Short answer: the Wharfedale Super Linton if sound quality matters most, the GR-Research X-LS Encore if price matters most. The Wharfedale Super Linton ranks #24 of 130 bookshelf speakers at $2699. The GR-Research X-LS Encore ranks #83 at $1300, $1399 cheaper.
What the Wharfedale Super Linton offers: 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. Watch for: 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.
What the GR-Research X-LS Encore offers: An amazing value, especially if you managed to snag one of these built by AV123 in the early 2000s for $200-300. CEA2034 spinorama shows a generally flat on-axis response, especially in the listening window. Predicted in-room response is generally smooth and on-target. Distortion at 86dB SPL/1m is pretty clean above 200Hz. Watch for: A slight depression in the upper bass and some peaking in the lower bass shows up on-axis, along with directivity error in the crossover region. Vertical directivity requires staying within about 20 degrees of the tweeter axis. At 96dB SPL/1m distortion becomes “rather unhappy,” with bass distortion, a possible woofer issue around 2kHz, and a tweeter problem above 7kHz. As a DIY kit, it requires building the cabinet and crossover yourself.
Buy the Wharfedale Super Linton if sound quality matters more than the price. Buy the GR-Research X-LS Encore if the price matters more than sound quality.
Want more options? Browse the full Passive Home rankings.
Specifications Side By Side
| Wharfedale Super Linton | GR-Research X-LS Encore | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $2,699.00 per pair | $1300 per pair |
| Ranked | #24 of 130 in Large Size Bookshelf Speakers | #83 of 130 in Large Size Bookshelf Speakers |
| Bass Extension (-10dB) | 34Hz (measured, Erin's Audio Corner) | 44Hz (measured, Audio Science Review) |
| Bass Extension (-3dB) | 77Hz (measured, Erin's Audio Corner) | 64Hz (measured, Audio Science Review) |
| Dimensions | 23.8"H x 11.8"W x 13"D (604.5 x 299.7 x 330.2 mm) | 13.5"H x 8.5"W x 12.1"D (342.9 x 215.9 x 308 mm) |
| Impedance | 4 ohms nominal (3 ohms minimum, measured, Erin's Audio Corner) | 8 ohms |
| Drivers | 8"(200mm) black woven Kevlar® cone woofer, 5"(135mm) black woven Kevlar® cone midrange, 1" (25mm) soft dome tweeter | 6.5" Peerless M-165 paper composite cone, non-resonant polymer frame woofer, 1" Peerless India T26SG tweeter |
| Sensitivity | 88.2dB (measured, Erin's Audio Corner) | 84.4dB (measured by Audio Science Review; 87dB manufacturer specified) |
| Weight | 43.7 lbs (19.8 kg) each | 17 lbs (7.7 kg) each |
| Woofer Cabinet | ported, rear | ported |
| Spinorama Preference Score | 5.28 | - |
| Spinorama Preference Score with Perfect Sub | 7.12 | - |
Related Speaker Comparisons
How Wharfedale Super Linton compares with other leading options:
- 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 16, 2026 at 12:41 AM 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 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) |
| 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 | 5.28 |
| Spinorama Preference Score with Perfect Sub | 7.12 |
| 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 Dynaudio Heritage Special
- Wharfedale Super Linton vs AsciLab F6Bs
- Wharfedale Super Linton vs MoFi SourcePoint 8
- Wharfedale Super Linton vs Wharfedale Linton 85
- See all 51 comparisons
GR-Research X-LS Encore: $1300 per pair Gr-research eBay
Pros: An amazing value, especially if you managed to snag one of these built by AV123 in the early 2000s for $200-300. CEA2034 spinorama shows a generally flat on-axis response, especially in the listening window. Predicted in-room response is generally smooth and on-target. Distortion at 86dB SPL/1m is pretty clean above 200Hz. Measured bass extension of 64Hz (-3dB), with a measured sensitivity of 84.4dB.
Cons: A slight depression in the upper bass and some peaking in the lower bass shows up on-axis, along with directivity error in the crossover region. Vertical directivity requires staying within about 20 degrees of the tweeter axis. At 96dB SPL/1m distortion becomes “rather unhappy,” with bass distortion, a possible woofer issue around 2kHz, and a tweeter problem above 7kHz. As a DIY kit, it requires building the cabinet and crossover yourself.
Full GR-Research X-LS Encore review and specifications →
| Bass Extension (-10dB) | 44Hz (measured, Audio Science Review) |
|---|---|
| Bass Extension (-3dB) | 64Hz (measured, Audio Science Review) |
| Dimensions | 13.5"H x 8.5"W x 12.1"D (342.9 x 215.9 x 308 mm) |
| Drivers | 6.5" Peerless M-165 paper composite cone, non-resonant polymer frame woofer, 1" Peerless India T26SG tweeter |
| Impedance | 8 ohms |
| Sensitivity | 84.4dB (measured by Audio Science Review; 87dB manufacturer specified) |
| Weight | 17 lbs (7.7 kg) each |
| Woofer Cabinet | ported |
- Links
- Reviews, Comparisons and Sound Samples
- Head-to-Head Comparisons
- GR-Research X-LS Encore vs Dynaudio Special Forty
- GR-Research X-LS Encore vs Mission LX-3 MKII
- GR-Research X-LS Encore vs ELAC Debut 2.0 B6.2
- GR-Research X-LS Encore vs SVS Prime Bookshelf
- GR-Research X-LS Encore vs KEF Q3 Meta
- GR-Research X-LS Encore vs Polk Monitor XT20
- GR-Research X-LS Encore vs Philharmonic BMR Monitor
- GR-Research X-LS Encore vs Sonus Faber Lumina II
- See all 47 comparisons