Wharfedale Pi-40 Floorstanding Speakers

Wharfedale Pi-40 Floorstanding Speakers 

DESCRIPTION

Wharfedale Pacific Series Pi-40 Floor Standing Speakers with Kevlar® Drivers (PAIR)

USER REVIEWS

Showing 1-8 of 8  
[Mar 25, 2018]
pathfinderaia


Strength:

Excellent clear sound. Beautiful wood finish

Weakness:

None

Price Paid:
2550
Purchased:
New  
Model Year:
2004
OVERALL
RATING
5
[Feb 24, 2016]
Yaniv
Audio Enthusiast

can anyone please recommend on the ideal amp for these babies ?

OVERALL
RATING
5
VALUE
RATING
5
[Feb 20, 2011]
jimndet
Audio Enthusiast

I first came across these speakers when working for a hi-fi retailer in 2003 and thought they were great value for money, but wasn't overly impressed as they didn't sparkle as much in the showroom as the B&W 6 series we were selling at the time.
I have now moved through the entire plethora of hi-fi , everything from cheap budget to mid-range amps and cd players, through to my current system consisting of Yaqin valve amps , Musical Fidelity A5 cd player & Rega Planer 3.
I picked these speakers up as I have moved the hi-fi into a larger room and required a much larger set of speakers to fill the space (they have replaced a pair of Quad 11l's), I thought they would be a short term fill in until I could purchase some better quality speakers.
Well I can only say that I won't be needing to spend the money - all that extra cash can be spent on MUSIC !!.
These speakers really sing, it doesn't really matter what kind of music you play through them. They are amazing, they have all of the detail of the Quads but with a massive soundstage and a deep and controlled bass.
I have played music daily and not one piece of music has caused them to struggle, they are equally at home playing Leadbelly or Roni Size.
I believe that the better your equipment , the more these speakers shine.
I have had a few pairs of new speakers in to try before buying, but none have managed to better the Wharfedales for being able to do so much with all types of music.
My impression all those years ago was definately wrong on so many levels - Initial listening can be difficult in a shop environment, the bright forthright sound of the B&W's sounds good straight out of the box, but does become tiring over time (I have had a couple of pairs over the years). Also the looks - these are a real statement, not only in size but also the tweeter pod shows hi-end credentials.
I believe that anyone who has good mid to high end equipment should give these a try if they manage to get their hands on a pair (I reckon these are going to become highly sought after, especially if a couple of reviewers get some to listen to a pair). YOU WILL BE MIGHTILY IMPRESSED. I can only say that they have stopped my search for speakers and am utterly happy with my purchase.
I

OVERALL
RATING
5
VALUE
RATING
5
[Mar 16, 2003]
proffski
AudioPhile

Strength:

Mid and treble, as good as the rest of them. Imaging is top notch as is the supersonic bass slam.

Weakness:

Ok, bass could be a little better controlled sometimes, will try foam or BAF in the port, wood veneer looks cheap at close inspection. Tweeter housing could be better designed.

Having had a pair of KEF Reference 3s on loan it was a shock to go back to my home made monsters. I found these at £250 which must be a bargain of the century. Remarkably articulte, faster than Ali and bass which not quite perfect is deep, clean and very extended. Vocals are as magnificent on opera as anything else you can throw at them. Terrific with home theatre, what else can I say?

Similar Products Used:

Nothing to touch them at this price! These were a bargain at a shade under £600, at £250 a steal!

OVERALL
RATING
5
VALUE
RATING
5
[Mar 03, 2003]
Colin^
Audio Enthusiast

Strength:

1. Bass. Deep, taught, tight, fast, oh and did I mention fast? And very very clean! 2.Midrange:- Delicate, sweet,crystal clear. Female vocalists sound like you are in the same room with them. Male vocals are the same. No chestiness or symbilance. 3. The highs. What can I saw? Brushed cymbols sound like the do in real life. Need I saw more.

Weakness:

None. But a qualified None. Partner it with GOOD cd and amp and these babies sing.

Well. I decided to revisit my review of these dspeakers on my old audio equiptment. I thought now that I had reached the 21st century products, I should revise my review. I now use a NAD 541i CD Player, NAD C370 amp, and a NAD tuner to drive my Pi40's. Without a doubt the Pi40's like a lot of power to drive them, though I have driven them with a 40watt amp, and 85 watt amp and the C370 that will put out 185 RMS into 8ohms,20-20kh at .0001% distortion. I found with the C370, they somehow are now under better control. To be honest, Loud Rock with my last two amps, and no they weren't being driven into clipping, but with the C370. WOW!!! The speakers will play at deafening levels now without any audible distortion. Bass is now even better. Tighter, faster, deeper and cleaner!! W00t W00t. The low level detail is amazing now! IT always had a midrange to die for, but it just got better.Every improvement, or little upgrade has made a HUGE difference to the Pi40's. Clearly, they just reveal what they are being fed! KImber interconnects, I could hear the difference, and I was a sceptic! These speakers have since been superceded by the EVO range. Snap a pair up as the prices have dropped dramatically!! I think they are going to be a sleeper, audio hit.

