Wharfedale Diamond 220

Product Information

The 220 could also play very loud. The only problem is that the port makes very obnoxious rattling sound that doesn't come out of the woofer. This only happens at very high volumes and you only hear it if you are close to the speaker. Even when they are bigger then the bostons, same sized woofer, go down to 56 hz (boston 55hz) i feel the bostons are more punchy,more bass,deeper bass, i know the wharfedales are not bloted or boomy speakers(as well as the bostons), i just want to turn the bass up,make it louder so i can hear it with the wharfedales (normally i don't use eq/tone controls)

The Diamond 220’s drivers are evidence of some serious engineering at Wharfedale. The highs are covered by a 1” fabric-dome tweeter with a ferrite magnet. Although on paper that doesn’t sound impressive, what I found remarkable was the deep waveguide in which the tweeter is recessed -- a full 0.75” from the surface of the speaker. The circumferential speed bump on the waveguide looks enough like a driver surround that you might, as I did, mistake the tweeter for a midrange driver. Wharfedale says that the waveguide performs a number of functions: it controls dispersion, increases power handling, and smooths the handoff from tweeter to woofer.

Although, the high frequency performance is actually pretty good on the speakers so long as you are facing them and they are put against a rear wall. The drivers, like the bass, are dynamic and powerful and create pristine vocals and clear synths. Want to know what the best sounding budget speakers on the market are? Easy, its Wharfedales brand-new Diamond 220s." What Hi-Fi Sound & Vision magazine, 5-star review.

The WH-D10 subwoofer has its 10-inch driver set behind a round grille and into a glossy baffle, which echoes those of the main speakers. Rated power is 150 watts RMS, pretty good for a budget sub. As with many subs, connectivity for this one consists of line-level inputs and outputs only—there are no speaker-level posts—and that’s OK for the 5.1-oriented consumer using the sub-out from a receiver or pre/pro. The sealed enclosure suggests a desire to trade bass wallop for bass articulation. The inquiring reader will find out whether the system’s promise is borne out in the Test Bench measurements and listening notes. Sensitivity With a sensitivity level of only 86 dB, Wharfedale Diamond 220 is a difficult to drive speaker from Sensitivity perspective, make sure to choose an amplifier with a high output if you like listening to your music at high volume levels. You may especially have a hard time using Tube amplifiers which are traditionally very low power compared to Class A/B or Class D speakers.Unless one can audition whatever is reviewed in his own room with his own equipment no opinion can be formed, good, bad or otherwise. Tweeters can be a bit crunchy at higher volumes if you aim for brighter sound with EQ. By default they're pretty mellow. Yes, no need to fear, the price for these speakers include two of these speakers for both left and right separation. Which makes them even better value. Our Final Say

Bass reflex is located on the bottom, between the speaker and the attached bottom board, so it’s out of sight. Binding posts are big and sturdy and ready for bi-wiring. That said, these speakers are great for those in small areas, and are more than enough to fill a small round well with dynamic bass and pristine highs. These would be pretty great for the gamers here too.Imaging is decent and I get some clear phantom center vocals with a broad stage between the speakers. I'm still messing with positioning width and think there's probably room for improvement. A steeper toe-in with a more forward position (away from the wall) nicely improves the stereo image. These are definitely nice for nearfield, but would sound good at a further distance too. The 5 inch woven Kevlar mids and bass driver from the 121 has come over to this model but is souped out with a bigger magnet which makes the bass more responsive and makes the harder easier to ‘drive’. One odd thing, I've never been one to swear by "break-in" but the longer these play, they better they seem to sound, and I've read people noting the sound continues to improve, potentially over weeks and even months. I've noted a subjective improvement, with the bass deepening and the clarity from the tweeters improving over several hours listening. I wonder if it has something to do with the materials. The woofer is woven kevlar, very stiff material so I wonder if it flexes and loosens up over time. We would recommend a subwoofer for the dance music lovers among us, this kind of music needs the extra boost an external subwoofer would bring to the table.