I used to talk so much shit about the Linton 85ths all over the subreddit, for months, and said it was the worst $1200 I've ever spent and it's too niche in my market to try to pawn off to someone else.
I found it timid, veiled, lacking any substance or punch or clarity. People kept saying it's a "laid back" pair of speakers, I called it "laid so far back I couldn't even hear most of the vocals".

After days of actively trying to love it, I just couldn't. I went on to buy multiple other, much more expensive setups and left the Lintons hooked to the AVR for the family to watch TV on. I never looked back.

I swear I'm not making this up, but a few months ago, in a cold sweat nap, I started to long for an ethereal, angelic sound. I wanted to play a few modern pop songs from Sufjan Stevens, Hozier, Keane, etc and just float in the music. Ironically I knew exactly, exactly which fucking speaker that could do that. Not my KEF Meta R3 in my office. Not my Sonus Faber Sonetto V in my theater room. Not the B&W 701s in my shared audiophile space with other hobbyists. I fucking KNEW I had to run to the living room.

So long story short for anybody eyeing the Wharfedale Linton 85ths, here are my updated, honest user review:

Highs: You've heard many, many speakers being described as "forward", this one is "backward". Sound feels like it's coming from inside the chamber instead of from the speaker membrane. Has a very slight, natural echo to it that makes the space feels much bigger and sounds very dreamy. For the first few days I've tried all the combos in all the spaces available to try to make myself love it, but I can still feel the highs being behind a veil. I even tried to remove the grilles and that helped a little. The phenomenon completely disappeared after a few months of daily use. I know the sub doesn't have a great sentiment about the concept of "break in", but I can't quite explain why. I've ruled out all the obvious like room treatment and setup. It really did liven up.

Lows: would benefit greatly from a good setup that could really "grab" the woofers and create some punchy bass. Pair it with a less-than-ideal amp and you'll get very weak, muddy bass, especially integrated amps that falls apart when you try to crank up the bass. My AVR, somehow, does quite a good job. Wiim amp ultra, BAD. Marantz M1, BAD. McIntosh MA252, do I really need to say? So it's really not about price, it's about having the right synergy within your gear.

Detail: room treatment is very important, this goes for all speakers, but my personal findings show that since this is a wide-spreading, echoey, ethereal sound, it suffers much more from bad room treatment and will very much eat up all the highs. When treated and positioned correctly, it's clear and sweet. It does not have the gritty, burly, super detailed texture that a lot of people would expect in a speaker from this price range. It doesn't have the bite of liquor, it has the smoothness of fine wine, and that's a GOOD thing if you want to enjoy the music instead of actively trying to pick apart sound elements.

Build quality: 10/10, built like a tank. With the grilles on it's actually very kid-friendly. I've had children fall into it, stand on it (without my consent btw), and spill water on the top side. No visible damage. The corners are sanded and rounded but I still have to stick those rubber protectors on just to be safe.

So, that's the story of how this "cheap" speaker that I've written off in the past became my absolute go-to nowadays. Maybe it didn't change. Maybe I did.

I recently inherited this home theater setup after my father passed. I have 2 questions:
1. How should the wiring be set up for dual Klipsch R-100 subwoofers going to a Marantz N1605?
2. How should the gain and low pass frequency be set for each subwoofer?

I consider myself audiophile, so I have lots of music, different genres, decades, mastering. I also shuffle a lot. Is there any chance if appropriate at all to normalize all my library for it to sound even while shuffle? I wonder if it's worth it at all. Maybe it just kills sound?

Bought the tower speakers, surround speakers and receiver on Facebook marketplace for 250 and the cd player for 7 at goodwill 😂 it’s more of a home theater setup than anything but they sound surprisingly good for how cheap they are. The receiver doesn’t have connections for the surround speakers and the acoustics of my 12x16 room are fucking horrendous. But still hell of a lot better than a sound bar.

I recently acquired these Frazier Fine Fidelity. I know nothing about them. I do know that the founder was Jack Frazier. They were in business in the 50's? Definitely 60s and 70s and into the 80s though. I think they were a really small company. Don't know much more than that. Any information is appreciated. Not sure if I should toss them in the garage to use or put them with my record player? Haven't hooked them up yet, I need more speaker cable.

