Tech Reviews: Wharfedale Titan D and Delta Loudspeaker Ranges

Pro Audio – Quality speakers to handle any and every occasion

What Is It?

Both the Titan D and the Delta series are at the top of the pile amongst the vast range of speakers that Wharfedale produce but each of these ranges is earmarked for a specific sector of the pro audio market.

Titan D

The Titan D is the pick of the bunch amongst the active range of speakers that Wharfedale construct and they come in both a compact 12” and larger 15” model. The entire Titan range is assembled in a rugged injection moulded chassis and the speakers have been designed with the mobile and install users in mind to be ultra light and used upright or on its side as a floor monitor.

The Titan D differs from the Titan range in that the D’s utilize Class D amps to drive both the high and low frequency drivers and utilize Qubit, a 24-bit 192kHz Digital Signal Processing module with advanced multi-band dynamic processing and filtering to automatically adapt the speakers to sound more full and natural in a host of different environments. What’s cool about the bi-amp designs on the Titan D’s is that it extends to the limiting as well so the hi’s and lo’s are separately protected and you have a LED light on the speaker to let you know if you are pushing them too hard. As with all the other models in the Titan range the D’s can handle a bunch of connections with their combo inputs for 1/4” Jacks or XLR and will also let you plug a Mic directly into the back if you need to use them for PA work. Both Titan D models include a bass response optimizer in addition to Qubit to ensure a bass sound as crisp as the tops.

Right lets breeze through the numbers; the Titan 12D’s push out 300W of power of which 250W comes from the woofer and 50W from the compression driver, while the Titan 15D’s weigh in with a hefty 420W broken down by 350W from the woofer and 70W from its compression driver. Both have high and low EQ control and switchable 90Hz monitor filters to cut out bottom end frequencies and avoid stage rumble, because we all know how much we love 15” monitors for performances.

Delta

The Wharfedale Delta’s are aptly named for the highly lauded Wharfedale Hi-Fi speakers of the 70′s and they all utilize 3” voice-coils across the range to give them some real low end kick with 2” compression drivers set up with 90°x45°elliptical waveguides for a meaty output level and smooth dispersion of the high-frequency. The Deltas have been lined up as the replacements for the very popular DLX range and in my opinion give an even better showing than their predecessors. The entire range is finished in Wharfedale’s Rhino Rock which looks like textured paint but has that valued ruggedness of a carpet finish and all the boxes are constructed using plywood. A nice added feature are the dual angle pole mounts to ensure that you can position them correctly and provide the audience with the sound and not the ceiling. Both the 12 and 15” Delta’s include a bunch of M8 rigging points if you want them mounted but the entire range has been designed to run either mounted or ground stacked.

The Delta series is quite comprehensive in its offering with 12” and 15” cabinets and monitors (love those 15” monitors), dual 15” cabinets and 15”, 18” and dual 18” subs to really satisfy the needs of any discerning audio purveyor. If those numbers don’t tickle your ear buds then a squiz over the program figures of the speakers are sure to impress you. The smallest speakers in the range, the 12 and 12M put out 800W program with the 15 pushing 1000W. That translates to 129 dB output for the 12′s and 131 dB for the 15′s. But with that extra wattage expect some extra weight as well; even the 12M tips the scales at a hefty 23 kg with the 15 stepping in at 30kg a speaker. The entire Delta range comes fitted with Speakon connectors to make sure that there is no accidental disengaging during performances.

DELTA 12

DELTA 12M

DELTA 15B

DELTA 15

Delta Loudspeaker Ranges

Who should own one?

The Titans are touted mainly as the speaker for the mobile DJ and club market but there is no doubt that they would be equally suited for pubs, venues, houses of worship and similar type of applications. Even for venues with an install system the Titan D’s would be a great reinforcement speaker to cover areas that the current system doesn’t handle too well or for areas that are going to be expanded for once-off events.

The Deltas are aimed squarely at the touring, rental and fixed application markets and with their robust design and durable components they will be able to perform week-in and week-out even after being carted around and subjected to the wear-and-tear inherent with the rental and touring sectors.

The Verdict

It’s tricky to put these two ranges of speakers head to head as they are both such different beasts. I would highly recommend the Titans to guys that are doing mobile work as they are powerful and like all Wharfedale’s have a good ability to translate different types of music into a comfortable listening experience so they would be as suitable running next to a church band as they would be sitting next to a DJ booth. The Titans are also great value for money when you spec them next to the huge range of active speakers out there at the moment. Interestingly enough the D’s sounded softer when compared right next to the standard Titans, but after some comparisons I realized why. It seems what I perceived as volume on the Titans was actually distortion! That’s right people, sometimes your ears can lie to you and when looking at the output wattage the Titan D’s put out more power, more efficiently and much more cleanly than the old Titans were capable of.

Now to the Deltas; these speakers are magnificent and they certainly would be able to brightly colour a whole bunch of applications in which audio is the primary and most important part of a performance. Installed in high end venues or carted to festivals are the main sectors where I see the Delta’s slotting in, not just because they are super sturdy in the mass department but also when it comes to the output. Make no mistake the Deltas are loud and very capable of filling a floor but it’s the way that they manage to pull it off that’s so impressive. The audio is full and beefy and very capable of being cranked up.

Both the Titan D and Delta ranges are decent speakers that manage to ride that tricky gap between potential and price when you look at the competitors’ products and are certainly worth closer inspection before making your investment.

DELTA 15M

DELTA 18B

DELTA 215

DELTA 218B