Super Denton Vs Mission 750 Vs Sandwich 150

Three distinct brands. Three Heritage bookshelf models. Three almost identical asking prices. And one very busy company (IAG) responsible for designing and manufacturing the lot. It’s little wonder so many people are asking, what’s the difference? Well, there are many. But, before we dive into them, let’s provide an overview of each.

SUPER DENTON

Super Denton is the third iteration of Wharfedale’s recent Denton revival and arguably their best.The 80 and 85th Anniversary Edition Dentons that came before it were both conventional 2-way bookshelf designs in a Heritage chassis. 

But, what makes Super Denton so super is the introduction of a new and separate – Dome – midrange driver. Inspired by Wharfedale’s acclaimed EVO4 series, Super Denton sports a 50mm silk dome midrange driver, serving up a whole new level of detail in that all-important midband. 

Key features:

• a whole new crossover

• upgrades to both high and low frequency drivers

• the new cabinet construction enjoys Wharfedale’s ongoing developments within the world of computer aided intelligent spot bracing

• and the introduction of magnetic grilles is a brilliant new touch as well. 

But maybe what’s most super of all is that Wharfedale have managed to pack all of Super Denton’s additional goodness into a chassis that’s barely larger than its predecessor. 

• Denton 85: 340 x 240 x 275mm

• Super Denton: 360 x 246 x 275mm

Yes, Super Denton will serve up some heroic sound quality. But it’s doing so within that svelte, heritage bookshelf design we’ve all come to love about Denton. 

Super Denton Specifications:

• 3-way vented-box/standmount loudspeaker 

• Bass driver 6.5" (165mm) Black Woven Kevlar

• Midrange driver 2" (50mm) Soft Dome

• Treble driver 1" (25mm) Soft Dome

• Sensitivity 87dB

• Recommended amp power 25-120W

• Nominal impedance 6Ω (Compatible 8Ω)

• Frequency response 52Hz - 20kHz

• Bass extension 40Hz

• Dimensions (H x W x D) 360 x 246 x (275+20)mm

• Net weight 9.2kg/pcs

MISSION 750 

Mission’s 770 aesthetic might just be the most iconic in recent history. That big white baffle. That big polypropylene driver. Mission’s unmissable logo right across the front. It’s an absolute classic. And while the recent 770 and 700 releases were revamps of earlier 80s models, Mission’s all-new 750 is an entirely new thing. They never made a 700 series bookshelf back in the day. 

But, 770s popularity has inspired Mission engineers to craft a small two-way bookshelf model that inhabits all the characteristics of its bigger siblings. 

Key features:

• There’s that same iconic white baffle 

• The same mineral-loaded polypropylene mid/bass driver

• The same unmissable and unmistakeable Mission logo across the front

• Only this time they’ve inverted the driver arrangement

• And housed everything in a chassis that’s ideal for smaller listening environments. 

Oh, and the all-new 28mm microfibres dome tweeter, made specifically for this model, is said to sound eerily close to Mission’s acclaimed 770 remake. 

Mission 750 Specifications:

• 2-way vented-box standmount loudspeaker 

• 5.25" (135mm) mineral loaded polypropylene mid/bass driver

• A 1.25" (28mm) soft dome treble unit

• Sensitivity of 86dB

• Recommended Amp Power 25-100W

• 6Ω Nominal Impedance thats 8Ω compatible

• Frequency Response between 48Hz - 20kHz

• Bass Extension 42Hz

• Dimensions ( H x W x D ) 355 x 216 x (270 + 35) mm

• And a Net Weight of 9kg/pcs

Leak Sandwich 150

LEAK SANDWICH 250

If you’re unfamiliar with LEAK’s Sandwich, don’t sweat it. You’re not buying a 12” sub. In fact, LEAK’s famous loudspeakers are far tastier than that. They originally derived their name from the sandwiching together of multiple cone materials to create a membrane that was both incredibly light and incredibly stiff – a prerequisite for exceptional sound quality. 

It was a groundbreaking idea at the time and won LEAK a slew of new fans. 

Re-engineered and re-imagined, the modern Sandwich 150 bonds a stiff aluminium outer skin (where the stresses are greatest) to a thick core of high-tech structural foam called polymethacrylimide (PMI), a composite more often used in aerospace applications. 

Key features:

• newly designed motor systems with advanced material selection

• a HF driver with a damped rear chamber – entirely isolated from the rest of the cabinet

• computer aided crossover design

• the introduction of a “Sandwich” cabinet construction

• this is multiple timbers of different densities bonded by a layer of damping glue and paired with computed aided intelligent spot bracing to create dead silent cabinets.

