I think the approach one must take is their intended purpose. The 85th Anniversary Linton’s do seem to be "chillout" pair of speakers not intended for a Bass head or hyper detail, dynamics seeker.
I think the Lintons are a good example of what I would call nostalgia lifestyle marketing. Fender guitars did the same with their relic new worn-out series. The Lintons look great, but to call then stunning in any way, well, I really don’t think so. They ARE sure nice to look at and do sound good, but not special at least not to my ears. They do represent good value at their price point if you factor-in build quality and looks. But unfortunately I was not impressed with the sound. I mean it is still $2k with dedicated stands. Not a huge sum by audiophile standards I guess, but lot’s of competition in this price bracket.
I actually heard better sound from the Nad pairing, maybe because the Nad has a softer or rounder approach versus the higher resolving and faster Naim. Simply put, the Supernait I feel is a very expensive overkill for the hard-working Linton’s. And I have always been a fan of Naim by the way, even though I own a Yamaha product at this time.
Those speakers will sound fine with more modestly-priced amplification, their probable intended partner.
The 8" driver on the Linton is probably able to "keep up" but the speaker enclosure probably just isn’t dense/rigid enough to translate in a "quick" manner.
I do not think the target was for demanding dynamic listeners.
Many ads of the larger model DENTONs and smaller model LINTONs in near-new condition listings for pre-owned on CAM, after a comparatively short holding period.,
is that any harbinger for consideration? I dunno, BUT I would not buy them based on reviews alone AND ESPECIALLY without a comprehensive personal hands-on length audition FIRST.
They certainly had that nostalgic charm to them. The sound was pleasant and laid-back, maybe a bit too laid-back. Not the most versatile. More exciting music like flamenco guitar sounded too polite. I can certainly understand their appeal and I do think they hold up well to their competitions at their price point.
But for almost same price you can get Amphion Argon 1 which is much more fun sounding and if you can top up a few hundred dollars more you can get the class leading Triangle Comete 40th.
Well, I like my Lintons but you have to run them with good gear. They are a perfectly good $1500 speaker. Add a good sub (I’m using a Velodyne DD-12) and they can really rock. They would not be my choice for a super critical type of system, but no $1500 speaker is. I have them on all day and they play my best recordings very well and everything else I play sounds great. I think they are a very good value for their sound quality.
At AXPONA, one of the rooms had speakers, similar to the Lintons, in a "stacked" configuration (one on top of the other, four speakers total). This was popular in the old days with Advent speakers. It sounded pretty good.
LOL freaking hilarious. His inane GIANT Killers assembled are about the same price. Only an idiot would give this charlatan $750 to" fix" a $1500 pair of speakers designed by Peter Comeau . I apologize if your comment was meant as satire.
I have a Kef Cube10 I can pair with them. Only $1275 open box and still returnable. I might give them a show haven’t had a $1275 speaker pair in years.
Only an idiot would give this charlatan $750 to" fix" a $1500 pair of speakers designed by Peter Comeau .
I'm sure if the design goal was to add another $750 dollars to the retail price, both designs would work better. But only GR offers it, if that is something you wish to do.
No, I can’t really think of anything DR offers I would be interested in. He changed the spectral balance not even knowing the FR below 200hz and added a bunch of expensive damping without evidence it was even needed.
I had them for three weeks, they were not good, no detail, poor midrange, just lousy. Of course it could have been my setup, but other speakers worked much better (Totem, Klipsch, Celestion, SF, Dynaudio, Monitor Audion....)
I don’t have them but came close to buying them last year (before they jumped 33% in price). What gave me pause was that more than one YouTube reviewer commented that the tweeter wasn’t very good and had a "grainy" sound to them even at modest volumes. If Wharfedale would fix that issue and brace the cabinet better or make it more rigid in some way (thicker HDF?) then I’d definitely consider them again. As such, the Denton might be a better speaker value. I’m still looking. I don’t like "bright" speakers, so the tonality of the Lintons are in my ballpark.
Strange that according to Erin's Audio review (the review the OP mentioned) they said, "...no graininess to the sound with increased volume. And at lower volume levels the dynamics were still there thanks to the very neutral midbass to midrange transition that didn’t call attention to itself via resonance like so many rectangle speakers tend to do."
So, who to believe? They all can't be right, can they?
Many people have bought them and LOVED them "as is" despite Danny at G-R Research showing they are definitely tilted toward the lower mid-bass in frequency response - hence that "warm" sound I guess. But I’m thinking for $2K I want both more texture in the bass and a *little* more transparency and openness in the highs, while still having a "warm cuddly" midrange.
Tell me what speaker gives me that $2K to $5K/pair and I’ll look. Thanks.
How good they be for just $1,500/pair. They also look cheaply made by watching the video. I think people would be better off saving for a better pair of speakers. If they only cost $1,500/pair what did they cost to manufacture and what did they wholesale for.
