Home Audio Speaker Battle - KLH Model 5 vs Wharfedale Linton 

For more of my content subscribe to RU-vid.com/@ThatGuyWithTheBeard

This is a fantastic way to do a speaker comparison. I love the fact that you ask real people their opinions as well; not just the audio guru employees.

I was waiting for this, and what a great comparison this turned out to be 😄 Told me exactly what I needed know and I want to say round 3 helps to put all the other remarks into perspective for those who are like me and just don't really know how all the descriptive terms used to describe the sound translate into an understanding about the listening experience. But everybody can understand "works well with subtle jazz, not so much with gritty rock" and understand the rest of the video from there.

I have been waiting for this comparison! Thanks so much

Watched the video properly this morning. Both good speakers & as mentioned before I bought the Wharfedale Linton Heritage speakers with Stands 7 months ago. I love them ( I am listening right now to a recently released David Bowie box set concentrating on his 1970 material ) & a more affordable alternative to the Harbeth HL5

Let us know your opinions on the KLH Model 5 & Wharfedale Linton's below! Also wat did you like or dislike about this battle video! We will be putting the best comments and questions in our follow up video!

Welldone again guys!great video!

Great video! Love hearing multiple impressions from the staff

Thank you, man. Good review

Veery useful review, please continue doing this type of format

This is really one of the best audio videos. Excellent product selection, reasons for your choice broken down realistically, and other opinions in the same video really helps. Unfortunately, I have to "touch" the product sometimes to really decide. I think I would be happy either way, but "if" the exterior looks and feels cheap, that would bother me. In a perfect world, deliver them both to my audio room for an afternoon and I could decide.

You convinced me to take the Lintons since I love and miss vintage sound speakers. Thanks for the review it cleared my mind.

I have heard the KLH, but I do own the Lintons (paired with Leak 130) and I love them! Mainly listen to Vinyl and could not be more happy! Agree with everything you said! Would like to hear the KLH they look like beauties!

FIRST IMPRESSIONS DON'T COUNT... as much as the impressions after six months of ownership of a product. And my impressions my Lintons continue to be extremely high. Unlike any previous speaker (or almost any HiFi component, come to think of it), slight imperfections in sound quality get annoying such that long listening sessions become irritating. That simply has not happened with this speaker [and I have had many]. This video was one of the HiFi reviews that influenced me to buy the speaker. It continues to echo what I think about this speaker, after six months of ownership. The ONLY thing that people could say is 'wrong' with this speaker is its possibly old-fashioned appearance; but I hate all the gimmicky-looking speakers anyway, so its not a problem for me.

I've heard both in my space (I bought my model 5s from Just Audio). The lintons are definitely warmer, and the KLH have more clarity. Bass wise i'd almost say the KLH goes lower in my room, but the lintons made "thicker" bass in more quantity if that makes sense, def more texture/bass clarity on the KLH. I went with the model 5's in the end because I can add warmth on the front end to the model 5s, but I can't add clarity to the lintons. That and I use it in a HT setup and dialog clarity was easier with the KLHs.

In the uk the model 5 are twice the price of the linton, 2 grand for model 5 and 1100 for the linton including the stands. In the uk the linton have to be the clear winner just for the price alone.

Great review. I may try a pair of KLHs. I have a pair of Lintons. Love them. Remind me a little of my vintage L100s. Sound great with the Leak Stereo 130 and also with vintage solidstate Mcintosh preamp. Also really great in a Mid century modern looking stereo setup. However the KLHs have that vintage linen and would look right at home also.

This was awesome, finally a very detailed speaker comparison. Request you to do a similar comparison between Kef r3 & wharfedale Evo 4.2 if you also happen to think it's an interesting faceoff

Nice format!!!

this is a fantastic video thank you 😊

Nice Job, 1 is air suspension and other is bass reflex, I will take the Wharfedale hands down. Mikey Likes it.

Love your videos👊👊

most anticipated review of my year! I have the Linton's in my main system. The amp is the Yamaha AS 1200. I've been contemplating the Model Five's but they are sold out everywhere till August? I am still considering the Klipsch Heresy IV's. I also have a Sansui AU 9500 that would mesh well with the Model Fives I imagine. Had them hooked up to some original Fives and they sounded amazing