But LEAK’s modern Sandwich hasn’t lost its roots. It’s still sporting true walnut finishes, aluminium trims, and classic cloth grilles – all in that traditional wide baffle, big box Heritage loudspeaker design. 

Leak Sandwich 150 Specifications:

• 2-way bass reflex Bookshelf loudspeaker Speaker

• 6.5" (170mm) Aluminium-Foamcore mid/bass driver

• 1.2" (30mm) Coated Textile Dome HF driver

• Sensitivity 86.5dB

• Recommended amplifier power 25-150W

• 6Ω Nominal Impedance that’s (8Ω Compatible)

• Frequency response 44Hz - 26kHz

• Bass Extension 38Hz

• Cabinet Dimensions 415 x 250 x (290+25)mm

• Net weight 12.3kg/pcs

Performance Comparisons

Running a comparison by numbers is somewhat of a foolish enterprise. But, this is not a HiFi reviewing publication. So, instead of dishing out our biased opinions we’re going to compare a few key considerations. We’ll cross examine these with a few specifications and what those numbers are likely to indicate. And hopefully by the end we’ve helped you gain a little clarity as to which of these three Heritage speakers you’re more likely to want to own. 

Key Considerations: 

• Cabinet Volume & Woofer Size

• Driver Configuration & Material Selections

• Sensitivity & Recommended Amplifications Range

• And finally Fit & Finish

Cabinet Volume & Woofer Size

The most obvious difference between these bookies, right off the bat, are their cabinet dimensions. At 415 x 250 x 290, Leak’s Sandwich is the largest loudspeaker by a considerable margin. Combine this with its big 6.5” (170mm) Aluminium-Foamcore mid/bass driver and we begin to see why the Sandwich sports the deepest bass extension of the three, at 38Hz. Super Denton and 750 coming in at 40 and 42Hz respectively. More often than not, the larger the cabinet volume, the larger the radiating surface area, the greater your loudspeaker’s output. And when you combine that with a sizeable mid/bass driver, you tend to get a lot of low end support. 

Super Denton is also sporting a 6.5” bass driver. However, the difference here is that this driver is exclusively responsible for bass frequency – and I’ll get into the importance of that in a little bit. But with this large bass driver and the second largest cabinet dimensions at 360 x 246 x 275mm, it’s no surprise that this speaker reaches down to a whopping 40Hz – which is actually a pretty incredible feat for a loudspeaker at this size. And at just 355 x 216 x 270, Mission’s 750 is the baby of the three. It’s also sporting the smallest woofer at just 5.25” (135mm). So it won’t command the room in quite the same way that Denton and Sandwich do. Nor is it the deepest of the two when it comes to bass, at just 42Hz on paper. But, 750 has other talents to sway many a listener, and I’ll get into those a little later. 

So, really what all this is saying is, if greater low-end support is important to you; if you’re listening room is bordering on small-to-medium and you’re concerned that you need a touch more sound output and low-end heft, LEAK’s Sandwich 150 or Wharfedale’s Super Denton might be your leading thoroughbreds. 

Driver Configuration 

Super Denton: When it comes to driver configuration these speakers are entirely different. The most obvious distinction here is Super Denton’s 3-way driver setup, offering an individual driver for high, mid, and low frequency bands. It’s also sporting Wharfedale’s tried and tested woven Kevlar composite for it bass woofer, the EVO inspired 50mm dome midrange driver, and a 25mm soft dome treble unit. 

Now, three way driver configurations, like Super Denton, are renowned for the following: 

Enhanced frequency response:

• Broader Frequency Coverage with more precise delineation between frequencies

• A Smoother Transition Between frequencies with better handling of midrange complexities

Improved Sound Quality: 

• Driver Specialisation, whereby individual drivers can be optimised for their specific frequency range (think that 50mm dome midrange inspired by EVO4. EVO is acclaimed for its shockingly lifelike midrange performance. That sense of vocalists and musicians being there in the room with you.)

• Reduced Distortion because each driver doesn’t have to work so hard

• Better Handling of Complex Passages, so when music or movies have a lot going on – think action sequences or complex orchestral pieces – three-ways drives tend to keep everything clear and precise rather than getting overworked and muddling it all together. 

Better Dynamic Range:

• Enhanced Dynamics: Three-way speakers can offer more dynamic range, providing a dramatic contrast between the softest and loudest sounds in music, which produces a more engaging listening experience.

