FILTER MODIFICATION KIT - Wharfedale LINTON

As we already mentioned in the previous Blog entry about the Wharfedale LINTON modification, the filters that the boxes include as standard are a 2nd order electrical design with components of acceptable quality, especially taking into account the RRP of these speakers. We find 3 coils with iron core and one coil with open core (the latter corresponds to the tweeter section). Ferrite core coils are cheaper and smaller than air core coils if the same section of copper wire is used, but they introduce more distortion than air core coils. In the case of the coil in series with the midrange we would have used an air-core coil without question.

There is a polypropylene capacitor in the tweeter section and the rest of the capacitors are either mylar or electrolytic. Mylar capacitors are inferior in quality to propylene but still much better than electrolytic. Another highly improvable point are the electrolytic capacitors, especially a 22uF one in series with the midrange speaker.

The resistors are all very low quality 5W ceramics. The wiring and "fast-on" connectors that come with the box are of very poor quality, in fact the cable has greenish tones at the ends, a sign of copper oxidation and indicative of poor quality cable, especially when this oxidation has produced in a few months.

FILTER MODIFICATION KIT - Wharfedale LINTON

From the original components we have left an 18uF polyester capacitor and two coils, one with an iron core and the other with an open core. The rest of the components included in the KIT for modifying the filter, including cables and fast-on connectors, have been replaced by those listed below:

2x Mundorf Mcap EVO Oil 6.8 uf

2x Mundorf Mcap EVO Oil 15 uf

2x Mundorf Mcap EVO SGO 0.68uf

2x Mundorf MCOIL L140 AIRCORE 2.7mH

2x Mundorf MCOIL L140 AIRCORE 0.68 mH

4x Mundorf Mresist Supreme 2.20 ohm

2x Mundorf Mresist Supreme 5.60 ohm

2x Mundorf Mresist Supreme 6.80 ohm

2x Mundorf Ecap Audio Plain 82.00 uf

2x Mundorf Mcap Classic 22.00 uf

2x Mundorf Mcap Classic 8.20 uf

2x Mundorf Mcap Classic 2.20 uf

4m Tellurium Q Blue II Speaker cable

We would have to add a couple of meters of good quality tin (in our case we used Mundorf Msolder Silver Gold). You can see the final result in these photographs and if you want to hear it, all you have to do is come to our store.

Request your appointment to attend our listening room here.

Conclusions:

The improvement occurs across the entire frequency range and is very noticeable. Starting with the bass, which is much more controlled, reducing the tendency to bass ball that it presents with the standard filter. At the same time details and nuances that were previously hidden appear. In the middle the difference is even greater, the timbre is much more real, richer and more exciting. The attacks of the notes are much more defined and the treble has gained in refinement and extension. We can affirm that the Linton with the modified filter are tremendously superior and that this modification places them at a level in which they can look from your to your boxes of many thousands of euros. Therefore we have no doubt that the modification is worth it.

We have made a video with the conclusions of the modification. You can watch it here.

Anyone who wants to listen to them, even if they have original (or modified) Lintons, the doors of our store are open to come and listen to them.