Who would have thought the budget-friendly consumer speaker market would become so competitive? It seems like everyone is coming out with new and improved models every other week.
Of course, there’s always going to be a ‘top dog’ in any market, but which one will come out on top this time around? This time we’re pitting Klipsch against Wharfedale to see which one delivers the best performance.
Klipsch is a well-regarded brand in the audio industry known for its high-quality speakers and home theater systems which many people describe as sounding “harsh”, while Wharfedale is a well-regarded brand in the audio industry known for its high-quality speakers and home theater systems.
Before we go further, you can also check out the following comparisons:
- Klipsch vs KEF Speakers
- Klipsch vs MartinLogan
- Klipsch vs Boston Acoustics
- Klipsch vs Definitive Technology
- Klipsch vs Polk
- Klipsch vs B&W
- Klipsch vs Elac
- JBL vs Harman Kardon
- Klipsch vs Marshall
- Origin Acoustic Vs Klipsch
Klipsch vs Wharfedale: The History Behind the Brands
Klipsch History
The Klipsch brand was founded by Paul W. Klipsch in 1946 after he moved to Hope, Arkansas to start a company with other investors.
The first product released was the Klipschorn, which has been produced since 1946 and is still sold today. They are currently headquartered in Indianapolis, Indiana at 4848 West Station Way Drive.
Wharfedale History
Wharfedale Speakers are an English manufacturer that came into being in 1932 when the speaker market was still expanding to accommodate new electronic devices. Founded by Gilbert Briggs and Cyril Horn, who were best friends since childhood, the company initially employed less than ten people.
The name Wharfedale was chosen because of its proximity to the village of Otley, home of Earl Fitzwilliam’s estate where Gilbert spent much of his youth.
As simple transistor radios gave way to more complex hi-fi equipment, Wharfedale produced a range of speakers for different applications. This is done by using cutting-edge materials like aluminum diaphragms in tweeters and Neodymium magnet systems.
Differences Between Klipsch And Elac
Klipsch and Elac are both high-end speaker companies, but each has a very different design philosophy.
Elac is known for its modern, bass-heavy speaker designs with name-brand components like aluminum tweeters and Kevlar woofers. Klipsch speakers tend to be “warm” or laid back in nature and use vintage materials like paper cones and horn-loaded tweeters to achieve their signature sound.
Which design you prefer depends on your taste in music. Classical listeners will probably enjoy the Klipsch sound while hip hop fans may appreciate an edgier tone from an Elac speaker setup.
Klipsch Vs Wharfedale: Features
Klipsch Features
Klipsch mid level and high level speakers and other audio devices offer modern and sophisticated features.
Such features include Dolby Atmos, noise cancelling support, voice activation and true wireless.
These features can be found in their full range of audio devices and systems for example home theater systems, portable speakers, soundbars, center channel speakers, subwoofers, floor standing speakers and so on.
In addition, their brand still stands out even after many years in the market. Designed with tweeter horns, Klipsch speakers are good for high-frequency sounds which some people dont like because of the brightness, but some people like it.
Wharfedale Features
Every Wharfedale speaker is made of wood, the most famous being Beech. This allows for a natural sound that’s full and warm.
They’re also available in multiple finishes, which you can view on their website. Many have antique gold or nickel plating. Some are available with Bluetooth capabilities as well.
The design of these speakers sets them apart from other brands. You can tell they put real effort into this part of the process by taking inspiration from their previous products like the Diamond Series 904 Floorstanding Speaker. There’s variation in height, size, and weight, so they don’t seem like cookie-cutter speakers.
The sound of these speakers is the best part about them. Studies show that people tend to prefer a warmer and more balanced tone, and Wharfedale has nailed this with their Wharfedale Diamond 10 Series Floorstanding Speakers. Mid-range frequencies come through clearly, which is good news for music fans who enjoy listening to John Mayer or even Taylor Swift.
Pros of Klipsch
- Affordable price
- Great audio performance – clear treble and mid, deep bass
- The exceptional quality of build
- The compact size means it’ll fit on your desk or average-sized entertainment center
- Bluetooth compatibility
Cons of Klipsch
- The Klipsch Reference Series are expensive, ranging from $400-$1000
- A lot of people complain about the durability of Klipsch speakers
Pros of Wharfedale
- The speakers have an attractive wooden cabinet that gives it a premium look
- A simple design with clean lines makes it blend well with all types of interiors
- Customers can purchase high-quality sound without having to break the bank
- As compared to other brands, this one offers more value for money
- A 5-year warranty on these products ensures complete peace of mind
- The sound quality is crisp and clear without anything muddled in the mix.
