gvm0116

Overall Rating
 5 of 5

Value Rating
 5 of 5

Used product for
More than 1 year

Visitors rate this review
5.00 of 5, 1.00 votes

Price Paid:  $6500.00 from sound room

Summary:
Wharfedales are not that known here in the Philippines, especially down south. When I went to scout for a new system to replace my pricey good for movies but pathetic in music Sony DAV sc-8, one of the better stores in Cebu city recommended to be the 9.1 over the Bose 201's and 301's partly due to the built quality, materials used and price. But on top of it all, I was fully convinced of the sound quality it delivers especially in music mode. I told the salesman that I was willing to pay anywhere up to Php15,000 for my front speakers (I was to purchase my centre and surrounds later). He told me to look beyond the brand as I had my sights fixed at the Bose 301's at first then introduced me to the curvey black 9.1's. It was love at first sound! Hitherto, I am so impressed how these small speakers deliver rich, warm yet clear sound that is so pleasing to the ears.

Strengths:
highs, mids and lows are so detailed it's like being inside the studio. you can never go wrong with it. great for movies but even greater for music.

Weaknesses:
don't have enough time to listen to it as im out of my room for most of the day.

al2098

Overall Rating
 5 of 5

Value Rating
 5 of 5

Used product for
1 to 3 months

Visitors rate this review
1.00 of 5, 1.00 votes

Price Paid:  $200.00 from Ebay

Summary:
I wanted a set of inexpensive speakers for a second system in my home office. I have never bought a speakers without auditioning many brands, but I gambled and bought the Wharfedale Diamond 9.1s based on various reviews. My gamble paid off, because Wharfedale got this one right! 9.1s are sold in many places for $250USD per pair, and they are nothing short of amazing for that price.

Wharfedale Diamond 9.1s sound like far more expensive speakers. They deliver an open treble without sounding harsh. The mid range has very little coloration. Bass is quite solid for a 5" woofer in a small cabinet. The test that accompanied Stereophiles review noted output down to 40 hz. Bottom line, Wharfedale has managed to avoid the pitfalls that render most inexpensive speakers unlistenable.

The build quality is great. Solid, curved cabinets, Kevlar woofer with rubber surround, good quality terminals with bi-wiring capability. Yes, it's a vinyl laminate, but it looks pretty good in Cherry.

The Diamonds are good enough that they warrant being used with decent amplification and good cables. They definitely sound much better when bi-wired. I got good results with DH Labs Q-10 in an internally bi-wired configuration. If you don't want to spend the extra dollars for two runs, at least replace the jumpers that are supplied with quality speaker wire to realize just how good these inexpensive speakers can sound.

Strengths:
Relative lack of coloration in the mid-range. Vocals are GOOD - and that's rare at this price point.
Silky top end - Wharfedale used a great tweeter for a budget speaker!
Good bass for the size.
Build quality of the drivers and cabinet
Bi-wire capability.
Attractive appearance with contoured sides
Inexpensive - $250 USD a pair from many online sellers

Weaknesses:
Wharefedale does not seem to have an active distributor in the US. The product is hard to find in a store to audition. The line probably deserves better US distribution and marketing.

Similar Products Used:
Meadowlark, Pinnacle, and have auditioned PSB, Totem, Dynaudio, Focal, Klipsch, Monitor, and B&W.

kanompia

Overall Rating
 5 of 5

Value Rating
 5 of 5

Used product for
More than 1 year

Visitors rate this review
4.00 of 5, 5.00 votes

Price Paid:  $300.00 from Local audio shop

Summary:
This is lovely speaker, how much I enjoy listen to Wharfedale Diamond.
I listen to it night and day. The sound is lovely, soft, smooth and enjoyable.
I’m using Luxman (L-2,L-5,L-580, C-02+M-02) , NAD 502 CD player and a pair of Wharfedale Diamond. This speaker bring the life to all kind of music especially when play it with Luxman. Because Luxman’s sound is soft and thin but Wharfedale Diamond make it a little bit bigger and that little bigger make music so sweet and lovely. Do not hesitate to buy it, I recommend.

Strengths:
1. Compare the price and quality it's best speaker in the same price range.
2. Smoothness and sound stage.
3. Lovely for any kind of music.

Weaknesses:
Spend too much time listen to it.

