Wharfedale Linton 85th Anniversary Review

They are certainly in my top 3-4 choices right now thanks to you guys here! When I hear so many people say they "fun" speakers to listen and forgiving but still detailed that is attractive. The "fun" part reminds me a bit of the classic JBL lore of course in there own way.

A couple harder questions I have if you do not mind ?

What is the warranty ? And what is the warranty/service center situation in North America with Wharfedale ? Do you see xover repair, parts, and replacement drivers being available 2, 3, 5 years down the line if needed ? Have you seen any cabinet issues such such as resonances, rattles, etc ?

Do you see or have any issues with these being made overseas ? It certainly adds to there attractive price point I'm sure.

A couple people on other forums have mentioned a small upper mid issue they have run across, any thoughts ?
Wharfedales come with a 5 year parts and labor warranty. They are distributed in the US by MoFi Distribution, who distribute tons of brands. As a distributor, MoFi will handle repairs and replacement parts. My previous experience with other brands is that parts are usually available for 5 years after a model is discontinued. Seeing as how the Lintons are a sales success, I don’t see that happening anytime soon- certainly not in the next few years, at least.

The woofer and midrange drivers have rubber surrounds so they should last indefinitely. They aren’t foam and won’t rot like foam will. You shouldn’t have a tweeter fail except in case of abuse by over driving the amp (under powering the speaker). Even when crossover parts are no longer available, they can be rebuilt/upgraded by someone like Gary at GR Research in TX. But you are looking at decades before really needing this type of attention.

I hear nothing untoward as far as tonal balance. All speakers have cabinet resonances regardless of price. The Lintons, though, simply don’t sound like a $1500 pair of speakers. Are there speakers I prefer? Yes. Without question. And they are 5 figures, not barely into 4- the big floor standing B&W Nautilus series comes immediately to mind.

I’ve included a link to Stereophile’s review. The measurements (including cabinet resonances) are on the last page. Please understand that the cabinets are solid and inert. You need special measurement equipment to measure resonances. We aren’t talking a rattle or buzz. You either won’t hear the resonances or they actually add to listening enjoyment by design- I’m not sure which.

 
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