So there’s a lot to like about Super Denton’s three-way configuration.

Mission 750 & LEAK Sandwich: By contrast Mission and LEAK are giving you that more traditional 2-way bookshelf configuration. But not entirely. Sandwich 150 is about as conventional a two-way as two-ways get – bearing in mind that it does have the largest drivers of all three with the 6.5” Aluminium Foamcore woofer and a whopping 30mm coated textile dome tweeter. So, there’s a lot to like about the LEAK. But it’s Mission’s deviation from the more tradition 2-way setup that’s most intriguing of the two. 

Mission inverts the more traditional 2-way speaker configuration by placing the tweeter below the mid/bass woofer. They’ve been doing this for quite some time now. They call it IDG or Inverted Driver Geometry. And their reasoning behind this is that it’s said to improve time alignment. 

Inverted Driver Geometry 

Each frequency band – high, mid, and low – need to hit your ears at precisely the same time or things start to sound out of place. This is known as synchronisation, and loudspeakers that do this best tend to sound much much better. 

Consequences of Driver Misalignment

Phase Issues:

• Misaligned driver timing can produce sound waves that are out of phase. This can lead to certain frequencies cancelling each other out or reinforcing one another inappropriately, resulting in a skewed or unnatural sound.

Soundstage and Imaging Compromises:

• Precise imaging and a clear soundstage are crucial for a realistic listening experience, where each instrument and voice is distinctly placed in a perceivable three-dimensional space. Misalignment can smear this imaging, causing sounds to merge indistinctly or appear from incorrect locations.

Coherency Loss:

• Misalignment can cause the sound originating from different drivers (handling different frequency ranges) to become disjointed. This can make the audio feel less cohesive, as if different parts of the music are not working together harmoniously.

When Everything is in Sync:

• Improved Clarity & Detail

• Cohesive and Unified Sound

• Enhanced Soundstage & Imaging effects

• Better dynamics

• And, most importantly, emotional engagement. 

Emotional Connection

The sum total of all those benefits is emotional engagement. When everything’s aligned you feel more emotional connected to each piece. You’re moved by it. The loudspeaker disappears into the background and you’re left alone with the musicians. It’s the very reason for stereo and high fidelity. It why we mess around with all this madness. 

So the idea that Mission 750 is focussing on this aspect of performance makes it a really compelling choice. And when you combine it with exceptional HF detail and air – again, that new 28mm soft dome treble unit is touted as eerily close to its bigger, badder, much more expensive Made in UK sibling, the Mission 770 (the acclaimed Mission 770; the multi award winning Mission 770) – you get a distinctly different loudspeaker from the other two. S, it doesn’t have the room presence or low-end heft of LEAK’s Sandwich or Wharfedale’s Super Denton. But it’s going for something else entirely. The emotional connection of really precise timing combined with HF detail and air. 

And that combination, despite being a more subtle loudspeaker overall, at least in direct comparison with the other two, produces something pretty damn magical. And well worth exploring. 

Recommended Amp Range and Sensitivity

Now the Recommended Amplification Range and the Sensitivity of these three speaker are all comparable. There’s barely anything between them. But there are some slight, logical differences and amp matching is important, so it’s worth breaking down these differences and explaining the why’s. 

• Mission 750: 86dB and 25 - 100 

No surprises here that Mission is the most sensitive at 86dB. It’s a smaller speaker. It has the smallest drivers. It’s only running two drivers. So, yeah, it’s going to be easier to run. But, it also has the most limited amplification range. All three speakers begin with a recommended 25W per channel minimum. But Mission tops out at just 100W. 

• LEAK Sandwich 150: 86.5dB and 25 - 150 

By contrast, Sandwich 150 is fractionally less sensitive at 86.5dB. But, it has the greatest amplification range at 150W per channel. And, again, this makes complete sense. It’s the biggest loudspeaker by a hefty margin. It sports the largest drivers – both woofer and tweeter. So, yeah, it’s going to handle more juice. 

• Wharfedale Super Denton: 87dB and 25 - 120 

And Wharfedale’s Super Denton, the least sensitive of the three at 87dB, is less sensitive for a reason. It’s running more drivers. Yes, that additional driver increases the power demands on your amplifier. Though, as we can see, only slightly. But, by increasing the number of drivers we can also see that Super Denton, despite its smaller size, also increases its amplification range, sporting a healthy 120W per channel. 

Now, all of these are recommended – not fixed –  ranges. They’re guides. 

