Wharfedale Denton 1S Review: A Modern Coaxial Bookshelf Speaker

Introduction

The Wharfedale Denton 1S is the newest chapter in a speaker line that has carried the same name for close to six decades. Rather than an incremental update, it is a fresh design: a two-way coaxial standmount in a rounded, contemporary cabinet, offered in white, black, and blue at $999 a pair.

It is a compact speaker with a rear-firing port, a small EQ switch on the back panel, and a coaxial driver that places the tweeter at the centre of the mid-bass unit. That single design decision shapes almost everything about how it sounds and where it can be placed.

Who the Wharfedale Denton 1S Is For

This is a speaker for listeners assembling a compact two-channel system who want a coherent, unfatiguing presentation rather than a bright, forward one. Because the coaxial driver delivers strong off-axis behaviour, it also suits rooms where a perfect equilateral listening triangle is not realistic.

It also makes sense for anyone who plans to add a subwoofer later. The cabinet reaches down to a reported 50 Hz, and pairing it with a subwoofer crossed over low keeps more of the speaker’s own bass character in the mix instead of handing the lower registers entirely to the sub.

Design and Coaxial Driver Technology

The Denton name dates back to 1967 and has passed through two-way, three-way, and even coaxial designs over the years, including a 1974 coaxial model in a moulded plastic cabinet and the XP series of the late 1970s. The name was retired for a period before Wharfedale revived it in 2012 as part of its Heritage line, followed by an 85th anniversary edition and, in 2024, the Super Denton.

The 1S breaks from the heritage look. It has rounded edges, a baffle whose periphery extends beyond the cabinet, and no wood veneer at all. What it shares with earlier Dentons is the coaxial layout: a 1-inch silk dome tweeter mounted in the centre of a 6.5-inch polypropylene mid-bass driver. Wharfedale reports a frequency response of 50 Hz to 20,000 Hz, plus or minus 3 dB.

Around the back there is a brilliance EQ switch for listeners who want a little more energy at the top end, a rear-firing port, and a threaded insert that allows the speaker to be mounted. Each cabinet measures 9.3 inches wide, 13 inches tall, and 10 inches deep, and weighs 15 pounds.

Sound Quality and Main Strengths

The coaxial arrangement is the core of the 1S’s appeal. With a single source, output from the tweeter and the mid-bass driver reaches the listener at the same time, which pays off in imaging and in off-axis consistency. It also allows that level of performance to come from a fairly small cabinet.

In listening, the 1S keeps the polite, familiar Wharfedale character while adding a touch more air when the brilliance switch is engaged. Even with the extra top-end energy it stays comfortable rather than fatiguing. When a recording calls for weight and impact, the speaker is willing to deliver that as well.

Bass texture is another strength. Acoustic instruments, guitars in particular, show a quality in the lower registers that is worth preserving, which is why crossing the speaker over to a subwoofer lower, around 60 Hz rather than 80 Hz, keeps more of that character in the system. Placement is similarly forgiving: the concentric driver means the speaker is not fussy about toe-in, and it holds together whether it faces straight out into the room or is angled toward the listening position.

Things to Consider Before Buying

Coaxial drivers are harder to get right than they look. Building a good one costs more, the crossover is more complex to design, and the tweeter sits in a recess at the centre of the woofer, which adds physical constraints. Those trade-offs are part of why the 1S is priced where it is.

There is also a limit to what a cabinet this size can do. A reported 50 Hz low end is respectable for a compact standmount, but it is not a substitute for displacement. Listeners who want a large, room-filling low end should plan on adding a subwoofer rather than expecting it from the speaker alone.

The finish options are white, black, and blue, with no wood veneer available, so anyone drawn to the heritage look of earlier Dentons will need to look elsewhere in the range. The threaded insert on the rear panel does open up mounting options beyond a shelf or a stand, which is useful in rooms where floor space is tight.

Buying Advice

At $999 a pair, the Denton 1S represents a meaningful commitment, so it makes sense to think about the whole system rather than the speaker on its own. Budget for a pair of stands, a suitable amplifier, and, if the room demands it, a subwoofer to extend the low end.

Setup is where this speaker rewards a little patience. The off-axis consistency means it does not need to be aimed precisely at the listening seat, which is a real advantage in awkward rooms. If a subwoofer is part of the plan, try a crossover around 60 Hz before settling on something higher, and use the brilliance switch to fine-tune the top end to taste.

For listeners who value bass texture and a relaxed, non-fatiguing tonal balance, the 1S offers something that is genuinely uncommon at this size, and it is worth auditioning against the compact standmounts already on a shortlist.

Conclusion

The Wharfedale Denton 1S is not a restyled version of the speaker that came before it. It is a coaxial design in a modern cabinet, with a reported 50 Hz to 20,000 Hz response, a brilliance EQ, flexible placement, and a finish palette that skips wood veneer entirely.

Its strengths are clear: coherent imaging, forgiving off-axis behaviour, and bass with texture rather than mere quantity. Its limits are just as clear, since a compact cabinet will not replace a larger speaker or a well-integrated subwoofer. For listeners building a small two-channel system around a $999 pair of standmounts, it is a speaker that deserves a place on the audition list.