Awesome work putting the video together!! I’ve owned both speakers for months at a time and VERY impressed!! I’ve had similar but not exact experiences as the review. Basic thoughts after a few months with each speaker. First I love the Lintons. Could live with them forever. But 5s are shockingly good. Just as smooth but a good degree more life and detail to the sound? So far bass is very similar. Little faster and powerful on the 5s? No need for a sub with these. Super TIGHT bass. I had a sub with the Lintons and it helped but with the 5s I turned it off as it barely added anything. Maybe just our room? Bigger at 22x26’ with a slight vaulted ceiling. Lintons have awesome bass but slightly “relaxed” which is better for 70s music? Linton 7/10 KLH. 8/10 Mid range similar tonality. Super easy to listen and life like. But the 5s has better/wider soundstage which makes the mid range feel even more life like. Feels like it reaches a few feet further on the right and left and has ridiculous centre image. Easy to place too. Very smooth. Linton 8/10 KLH. 9/10 Upper mid and treble is where I felt the 5s pull away. The transitions from mid range up into the treble to my ears is perfect. Lintons never loved the treble. It was fine just “boring” and flatter. The 5s are more airy - somewhere in between Lintons and a Klipsch horn. But never fatiguing surprisingly. Linton 5/10 KLH. 9/10 Also I’d say the 5s have excellent center image and 3D qualities. Linton 6/10 KLH. 9/10 Amp pairings I’ve tried the clinical solid state Yamaha AS1200, tubes on the PrimaLuna 100, and the warm solid state Hegel H95 and H120. Honestly both speakers pair awesome with all those amps which have very different characteristics. KLH 5s showed more of the amp differences in my opinion? But not in a bad way. Totally agree with preferred music genres mentioned here that pair better on each. For the price difference of each I’d say the value is identical. Both are unreal and could live with either forever.

I haven't watched the video yet but I bought the Wharfedale Linton Heritage speakers with Stands Xmas 2020 & I am very happy with them. Very easy to listen to with all types of music.

What a great and meaningful comparison. You read my mind, and I’m sure many others’.

Nice job

Good review, warmer speakers will always win in a home theatre set up

I would like to see both of these compared to the real vintage Dahlquist DQM9 speakers. Hopefully you can find a pair to demo. Great video.

A little late to the party, but you did a good job here. Linton's are, like you mentioned, a warmer sounding speaker. Listen to them all day. The fact that the Linton's are about 1k less expensive didn't hurt. Put the savings towards better amp.

Thank you.

2:48 I disagree and reckon the reverse surround has an acoustic advantage over the lumpy "normal" surround. I made a wave guide plywood ring (surrounding the surround) that rounds out the bump outward. Sounded less harsh.

Re klh bass, putting the speaker closer to the rear wall can help. There is a simple calculation that can predict what frequencies will be reinforced. The one person said the linton bass was "better". That is a not a fair adjective. Some people don't like ported speakers because while they put out more bass, the bass quality, assuming both have been optimized, won't be as clear compared to sealed cabinets. Quantity vs. Quality.

Excellent format for the review (interesting, thoughtful and to the point without getting too wrapped up in "specs"). Would you consider throwing PSB's retro looking speaker into the mix against these two?

I have a pair of Wharfedale Linton's in Mahogany. I like to see a KLH disassembly, to make a comparison between speakers and crossovers built quality.

I've finally reached a point in my life where I can put together a nice stereo. I've always wanted one. About 10 years ago I stumbled across a stupid cheap deal on a Pioneer SX-1250. The previous owner told me it doesn't come on. I had been planning on tearing the thing apart because I was interested in learning about repairing electronics. Broken was fine by me. Before I started I figured I should probably check things out on the internet to ensure I was breaking a very nice unit. I found out that it's considered a very nice unit. I've had that receiver in a closet ever since. Now I'm looking at putting things together. I plan on taking the Pioneer to a good electronics shop for a recap/repair. The thing is I don't know beans about audiophile gear. I have no idea what to pair the Pioneer with. I really liked what you were saying about the Lintons - vintage sound and all. I lean towards classic rock, but am getting into classical as well. I plan on using the system for vinyl. Would the Lintons be a good pairing for my SX-1250?

They're a good compromise between Bookshelf and Floorstanding speaker, sure they're heavy but easier to carry around nonetheless. Those woofers on the 5's are so much bigger tho, we're looking at 10" vs 8" so naturally they should produce more Bass and Air movement.

I have 5 pairs of various sized Technics speakers from the early to mid 90's. Not the best speakers, but they have held up well and the surrounds are still like new. I can't say the same about Infinty's or Boston Acoustics from the same era. I had to reform them and they cost considerably more than the Technics. At $2500 a pair for the KLH's or the Wharfdale's I won't be replacing my old speakers anytime soon.

Thanks really informative and probably just saved me a grand 👍

Fantastic comparison. I have a buddy choosing between these same two. I'd be interested in how my Heresy 4 compare, but I know it's a different price point.