Well, I purchased Linton from Crutchfield and tried them at home for 60 days. I retained them as my main speaker in the living room. In particular, I like their nimble bass. If you desire to reach 20+ hertz weighty low end just add a quality sub. Depending on the music, sometimes I felt the treble is a bit shouty but after I switch the power amplifier from Parasound A23 to NC 2125 V2, the issue was greatly resolved. Basically, A23 renders higher resolution but brighter treble too. The NC 2125 also has lower damping factor around 150 so gives the Linton not overly tight bass as it does from A23 (over 1000). So, overall, the match between the Linton and the amplifier needs to be right in order for Linton to reveal its full potential. Basically, I regard Linton as a poor man's Harbeth M30x with more extended low end. Highly recommended.
So, who to believe? They all can't be right, can they? Danny at G-R Research showing they are definitely tilted toward the lower mid-bass in frequency response
For this purchase I'm going with Erin since his subjective opinion is backed by objective measurements. DR at GR did not definitely show any such thing. Erin's Klippel measurements show a pretty good bass response. I doubt DR knows how to read klippel measurements. I take nothing this guy says seriously. If you feel the need to fiddle with them perhaps replace those iron core conductors with air core. I understand these are $1500 speakers and I'm not at all sure how they will do in my room but I will measure them with REW for any needed EQ as well use my usual suspect list of tracks. Using a little EQ in roon is cheaper than switching amps.
GR never show the SPL chart below 200 hz for his measurement. How can he evaluate the bass response / performance for any speaker I wonder. In this case here I would agree and have more trust in Erin’s measurements and his subjective assessments.
I guess it is room dependent. Take a look at Erin's plots which reveals nothing like that. Between 40 and 100 hz, the roll off is quite mild and smooth in Erin's in room response.
I didn’t see Erin’s in room response. I saw his spinorama data. There is an estimated in room response. Perhaps he did some, I know he has in the past.
I see what you’re referencing I believe those are taken at 1 meter. My measurement is without any EQ at 3 meters. I did EQ them to be smoother but didn’t notice any difference in sound since I tweaked the bass a bit in my streamer app which I didn't bother to measure.
His HF start rising at approximately 5K mine at 10K, he is measuring On Axis I'm not. Sorry for not adding all that with the original plot. No two are going to look alike. I also have mine close to the front wall. I could seal the ports or move them out and the bass would look completely different.
Thank you for the clarification about your speaker placement. Whereever possible, I will always give speakers room to breath. You probably do not want to seal the (dual) ports based on the Stereophile’s measurement. After sealing the ports (red), the sole woofer (blue) may not perform as smooth as the sum ...
My measurement looks more like Stereophile’s . I only did a few preliminary measurements, my plot is only an average of 2 positions. I’ll get more into when I have time. You’re right I’m not going to plug the ports, I prefer the rise below 200hz if it’s too much I can EQ. I don't have a lot of options for placement.
Well, I did not buy the Lintons so cant comment on them. For me after learning that the Wharfedale EVO4 range of speakers used a dome mid range and how that is not often implemented in speakers and the sound improvement of which can be better explained by searching online I thought I would just take a chance on buying a pair of EVO 4.3 especially since I saw that there was a pair of demo or B stock being sold for 1K shipped . Audio Advisor had them on Reverb I think it was. A white pair which I did not want and thought I will offer the same price the demos or B stock are being sold for and see what happens. I offered on black oak which is a veneer. Why not. I offered and it worked and got them for 1k shipped and not demos or B stock ! They do sound good and just realized that its time to buy an amp I can hold onto for a minute to check out how they perform with something other than a NuPrime STA-6.. (class a pre section with class D output). My s/s setup is a bit spare because my usual choice is SET with high sensi speakers.. But not in the summer. At any rate, that mid range dome is definitely worth checking out.
@grislybutterdefinitely looking at some Dynaudio and Dali speakers along with the Polk R700, which of late has been getting some positive "buzz" from all the YouTubers, sound quality-wise if not for the pedestrian (boring) looks (who thought washed out black T-shirt grey was a good grille color? And why did they kill the white finish which looked really nice?). Like the looks of the one-third more expensive in the U.S. Monitor Audio Silver 500 7G in ash much better than the Polk, but some reviewers said their midrange was a little on the lean side. Thanks.
I have heard them many times at a local brick and mortar store(Quest For Sound in Bensalem, PA). I Always thought that they sounded terrific. I would describe them as fun and exciting. Normally they are paired with either a Rogue Sphinx or Parasound Hint six.
I liked them so much that I purchased a pair in walnut with the matching stands. I had a Will Vincent modified Dynaco 70 that I wanted to pair with vintage looking speakers without the potential pitfalls that can come with 30 or 40-year-old speakers. They sound great with the Will Vincent amplifier! they are not my main speakers nor have I tried them in my main system. I am very happy with them where they are. I have a number of other bookshelf speakers and several pair of floor sanders from Focal, Sonus Faber, and KEF. I enjoy listening to the Lintons as much as any of them. I am not saying they are my best speakers. I simply have a great time listening to them! I cannot recommend them highly enough!
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