perfect Sub | 7.94 |
| Weight | 43.7 lbs (19.8 kg) each |
| Woofer Cabinet | ported, rear |
- Links
- Reviews, Comparisons and Sound Samples
- Erin’s Audio Corner: 5 Reasons Wharfedale Super Linton is the Hidden Gem of Audio Equipment More from Erin’s Audio Corner →
- Erin’s Audio Corner Website Wharfedale Super Linton Review
- Erin’s Audio Corner: Upgrade Your Sound with These 6 Surprisingly Affordable Speakers!
- Erin’s Audio Corner: My Absolute Favorite Products of 2024 Revealed
- Erin’s Audio Corner Measurements (spinorama.org)
- Head-to-Head Comparisons
- Wharfedale Super Linton vs Ascend Acoustics CMT-340 SE2
- Wharfedale Super Linton vs Arendal 1528 Monitor 8
- Wharfedale Super Linton vs MoFi SourcePoint 10
- Wharfedale Super Linton vs Radiant Acoustics Clarity 6.2
- Wharfedale Super Linton vs Perlisten R4b
- Wharfedale Super Linton vs Dynaudio Heritage Special
- Wharfedale Super Linton vs AsciLab F6Bs
- Wharfedale Super Linton vs Epos ES14N
- See all 62 comparisons