Their current range includes Reva, Denton, Diamond 11 and Diamond 200 series, D300 and vintage-look Heritage speakers as well as the newer bluetooth DS-2 speakers and Vista 200 subwoofer. There's still plenty to admire in the way the Diamond 10.1s perform, but the emergence of some seriously talented rivals – such as the Arcaydis DM1 and Monitor Audio BX2 – has slightly taken the shine off this Award-winning speaker. Once the company settled down and moved into further development, it produced the then new Diamond 8 series in 2001 which triggered a steady improvement process to the Diamond 12 series I’m looking at today. CHINA And though others might disagree, I think the general tonality of the speaker is consistent enough that you can blend Diamond 9 and Diamond 10 components in the future should you ever decide to expand the system.

To make the most of the Wharfedale Diamond 10.1's stronger cabinet, the main drive unit chassis has been enhanced with a massive flange that is secured using six screws, thus improving its stability. A diamond pattern has also been moulded into the surround of the Kevlar cone; this is more than just cosmetic as the pattern reduces and damps standing waves in the surround, yielding a cleaner high-frequency acoustic roll-off and enhancing the ability of the mid/bass unit and tweeter to work as a cohesive whole. The Diamond 10.1 is based on the hugely successful 9.1, while showcasing a number of impressive improvements. Most notably, the cabinet of the 10.1 has been redesigned with greater internally braced curved sides. This ensures that the cabinet walls are protected from bending or flexing while in use so you can enjoy a crystal clear and immaculately pure performance. High-Calibre Construction The downside is that now I want to upgrade the rest of the home theatre speakers! I love the way the Wharfedale Diamond 10.1 sound and they are plenty good for the use I make of them (playing music in the living room and now watching movies; not too loud because I have neighbours upstairs) so I'd like to keep them and get speakers that fit with them.Wharfedale has also tried to enter other markets. For example, you can buy Wharfedale brand PA equipment. For a while they tried to enter the DJ market with the Valdus and Xarus speaker lines. These were high-powered high-output speakers, that were a bit less refined, but very attractively priced. Perfect for Amateur or small venue DJs. The cabinets feel substantial and robust. Affordable they may be but Wharfedale has clearly channelledas much of the cost as possible into their construction – a foundationon which good sound quality is always built. I have owned many Wharfedale speakers and I have to say they are probably the most consistent brand across their models as far as quality, don't get me wrong though most of the model lines have different sound signatures. Currently I own the Evolution 40's up front with the Evo center and Opus tri surrounds in the rear and the sound is so balanced and clear. I have owned the following models over the years: The Diamond 100 Series is the latest incarnation of Wharfedale’s award-winning Diamond range, and a culmination of the lessons Wharfedale have learned throughout the 30 years of rich heritage. Featuring 4 floorstanding models, 2 bookshelf models and 2 centre speakers, the new Diamond 100 series has something for everyone, and is at home in a multi-channel surround sound system as it is a conventional hi-fi stereo setup. Sure, that might mean that the Diamond 12.1s may offer a touch less dynamic reach in upper mid terms but, quite frankly, when you hear the Wharefdales you’re not thinking about that at all. You don’t hear anything missing here at all. You only hear the added bass, the well-developed nature of the musical presentation and the extra layers of detail on offer.

These improvements have been applied not only to the Wharfedale Diamond 10.1, but also to the rest of the extensive Diamond 10 Series. The full range - details of which will be announced shortly - includes two further stand-mount speakers and five floorstanding designs, plus three centre speakers, a dedicated surround speaker and three active subwoofers for home cinema applications. The company was sold to the Rank organisation in 1958. In 1981 work began on the Diamond, the first in this venerable series. In the early 90s, Rank sold Wharfedale to the Verity Group, who also bought Quad and Leak. A low-damping surround was sought too. The Klarity diaphragms are driven by a magnet system with an aluminium compensation ring to, “…minimise the effect of variations in inductance as the voice coil travels.”

So who is it then? Well, if you’re a fan of Q Acoustic designs or you have heard designs like the 3020i and 3030i and liked those then you will also be expressing admiration for the designer, German-based Karl Heinz Fink. Karl was effectively the launch designer for the Q Acoustic brand but left Q Acoustic around two years ago, give or take. Karl, who also runs his own high-end design company called Fink Team for his own branded speakers, has been working with Wharfedale of late and is the brains behind the Diamond 12 series. Wharfedale is Britans oldest Loudspeaker manufacturer that has been around sinece the 1930's. So they have made many, many speakers over the decades; some real gems and some dogs.

They are what they are and they do what they do, but they are not what they are not, and they don't do what they don't do. Low Profile Chassis: The open nature of the chassis reduces reflection from rear cone movements, allowing air to move freely through the driver, which in turn results to an overall even response with a much lower distortion. Formed from a high density, injection-moulded polymer pioneered by Wharfedale, the chassis itself provides substantial damping of ring waves. The main part of the 130mm mid/bass driver is polypropylene. According to the company, drivers made from this stuff has “…a reputation in some quarters for sounding a little ‘unexciting’ – a perception that is largely the result of mediocre engineering.”

USER REVIEWS

OPUS-Definitely the class of the wharfedale line, need good dedicated amp to get the most out of this line. We are confident we have a speaker model to match every taste, requirement and budget, and we are here to offer advice on what speakers are right for you and your hi-fi system.

As for the Diamond 12 Series’ treble unit? It has a 25mm dome made from a woven polyester film with a high gloss coating. The front plate is flat and exposes the dome as much as possible. What they give you is top-table performance but they basically sit on a different facet on the same diamond (no pun intended), giving you something different and unique in terms of sonic style and choice. And I love the fact that choice is out there, ready to be selected. sarjan kaiuttimissa klassiset linjat yhdistyvät kiiltävänmustaan etulevyyn. Kotelon pyöristykset ovat syntyneet mdf-laminaattia lämpökäsittelemällä jolloin kotelosta on saatu jäykkä ja akustisesti vaimea. Refleksiputket on suunnattu taaksepäin. Elementtien trimmilevyt on valmistettu timanttileikatusta alumiinista. Takaosan liitinpaneeli on mustaksi viimeisteltyä valettua alumiinia. Lopputuloksena on saavutettu luonnollinen äänikuva sekä upea ulkonäkö. What we have here from the Diamond 12.1s is a speaker design that infuses the soundstage with a suite of relatively rich bass frequencies that carefully snuggle up to the mids and treble without imposing or dominating or swamping the same. So the detail remains, the delicacy in the treble is there, the detail from the mids too but now you have a rich presentation because the bass adds an additional dimension to the music as a whole.Partly that’s because it’s been going since 1932, when Gilbert Briggs built his first design in his basement in Ilkley in Yorkshire, England. A market town by the river Wharfe, a part of the world generally known to this day, as The Dales. Wharfedale being just one of those. In fact, I seriously considered living in Wharfedale at one time – the perfect place for an audiophile to dwell, eh? The airy presentation gives the subtle recording plenty of space to breath, while vocals have intimacy and texture.