Year after year, decade after decade, Wharfedale created some of Britain’s best-loved loudspeakers, many of which are considered among the finest of their era. Today, Wharfedale celebrates its past with the Heritage Series – a range of classic stereo speakers from the 1960s and 1970s, re-engineered for the modern age.

This range sits alongside the company’s latest highly acclaimed designs, such the Diamond 12 Series, EVO4 Series and Elysian Series, offering an enticing choice for discerning music lovers with a penchant for vintage style. And yet Wharfedale is not
simply cloning past glories; instead, it applies the latest techniques and technologies to ensure the build quality, finish and performance of these classic designs is greatly enhanced, whilst remaining faithful to the spirit of the originals.

The first speakers to join the Heritage line were the Denton 80 and Denton 85, launched to celebrate Wharfedale’s 80th and 85th anniversaries. Then followed the hugely popular Linton – a speaker that has fuelled the popularity of revived and re-engineered vintage speakers more than any other. Now, Wharfedale is ready to unleash the Dovedale, the biggest and best Heritage Series speaker yet.

Named after a valley in England’s Peak District, the first Dovedale speaker launched in 1965 as an updated version of Wharfedale’s W2 model. It was originally a two-way design but was later adapted to a three-way with separate bass, midrange and treble drivers. There were several versions of the Dovedale during the 1960s and ’70s, but perhaps the most fondly remembered is the Dovedale 3, which arrived in 1971 – a speaker renowned for its rich, open and effortless sound quality.

The re-engineered Dovedale takes inspiration from the Dovedale 3 and corresponding Unit 5 build-at-home kit. The new speaker’s cabinet is a touch taller, a little wider and considerably deeper than the standard production Dovedale 3, but similar in size to the largest home constructors’ version, and its proportions will be recognisable to anyone familiar with its forebear.

At the time, the Dovedale was not considered a particularly large speaker, but by modern standards it has a substantial physical presence. Its width, in particular, signifies its vintage heritage, but speaker cabinets were broad for a reason – to incorporate larger bass units and therefore shift more air.