From Hi-Fi World - November  2012 issue
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Yesterday today

To celebrate its 80th anniversary Wharfedale has launched the Denton 80th Anniversary Edition loudspeaker. But can it cut it in today’s market? Jon Myles finds out.

In this brave new hi-fi world of streaming audio, iPods, hard disc storage and what-have-you, it takes a company with a certain chutzpah to release a product harking back 45 years. But then again not every company is Wharfedale – with all the heritage that famous name brings with it.

What better way for the iconic loudspeaker brand to celebrate its 80th anniversary than by revisiting one of its most popular models? The new, limited-edition Denton compact standmounter does just that.

The original Denton hit the market in 1967 and became one of the then Yorkshire-based outfit’s biggest-selling models – bringing a taste of high fidelity to those who couldn’t afford Wharfedale’s more exotic (and expensive) speakers.

In fact, there’s more than a few of the originals still in use, as a quick look at any number of internet auction sites will testify.

What you get with the new Denton is a decidedly retro looking loudspeaker boasting a beautifully veneered Mahogany cabinet, inset front baffle and traditional cloth grille. But beneath that 1960s fascia things inside are very different indeed. The original model’s paper cone mid/bass unit is replaced by Wharfedale’s own 21st century 125mm woven Kevlar driver while the tweeter is a bang-up-to-date 25mm textile soft dome.

Round the back are a pair of small rear ports and sturdy off-set bi-wire terminals.

Sensitivity is quoted at 86dB with a 6ohm nominal impedance.

The whole package measures  320x200x305mm – slightly deeper but not too far off the originals. The new Denton may hark back to the past but there’s no doubt it looks and feels fantastic.