Keepers
Brian from Florida on 4/27/2022
Comparing to the 80th edition, in my space, they are a good improvement in smoother highs but with clear, stellar mid-range, and no boomy bass in my small den. So much more bass is heard with the 6.5 inch woofer, but better.. it just has a presence around the room compared to the 80th. Even close to the wall they stay balanced and tight when turned up. They are on stands about 16 inches from back of speaker to wall with a big desk in the middle. Very lovely, warm and inviting soundstage on a 40-watt amp, even at low volume, it's all still there for you to hear. And, bought "scratch and dent"! Hardly a blemish on that beautiful walnut wood. Very happy!
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0 of 0 found this helpful
Amazing sound
Henryk from Fleming Isle, FL on 4/24/2022
Love the packaging alone! The fit and finish is world class. The sound that comes out is amazing. No regrets whatsoever.
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0 of 0 found this helpful
One great set of speakers!
James from OCALA, FL on 4/3/2022
I've had these speakers over six months now and I just got to say they are the nicest ones I have ever had and I've had a lot different speakers in my day. The fit and finish is just beautiful. I can see why they put a pair of white gloves in the shipping box. The sound is great for my home/office which is a 10 by 12 ft room.They sound like a much larger speaker then what they are. I know hearing is subjective but to me this two way speaker has a great tweeter and base driver that combine to give an excellent mid-range for voicing that is dead on and not fatiguing. The highs are crisp and the base goes deep for an excellent soundstage. The room is everything when it comes to how well a speaker sounds, I have these five ft. apart and about a foot and a half out from the wall. The floors are carpeted I have some room treatments on the walls. I don't think I'm an expert at setting up a room, so maybe I just got lucky, but man these things sound great. Of course even a well set up room can't make a bad speaker sound good so a lot of the credit has to go to Wharfedale here. They make very good speakers and the Denton 85's are just one of them. The greatest complement you can give a product is, if asked, would you buy it again, In this case HELL YES!!
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3 of 3 found this helpful
Depth of class
Johnathan from Scarsdale, NY on 3/7/2022
The speakers arrived very well packaged. Straight out of the box there are white gloves included, which brought a smile to my face immediately. the speakers are extremely well put together and look terrific..look very classy. Musically I have been listening to lcd sound system at one end and lady Gaga at the other.. The speakers project a warmth, depth, clarity and excellent sound stage. highs are well handled and the bass seems to have enough punch for my room(12x20) Overall very happy with the product. still smiling!
Pros: Well built, look classy, great range, warmth and depth.
Cons: None at the moment but has only been a few weeks. will keep pushing them to see.
1 of 1 found this helpful
Denton 85 - WOW!
Wesley from Womelsdorf, PA on 1/12/2022
Wonderful speakers beautiful to look at, with a warm rich sound and an outstanding mid range. Male and female voices and acoustic instruments are exceptionally good. Lows go plenty deep for me, no sub is needed. Highs are crystal clear and detailed. Imaging is spot on and soundstage is wide and tall. When set up correctly the speakers disappear into the soundstage. On certain recordings there is a 3D effect surrounding the listener. I replaced a pair of Wharfedale Diamond 225s and the Denton 85s are a major step up in all categories. I have them paired with a Cambridge Audio CXA81 and the CXN streamer and the sound that they produce is magical.
Pros: Detailed, Musical. Easy to listen to for hours. Beautiful walnut cabinets.
Cons: None that I have experienced.
4 of 4 found this helpful
Great speaker
Crutchfield customer from Miami, FL on 1/3/2022
I am thoroughly amazed by these speakers. I decided to assemble a budget system for my office. I decided that the system would have medium budget bookshelf speaker as the foundation. I have always believed that speakers make the system. I cannot believe the frequency range on these speakers. I paid less for these speakers than I did for one ML Aerius i back in the year 2000. I am impressed by how speaker design has improved while allowing the consumer to get more value ( and fidelity). Kudos to Wharfedale!
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2 of 2 found this helpful
Wharfedale Denton 85
Crutchfield customer from King, NC on 11/1/2021
Better & heavier than expected. Great finish, color, grill and binding posts. Full and neutral sounding on their own but when paired with two subwoofers they sound even bigger. Almost as big as the Linton by Wharfedale. Praise to Crutchfield, after a discussion with a representative about the speakers and my Cambridge CXA-81, I placed the order around 3:30 pm on a friday and listened to them Monday afternoon. Most deliveries from from Crutchfield have arrived early. Chris S.
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Cons: Duly noted by others, the bass can sometimes fall short, especially with heavier music. A subwoofer at a reasonable volume will compensate for that.
4 of 5 found this helpful
Worth every penny.
