The Unofficial Wharfedale Gush Thread

The W60 is certainly the more-old-school of the two, but I may have been a little hasty saying it was like a smaller version of that sound, because the two models do have their differences. Think of it as maybe a Jaguar XJ6 compared to the 12-cylinder, TOTL Jaguar XJS. That's one way to describe the W60 and W90. .....
Bigger... Better... More.

Nicely explained, but, perhaps (to stay with the period), we could offer a couple of contemporaries:

a nice Jag Mk 2 Saloon
1960-jaguar-mk_2-sedan.jpg1960-jaguar-mk_2-sedan.jpg
and a Bentley S2 CONTINENTAL!!
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I have not heard any Wharfedales other than the W60's. I own a pair of the early ones, which I recently recapped. I really enjoy them in my smallish living room. I find them just a little less warm, a little leaner, then my very early KLH Model Six's. But they certainly throw a really great soundstage, and as GT states they sound really great with classic r'n'r, jazz and blues. I can just imagine that they were part of systems that listened to all those early Who, Beatles, Stones, Them, Yardbirds, Small Faces, etc. back in the day not far from where those lp's were recorded. Pretty cool. Plus they exude classic British mid century styling.

Well worth picking up a pair.

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Nicely explained, but, perhaps (to stay with the period), we could offer a couple of contemporaries:

a nice Jag Mk 2 Saloon
1960-jaguar-mk_2-sedan.jpgView attachment 642898
and a Bentley S2 CONTINENTAL!!
bentley-s2-continental-flying-spur-08.jpg
View attachment 642900

I know, but I went to high school in the '80's, so when I was thumbing through issues of Road & Track, Car & Driver, Foot & Pedal, etc., I would see the XJ6, XJ8, the XJ Vanden Plas, and the formidable XJS, though the more-accurate choice would probably be the 1963 E-Type.
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Or maybe an old Lincoln Continental...
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Or my personal favorite, the 1963 Bentley Continental S3, which is kind of like a rich British man's Lincoln when you think about it. Looking at the S3 below, it really expresses the kind of smooth, comfortable, luxorious ride and stylish looks you get with the W90. Any one of these cars fits the W90 personality.
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The W60 (Yours look awesome by the way, sberger... Great job on the veneer) is a tougher one to characterise as an automobile. Maybe the Jaguar MkII Saloon like PastTech was saying. Too-smooth and laid-back to be an MG or Austin Healey, or a Mini Cooper S (My dad raced a pimped-out mid '60's Mini Cooper S back in the late '60's... That car was unbeatable... He had an entire basement full of trophies that he won with that thing... Porches, Vettes, you name it... Nothing could touch it).

Yeah, the MKII Saloon really fits the W60 profile.
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Thanks GT, PastTech Fan, and Sberger. Thanks for the notes. I'd just hope to get some good midrange. Speakers that go below 50 hz would be a problem in my 9' x 11' foot room anyway, although I'd love to try the W90's when I get out of this apartment. I have Bozak 302a's in storage. Even those would be too big for where I want to put them. By the way I love those 302's - if the the W60's will give a similar, cohesive, but smaller sound I'd be happy. I'd imagine the sound would still be considerably fuller than the smallish modern monitors I'm using now (about 1/2 the size of the w60's).
Glad they serve the 60's rock well, but I would have imagined that speakers of that era (US and UK) would have been geared towards the Frank Sinatra, Duke Ellington, Julie London generation. In other words... my parents. Perhaps they also serve classical music well? Symphony orchestra etc?

By the way I had the 4 door '63 Lincoln Continental in the 80's. I' could easily find myself cruising at 100 mph, and feel like i was doing 60 mph!
 
By the way Sberger, those W60's of yours look beautiful. They look like new. There's a scratched up pair for sale locally, but I'd rather wait for a real clean pair like yours.
Would a 70 watt 6550 tube amp be a mismatch with the W60's? That's the only tube amp I have. The only low power unit I have is the Marantz 2230. Also have a Sony 6120 that's out for repair - 60 watts I believe.
 
By the way Sberger, those W60's of yours look beautiful. They look like new. There's a scratched up pair for sale locally, but I'd rather wait for a real clean pair like yours.
Would a 70 watt 6550 tube amp be a mismatch with the W60's? That's the only tube amp I have. The only low power unit I have is the Marantz 2230. Also have a Sony 6120 that's out for repair - 60 watts I believe.

A 70 watt tube amp should sound outstanding with the W60's. As would the Marantz, and the Sony, which are quite "tube like" in their presentations. Cool that you'll be able to try them all and have different flavors to work with. I think the only thing that wouldn't sound so great would be modern, high watt solid state amps. But then again, I've never tried them with the 60's.
 
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