Wharfedale Speakers Specifications and Reviews Including Diamond 8.1, 9.1 and Subwoofer Speaker Boxes

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Wharfedale Speakers

Wharfedale Diamond 8.1 Main Wharfedale Speaker

Speakers Function  Main / Stereo 
Nominal Power  120 Watt RMS 
Connectivity   Cable 
Technical Features
Frequency Reponse  55 Hz – 20000 kHz 
Sensitivity  86 dB 
Impedance  6 ohm 
Components
Woofer Material   Kevlar 
Woofer Size  5″ 
Tweeter Size  0.98″ 
Design
Outdoor/Indoor   Indoor 
Mounting  Floorstanding 
Dimensions
Width  7.8 in. 
Depth  7.13 in. 
Height  11.65 in. 

“I had read many things about these speakers, most positive and some negative, so I was very interested when I found them for sale on an auction site for less than $100/pair (factory refurbished). I wasn’t able to find any store locally to hear them first, but for that price, I was willing to take a chance. Having owned them for 2 months now, I can safely say that I am amazed by the sound and build quality for less than $100/pair.
The speakers are constructed of a particle board w/ veneer, but the fit and finish of the speakers is really great….for the price. I saw and heard a few other speakers in the $100 – $200 range (Soundworks, Polks) and a few that were $300 – $400 range, but the sound quality wasn’t that different to warrant 2 – 3 times the price.
The tweeter is the same 1 inch, silk-dome ferrofluid one found on more expensive Wharfedale models and it gives clean crisp highs (I’m hearing different types of cymbals on CD’s that I never had heard before).
The woofer/midrange is constructed from kevlar and reproduces light base very well (I have these speakers set up with a subwoofer and would suggest the same to anyone considering bookshelf sized speakers).
I have the Wharfedale’s hooked up to a new Panasonic SA-XR50 digital tuner, which could account for some of the sound quality, but I also tried them with a 55w mini system and they still offered a much more detailed sound than my older speakers.
In conclusion, I have to say that they are a great bargain at less than $130, which is the current price point for a brand new pair. They sound as good as many speakers costing more than double that. I am a novice audiophile and they suit me nicely. True audiophiles probably have a more discerning ear, but they probably devote more of their income to their gear too. Krix, Atoms, and Paradigms are exceptional speakers, but they cost more than I would ever budget for my system. To each his/her own.
I will gladly fork over another “less than $100″ for another pair when I find them again.”

Wharfedale Subwoofer WH-2 Center Speaker

Speakers Function  Center 
Nominal Power  120 Watt RMS 
Construction   2-Way 
Connectivity   Cable 
Technical Features
Frequency Reponse  80 Hz – 20000 kHz 
Sensitivity  89 dB 
Impedance  8 ohm 
Magnetic Shielding   Magnetically Shielded 
Components
Woofer Material   Polymer Composite 
Woofer Size  4″ 
Tweeter Size  1″ 
Design
Exterior Color   Black 
Dimensions
Width  16.5 in. 
Depth  6 in. 
Height  5 in. 

“I do not claim to be a speaker expert. However, these little speakers by Wharfedale sure are great for rear channel speakers (as I am using them). They were also one of the few options given to me by a sterio expert due to the fact that my entertainment center is in the top story of my house and the side walls are angeling inward. Therefore, the diffuse design of these provides a very forgiving speaker in a well below optimal setting.

Design
——
Taking these speakers out of the box, I noticed how well made they are. They are encased in a solid wood box which seems very sturdy with low resonance. The posts on the back of the speaker have nice useable thumb screws which effectively grip the speaker wires with no fear of them jarring loose. Also included on the back of the unit is a sturdy mounting bracket which looks overbuilt for the size and weight of the speaker. Also, the finish quality of the speaker is tremendious for the price.

The overall design of this speaker is somewhat unusual. These are bidirectional units. In other words, there are actually two 4″ bass-mid woofers and two 1″ tweeters per unit. (One woofer and one tweeter per side). The sides of the unit are angled at around 45 degrees apart, which means that these speakers actually diffuse sound. Not necessarly optimal for many rooms, but for my unusual circumstance, these work perfectly.

Sound Quality
————-
Using my current setup (Denon Receiver, Wharfedale Powercube 12, Wharfedale Diamond 8.3 fronts and a WH2 Center channel), these speakers sound suprisingly good. I was a bit concerned at first with the bipolar design, but it has actually proved to be ideal for the slightly unusual mounting angle talked about earlier. Playing CD and DVD quality sound is crisp and clear, though sometimes the high range is a little sharp for my tastes. (A little tuning of my receiver has eliminated some of this problem)

While these may not stack up to some of the higher end surround speakers, for the price, they are unbeatable.

