Features & Technology

When Wharfedale introduced the reborn Linton loudspeaker in 2019, they didn’t know just how popular that model would become. It has been Wharfedale’s biggest seller since its introduction. It is an excellent example of merging today’s materials and design knowledge with the classic British aesthetic that many find very appealing. Knowing how much of a hit this new speaker is, Wharfedale decided (just like they did in the 60s) that if the Linton is this popular, a super version will also be a hit. And this is precisely what Wharfedale did. Take the already extremely popular Linton and upgrade the components and cabinetry to give an even better-performing version. Riding on the success of the Super Denton loudspeaker introduced earlier this year, Wharfedale wanted to provide the Linton speaker the same supercharged treatment.

New Damped Enclosure

It is well known that the enclosure is just as important as its drivers for producing excellent sound. The enclosure is built explicitly for the Super Linton, which has a combination of new technology while keeping the classic looks that Wharfedale is known for. The enclosure is 23.8" x 11.8" x 13.0", which is slightly larger than the Linton's 22.2" x 11.8" x 13.0" enclosure. Weight increases from around 40 lbs to about 43 lbs. The enclosure panels are built using a “sandwich” method. Two MDF layers are bonded with a special acoustic dampening glue that bonds these materials together. This construction method has the benefit of reducing resonance and giving the panels a higher rigidity. You hear more of the drivers and less of the enclosure, which is precisely what we want from a speaker enclosure. This is a considerable upgrade over the standard Linton’s cabinet and to us, it definitely boosted realism and accuracy in the music we tested them with.

The new Super Linton speakers come in walnut, mahogany, or black oak satin, featuring real, hand-matched wood veneers for a premium, furniture-grade look. On the back, you’ll find twin bass ports and high-quality binding posts. The Super Lintons don't support bi-wiring or bi-amping, and don’t need to, thanks to their 90dB sensitivity and easy-to-drive design. Also on the back is a vintage-style logo placard that proudly displays the model’s heritage, adding a touch of old-school charm. Wharfedale has done a fantastic job blending classic style with top-notch materials for a build quality designed to last generations.

The new Super Linton cabinet is designed to pair perfectly with the existing Linton speaker stands, which provide the ideal listening height and a stylish look. Custom-made for both the Linton and Super Linton models, these stands ensure a secure fit and even include a unique shelf that’s just the right size for storing your favorite records.

Better Driver, Better Bass

The Super Linton also has a new woofer. This new Kevlar coned driver has a more powerful motor structure that increases bass depth to 32 Hz, while the standard Linton is specified at 40 Hz. This means that the Super Linton is competent in the bass for a stand-mount speaker, and for some users, a subwoofer won’t even be necessary. In our testing, we definitely could feel that low end reaching deeper and made the overall sound a bit more full. Plus, the cone itself has a cool textured appearance with an inverted dust cap that we are big fans of if you decide to use them with no speaker grille.

Upgraded Treble, Upgraded Realism

The tweeter in the Super Linton has gotten an upgrade to a high-quality 1” fabric dome with dampening material for even better performance. We immediately noticed the upgraded tweeter brought out more treble detail, smoothness, imaging, and soundstage compared to the regular Lintons. Plus, there’s a new 'short horn' waveguide with an improved profile that smooths out the transition into the midrange. The whole setup is mounted on the front baffle with a sleek metal plate, giving the Super Linton a clean, refined look. So, while the new Super Linton may look a lot like the original at first glance, these upgrades add up to a much better-sounding speaker.

Midrange Driver Isolation

Moving to the midrange, the 5” Kevlar midrange driver is installed inside the Super Lintons cabinet in a separate chamber. This cylindrical chamber is filled with long-hair fiber, which cancels standing waves and gives vocals and instruments more clarity. This dampening and isolation allows the midrange to perform on par with the new woofer and tweeter.

New Crossover, New Capability

Anyone who has studied speaker design knows that the crossover can determine more about how a speaker sounds than about any or part of the speaker. Wharfedale decided they needed to give the Super Linton an upgraded, more capable crossover. Compared to the Lintons single PCB crossover boards, the Super Lintons have two boards—one for the midrange and high frequencies and one for the woofers. This keeps crosstalk between the components to a minimum and allows extra space to install the upgraded capacitors and inductors needed. Wharfedale carefully chose components that would complement the sound character of the Super Lintons. They even went so far as to use Linear Crystal-Oxygen Free Copper cables with a PE dielectric, ensuring better signal transfer. Looking at the upgraded crossovers, you can see that Wharfedale chose to use better components like precision resistors, air core inductors on the midrange and tweeters, and poly caps. These are the types of parts that great speaker designs are made of, and we are glad to see that here. Also, Wharfedale did an excellent job keeping the same 6-ohm nominal impedance (8-ohm compatible) and 90dB sensitivity of the Linton. This allows the Super LIntons to be driven by tube or solid-state amplifiers from 25-200 watts. This is great as it will enable users to have more amplification choices. Have a low-powered tube integrated, no problem; A high-powered solid-state, again, no problem, and with the higher-quality crossover, more of the amplifier’s tone will reach the speaker drivers.