Here’s why I’ll be sprinting to hear the Wharfedale Super Linton at the Bristol Hi-Fi Show

Wharfedale Super Linton either side of a desk in a modern living space
(Image credit: Wharfedale)

The Bristol Hi-Fi Show 2025 is rapidly approaching. In less than a week’s time hi-fi fans will be able to visit UK's longest-running hi-fi show and see some of the top new products and some established favourites from over 150 audio brands.

As ever, myself and the wider What Hi-Fi? team will also be exhibiting and running a tech demo at the show.

While that means for at least part of the show I’ll be glued to our stand running the demo and chatting to visitors, I’ve already blocked out time to check out one pair of speakers set to make an appearance at the show: the Wharfedale Super Linton.

That’s not to say I'm not looking forward to seeing and hearing the dozen or so other new speakers at the show – I’ll be doing a tour checking out numerous stands while there for the weekend. But I’m especially excited about the Super Linton for a couple of reasons.

The first is simple. Myself and the team remain massive fans of the original Wharfedale Linton speakers, which we gave five stars to when we reviewed them all the way back in 2020. This was largely due to their effortless bass reproduction and wonderfully detailed, open soundstage, which led our reviewers to report:

“With effortless weight, spot-on stereo imaging and layer upon layer of marvellous detail, you could listen to these speakers for days and still not get tired.”

I’ve been eager to hear how the larger “Super” version sounds since they were unveiled at the start of November as a result.

Considering how much I enjoyed seeing the Super Denton at the Bristol Hi-Fi Show 2024, in the same room the Super Linton are set to be shown off, I can’t help but get a little excited – especially as the new speakers come with some meaty upgrades, based on the specifications I’ve seen.

Like the Super Denton, the Super Linton are larger than their predecessors. But Wharfdale has also done a lot of work under the hood adding across-the-board upgrades to the cabinet, crossover and drive units. The speakers feature a completely redesigned tweeter, midrange driver and woofer, with the 25mm dome tweeter sharing a lot of common attributes with the firm’s higher-end Wharfdale Dovedale speakers.

The second reason I’m excited about the Super Linton in particular is their looks. I’m a magpie with a soft spot for anything with a retro design. That’s why at past shows Fyne Audio’s Vintage series in particular caught my eye.

This remains the case with the Super Linton. Featuring a distinctly retro look inspired by the original 1980s Linton 3XP, the 'Super' speakers look wonderful based on the press imagery I’ve seen and I can’t wait to see them in the flesh – I’ve long argued hi-fi needs to look and sound nice if it has any hope of getting into a normal living space.

And that’s why the Wharfedale Super Linton speakers, which will be on demo and powered by the similarly retro-styled Quad 33/303 amplifiers, are one of the top new products to check out at the Bristol Hi-Fi Show this year.

MORE:
These are the
best speakers we’ve tested

Our reviewers rate the best stereo amps

Our picks of the best bookshelf speakers

Alastair Stevenson
Editor in Chief

Alastair is What Hi-Fi?’s editor in chief. He has well over a decade’s experience as a journalist working in both B2C and B2B press. During this time he’s covered everything from the launch of the first Amazon Echo to government cyber security policy. Prior to joining What Hi-Fi? he served as Trusted Reviews’ editor-in-chief. Outside of tech, he has a Masters from King’s College London in Ethics and the Philosophy of Religion, is an enthusiastic, but untalented, guitar player and runs a webcomic in his spare time. 

Read more
Bristol Hi-Fi Show
7 hi-fi products I’m looking forward to hearing at the Bristol Hi-Fi Show next week
Quad 33 303 pre power amps in living room
Listen to Quad's new electrostatic speakers and retro-revived 33/303 amps at the Bristol Hi-Fi Show
Wilson Benesch Horizon
The 7 best speakers we saw at the Bristol Hi-Fi Show 2025 – Ruark Audio, Wharfedale and more
3 audio Temptations to look out for at the Bristol Hi-Fi Show 2025
Pro-Ject Colourful Audio System playing
These are the 11 coolest audio treats I’ve spotted after 48 hours at the Bristol Hi-Fi Show
Bristol Hi-Fi Show 2025 stand
Bristol Hi-Fi Show 2025: pictures, highlights, and all the latest products from Musical Fidelity, Rega, WiiM, Quad and more
Latest in Hi-Fi Speakers
Elac Debut 3.0 DB53 standmount speakers
Elac Debut 3.0 DB53
KEF LS50 Wireless II streaming speaker system on a desk next to the the Technics SC-CX700
4 things Technics needs to do to beat KEF’s LS50 Wireless II hi-fi system and one area where it’s better
Elipson Planet L Performance speakers
These Planet-shaped speakers promise "exceptionally pure sound" with an out-of-this-world design
Bowers & Wilkins Radiohead The Bends event
I heard my favourite Radiohead album on the B&W speakers used to record it – and now I love it even more
Dynaudio Confidence 20A
Dynaudio's Confidence 20A active speakers boast "the biggest upgrade in active hi-fi in over a decade"
Fyne Audio F501E floorstanding speakers
Fyne Audio ousts Q Acoustics as our new favourite sub-£1000 floorstanding speakers
Latest in Features
A WiiM streamer in action
We asked hi-fi engineers what makes a music streamer sound great – and it's about much more than just chipsets
LG C5 55-inch OLED TV
Now is a great time to buy a new OLED TV, but not a 2025 model
George Benson Give Me the Night album cover
This Quincy Jones-produced disco tune has become my go-to test track – and taught me a valuable lesson about hi-fi, too
Samsung QN990F 8K TV with Rewind logo
A sneak peek at Samsung’s futuristic projector, OLED TV’s next evolution, a new Audiolab stereo amp and more
LG C5 55-inch OLED TV
Should you pre-order the LG C5? This five-star OLED TV is excellent, but there is a catch
Now Showing David Bowie in Labyrinth
These are the 3 movies our home cinema experts couldn’t stop watching in March