Similar Products Used:
Mission, KEF

nucleartape

Overall Rating
 5 of 5

Value Rating
 5 of 5

Used product for
Less than 1 month

Visitors rate this review
4.56 of 5, 9.00 votes

Price Paid:  $180.00 from Ebay

Summary:
The Wharfedale Diamond 9.1 bookshelf speakers are absolutely incredible. I purchased them on Ebay after researching the Wharfedale brand. This is my first pair of true hi-fi speakers and I'm impressed beyond words.
Lows- For a 5'' driver, these put out bass that is not only deep, but tight as well. Strong bass drum causes slight distortion (that may be because these speakers have less than 5 hours of playing time) but any bass with a fluid transition is sublime. Outkast's "I Like The Way You Move" has one of the lowest bass lines in modern music, and the 9.1's can accurately reproduce it, even at low volumes. Bass has not been "boomy" yet.

Mids- The Kevlar cone has self-dampening properties and the tapered shape of the speakers help to reduce resonance to an inaudible volume. All instruments shine through, and the brass sections in Johnny Cash's "Ring of Fire" and Frank Sinatra's "The Best Is Yet to Come" are not harsh. Vocals are incredible- male and female voices. The musicality of the Diamond 9.1's is astonishing.

Highs- The 25mm tex-dome tweeter is loud enough to reproduce cymbals in any song without becoming harsh. My old speakers were the Klipsch SB-1s, which had the Tractrix horn- loud and clear, but fatiguing to the ear. The tweeter on the Diamonds is rich and smooth, while being powerful enough so that you do not need to maximize the treble on your amp.

These speakers would be an excellent addition to any home theater setup or shelf system, so long as the room is sufficiently small. The room in which I have mine is 10' x 12', or about the size of a small bedroom, office, or dormitory.

With the 9.1s, there is absolutely no need to spend the extra money for the 9.2s or the PacEvo 8s or PacEvo 10s.

A wonderful speaker, even at $350 USD retail.

Strengths:
Warmth, clarity, musicality, completely discolored, balanced, range. Positioning is important, but the front-firing bass ports eliminate the need to be a specific distance from a wall.

They don't draw incredible amounts of power- I have them bi-wired (an absolute must) to a modest Onkyo TX-8200 series.

Little power is lost via the binding posts (gold-plated).

I think they're very good looking in the cherry finish, especially for a speaker at this price point.

Wall-mountable.

Weaknesses:
Not real wood- the finish does look quite handsome, however. If they were wooden cabinets, the warmth would be even greater.

You absolutely must have hi-fi or near hi-fi equipment "upstream".

Exposes flaws in recordings.

As with all Wharfedale equipment, cheap plastic grilles.

Similar Products Used:
Nothing under $600 USD compares.

Bowers-Wilkins DM600 S3

At the same price point, the put the Polk RTi 4/6 to shame.

etteoh

Overall Rating
 5 of 5

Value Rating
 5 of 5

Used product for
Less than 1 month

Visitors rate this review
5.00 of 5, 11.00 votes

Price Paid:  $270.00 from Hi-Fi 4 Sale

Summary:
Have you ever been in a spot when you had X amount of dollars (and X refers to a sensible amount that will not send the other half screaming louder than your ancillaries) to spend setting up a budget yet enjoyable system? Most of us had been there, done that. Very few were successful. Some were not satisfied with what they took back home and others had to sell their brand new Sonus Fabers after they lost their hearing capabilities from being over-exposed to the Spouse’s 180dB “Some Cash Ridiculously Expensed Alerting Module” – S.C.R.E.A.M for short :)

Fortunately, that is pretty much a thing of the past today, not because the spouse has changed but rather good sounding gears no longer cost an arm, leg and both ears. Take Wharfedale’s multi-award winning Diamond 9.1 speakers for instance. This rather small, diminutive pair of speakers speaks, or should I say sings for themselves.

I had the luxury of acquiring the 75th Anniversary Limited Edition 9.1s for only $270 from a nice chap who had just done less than 10 hours on them. Let’s just say his other half gave him a bonus cheque fat enough (and importantly, permission) to get himself a pair of mouth watering Dynaudios. I shall not delve into that further because we’re not here to discuss the Countours and Audiences now are we?

For those familiar with the 9.1s (who isn’t?) the Diamond 75 (supposedly their assigned name to distinguish them from the regular 9.1s) is cosmetically different. Wharfedale wanted to make a statement with these award winning mini monitors and a very bold statement they made indeed. I have to hand it to them for a job so remarkably well done. Just looking at the 75s, you cannot help but wonder if they (Wharfedale) made any profit at all pricing these small wonders the way they did. For starters, they come wrapped in a high quality real walnut veneer finish, champagne trimmed! The quality is so evident (from both touch and visual) that many testify it resembles the finish of the company’s flagship, Airedale! Wharfedale wasn’t kidding when they said the Diamond 75s are built to the highest standards.

