Short answer: the Wharfedale Super Denton. It ranks #19 of 87 bookshelf speakers by sound quality at $1499; the Radiant Acoustics Clarity 4.2 ranks #23 and costs $2998, so there is not much of a tradeoff to weigh.
What the Wharfedale Super Denton offers: A 3-way design with a 1” soft dome tweeter, a 2” soft dome midrange offset to the side of a centered 6.5” woven Kevlar woofer - a more compact alternative to Wharfedale’s own Linton 85 with a similar overall character. Measured sensitivity around 86.6-87dB with on-axis linearity within about ±3dB. No cabinet or box resonances turned up in impedance testing, and there are no spike feet to install. Harmonic distortion looks good at both 86dB and 96dB, with about 20dB of usable dynamic range up to 96dB before compression starts to affect the midrange more noticeably near 102dB. Because bass rolls off starting around 60Hz, placing it closer to a wall (about 1-2 feet) than usual boosts low-end punch without the midbass bloat a deeper-extending speaker would get from the same placement. In the reviewer’s own comparison, its estimated in-room response actually measured more linear than the pricier Linton 85’s, despite being a bit less linear on-axis. Watch for: A mid-range scoop from about 200-800Hz and a separate upper-midrange scoop were both audible in direct ABX comparison against a reference-neutral speaker, giving aggressive-sounding material a more subdued character. A resonance around 660-700Hz shows up in measurement, though the reviewer couldn’t reliably hear it with real music in his own blind-ish A/B testing. The offset tweeter-and-midrange layout makes horizontal off-axis response noticeably asymmetric - response drops as much as 8dB more to one side than the other at wider angles - so the reviewer recommends aiming the speakers directly at the listener (not toed out, which loses upper treble) and suggests sidewall absorption to control uneven reflections. Must be listened to with the grille on - measurements are noticeably worse with it off (wider 2-4kHz dip, extra treble bump). Horizontal soundstage width felt a bit narrower than the reviewer personally prefers, likely related to the same offset driver layout. Multitone distortion gets high in the midrange at 96dB/1m, a concern mainly in larger rooms where you’d need to play louder.
What the Radiant Acoustics Clarity 4.2 offers: Compact bookshelf design using a 4” Purifi mid-woofer with matching Purifi passive radiators and an AMT tweeter on a purpose-designed waveguide, built with genuine heft - aluminum baffle, extensive internal bracing and damping. Surprisingly wide horizontal dispersion (about ±70° through the midrange and into the treble), more enveloping than its larger 6.2 sibling despite the smaller cabinet. More linear on-axis than the bigger Clarity 6.2, which needs 15-20° of toe-out to tame a rising treble; the 4.2 can be listened to closer to on-axis without that same correction. Wider-than-typical vertical dispersion (roughly +30°/-20°) for a two-way design, since its smaller woofer keeps the tweeter-to-woofer distance short. Genuinely deep bass extension for its size (F3 44Hz, reaching about 40Hz in-room), though it comes at a real cost to sensitivity. No resonance issues visible in impedance measurements. Watch for: Low sensitivity (rated 78dB, measured 78.5dB) is the trade-off for its bass extension - needs a fair amount of amplifier power, around 100W recommended for small-to-medium rooms versus the manufacturer’s own 60W baseline. Designed specifically for smaller rooms; the reviewer had to move testing out of his open-plan living room and into a smaller bedroom to avoid running into compression. A dip in the upper midrange gives a mild lack of attack and clarity, and a peak around 5kHz occasionally added a touch of extra sibilance. Multitone distortion crosses the reviewer’s 3% threshold at 96dB, making about 88dB a better average listening level; a slight upper-midrange bump persists even with an 80Hz high-pass filter applied. Dynamic range is limited: fine at 86dB, but the woofer starts giving up headroom by 96dB and drops off significantly by 102dB. Compared to its pricier sibling Clarity 6.2, has notably less dynamic range and higher multitone distortion, reflecting the smaller driver complement. A niche product size-wise - the reviewer couldn’t identify a clear direct competitor in the same size/price/SPL class.
