hotbluesjun

Overall Rating
 5 of 5

Value Rating
 5 of 5

Used product for
1 to 3 months

Price Paid:  $2100.00 from royal sound

Summary:
Actually, what I bought is OPUS2-1speakers.
I connect them with my QUAD909 AMP, QUAD CDP2 CD player.
The sound is very nature, acurate and a little bit warm.
The speaker body is beautiful, you can not find any others as good as this pair under $5000.
This speaker have one 8 " bass unit, so it's not booming. I try to connect a Jamo dual 8" subwoofer to improve the bass. The result is not very good. I found the subwoofer can not produce high quality and accurate bass which can match with OPUS.
I am happy to own this nice speakers. I would highly recommend it.

Strengths:
extremly good tremble.
nature middle unit.
accurate bass.
good resolution.

Weaknesses:
bass could be better with 10" unit.

Similar Products Used:
wharfedale diamond studio monitor

luckiestmanalive

Overall Rating
 5 of 5

Value Rating
 5 of 5

Used product for
1 to 3 months

Visitors rate this review
4.75 of 5, 4.00 votes

Price Paid:  $1890.00 from LV Martin, Wellingto

Summary:
I decided to treat myself when my bonus came through this year as saving the whole lot seemed miles too boring. I had owned my Monitor Audio Bronze B3 floorstanders for a few years and although I loved the tight bass, I began to feel they lacked a little refinement in the mid-range and highs.

I first tested a pair of MA silver-series RS6 floorstanders (big-brothers to my bronzes) and decided they were a step-up worth paying for. However, I was determined to try out a pair of Wharfedale EVO30s and when I did I felt the silk domes produced a character I liked slightly better than the metal domed MAs but I remember thinking the RS6s placed the instruments and voices a little more precisely (although that might have been more to do with the relative quality of the different sources and amplification).

Then a local store advertised the Opus 1s at half price (note the price that appears above is in $NZ dollars) - equalling the price I was ready to pay for the EVOs and the RS6s - so I eagerly went in to try them out. I was not overly impressed in the store as there was no listening room and the source and amplification were strictly budget. But I took them home for a seven-day free trial and tested them against my MA bronzes.

Unpacking and setting them up made me feel like I was a concert pianist setting up on stage. Wharfedale provide you the QA test charts for your pair of loudspeakers, a manual, brass floor spikes and plates (for wooden floors), bi-wire links, and 2 pairs of white cotton gloves! Moving these large speakers with cotton gloves felt a little unsafe but the piano gloss finish is fantastic and better kept fingerprint-free. The build quality is very good but the cheap and flimsy covers are a real let-down. I guarantee you will break at least one of the plastic pegs if you decide to remove and replace the covers a few times. I have also seen shop-floor models with the 'Wharfedale' logo missing.

I paired them using a single run of QED silver anniversary speaker wire to my trusty old Plinius 3100 power amp, fed from the pre-outs of my Onkyo TX-SR702 receiver and my Marantz DV6500 DVD/SACD player (not the best source, I know). Then I settled down to listen to some or my old favourites.

I listened to much of Damien Rice's 'O' CD, some tracks from the Magic Numbers self-titled debut album, Sufjan Stevens' "Come on feel the Illinoise" album and a whole bunch of other stuff. In a nut-shell, I was very impressed. These speakers were superior to my MAs in nearly every respect right out of the box!

The only area they fell short was in the tightness of the bass. My MAs were sand-filled and weighed 25kg each and though they were about a note short of the bass the Opus 1s can accomplish, the bass from the Wharfedales was a good deal more flabby. I also would have expected the Wharfedales to reach a little lower given their size.

The flabbiness I put down to their position as I'm told by other owners they are entirely happy with the bass from their Opus 1s. I don't have a lot of leeway from the rear and side walls so I will just have to put up with this flaw until I move. Over time I think the bass has become less flabby (or I've just become accustomed to it).

My recollection of some the differences I heard that day in reference to my MAs is of a lessening of sibilence, an increase in the preciseness of voices and instruments around the soundstage (more across than deep), a more natural weight to the notes on the piano, and more detail evident in the brushwork on the snare drum.