Cons of Wharfedale
- Not as high-quality sound as some other brands
- Some user complaints about durability
Wharfedale Linton vs Klipsch Heresy
Wharfedale Linton
Klipsch Heresy
The Wharfedale Linton and the Klipsch Heresy are two speakers that a lot of people compare side by side. Both can be classified as floor standing, full-range loudspeakers.
They both have a similar range – 20 Hz to around 16 kHz, though the real limit is probably closer to 10 kHz unless you boost it with some EQ or other signal processing. The one big difference between the two is price: $749 vs $739 respectively, so not much of a difference at all.
Both speakers do very well with vocal and stringed instruments – not surprisingly since they’re both full range. With rock and pop, I find that both speakers are pretty good, with the Linton having a little bit of an edge over the Heresy.
The Linton is slightly more sensitive than the Heresy, 4dB vs 3 dB respectively. This means that you’ll get around 10 percent more volume out of them for the same amplifier power.
One big advantage of getting either speaker is it features a single bass driver in its dedicated cabinet. There are no ports or passive radiators to worry about losing efficiency through.
The downside to this arrangement is there isn’t much flexibility in the placement, they need to be away from walls and corners. This unfortunately limits your options for where you can put them in smaller rooms.
Klipsch Heresy iv vs Wharfedale Linton
The Klipsch Heresy IV is an obvious choice because it looks almost identical to speakers all of us are familiar with – large front LP panel, horn tweeter, etc.
On the other hand, the Wharfedale Linton has a curved front panel covered in fabric and, most importantly, a 5″ mid-range driver and a 1″ fabric dome tweeter. The Heresy has the same 4″ polypropylene woofer while the Lintons have a 5″ woven Kevlar cone.
Wharfedale Evo 4.2 vs Klipsch RP600m
Wharfedale Evo 4.2
Klipsch RP600m
The Wharfedale Evo 4.2 stands for strong bass in small speakers, the exact use case the Klipsch RP600M is also supposed to hit.
Both are passive 2-way bookshelf loudspeakers with a frequency range of 50 Hz, 20 kHz (± 3 dB). The impedance is rated at 6 Ohm and both are powerful enough to be used without an external amplification device.
The Wharfedale has got an edge up on build quality because it consists of real wood veneer while the Klipsch is covered in laminated MDF board.
The big difference between these two will have to be sound reproduction where the Wharfedale Evo 4.2 will reproduce a warmer smoother sound while the Klipsch RP600m will be brighter and livelier.
Klipsch RP-8000f vs Wharfedale Evo 4.4
Klipsch RP-8000f
Wharfedale Evo 4.4
The Klipsch Rp-8000f are speakers that are typically used in movie theaters, or concerts thanks to their impressive power and loudness. However, they have been known to be fairly expensive for home use.
These speakers can produce an output of up to 125 watts each with a frequency range of 35 Hz – 20 kHz. This means low-quality bass sounds will not be produced by these speakers making them incompatible with all subwoofers on the market at this time.
If you do decide to purchase some of these speakers, you’ll need to make sure your room is near ideal for these speakers to play in. The Klipsch Rp-8000f also comes with a standard 5-year warranty if anything wrong were to occur while using it.
The Wharfedale Evo 4.4 are affordable speakers that will still give you the high-quality sound you desire without paying an arm and a leg for them. These speakers have an impressive 6 drive unit bass reflex system that allows for rich sound reproduction in both low and high frequencies.
This system can produce upwards of 200 watts at peak power making it perfect if you’re looking for some extra oomph when playing music or movies on your home theater system. The frequency range of the Evo 4.4 is between 38 Hz – 22 kHz making it compatible with all subwoofers on the market.
Lastly, if something does happen to go wrong with your speakers, you’ll be covered by a 3-year warranty.
Wharfedale Diamond 225 vs Klipsch
Wharfedale Diamond 225
The Wharfedale Diamond 225 is an ideal entry-level speaker. The new model features a decoupled double-dome tweeter and woven polypropylene woofer cone, intending to reduce resonance and distortion, resulting in improved sound quality.
The Klipsch r-15m comes equipped with a dual 5 1/4″ horn-loaded LF driver and a 1″ titanium HF compression driver. With a recommended power handling of up to 100 watts RMS, this versatile speaker also features rear-firing ports that minimize boundary coupling for greater bass response and allow placement against walls or in corners.
Wharfedale Evo vs Klipsch
The Wharfedale Evo 2 has been around for years but remains popular with budget buyers due to its versatility, dynamics, and overall performance at this price point. With the new EVO2+ made in China rather than Korea, some may feel that it isn’t as well-built as previous models, but they still manage to bring an excellent sound quality to their speakers.
The Klipsch RS-3 II on the other hand is not only smaller than the Wharfedale’s (at least when looking at their exterior). It also brings better bass response due to the ported design. The size of them makes them ideal for smaller rooms, while they can put out enough volumes if needed.
