Short answer: the Wharfedale Super Linton. It ranks #24 of 131 bookshelf speakers by sound quality, rated 4.4/5, at $2,699. The Buchardt S400 MKII ranks #64, rated 3.8/5, at $2,400, $299 cheaper, a saving that is not big enough to make up the sound-quality gap.
What the Wharfedale Super Linton does well: 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. The catch: Rolls off earlier than the original Linton (F3 77Hz versus the original’s 52Hz), a deliberate trade-off for the closer-wall-placement flexibility.
The case for the Buchardt S400 MKII: Two-way design with a 3/4” tweeter on a well-implemented aluminum waveguide (compression-driver style, letting the small tweeter cross unusually low at 1800Hz), a 6” SB Acoustics-style mid-woofer, and a tunable 5x8” passive radiator adjustable via rear weights. The catch: Sounds a bit bright and slightly boosted above about 7-8kHz on-axis, even with 30° of toe-out - benefits from about 1 inch of sidewall absorption at the first reflection points to tame it.
Buy the Wharfedale Super Linton. It is rated higher for sound quality, and the $299 you would save on the Buchardt S400 MKII does not close the gap.
Looking for alternatives? See the complete Passive Home rankings.
Specifications Side By Side
| Wharfedale Super Linton | Buchardt S400 MKII | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $2,699.00 per pair | $2400 per pair |
| Ranked | #24 of 131 in Large Size Bookshelf Speakers | #64 of 131 in Large Size Bookshelf Speakers |
| Bass Extension (-10dB) | 34Hz (measured, Erin’s Audio Corner) | 40Hz (measured, Erin’s Audio Corner) |
| Bass Extension (-3dB) | 77Hz (measured, Erin’s Audio Corner) | 59Hz (measured, Erin’s Audio Corner) |
| Dimensions | 23.8”H x 11.8”W x 13”D (604.5 x 299.7 x 330.2 mm) | 14.4”H x 7”W x 11”D (365.8 x 177.8 x 279.4 mm) |
| Impedance | 4 ohms nominal (3 ohms minimum, measured, 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 | 6.5” aluminum cone woofer, 1” soft dome tweeter |
| Sensitivity | 88.2dB (measured, Erin’s Audio Corner) | 84.7dB (measured, Erin’s Audio Corner; 87dB manufacturer specified) |
| Weight | 43.7 lbs (19.8 kg) each | 16.5 lbs (7.5 kg) each |
| Woofer Cabinet | ported, rear | ported |
| Spinorama Preference Score | 6.09 | 5.38 |
| Spinorama Preference Score with Perfect Sub | 7.94 | 7.46 |
| DIY Kit | No | No |
Related Speaker Comparisons
More worthwhile head-to-heads for Wharfedale Super Linton:
- Wharfedale Super Linton vs Perlisten S4b
- Wharfedale Super Linton vs KEF Reference 1 Meta
- 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 26, 2026 at 11:14 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 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
Buchardt S400 MKII: $2400 per pair Buchardt Audio eBay
Older model: the Buchardt Audio S400 (rated 4.4/5).
Pros: Two-way design with a 3/4” tweeter on a well-implemented aluminum waveguide (compression-driver style, letting the small tweeter cross unusually low at 1800Hz), a 6” SB Acoustics-style mid-woofer, and a tunable 5x8” passive radiator adjustable via rear weights. Exceptionally flat on-axis linearity, within about ±2dB from 80Hz to 16kHz. Wide horizontal radiation for a waveguided design (about ±45-50°), notably broader than a comparable narrow-waveguide rival like the Klipsch Sevens (~±30°). Well-focused, precise imaging, aided by tight pair matching between the two speakers. Takes very well to EQ correction, letting listeners easily dial in the top end or add midrange fullness to taste. Bass extension reaches a genuine 50Hz in-room from a mellow, well-tuned rolloff rather than an artificially boosted one. Measured bass extension of 59Hz (-3dB), with a measured sensitivity of 84.7dB.
Cons: Sounds a bit bright and slightly boosted above about 7-8kHz on-axis, even with 30° of toe-out - benefits from about 1 inch of sidewall absorption at the first reflection points to tame it. A mild dullness noted especially on male vocals, alongside a small dip around 300-600Hz. Vertical positioning is critical and unusually “temperamental” - sitting even slightly toward the tweeter line causes a suckout, while sitting above it adds too much energy; not well suited to multi-height home theater seating. Distortion is fine at 86dB but runs into real issues by 96dB - not a high-output speaker. Some compression-related enhancement appears around 1.2kHz (crossover-region interaction), and the tweeter shows clear compression at 102dB. The woofer can bottom out at extreme low-frequency content played very loud; crossing to a subwoofer below 60Hz caused output problems at high volume, while 80-100Hz worked well. A subwoofer isn’t strictly required to protect the speaker at moderate listening levels (80-85dB at 3 meters), but is still recommended for genuine low-octave extension.
Full Buchardt S400 MKII review and specifications →
| Bass Extension (-10dB) | 40Hz (measured, Erin’s Audio Corner) |
|---|---|
| Bass Extension (-3dB) | 59Hz (measured, Erin’s Audio Corner) |
| DIY Kit | No |
| Dimensions | 14.4”H x 7”W x 11”D (365.8 x 177.8 x 279.4 mm) |
| Drivers | 6.5” aluminum cone woofer, 1” soft dome tweeter |
| Impedance | 4 ohms nominal, 3 ohms minimum (measured, Erin’s Audio Corner) |
| Sensitivity | 84.7dB (measured, Erin’s Audio Corner; 87dB manufacturer specified) |
| Spinorama Preference Score | 5.38 |
| Spinorama Preference Score with Perfect Sub | 7.46 |
| Weight | 16.5 lbs (7.5 kg) each |
| Woofer Cabinet | ported |
- Links
- Reviews, Comparisons and Sound Samples
- Head-to-Head Comparisons
- Buchardt S400 MKII vs Klipsch RP-600M II
- Buchardt S400 MKII vs ELAC DBR62
- Buchardt S400 MKII vs Dynaudio Emit 20
- Buchardt S400 MKII vs Philharmonic BMR Monitor
- Buchardt S400 MKII vs Dynaudio Special Forty
- Buchardt S400 MKII vs ELAC Debut 3.0 DB63
- Buchardt S400 MKII vs KEF Q3 Meta
- Buchardt S400 MKII vs Sonus Faber Lumina II
- See all 17 comparisons