Crutchfield customer from Yakima, WA on 10/25/2021
Absolutely superb in every respect. Neutral sound across the spectrum. Extremely detailed but non-fatiguing (paired with NAD D3020 V2). Impeccable fit and finish. I've used them for podcasts, movies, games, electronic music and mastering comparisons. These would absolutely work in a studio environment. They are that clear and accurate.
Pros: Neutral Sound Exceptional Clarity Clean Low End Non-Fatiguing Gorgeous Fit and Finish
Cons: That I didn't get them sooner.
4 of 4 found this helpful
Great value
James from Fullerton, CA on 9/11/2021
See Pros and Cons
Pros: - Very solidly built. Even though they are smallish, they are quite heavy - The wood veneer is just wonderful to look at. And they did it on all 5 sides. I was not expecting that. - The tweeter brings out all kinds of detail I didn't hear before - And because of that it makes me excited to hear everything I have again.
Cons: - The bass only met my exceptions. If you are trying to fill a bedroom with music, it is fine. If you are trying to fill a living room with lots of people, get a subwoofer. - Having said that, for a speaker this size, it delivers the bass that I expect.
7 of 8 found this helpful
Wharfedale Denton 85
Crutchfield customer from Portland, OR on 6/29/2021
Love these. Beautiful veneer, crisp bass, lovely vocals, warm welcoming sound. Very happy with this purchase.
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5 of 6 found this helpful
Exceptionally Musical
Jon from Fitchburg, WI on 3/21/2021
Plenty has already been written about these speakers, so I'm not certain how much useful information I can add, but I'll give it a try. Beautiful fit and finish right out of the box. Retro or classic, these are simply good looking furniture that will compliment a variety of decors. They are surprisingly heavy, so strong stands are highly recommended. With rear facing ports, a bit of attention with regard to placement can help round things out, but that said, these speakers are not hyper fussy about placement. Moderate sensitivity and enough cabinet volume allow for good bass. Nice detail and reasonable heft for a bookshelf, the choice of adding a sub woofer becomes more about personal preference not need. (I use mine without) A speaker this revealing of detail and dynamics will also depend on the quality of amplification. If you are in a medium size room and do not need room shaking volume I suggest using a moderately sized amplifier with as much quality and finesse as you can afford. I started out using my very affordable Cambridge Audio Topaz AM-10. Sounds terrific. I'll also admit that they inspired me to make an amplifier upgrade to a small English built 50WPC amp. Even nicer. Detail, finesse, musicality and toe tapping timing, no matter now you slice it.....HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!
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18 of 18 found this helpful
Heirloom Speakers
Guest from Denver, CO on 2/2/2021
Straight out of the box good. A rich midrange that illuminates vocals, with enough bass (in my smallish room) and just a hint of sparkle in the treble. I'm 2 hours out from hooking them up and the sound is already cohesive top to bottom. But first, it must be noted that these are the only heirloom quality speakers at this price. They're heavy, overbuilt with a fantastic wood veneer. The 6.5" uses cast-iron basket and the whole package feels robust and solid, like a real high-end piece. The sound is warm and inviting and entices playing track after track after track. I've gone through Epos, JBL, Kef and Elac in this room - most with my Rega brio amp - and this is the sound I've been looking for.
Pros: Build quality Cohesive sound Addictive midrange and vocals More macro-dynamics then older Wharfedales
Cons: None at this price
10 of 12 found this helpful
they are as good as they look
Crutchfield customer from Batavia, OH on 10/11/2020
The Denton 85's are really good speakers. They are very well built, look tremendous and sound as good as they look. I like the crossover network with the 85's it brings mids and highs alive. However, the bass is good but nothing to get super excited about. I would of preferred if Wharfedale would of used a paper cone woofer instead of the fiber cone they used. If you use a subwoofer during playback you shouldn't even notice the lack of bass. This is a speaker that I will enjoy for years.
Pros: Excellent mids and highs Heavy speaker cabinet construction Awesome looking Very good crossover network
Cons: Bass is lacking. A bit pricey considering what you can buy speakers of the same quality for.
