New Wharfedale Denton 1S reimagines a ground-breaking 1970s loudspeaker design

British loudspeaker brand Wharfedale is reviving one of its more unusual historical speaker concepts with the launch of the new Denton 1S, a compact coaxial loudspeaker with a pedigree that stretches back fifty years.

Part of Wharfedale’s Heritage Series, the Denton 1S takes inspiration from the original Denton 1, launched in 1974. That speaker stood apart from earlier Denton models through its use of a coaxial full-range driver and moulded cabinet design, reflecting the emerging industrial and interior styling trends of the early 1970s.

While the original Denton line dates back to 1967, the Denton 1 was notable for its positional flexibility and contemporary appearance, at a time when most loudspeakers remained rather conventional wood-veneered boxes.

The new Denton 1S retains elements of that visual identity, including softly curved cabinet edges and a compact footprint, but has been completely re-engineered using modern acoustic design techniques.

Wharfedale says the speaker has been developed to suit a broad range of modern installation scenarios, including shelf mounting, desktop use, sideboard placement and on-wall installation.

Measuring 330 x 236 x 229mm, the Denton 1S uses a newly developed two-way coaxial driver array comprising a 165mm enhanced polypropylene mid/bass cone with a centrally mounted 25mm silk dome tweeter. By aligning both drivers on the same acoustic axis, Wharfedale says the design delivers improved phase coherence, stable imaging and consistent off-axis performance.

According to the company, the new coaxial unit has been engineered specifically for the Denton 1S rather than adapted from an existing platform. The mid/bass cone profile promises improved rigidity and control breakup behaviour, while the cone surround has been tuned to provide damping at the driver perimeter. A 44mm voice coil allows for amplifier matching up to 100W.

The crossover network has also received considerable attention. Developed using computer modelling and extensive listening tests, the crossover employs Linkwitz-Riley fourth-order acoustic slopes at 2.6kHz and uses low-loss inductors and polypropylene capacitors mounted on a short-path PCB designed to optimise signal flow.

One of the more installer-friendly additions is Wharfedale’s rear-mounted Brilliance switch. This offers two positions, Norm and Max (not cast members from Cheers), with the latter introducing a 1.5dB lift between 2kHz and 4kHz.

The adjustment is intended to compensate for close-to-wall placement, allowing installers and end users to tailor the speaker’s tonal balance depending on room positioning.

The cabinet itself departs significantly from the moulded polyurethane enclosure used by the 1974 original. Instead we get a layered fibreboard construction using panels of varying thicknesses to better control resonance. Internal bracing and a recessed front baffle further contribute to rigidity, while the rear-firing bass reflex port uses a double-flared design with soft rubber damping to minimise turbulence and port noise.

The speaker claims a bass extension down to 45Hz (-6dB), which is quite something for a cabinet volume of just 11.5 litres. Sensitivity is rated at 88dB with a nominal impedance of 8 ohms, allowing compatibility with a broad range of amplification.

The Denton 1S will be available in matt black, white and blue finishes. The latter reflects current interior design trends, with Wharfedale positioning the speaker as a product intended to work within contemporary living and commercial spaces as much as traditional Hi-Fi environments.

Peter Comeau, Director of Acoustic Design at Wharfedale, described the Denton 1S as an effort to modernise the ideas behind the original Denton 1 while overcoming the limitations of the earlier design.

“The Denton 1 from 1974 was a fascinating design of its day,” he said. “Our intention with the Denton 1S was to pay homage to the Denton 1’s forward-thinking design and useful versatility whilst delivering a speaker that’s elevated in every way.”
Comeau added that the speaker has been tuned to work effectively in locations where traditional Hi-Fi speakers may prove difficult to accommodate, including shelving systems and wall-mounted installations.

The Wharfedale Denton 1S will be available late May, with a retail price of £649 per pair.