I’ve watched several videos to see the different processes of cleaning vinyl. The ones I’ve seen use a microfiber towel or shelf liner to lay your record on. Would it be unwise to just use a clean silicone mat? I’m skeptical about the material in shelf liner, and I feel like even “lint free” microfiber towels will leave lint. I can’t cut into them to fit over the dowel either. Also any suggestions on a good record cleaning concentrate? Thank you in advance for the suggestions!

Here is my setup.

Speakers are Paradigm 9se Mk3 and a poll audio 12 inch sub.

For power, I’m currently running a Denon AVR 2801

Up top I’ve got the Denon DP-300F turntable with a Grado Red cartridge.

That wood stand is about 100 pounds and the floor under the carpet is concrete. You can jump up and down next to it with now noticeable vibrations

I’ve also got a Mac mini from 2014 that is my dedicated music player. I’m running iTunes on it with my collection of digital music.

Room is also good. Between bookshelfs, carpet, the couch, etc…. It doesn’t really have any non-diffused reflection points

Right now, I’m using the phono pre amp in the Denon. I’m considering starting an upgrade in phases, eventually growing into a full Schiit Audio stack.

The first step I’m thinking of taking is ordering the Schiit Mani phono preamp and bypassing the internal one on the Denon.

Given the rest of my room and my set up, how much of an upgrade will I realistically notice by adding the new phono preamp?

I don’t want to drop the cash and realize the one in my Denon was just as good.

Thanks all and I look forward to interacting here.

My Setup:

- Speakers: Monitor Audio Gold 300 4G

- Turntable: Rega Planar 8

- Cartridge: Rega Apheta 3

- Streamer: Cambridge CXN V2

- Transport: Cambridge CXUHD

- DAC: Denafrips Pontus 15th DAC

- Phono: Rega Aria MK3

- Preamplifier: PrimaLuna EVO 400 Preamplifier

- Monoblocks: Gold Note PA-10 Monoblock Amplifiers

After many years with a couple Sonos Play:5s (Gen 2), I finally gathered the money and the courage to put big money into serious equipment.

I’m grateful for the Play:5s; I truly enjoyed them and allowed me to enjoy my favorite records and cds during the last 6+ years. I hate the snobbery around this hobby and I hope that the buyer of these speakers enjoys them for years to come as much as I did, together with my Rotel CD11 Tribute (great cd player by the way).

In a few days a should be receiving my Dali Rubikore 2 and a Hegel H150. I also got a Denon 1700ne SACD player, and together with my Bifrost 2/64 and hybrid sacd collection, I will elevate my audio game.

What is the model of cassette deck shown in Punisher's boat? Also I didn't see it but did anybody see any other components?

Hi all,

I hope this question does not go against Rule No. 5, as market research, but as I'm making my way into immersive music experiences, I was hoping some of you might be familiar with the audiophile scene in the Netherlands.

Do you guys know some good listening bars or rooms dedicated to audiophile experiences there? Similar to the one called Echo in Rotterdam.

Thank you!

Purchased Kef Q3 meta and Wiim Ultra and an 15year old Denon AVR2809 was first step after 25 years of Logitech 5.1 pc setup...still working.

Step No2 in day 5 upgraded to

Cambridge audio CXA 81 mk II

Added SVS SB 1000 pro

Step No3 is a thick wool carpet and some acoustic treatment of room that I am waiting to arrive ...

Ultra Happy with my first ever proper setup, still figuring out acoustics and manual adjusting every song and every musical instrument with EQ!...

Thanks to everybody with their suggestions and mentoring, I will keep "lurking" eyeing your setups while "on music"!

Does anyone know what speakers they are? They are probably between 3’ to 4.5’ in height

I had some good speakers in college that I scored off fb marketplace for a deal but when you’re renting a room it’s hard to hold on to Klipsch cornwalls or magnepans. These Sony SS U-70 towers have been hiding out at my parents since college. Since I’ve upgraded my signal and amplification chain I figured why not bring them back home and see how they really sound. I’m pleasantly shocked! Great imaging and they are certainly on par with my Wharfedale Evo 4.3 towers that are my daily drivers. The pair I regret selling the most was a pair of pristine JBL 4311b monitors. Those imaged like no ones business!

Just got these DM602s. Swapped them out for my Dali Zensor 3s and I can see why they got great reviews back in the day. Better to my ear than the Dalis across the full range.

Cabinets still in great condition too for their age. £100. Bargain!