Similar Products Used:

Studio Monitors

OVERALL
RATING
5
VALUE
RATING
5
[Aug 26, 2002]
pangl
Audio Enthusiast

Strength:

Look. Decent bass and clarify for a home theater setup.

Weakness:

Mid lacks body and clarify. Very thin high. Major distortion at large volume.

I purchased a pair simply because I think they look different. I also think that the design is worth an audition for new my home theater setup. Anyway, I got an used pair which is supposed to be fully broken in. I found the bass aplenty but is rather loose. The overall sound is bright and forwarding. The mid is OK but you will find much better value with JM Labs and DynAudio, and possibly Linn. What you paid is what you get. But value-wise, you could get much better else where. Associated equipment: Sony DVP-9000ES SACD/DVD player Wadia 25 D/A digital preamp Mark Levinson #23 amp NBS Monitor 3 cables all around P.S. Don't let the MSRP fool you. The Pacific 40, which is supposed to be "audiophile" quality per advertisement, is mid-fi at best.

Similar Products Used:

Wharfedale Sapphire/Valdus/Modus; Newform Research R645; B&W 605 S2; B&W Matrix 801S2; Castle Howard II; Magnepan MMG; Revel M20 and F30

OVERALL
RATING
3
VALUE
RATING
3
[Jul 23, 2002]
rsmcphee
AudioPhile

Strength:

Astonishing details, clarity, seamless integration, and value

Weakness:

Style is an personal choice. Those tweeter pods may not appeal to everyone. But I think they are exotic. At extreme volume, the bass drivers seem to deteriorate in performance...but your neighbor and wife will hate you at that point...so you may have bigger problem.

First of all, let me discuss my set up. Here are the components I am using to listen to these fine speakers. I have: A/V Receiver: Onkyo TXDS797 THX certified 135 watts per channel for 6 channels at 6 ohm CD/SACD Player: Sony NC650V 5 CD/DVD Changer 5.1 Setup: Center: Wharfedale Pacific Series, Surround Rear: Wharfedale Pacific PI 10 and Main: Wharfedale Pacific PI-40 Cables and interconnects: Monster cables Ultra all the way Subwoofer: Infinity HPs-1000 (1000 watts RMS) I have these speakers connected bi-wired and my room is about 14' by 30' @ 9' ceiling so I have room for them. These speakers require some break-in period. I recommend a whole weekend of using them to achieve their full potential. I use nothing but quality cables (Monster) with them. Positioning is also crucial with these speakers; I suggest 10 inches between walls (and in either side of the speakers). The tweeter pod can be rotated to improve imaging and sound stage. This feature is only seen with higher end speakers such as B&W Nautilus and Kef Reference Series line up and quite rare in this price range. I must say that Wharfedale really did their homework with these speakers. The vocals are produced with mesmerizing details and clarity. The integration is seamless with the bass the treble. These speakers convey the emotions of music in-tack (as seen with SADE's Cherish the Day and Diana Krall's Look of Love). These speakers when used with PRO-Logic II (5.1 set up) can be a bit on the bright side. However, this can be addressed by adjusting the tweeter pod to meet the brightness that suits your style, hence this was not really a problem. At first I was not sure about purchasing these speakers on Ebay. However, as time passed by, I became more appreciative of the talents of these speakers. These are superb speakers for the money hands down. The only complain that I have with these speakers is that they are quite addicting. You can easily spend 2 hours of listening without even noticing it with these. They are smooth and non-fatiguing like the B&W 600 series (which I auditioned too). I absolutely love these speakers and glad that I bought them. The maple-colored cabinets are stylish with smooth finish that makes other furniture feel insecure. If you look closely, you can tell that these are made with quality material selection. They use Kevlar drivers, aluminum tweeters, and go

Similar Products Used:

Definitive Technology, B&W, Infinity, Klipsch

OVERALL
RATING
5
VALUE
RATING
5
[May 07, 2002]
Colin^
Audio Enthusiast

Strength:

Excellent on vocals and on well recorded cds. Bass can be a little boomy.

Weakness:

The speakers couldn''t cope Creed on high volumes, it seemed to come apart and is the same on some older cds I have.

I found the Pacific 40''s to be very very lucid and clear in the midrange and tweater area. Bass was a little boomy but has settled down over the last month, and is now much tighter. The speakers really impress on vocals. I have found old classic cds to be almost unlistenable in some cases. The speakers are too revealing on some cds I have and sound bad. Good quality recordings sound great.

Similar Products Used:

AWA Studeo monitors

OVERALL
RATING
5
VALUE
RATING
4
Showing 1-8 of 8  

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