Overall
——-
I would be a liar if I said that I wasn’t impressed with these speakers. While I have friends with better surround speakers, (and even trying some of them) I found that these speakers are about the only thing that sounds good in my odd shaped room. (An un-named very high-end speaker sounded horrible with the angled walls).”

Wharfedale Diamond Anniversary Main / Stereo Speaker

Speakers Function  Main / Stereo 
Nominal Power  100 Watt RMS 
Construction   2-Way 
Connectivity   Cable 
Technical Features
Peak Power Handling  175 Watt 
Frequency Reponse  40 Hz – 20000 kHz 
Sensitivity  89 dB 
Impedance  8 ohm 
Magnetic Shielding   Magnetically Shielded 
Bi-amping   With Bi-amping 
Components
Woofer Material   Fiber 
Woofer Size  5.12″ 
Tweeter Size  1″ 
Design
Outdoor/Indoor   Indoor 
Mounting  Bookshelf 
Terminal   Binding Post 
Cabinet Finish   Wooden 
Dimensions
Width  7.6 in. 
Depth  9.5 in. 
Height  11.8 in. 
Weight  11.6 lb.

“I should start out by say that I am a huge fan of Wharfedale loudspeakers. Ever since I first head a set of the Legendary E90s, I have been convinced Wharfedale produces the best loudspeaker for the money. There are certainly better, but not for the price. My first experience with Wharfedale’s Diamond loudspeaker range began with the Diamond 6R, followed by the Diamond 7.2, and then, the subject of this review, the Diamond 7.2 Anniversary Limited Edition.

The Good

The Diamond 7.2 Anniversary Limited Edition (from here on Diamond 7.2ALE) is the upgraded version of the very good Diamond 7.2. Improvements over the standard Diamond 7.2 are an enhanced bass driver, improved crossover, and facilities for bi-wiring/bi-amping. Additionally the Diamond 7.2ALE was available in a choice of real wood veneers (the standard version was available only in a simulated black-ash vinyl veneer). Being involved in professional audio for some years, I know what the benefits of bi-amping are. You can use a heftier amp for the bass driver, and cleaner one for treble. With speakers rated for 100 watts, you obviously do not need a QSC PLX3402 for bass and a Peavey CS-400 for treble, but the same benefits can be applied. The standard Diamond 7.2 was noted for its incredible bass response from a driver no larger than a CD. With a lower rated frequency response of 40Hz, it dipped down into 12 and 15-inch woofer range. The Diamond 7.2ALE does not necessarily go lower, but it produces the lower octaves with more gusto than its standard counterpart. The treble of the standard Diamond 7.2 was regarded as fairly warm sounding, especially so with tube amps. The Diamond 7.2ALE has a bit more forward sound with a little more edge to the treble, but not too much, as to make it sound harsh. With classical music, these truly display their gem-like qualities. Higher pitched stringed instruments and woodwinds sound clear, clean, and uncluttered. Instruments in the lower registers are clearly defined and do not disappear in to a “bass soup” as they often do with lower quality speakers of similar price or size. On rock or pop music, the limitations of being a smaller loudspeaker come more in to play. With classic rock the Diamond 7.2ALE performs more than admirably, managing to outperform loudspeakers many times its size. But on newer pop recordings, the bass driver can easily reach its maximum excursion, resulting in a dreadful “snap” sound. Kept within reasonable listening levels, they can perform well on all types of music.

The Bad
As good of a loudspeaker as they are, the Diamond 7.2ALE still has certain caveats. Most notably is how fragile they are. The original Diamond 7 range was plagued by the plastic (what Wharfedale termed “Audio Stealth”) baffles breaking where the screws holding them together went in to the back of the front baffle. Often this manifested as a rattling sound when playing musical pieces with lots of mid-bass sound. This was often misdiagnosed as a bad woofer, although it was actually the baffle. Wharfedale seemed to improve the material, but I occasionally find I have to tighten the screws holding the baffles together. Another point worthy of nit picking is the material used for the rest of the cabinet. Most other loudspeakers that otherwise have this much design consideration use high-quality MDF for the cabinet. The standard Diamond 7.2, along with the Diamond 7.2ALE, use cheaper particleboard. More nitpicks include the wider than necessary spacing of the speaker terminals (they are too wide to use dual banana plugs), and the fragile grilles (which I do not use anyway).

The Ugly
This is a well designed, if not fragile, loudspeaker. Nothing on it is so bad that I would call it ugly.

One Sentence Summary
Go out and get a set… Now!”

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Wharfedale Speakers

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