Peep over to the back and you’ll find two very solid pairs of gold plated binding posts nicely mounted (controversially in a good way) to ensure bi-wiring is easily achieved. Roll your eyes up a little and my oh my, even the serial number plating is so well put together. Coming back to the front, the magnetic grille with vintage grille-cloth is simply eye-catching. Some might disagree but I personally found them to be rather unique and something out of the ordinary…something different from the usual suspect, that darn ol’ mundane black grille-cloth that we all grew so accustomed to seeing. Still, I won’t deny, as pretty as the grilles are, it’s a matter of taste. Wait, the surprises don’t stop there…owners of the 75s are also supplied with a laminated authentication certificate! “In ya’ face!” said Wharfedale to its rivals. As a whole, Wharfedale’s definitely upped the ante with the Diamond 75 and easily collect 5-stars for looks and build quality. Coming back to what matters most…the sound. I had at my disposal two different setups that I could toy the 75s with. First showdown, the 75s, sitting on 24” ATS stands went straight into the Exposure 2010 S integrated amp with Exposure’s very own 2010 S CD player as source. Cables were van den Hul’s The First interconnects and Magnum Hybrid speaker cables. Both ancillaries were powered by DH Labs’ Power Plus AC cords. The second setup is comprised of the award winning Cambridge Audio Azur 640A V2 integrated amplifier and also its award winning partner in crime, the Azur 640C V2 CD player. Cables were made up of DH Labs’ Silver Sonic BL-1 Series II interconnects and van den Hul’s CS-122 Hybrid speaker cables. Similarly both the Azurs were powered by DH Labs’ Power Plus AC cords. But we’re going to the kick off with the Exposures…

Playing Monty Alexander’s Sweet Georgia Brown, the piano pieces had significant impact and you could feel the vibes falling into place. This is a significantly difficult track to play accurately and budget stand mounts are expected not to do well in this area but the 75s managed to exert a degree of accuracy that I would expect coming only from speakers costing three or four times the price.

Moving on to a jazzy piece, Diana Krall’s Temptation took a turn for the bad as the track sounded a tad dull and slow but we must not forget that the 75s hardly had 10 hours worth of playback time prior to this so I wasn’t expecting anything magical. I am sure that given time, the drivers will loosen up, the soundstage will open and the dullness will fade away into oblivion. Otherwise they would not have been handed multiple awards if this was the way they actually sounded.

So how do the 75s do a classical piano piece? To my amazement, Beethoven’s piano sonatas, Opus 57 Appassionata and Opus 111, The last great piano sonata, both played by Carol Rosenberger sounded full and dynamic, falling short only on the lower registers. The 75s aren’t floorstanders so this was expected. A good sub will be able to address this shortfall. The mids remain clear and concise throughout but ambience took a slight hit. Pace isn’t quite there also (rock fans, look elsewhere) but again, the 75s aren’t fully burned in and I will reiterate that these will no longer be an issue once they do the time…or should I say hours. No, you rock fans still need to look elsewhere, sorry.

Throwing an easier and upbeat piece at it, the 75s handled Carmen Cuesta-Loeb’s Paralelo a lot better than it did Diana Krall. You could hear Carmen’s voice filling the room despite its size. The last I remember, only the Concertinos and its likes were that fulfilling. So should I sell the Sonus Fabers? Definitely not! Yoo hoo, reality check: The 75s don’t equal the Italian margue. Buying a pair and then expecting it to rival a Concertino is just like trashing your regular family sedan in a straight line speed test against an Enzo. Go figure. But for what they’re worth, they sure provide a one hell of a listening pleasure.

What about pairing the 75s on lesser equipment? Well I have the Cambridge Audio Azur 640s at hand but I should remind you while they aren’t as luscious as the Exposures (lust factor too), they’re certainly no pushovers. With the 640C V2 CD player feeding detailed notes into the 640A V2 amp, the 75s were driven with ease playing the same tracks and more often than not, I found it very difficult distinguishing if the 75s were still driven by the Exposures or not. Yes, the Azur 640s are that good. Look up a review on them and you’ll see why they were handed multiple awards. It also tells you the 75s aren’t the fussy type and bodes well with different range of equipment although due to their warm nature, I still think they would suit a solid state setup better than vacuum tube one.

In summary, I am blown away by how much I enjoyed listening to the Diamond 75s. My feet wouldn’t stop tapping and I found myself drawn towards the music more than listening for details. Shouldn’t enjoying music be like this? It has been a long time since I have listened to a budget box that had the build, looks, qualities and character of a premium variant except for carrying the same price tag. The curvy 75s are extremely handsome and your other half would definitely be more than happy to let them stand in the living room. So if you still have that X amount of dollars and your spouse says OK to a budget setup, treat her and yourself to a pair of 75s. You won’t be disappointed. I know I’m not because for the money, they're unbeatable!