John Darko
The mid-century modern speaker revival takes another step forward this week with the announcement of the Wharfedale Super Denton. This isn’t a 2-way like the Denton 80 and Denton 85 anniversary models but a 3-way inspired by 1971’s Denton 3. But don’t think for a moment that the Super Denton uses the same cabinet construction techniques and drivers as its fifty-three-year-old predecessor. Everything in the Super Denton is new.
We start with a 2.5cm fabric-domed treble unit with a damped rear chamber that hands off to a fabric-domed 5cm midrange driver (developed from the EVO4 Series). This midrange driver then hands off to a 16.5cm bass driver. That bass unit – which also handles some lower midrange frequencies – is made from Kevlar and talks to a rear-firing bass reflex port. Wharfedale asserts that this combination is good down to 40Hz.
Handling crossover duties in the Super Denton are air-core inductor coils and “high-specification” polypropylene capacitors with the final voicing done by ear and not by measurement machine.
This is a compact standmount loudspeaker that goes where the larger Linton cannot. Measuring 36 x 25 x 23cm with offset midrange drivers and tweeters, the Super Denton’s cabinet reportedly uses a combination of woods to ‘scatter panel resonances’: an inner layer of high-density particle board is glued to an outer layer of MDF. Your choice of walnut, mahogany or black real-wood veneer finishes.
Price: £999/pair.
Further information: Wharfedale