Wharfedale Diamond 12.2 vs Klipsch RP-600m
Wharfedale Diamond 12.2
The Wharfedale diamond 12.2’s have been around for a long time, known to have great build quality and sound for their price range. The Klipsch RP-600m is a new model from Klipsch, known for its excellent bass response and clarity in all types of music genres.
Klipsch RP 600m vs Wharfedale Linton
The RP-600M is a high-end multimedia loudspeaker system that combines the no-compromise sound quality for which Klipsch has become legendary with the convenience of an all-inclusive, receiver-mountable design.
Precision components, such as a dual 6½-inch Cerametallic woofer and a Tractrix Horn tweeter, combine to deliver remarkable clarity and lifelike dynamics whether your media content is music, movies, or games.
The Wharfedale Linton is a three and halfway-floor standing speaker with two 8 inch bass drivers, 6.5-inch mid-range unit, and a tweeter, which can be bi-wired or bi-amplified.
What the RP-600M gives you: rich sound, a smooth and clear bass response, more volume capabilities, what’s good for musical instruments too.
What the Linton gives you: stronger bass output, better imaging of stereo components
Klipsch RP-600m vs Wharfedale
The Klipsch RP-600m, like the Wharfedale d325, is a cheap (about $125) portable “can” headphone that can be connected to devices via a 1/8th inch plug or wireless Bluetooth.
The difference between the two is that the d325 has twice as many reviews on Amazon, and half of those reviews average 3 stars or below.
The Klipsch RP-600m, meanwhile, has double the number of reviews for any given star rating. Most 5 star ratings are about “great headphones”, 4-star ratings are about how they’re “better than expected”, and so forth. Some reviewers even speak about how these headphones can be “compared to beats”.
The Wharfedale d325, on the other hand, is a “joke” headphone. The majority of reviews are not about how great they are or even how good but about how they do not have any bass and fall apart in less than a week.
Some of the reviews speak about how they need to get more bang for their buck. Some reviewers even state that you shouldn’t buy them unless you want to ruin your hearing with “no base” music.
So it’s safe to say that there isn’t much difference between the Klipsch RP-600m and Wharfedale d325 when it comes to sound quality. However, a lot of people seem to prefer the Klipsch RP-600m when it comes to comfort and style.
Klipsch Heresy vs Wharfedale Linton
The Klipsch Heresy III is an entry-level high-end speaker, while Wharfedale Linton is a mid-range product. Its price range goes around $250-$300, compare that to the Klipsch which would go around $450-$550.
The Wharfedale Linton is a great speaker for quality listening. Its sound reproduction is accurate and clear, all ranges are perfectly reproduced, you can hear everything as if you were in the studio with the artists.
These speakers have good bass response too, although not at par with other similar priced speakers. Therefore, their overall midrange frequency response seems better balanced. Another plus of these speakers is that they’re also very aesthetically pleasing, which makes them even more attractive if you want your setup to look nice as well as sound good.
Klipsch RP 600m vs Wharfedale Evo 4.2
Both headphones sport hard plastic bodies and low price tags, so they should certainly be comfortable enough over long listening sessions. The earcups don’t swivel or collapse as we’ve seen on more expensive models such as the Sennheiser Momentum, but the designs of both are lightweight and portable enough to be used on the go.
Both headphones sport non-removable cables that plug into the earcup with a 3.5mm jack for compatibility with most modern devices. The cable terminates in a 6.3mm adapter for use with home stereos, but users who own smartphones will likely prefer using an adapter for more comfortable listening sessions while out and about.
Klipsch’s outer earcups are made of aluminum instead of plastic, which makes them feel slightly more durable than their counterparts from Wharfedale. Although they still won’t stand up against heavy abuse or accidental drops in your bag.
Klipsch Forte iii vs Wharfedale Linton
Klipsch Forte iii
The Klipsch Forte speakers are very close to twice the size of the Wharfedale Lintons but bear in mind that the quoted length of both speakers is only how far apart their fronts are.
They’re both pretty deep at about 10 inches so you’ll need a little more room behind them for good bass response. The Fortes measure 12-1/8 by 7-1/8 by 10 inches while the Lintons are 11-1/8 by 7 by 9-3/8 inches. That means their front surfaces are about the same size, at around 24 square inches.
The Forte speakers have more of a shiny black plastic finish while the Lintons have an attractive high-gloss piano black lacquer. A plastic speaker will sound different than a wood veneer one.
The Forte III speakers weigh 30 pounds each vs 25 for the Lintons but that’s still easy enough to move around.
Conclusion
Both brands offer a wide range of products in the budget market, so it would be fair to say that they are both top contenders in their own way.