I love the sound quality of my Opus 1s and have decided to keep them even though I think they look too big and bulky (I loved the compact look of the old MAs) for my room. I've even noticed over the last month or so that I don't close my eyes so much when I'm listening to music. I've grown too fond of their sound for them to offend my eyes.

Strengths:
Sound Quality
Cabinet finish

Weaknesses:
Cheap, flimsy covers with easily breakable plastic pegs
Relatively large and imposing floorstander
Bass doesn't go as low as their size might imply

Similar Products Used:
Monitor Audio Bronze B3 floorstanders
Wharfedale Valdus 400s (Hey! They were great for parties!)

Price Paid:  $1890.00 from LV Martin, Wellingto

Summary:
I decided to treat myself when my bonus came through this year as saving the whole lot seemed miles too boring. I had owned my Monitor Audio Bronze B3 floorstanders for a few years and although I loved the tight bass, I began to feel they lacked a little refinement in the mid-range and highs.

I first tested a pair of MA silver-series RS6 floorstanders (big-brothers to my bronzes) and decided they were a step-up worht paying for. However, I was determined to try out a pair of EVO30s and when I did I felt the silk domes produced a character I liked slightly better than the metal domed MAs though I remember thinking the RS6s pplaced the instruments and voices a little more precisely (though that might have been to do with the different source and amplification).

Then a local store advertised the Opus 1s at half price (the price I paid is in $NZD) - equalling the price I was ready to pay for the EVOs and the RS6s so I eagerly went in to try them out. I was not overly impressed in the store as there was no listening room and the source and amplification were strictly budget. But I took them home for a seven-day trial and tested them against my MA bronzes.

Unpacking and setting them up made me feel like I was a concert pianist setting up on stage. Wharfedale provide you the QA test charts for your pair of loudspeakers, a manual, brass floor spikes and plates (for wooden floors), bi-wire links, and 2 pairs of white cotton gloves! Moving these large speakers with cotton gloves felt a little unsafe but the piano gloss finish is fantastic and better kept fingerprint-free. The build quality is very good but the cheap and flimsy covers are a real let-down. I guarantee you will break at least one of the plastic pegs if you decide to remove and replace them a few times. I have also seen shop-floor models with the 'Wharfedale' logo missing.

I paired them using a single run of QED silver anniversary speaker wire to my plinius 3100 power amp, fed from the pre-outs of my Onkyo TX-SR702 receiver and my Marantz DV6500 DVD/SACD player (not the best source, I know). I then settled down to listen to some or my old favourites.

I listened to much of Damien Rice's 'O' CD, some tracks from the Magic Numbers self-titled debut album, Sufjan Stevens' "Come feel the Illinoise" album and a whole bunch of other stuff. In a nut-shell, I was very impressed. These speakers were superior to my MAs in nearly every respect right out of the box!

The only area they fell short was in the tightness of the bass. My MAs were sand-filled and weighed 25kg each and though they were about a note short of the bass the Opus 1s can accomplish, the bass from the Wharfedales was a good deal more flabby. I also would have expected them to reach a little lower given their size.

However, the flabbiness I put down to their position as I'm told by other owners they are entirely happy with the bass from their Opus 1s. I don't have a lot of leeway from the rear and side walls so I will just have to put up with this flaw until I move. Over time I think the bass has become less flabby (or I've just become accustomed to it).

My recollection of some the differences I heard that day in reference to my MAs is of a lessening of sibilence, an increase in the precisess of voices and instruments around the soundstage (more across than deep), a more natural weight to the notes on the piano, and more detail evident in the brushwork on the snare drum.

I love their sound and have decided to keep them even though I think they look too big and bulky (I loved the compact look of the old MAs) for my room. I've even noticed over the last month or so that I don't close my eyes so much when I'm listening to music. I've grown too fond of their sound for them to offend my eyes...