These speakers will run on lower wattage (though, nowhere near at their best). And they will run at higher wattage also (but you should do so with caution). The point here is to get a gauge of where you’re at or where you’re looking to go in the future. If your intention is to eventually runs separate pre and power amps and really increase your amplification power, suddenly the Sandwich becomes a more attractive option. Conversely, if you’re running modest amplification and intend keeping it that, a more sensitive option like Mission’s 750 might give you the best bang for your buck. 

Fit & Finish 

Magnetic Grills: Each of these speakers enjoy the luxury of magnet grills. However, the irony of these designs is that the loudest aesthetic of the three, Mission’s bold and beautiful white front baffle, is the only speaker of the three designed to be played grills on or off. The grills on both Denton and the Sandwich are inset and uniquely sculpted to support audio performance. They’re designed to be played grills on. So, if you are a “drivers out” sort of listener, bear in mind that there’s a very slight, very subtle degradation to your sound quality when listening with the grilles off. The protruding baffle edges of Super Denton and LEAK’s Sandwich are going to cause diffraction. 

Now, it’s easy to see why this design choice was made. The 45º baffle edges with inset grilles reduce the speaker’s profile, giving both of these Heritage designs a slightly minimal and modern touch, which looks fantastic and really works for a modern reimagining of these classic designs. But it does come at a cost. For Super Denton, it’s probably not a problem. The black baffle and driver combination isn’t all that aesthetically wowing anyway. But it’s a real let down with the LEAK because their timber baffles, contrasted by the aluminium sandwich cone and the mounting plate around the tweeter, is beautiful. These are gorgeous design choices that really deserve their moment in the sun. And living with these speakers, I’d happily flip between grills on and off. Only, if I do, I know the sound quality’s not going to be as good. 

Now, to be clear, the difference in sound quality is super subtle. The average punter probably isn’t going to notice it. And I’d put myself in that category. It honestly didn’t bother me in the slightest. But, it does bear mentioning. So, keep it in mind. If you want your woofers to shine, go Mission 750 or stomach knowing that there’s a slight degradation to your audio performance from one of the other two. 

Finish: 

The fit and finish of all three speakers is beautiful – above and beyond their asking price. And they each have their own endearing features. 

Wharfedale Super Denton: Those jersey knit grills from Wharfedale’s heritage series are still a big favourite of mine. They’re truly classic. And their inset finish, to me anyway, is a touch of design brilliance. It’s a little modern tweak on a very classic speaker. 

LEAK Sandwich 150: The way the aluminium trims and driver features from Sandwich 150 contrast its walnut veneer, especially on the baffle, I just love that. And in fact the walnut baffle itself really reminds me of something more prestige, like Wharfedale’s UK Made Dovedale. A speaker at 5 x the asking price of LEAK’s Sandwich. 

Mission 750: Ah, Mission… what can I say? I adore the 700 series aesthetic. I really do think it’s one of the most iconic speaker looks of the last half century, and probably my personal fav of the three. The big white baffle; the big white polypropylene driver, the loud and proud Mission logo across the front. It just gets me. 

As for finishes, LEAK Sandwich 150 only comes in the walnut you see in this video. There are no other finishes at this stage. Mission 750 is offered up in both the walnut you see here and a black oak. And Super Denton gives you walnut, black oak, and that more traditional mahogany. So, if you’re trying to get away from walnut, Super Denton and Mission 750 are your options. 

Conclusion

I hope at the end of all this one this is clear, choosing between these loudspeaker models is about tradeoffs. If you want bigger room presence and low-end authority, LEAK will likely get you there. But, better handling of complex musical arrangements is going to put Super Denton ahead of LEAK. And what if you want to play speaker grills off? Well, now you’re pointing toward Mission 750 or suffering the consequences of a slight depreciation in sound quality because of those protruding baffle edges. And what if you like the idea of improved time alignment and HF air and detail; what if that appeals to your listening choices but you also like the idea of running more amp power? Well, Mission 750 becomes a bit of a conundrum and you’ve got some decisions to make. Again, it’s all trade offs.  

But what also should be clear at this stage is that despite all of these loudspeakers being Heritage models, all being similar in price, and all made from the same parent company – International Audio Group – there are significant difference between these speakers that cater to different listening preferences. Our advice, combine what you’ve learned here with what the reviewers say about sound quality before making your purchase. And, if you’re still undecided, call into your local dealer! Because by far the best way by far to know what works best for you is it hear it for yourself, in the flesh, listening to the music you like best.