The lintons are meant to be used with the grills in place when I talked to warfdale as is the denton great review

Like the workers and customers opinions in video….it was a good idea… great video as all ways. Do I need appt to demo in store ?

I’ve tested both in my place. I bought the Lintons and returned them because of the lack if clarity and the discolouration they add to the music. What people call warm to me it is dull. To my ears the vocals sounded pitchy. Later on my boss bought the KLHs and he lent them to me for a couple of weeks. I loved them. I think it’s not even fair to compare the Lintons to them. The difference is huge. The KLHs are way more neutral, balanced with a way better clarity. As soon as they will be in stock again I will buy them with the walnut finish.

I love the British sound and I have a pair of Acoustic Energy AE2's I'm currently listening to. They are on fantastic stands (original) and my question is do I absolutely need to buy the Linton stands? Great review. My other room has vintage JBL's, JBL L88 Plus and I love their sound.

Amazing. Not a single mention of Soundstage and Imaging. Two of the most important aspects of any speaker that I audition. But they were described as having a "vintage" sound, and god knows, most vintage speakers had no imaging capabilities whatsoever, so perhaps that's why it didn't factor in at all...

Wharfedale wants you to keep the grill on, it's specifically designed to help with the sound of the Lintons and are not supposed to be used with them off. I have them and it's the first time a speaker made my jaw dropped, for the price you just can't beat them.

Next comparison is the new KLH Model 7 and Wharfedale Dovedale! I heard both on their US Debut in Axpona last week. They both sounded very good and I will be buying one of them!

Waiting for KLH Model 7 to be released

It would be really interesting if you topiced vintage philosophical sacrilege discussion

Personally, I would be happy with either one.

How do these speakers fare with low volume late night listening? Thanks for great review!

70´s style was cleaned on 2nd hand on-line sites and now brands followed the trend and started to appear what were considered ,old and bad speakers to be fashion again ,incredible good it´s my opinion towers are not the best way of making speakers but i had for my telecaster in 68 a speaker tower style with several woofers ,now not modern speakers that emulate what was done in the 50´s and 60´s i bought mine from an old guy at the time, that sold me everything of his guitar equipment

I ordered the REL Classic 98 to go with the Wharfedale's. Going to use the the WIIM Ultra or the Emotiva 2.1 Preamp. For the power I have an old Rotel 5.1 Amp. Can't wait to hear the sound in a vaulted great room.

I know its not the best on RU-vid, but hope there is some kind of demo comparison.

KLH is very hard to find here in Europe at competitive prices, so I'm going for Wharfedale...

I would make the hypotheses that most upper end class D would match the Lintons better. Class A AB would probably work better with the KLhs.

I'd go with the Lintons

I would love to have the KLH sound signature in a Linton cabinet... It's a gorgeous cabinet in Mahogany!!! ♥️♥️♥️

Ported Linton's close to the wall? Sorry don't understand! Great video thanks

I have the KLH 3's and so far enjoy them very much. I have them paired with a subwoofer and am still breaking them in. I'm a bit of a collector so I'm ordering set of Linton's just to satisfy my curiosity so to speak. The KLH 5's were on my list also, but I don't know whether the five hundred dollar price difference would pay off in performance. Plus you get record stands with the Linton's which makes it a very appealing choice. Current price. Linton's $1500 stands included. KLH $2000 stands also included but no record storage. Thanks for the review.

Thanks for sharing your thoughts on these two models. I ended up getting the KLH for personal preference. Were the listening sessions done right from the box, or had both models been run several hundred hours previously? Thanks

The reversed baseball cap was a bad start, but that was an excellent review! Thanks.

I just want to chime in, some of us listen on set-ups that are also being used as DAW monitors,or desk listening situations..in other words, not home theater or large rooms devoted to sound.(well,my room is,but you get the idea) The beauty of a good 5-1/4 or 6-1/2 speaker is the woofer is your low,mid, and part of your high's:...from two to three feet away, a sweet 5-1/4 will save your ears,and give you incredible detail,and yes,bass. And my phantom center sounds like its coming right out of my monitor. My 6-1/2''s are 250 watt pristine Pinnacle AC-650's that my Onkyo TX 4500 will light up the entire room beyond belief(you move back a little for that). My studio room design has sound bouncing around everywhere,with wall buffers. The days of the JBL guy sitting in a chair in a square room getting his hair blown straight back....are long gone. (Still got the long hair,hell yeah...just sitting on a bar stool instead.) Another plus is, when buying vintage speakers, the cabinet condition is priority number one. Thick,solid, and all them seams better be tight. Crossovers can be fixed, tweeters replaced, and woofers rebuilt...and its not a lot of money to fix a crossover or re-rubber a 6-1/2. eh ? Getting started in "vintage", takes a first step.