6 of 7 found this helpful
Wharf Your Music
Douglas from Clyde, NY on 10/3/2020
I have a set of Denton 80ths, that changed my listening forever. So warm, crisp, and enough detail to really really enjoy music. I thought hey those 85ths gotta be awesome. The 85ths are a beast in comparison. They are crazy efficient, the bass is tight and hits hard. The treble hits hard as well. At low to med volumes the best I ever heard. They hit so hard I could not get a comfortable listening level, even turned low. Crank them up and they will fill a large space. My room is 15 x 20, and bass heavy. Yammi 501 drove them with ease at 4 and 8 ohm setting. Using Yammi variable loudness control helped some but man these are strong strong right outta the box. I hooked them up in another room to a Yammi 803N. Still to dynamic for my space. I had the DBR6 and Klipsch 51s, for an audition awhile back. The 85ths remind me of them but better and stronger. I was using JBL 530s and SVS ultras, the 80ths changed all that. The 85ths are so efficient and dynamic they destroy the 530s and Ultras. I had to find a way to make the 85ths work. Well I ordered a set of Diamond 225s from CF, while I still had the 85ths. After all the 225 is beloved but can it really be as good as they say for so little. The 225s driven by the 501 no sub. D. Krall was center stage in my room, the detail, separation, soundstage, best I ever heard in this most difficult room. Helen Reddy singing Angie Baby it sounded as if she was singing from heaven. J. Geils Band, same effect. The 225s soundstage UNREAL!
Pros: Impeccable cabinets, grill, binding post. Efficient beyond belief at 4ohms. Strong tight deep bass. No sub needed. Strong clean treble. Crutchfield's customer service.
Cons: The 85ths are to dynamic for my room. I am thinking with the right space, the 85ths could give you something more special than the 225s. Crutchfield helped with the return of the 85ths. The open box 225s work best in my room. I really liked the 85ths just not in my space.
26 of 28 found this helpful
Powerful sounding in a small footprint
Crutchfield customer from Stansbury Park, UT on 9/28/2020
Very nice preforming powerful small footprint can't go wrong with these or there big brother.
Pros: Clear wide range well built unit.
Cons: None so far
11 of 11 found this helpful
Sound EXCELLENT right out the box!
Tony from Guam on 7/10/2020
I replaced a pair of Wharfedale diamond 225s (moved to HT set up) I purchased these to go with my CXA81 (high current integrated) when I took my first listen I noticed the CXA81 became more powerful (4 ohm load from the Dentons) I was missing part of my mid freq range. These Dentons are very smooth yet dynamic. They go very low don't need a sub.but my sub gives more depth. For the price these are a must have! They nearly doubled my amps power. I really love that. I purchased many different speakers over the past 10 years but now I am Wharfedale for life! I purchase all my gear from Crutchfield ..very helpful and know their gear .if you are not sure ask them questions they will help match your gear to get the absolute best value for each dollar! Thanks Crutchfield tech support!
Pros: Nearly double your Amplifier power (if 4 ohm stable & high current)
Cons: just a bit wider than most new style bookshelfs, be sure to get solid stands these are heavy.
4 of 5 found this helpful
Wharfedale Denton 85
Crutchfield customer from Minneapolis, MN on 6/23/2020
These Wharfedale Denton 85's sound incredible. They pack a punch and look gorgeous.
Pros: Sound quality, easy set up, nice exterior
Cons: Couldn't find decent looking stand options from Wharfedale
3 of 3 found this helpful
Just what I wanted
Crutchfield customer from Kimberling Cy, MO on 6/22/2020
If you enjoy a warm sounding speaker, this is a good choice.
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7 of 7 found this helpful
Wharfedale Denton 85
Crutchfield customer from New York, NY on 6/3/2020
Fantastic set of speakers. Excellent sound quality, range and looks. They are slightly larger than I was originally looking for, but still very much worth the investment.
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7 of 8 found this helpful
Powerful bass in a small package
Crutchfield customer from Overland Park, KS on 2/5/2020
These are everything I wanted in a bookshelf speaker. They have the Bass response that is hard to find in speakers this size.
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8 of 9 found this helpful
Great Job Wharfedale and Crutchfield!
Mark W. from BOSSIER CITY, LA on 9/22/2019
I ordered the Mahogany pair and they are BEAUTIFUL. I had already disconnected my Def Tech BP30's (24 years old) and tied the Wharfdale Linton Heritages into my Emotiva XPA-DR3 on Saturday so put the rubber tabs on the bottom of the Denton 85's and set them on top of the Lintons! They LOOK and SOUND AWESOME! I had already tuned the Lintons with the graphic equalizer on the Marantz SR8012 and ended up with them about 24" off the back wall and toed in slightly. The Denton 85's sound great with this setup as well. I listened to the 85's (4 ohms) by themselves for a while and then tied them in series with the Linton Heritage (6 ohms) pair for a total of about 8-10 ohms. As I suspected, they sound great together! The Denton 85's sound great in my 18' x 22' living room but it did take some power to get them to do so. These speakers are 4 ohms with a low sensitivity so will need some power to drive them for a space this size.
Pros: Looks and Sound quality is awesome, delivered within 2 days of order, Clear base, mid-range and highs. I don't know how Wharfdale does it!
Cons: None that I am aware of!
10 of 11 found this helpful