Wharfedale Diamond 7.1 Bookshelf Speakers (Black Ash)

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Title : Wharfedale Diamond 7.1 Bookshelf Speakers (Black Ash)
Author : Wharfedale
Release Date : 20000510
Binding : Electronics
Regular Price : $149.98
Amazon.com Price : $ ( %)
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Editorial Reviews :
British loudspeakers are known and cherished for their precision and detail, and Wharfedale brings hefty helpings of both to a tiny, affordable speaker with astoundingly beefy low end. This two-way speaker is ported at the back--as it would have to be to pump out sound below 50 Hz. The amazing thing is that Wharfedale resorts to porting without also defaulting to a tubby, muddy, or grievously unbalanced tonal character. The Diamond 7.1s are cheery little things, extremely well suited to rear-channel home theater service or front-and-center bedroom, office, or kitchen placement.
These speakers are so small and lightweight that we questioned their ability to render even a facade of full-bodied sound. However, we were happily impressed. The Wharfedale 7.1s are detailed, effortless, warm, and punchy; what bass they can muster is firm and taut, like you'd want from a small speaker. Most speakers have trouble recreating the deep and woody sound of an acoustic upright bass; on the Diamond 7.1s, recordings of this instrument sound articulate and musical, if not necessarily six feet tall.

The Diamond 7.1s sound best at medium-to-loud levels, but you do get more bass as you crank them up, and distortion doesn't seem to be a worry (see our accompanying FAQ for more on Wharfedale's antidistortion measures). The speakers are fairly dynamic, though they do compress a little under high-power, bass-heavy material. They also sound a little piercing at the level where the low end sounds right for rock listening--in this respect the removable grilles help, so if you're going to listen loudly, leave 'em on.

Imaging is good, and the Diamond 7.1s offer a good sense of low-level ambient detail, especially with ambient recordings commonly found on classical CDs. Often small speakers, even very good ones, will really dry up ambient recordings--that is, shrink the perceived room size where the musical performance is taking place. This is largely because so many bookshelf speakers have little deep bass, and many ambient or spatial cues live in low tones and in room resonances that make up the atmosphere of a recording, rather than in specific musical tones.

If pressed to name shortcomings, we'd say the Diamond 7.1s' high frequencies are not as smooth or effortless in quality as those from pricier speakers and are a little too pronounced (emphasizing, for instance, the tape hiss present on CDs mastered from analog tapes). And the bass, for all its pleasing qualities, is a little muddier than one would want in an ideal speaker. But considering the per-dollar level of quality here, these quibbles are easily forgiven.

For a budget sound system or merely a compact, secondary-use pair, we highly recommend Wharfedale's Diamond 7.1 bookshelf speakers.

Buyer Reviews :
Ok - just when I wanted to order another Wharfedale Anniversary set (love those in the living room) for the hobby room there are no more. Limited budget, so what do I do now? Ordered with a sigh this 7.1 pair. Just got them set up and fired up on an NAD 7155 receiver. They are very tight! I've auditioned a lot of speakers and actually got earaches at low volumes with some 'audiophile' (high priced) speakers, because the bass and mids had a very strange resonance and phase shifting thing going on, that actually hurt my ears for real. Not these little guys. Beautifully driven, but I also suspect they really like a good amp to develop some volume, something to consider. Maybe the other reviewers' complaints about highs are from people that aren't used to hearing them? After the Boston CR75 pair I junked out (award winning, hence over priced, high pitched, mushy bottomed - enough said?) these Wharfedales are perfectly balanced. I finally get to hear all the detail while not in the living room McIntosh driven (the high end amp, not the computer) environment with the slightly larger Wharfedale Anniversary speakers. The 7.1 pair sounds very dynamic. A whack on the drum is a dry and hard one with no wobbely bits. The high end is NOT exagerated, but everything is there and I can pick out the accompanying brass, strings, vocals, well the whole shebang. Sounds like a thick heavy curtain has been removed and I am finally close to the stage or right in the studio. Anybody who sets these up in an apartment and complains about lack of bass is a complete utmost fool and deserves the eviction he will get for sure. No subwoofer needed for me, I can HEAR the lows. All in all, these and the Anniversary edition are hands down the biggest bang for the buck I ever had. With buying TWO Wharfedale pairs I still haven't spent the money I blew on my last set of award winners (the Bostons, bad move). Somebody pinch me.

Pros:
Sound is balanced, tight, clear, detailed, delivers punch, good dynamics, great for rooms under 200 sq-ft IF properly positioned.
Cons:
consider the price! NO CONS

(by Owen LaPrath)

Features/Technical Specs :
* 2-way, ported bookshelf speakers
* Compact size
* 48-to-20,000 Hz frequency response
* 100 watts RMS maximum power handling
* 5-way binding-post terminals

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