Buy the Wharfedale Super Denton. It ranks higher for sound quality than the Radiant Acoustics Clarity 4.2 and costs less, so there is no real case for the other one.
Specifications Side By Side
| Wharfedale Super Denton | Radiant Acoustics Clarity 4.2 | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $1499 | $2,998 |
| Ranked | #19 of 87 in Medium Size Bookshelf Speakers | #23 of 87 in Medium Size Bookshelf Speakers |
| Drivers | 1" soft dome tweeter, 2" soft dome midrange, 6.5" woven Kevlar woofer | (2) 4" (102mm) woofer + AMT tweeter |
| Sensitivity | 86.6dB (measured by Erin’s Audio Corner) | 78 dB |
| Woofer Cabinet | ported | passive radiator |
| Dimensions | 14.2"H x 9.7"W x 10.8"D (360 x 246 x 275 mm) | 9.5"H x 6.3"W x 9.4"D (241 x 160 x 239 mm) |
| Weight | 20.3 lbs / 9.2 kg (20.2 lbs) each | 28.7 lbs / 13 kg (per pair: 57.3 lbs / 26 kg) |
| Impedance | 6 ohms nominal, 3 ohms minimum (measured, Erin’s Audio Corner) | 4 ohms |
| Frequency Response | 52Hz - 20kHz (±3dB, manufacturer specified); -6dB to 40Hz | 40 Hz - 25 kHz |
| Bass Extension (-3dB) | 61Hz (measured, Erin’s Audio Corner) | 44 Hz (measured, Erin’s Audio Corner) |
| Bass Extension (-10dB) | 41Hz (measured, Erin’s Audio Corner) | 35 Hz (measured, Erin’s Audio Corner) |
| Crossover Frequency | 940Hz, 4.6kHz | - |
| Woofer | - | 4" (102mm) PURIFI USHINDI |
| Tweeter | - | AMT (Air Motion Transformer) |
| Amplifier Required | - | Yes |
| Recommended Power | - | 50-200W |
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The Two Speakers In Full
Wharfedale Super Denton: $1499 Crutchfield eBay
Pros: A 3-way design with a 1” soft dome tweeter, a 2” soft dome midrange offset to the side of a centered 6.5” woven Kevlar woofer - a more compact alternative to Wharfedale’s own Linton 85 with a similar overall character. Measured sensitivity around 86.6-87dB with on-axis linearity within about ±3dB. No cabinet or box resonances turned up in impedance testing, and there are no spike feet to install. Harmonic distortion looks good at both 86dB and 96dB, with about 20dB of usable dynamic range up to 96dB before compression starts to affect the midrange more noticeably near 102dB. Because bass rolls off starting around 60Hz, placing it closer to a wall (about 1-2 feet) than usual boosts low-end punch without the midbass bloat a deeper-extending speaker would get from the same placement. In the reviewer’s own comparison, its estimated in-room response actually measured more linear than the pricier Linton 85’s, despite being a bit less linear on-axis.
Cons: A mid-range scoop from about 200-800Hz and a separate upper-midrange scoop were both audible in direct ABX comparison against a reference-neutral speaker, giving aggressive-sounding material a more subdued character. A resonance around 660-700Hz shows up in measurement, though the reviewer couldn’t reliably hear it with real music in his own blind-ish A/B testing. The offset tweeter-and-midrange layout makes horizontal off-axis response noticeably asymmetric - response drops as much as 8dB more to one side than the other at wider angles - so the reviewer recommends aiming the speakers directly at the listener (not toed out, which loses upper treble) and suggests sidewall absorption to control uneven reflections. Must be listened to with the grille on - measurements are noticeably worse with it off (wider 2-4kHz dip, extra treble bump). Horizontal soundstage width felt a bit narrower than the reviewer personally prefers, likely related to the same offset driver layout. Multitone distortion gets high in the midrange at 96dB/1m, a concern mainly in larger rooms where you’d need to play louder.