1:46 "smoke-stained white". I literally laughed out loud when you said that. I can totally relate to what that is. No I don't smoke, never did, but many did in the '70s. Okay, I gotta get back to the vid. I'm a big fan of vintage Wharfedales and what they (modern wharfedales) can do for folks on a shoestring budget is quite amazing!! Of course the Linton is not in this category but it scares me what a relatively higher cost wharfedale must be capable of. But I cut my teeth on three-ways (speakers) in the '80s and small speakers just can't sound like a nice three-way. Okay, back to the vid. I'm a noob to KLH but I like that they resurrected the 5 - great concept. The comparo should be interesting as the Linton is ported and the 5 is not. Cheers and Happy Listening!!

I think the fair comparison now is the Wharfedale Dovedale having the same woofer size.

Never new about the Worf

Thank you for the great video. Will the Lintons behave well with Sprout 100? Also do you ship to India?

I did a measurement on Linton and found the Linton measured very well, especially from 300hz to 10khz. I believe this is the same conclusion from Stereophile. The KLH was more coloured based on the measurements by Erin's Audio. The KLH also exhibited a close to 5db dip between 1khz and 2khz. This is pretty obvious. From psycho-acoustics point of view, 1 to 3khz region is most sensitive to human hearing as this is where most vocalized syllables reside. Therefore, when i auditioned the KLH vs Lintons, the vocal on KLH sounded a bit thin for me. Bass for the Linton is definitely better than the KLH as my in-room response show it could go as low as mid 30hz at -6db vs KLH could only do around 40hz. However, as deep bass could excite the room more, I would be a bit more careful in placement for the Lintons. If you can dial in for the Lintons either via EQ or placement, it would be far more superior than the KLH. Lastly, the tilted up treble response, in my opinion, would of course give a perceived details but again, i stress this is again colouring and objectively, the KLH is certainly less hi-fidelity as compared to the Lintons.

Paper bass drivers rule the sound roost especially in bass & lower mids up to 1'Khz, i & others reckon. In frequencies higher than bass like mid * treble units which have wavelengths less than a typical cabinets width such as the mid & treble frequencies, the presence of 2 mids or 2 tweeters leads to an unwanted effect called "comb-filtering" where the 2 same unit's output interfere with each other, causing additive & reductive cancellations & boosts at various frequencies from the combined output of the 2 units on the same baffle front, distance apart only changes where in the frequency spectrum this will happen As good as it may look, since vintage hi'fi days, computer analysis can now predict what'll happen (so we don't see multi mids & tweeters placed on the same baffle front anymore except in those naff cheap LED lit party speakers for $100 new on eBay) That frequency entanglement doesnt happen with the much longer wavelengths of bass frequencies below 400 or 500 Hz, the typical roll-in of 3'way dedicated bass units. Like you say, bung a passive one in if youre mad for it, & weaken the rigidity of the board holding all units. So paint or draw one on if barking mad for 2 mids!

I've had the lintons about 3 years. I would prefer magnet grille,but hey ! They say they are designed to be listened to with the grills on. The waveguide? Built into the grill Helps with imaging they say. But I hate to cover up the cool-looking speakers with the grill. I love their sound. Yes, a trip in time with their sound. They go low but I like it a little lower , so now there is a REL Classic 98 sharing the floor. Very happy.

I am very satisfied with my Lintons. Of course, they should play with very good Amp. In my oppinion, the Valve Amps are the best Choice for Lintons. Simple, you can not that kind of speakers match with cheep 400 to 800 eur Amp.

Great review. Wish I didn't live approximately 2650 miles from you. Would love to visit your store.

One thing I can say is this, the Model 5's love power. The more the better, I tried a 150 wpc Class D, SVS SoundBase, and then the XTZ Edge A2-400, which is pushing well over 250 wpc to these 6 ohm speakers. At 4ohms, the XTZ is pushing 420 wpc, so it is pumping some power to the Model 5's. The addition of the XTZ amplifier took the Model 5's to a new level, the soundstage is incredible, I would say it doubled, the sound is just nuts, it envelops you, to the point I was snapping my head to see what the hell is going on behind me, it was the speakers! Feed the Model 5's with the clean and neutral power from the XTZ amp, and you will never look back. I am feeding the speakers with 10ga copper cable. I am using the Cambridge Audio CXN v2 streamer/DAC as a source. The DAC on the Cambridge is solid, I find it difficult to justify adding a separate DAC, as the dual Wolfsons in the Cambridge, along with the ani-jitter topography along with the solid built in preamp ability, I think any improvements would be minimal at best. I also added my two SVS SB3000 subs to the mix, they run off of the RCA outputs of the Cambridge unit. The amp is using the balanced XLR's. The addition of the SB3000 subs take all of this to a new level. Very happy!