Full Wharfedale Super Denton review and specifications →
| Bass Extension (-10dB) | 41Hz (measured, Erin's Audio Corner) |
|---|---|
| Bass Extension (-3dB) | 61Hz (measured, Erin's Audio Corner) |
| Crossover Frequency | 940Hz, 4.6kHz |
| Dimensions | 14.2"H x 9.7"W x 10.8"D (360 x 246 x 275 mm) |
| Drivers | 1" soft dome tweeter, 2" soft dome midrange, 6.5" woven Kevlar woofer |
| Frequency Response | 52Hz - 20kHz (±3dB, manufacturer specified); -6dB to 40Hz |
| Impedance | 6 ohms nominal, 3 ohms minimum (measured, Erin's Audio Corner) |
| Sensitivity | 86.6dB (measured by Erin's Audio Corner) |
| Weight | 20.3 lbs / 9.2 kg (20.2 lbs) each |
| Woofer Cabinet | ported |
- Links
- Reviews, Comparisons and Sound Samples
- Head-to-Head Comparisons
- Wharfedale Super Denton vs Klipsch RP-500M II
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Radiant Acoustics Clarity 4.2: $2,998 Radiant Acoustics eBay
Pros: Compact bookshelf design using a 4” Purifi mid-woofer with matching Purifi passive radiators and an AMT tweeter on a purpose-designed waveguide, built with genuine heft - aluminum baffle, extensive internal bracing and damping. Surprisingly wide horizontal dispersion (about ±70° through the midrange and into the treble), more enveloping than its larger 6.2 sibling despite the smaller cabinet. More linear on-axis than the bigger Clarity 6.2, which needs 15-20° of toe-out to tame a rising treble; the 4.2 can be listened to closer to on-axis without that same correction. Wider-than-typical vertical dispersion (roughly +30°/-20°) for a two-way design, since its smaller woofer keeps the tweeter-to-woofer distance short. Genuinely deep bass extension for its size (F3 44Hz, reaching about 40Hz in-room), though it comes at a real cost to sensitivity. No resonance issues visible in impedance measurements.
Cons: Low sensitivity (rated 78dB, measured 78.5dB) is the trade-off for its bass extension - needs a fair amount of amplifier power, around 100W recommended for small-to-medium rooms versus the manufacturer’s own 60W baseline. Designed specifically for smaller rooms; the reviewer had to move testing out of his open-plan living room and into a smaller bedroom to avoid running into compression. A dip in the upper midrange gives a mild lack of attack and clarity, and a peak around 5kHz occasionally added a touch of extra sibilance. Multitone distortion crosses the reviewer’s 3% threshold at 96dB, making about 88dB a better average listening level; a slight upper-midrange bump persists even with an 80Hz high-pass filter applied. Dynamic range is limited: fine at 86dB, but the woofer starts giving up headroom by 96dB and drops off significantly by 102dB. Compared to its pricier sibling Clarity 6.2, has notably less dynamic range and higher multitone distortion, reflecting the smaller driver complement. A niche product size-wise - the reviewer couldn’t identify a clear direct competitor in the same size/price/SPL class.
Full Radiant Acoustics Clarity 4.2 review and specifications →
| Amplifier Required | Yes |
|---|---|
| Bass Extension (-10dB) | 35 Hz (measured, Erin's Audio Corner) |
| Bass Extension (-3dB) | 44 Hz (measured, Erin's Audio Corner) |
| Dimensions | 9.5"H x 6.3"W x 9.4"D (241 x 160 x 239 mm) |
| Drivers | (2) 4" (102mm) woofer + AMT tweeter |
| Frequency Response | 40 Hz - 25 kHz |
| Impedance | 4 ohms |
| Recommended Power | 50-200W |
| Sensitivity | 78 dB |
| Tweeter | AMT (Air Motion Transformer) |
| Weight | 28.7 lbs / 13 kg (per pair: 57.3 lbs / 26 kg) |
| Woofer | 4" (102mm) PURIFI USHINDI |
| Woofer Cabinet | passive radiator |
- Links
- Reviews, Comparisons and Sound Samples
- Head-to-Head Comparisons
- Radiant Acoustics Clarity 4.2 vs Wharfedale Diamond 12.1
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