Can you give me an idea of what differences would I be hearing between the KLH 5's and my 1974 JBL L-100's (w/ rehabbed caps and pots)?

Hey guys!! You should enable the subtitles in the video. It'll help to no native speakers ;)

Do you reckon 3 ways have better voicing than 2 ways? I build speakers and found that large drivers have harsh upper med compared to smaller drivers.

I love my ms.150's :)

I prefer the punchier, livelier, and more dynamic sound of the Model 5

I work in hifi in Croatia. I haven't heard the klh speakers but we do sell alot of the lintons. As for the lintons, the best way to describe them is that they are a classic vintage British speaker with modern bass. They have a big sound with a deep stage, tight and fast, however they are not revealing. They are a speaker where everything sounds good and acceptable and they are non fatiguing. But you should get them with their stands as they look great with them. End game speaker...no. Easy listening and enjoyable speaker yes

Reposted from another comparison video: I had to get beyond the look of the Model 5's, but did get them into my home along with a pair of borrowed Linton's. Both are solid designs. But the difference for me was when I went to higher end amps. The KLH was insanely transparent at the price point. NuPrime, Rogue, Manley and even my Cambridge EVO 150 sounded superbly musical with the 5's. The Linton's did less when it came to transparency. The 5's handled female vocals with greater realism and detail. They were also less kind to some older recordings, which is a price you'll pay for that capability. The Linton's were less transparent, both to the same vocals as well as my different sources. Hooking up the the Model 5's to a Rogue Cronus Magnum III sent them to a level that surprised me. With the same amp the Linton's took less advantage of the excellent Rogue power. After some extended listening I determined that the Model 5's are good enough to exploit higher end electronics while the Linton's can't. Moving out of my listening room and into a common "against the wall" placement situation, the Linton's were in trouble. They sounded like boxes and the mid base muddied, unless I pulled them out. But the Model 5's performed even better in some respects. Overall it was no contest. The Model 5's are serious audiophile speakers for under 3K. The Linton's sound more like an entry level design. A lot will depend on your space, but the Model 5's are more tunable and likely earn some years in any given system. I like them as much as my Magnepan .7's (mated to a pair of SVS SB3000 subs), but in different ways. My buddy, who runs Magnepan 3.7's, was equally in favor of the model 5's. They're just more musical and reveal much more in a recording.

I use 4 celestion dittions. Push them with a sansui au 717. Warm round and clean sound

The KLH7’s are about to come out in a few months and I’m giddy AF

Wharfedale has heaps more money to spend on bulk production and testing/tweaking/refining. Klh's are a good start for the new company takeover, but they're not bettering the Lintons at an extra 50% of the price, Not even close. If you're looking for a nice full sound with Plenty enough detail without sitting there and analysing and just enjoying, the Linton's are the choice.

Lintons are the choice to go with. They have very unique sounding character. One can listen to them all day long..

I prefer the Lintons after a head to head Just got the Lintons with the stands for

Lenny, can I get an invitation to one of your review sessions? Let’s do the DALI Oberons. Of these two the Lintons are more laidback and alluring, but the KLHs are clearer and more commanding.

the Lintons retail for 1200-1500 dollars[980 euro in Greece] and the KLH s for 2000 dollars in the USA. In terms of sound and build quality as well as the price the Lintons are beyond comparison .

Add the mission 717 to the comparison.

You love the HPM-100 yet you prefer the red mahogany finish? Does not compute!

Lenny, I’ve got the Kendall’s with my Yamaha A-S2200. As you know the Kendall’s have Kevlar drivers, like the Lintons, but I actually prefer paper drivers. Have you directly compared The Model 5 to the Kendall’s by chance? I believe on your site you sell both models.

"Inverted surrounds" I think is the term you were looking for.

Never liked fabric covers. Back in the day I installed razer wire, the Geeks stayed away. My. HPM's still kick ass

Man Overboard ties the video together.

I would like to hear Linton 3XP vs these new Lintons. I bet the results would be shocking.

I ditched my Lintons after about 3 months. Way to mushy for me.

I have the Lintons!!

The linton midrage and woofer look much more robust!

Did you guys try the KLH with vintage McIntosh?

Would be nice to know what amp/amps you used and if you drove them with a vintage amp like a Pioneer SX or a Marantz to really check out the vintage sound.

i still have my KLH 102 that i bought in 1976