Strengths:
Sound Quality
Cabinet finish

Weaknesses:
Cheap, flimsy covers with easily breakable plastic pegs
Relatively large and imposing floorstander
Bass doesn't go as low as their size might imply

Similar Products Used:
Monitor Audio Bronze B3 floorstanders
Wharfedale Valdus 400s (Hey! They were great for parties!)

dakar80124

Overall Rating
 5 of 5

Value Rating
 5 of 5

Used product for
1 to 3 months

Visitors rate this review
4.50 of 5, 2.00 votes

Price Paid:  $1700.00 from Demos

Summary:
I bought these Wharfedale Opus 1's used after seeing them for sale. I was out trying to find a new pair of main speakers for my new apartment. I listened to many different speakers - Klipsch, Kef Uni-Q, NHT, & B&W along with a couple others. Most of these sounded good but just seemed to be lacking in one thing or another. The biggest disappointments were the Kef Uni-Q speakers and the B&W 804S. The Kefs while only priced at $1200 a pair were nice but sounded to subdued and laid back. The Klipsch and B&W's just didn't quite capture female voices as well as I like and for the price of the B&W's I expected a little better. A nice surprise were the NHT Classic 3 speakers and Kef XQ1 but I wanted a small to medium sized floorstanding speaker. I also listened to the B&W 802D and Kef Ref. 205. Both of these sounded terrific and were not lacking in any detail but are way out of my budget. So I gave a listen to the Wharfedale Diamond 9.6 speakers and was impressed. Almost bought them but then saw the Opus 1's for sale slightly used on the internet, the dealer didn't carry the Opus line around here. Did a little research and decided to take a chance and bought them.

I was also in the process of upgrading my whole system so when these arrived I had various components sitting around and first connected these to my old Adcom 500 preamp & 555 amp (since sold). Immediately I noticed the wide soundstage and very clear (and in my view uncolored) music coming from them. Female voices sounded very natural and open and male voices sounded great as well. The large soft metal dome mid-range really does sound great. When listening to all the various speakers I primarily listened to a few different songs. One was Stevie Ray Vaughan's Tin Pan Alley on 2 channel SACD. This is basically 3/4 instrumental and 1/4 singing. It sounds good on many speakers and you have to really turn it up and listen for the details. In my apartment where my speakers are not optimally placed in my 13'x15' living room due to a door, windows and a gas fireplace, I closed my eyes and almost felt like I was listening to a live rendering. I did not quite get this feeling at the different stores I went to and listened in their optimal setting using better equipment than mine.

After selling the Adcoms I connected the Opus 1's to my new Yamaha RX-V2700 Receiver. I got overly taken away by all the features it offers and the 140 watt/channel. This is one of the best receivers you can get imo and I listened to several. However for 2 channel stereo it did not sound quite as good as the Adcom and I was disappointed with the bass coming from my Opus 1's. I thought hmmm, I should consider getting the Opus 2 or 3's instead. But then I picked up a used B&K 4420 amp along with a used NAD 116 preamp. This sounded even better than the Adcom and the bass was back in the Opus 1's. It added an additional level of dimension to the sound and created a deeper soundstage. The well defined bass was deeper and stronger while the highs were a little more clear and slightly less harsh. This is not to say the Yamaha didn't sound good, but it can't match a nice quality 200 watt/channel amp and nice preamp in 2 channel stereo. I have since sold the NAD and B&K components and have instead gotten a nice 5 channel Rotel amp that I am running off the Yamaha. This is working very well and giving me very good stereo sound as well as a 7.1 surround.
In doing all of this I also sold my very nice Kef XQ2C center channel speaker and have ordered the Wharfedale Opus center. I wanted to match the sound as much as possible for all my front speakers. Thus I have been using my system for movies and music without a center for almost 2 weeks now. However with several movies I can sit and watch and almost swear the sound was coming from my HDTV but in fact each speaker is at least 5' away from it. The Yamaha can compensate its surround w/o the center and it and the Opus 1's do a great job.

So to summarize I think the Wharfedale Opus speakers are an exceptional sounding speaker in the $2k - $3k price range. I think you would have to spend a lot more to get better sound than these. Oh, did I mention how attractive and classy they look? The black piano gloss finish and the curved cabinets look very nice and go well with my decor. When moving some stuff around I accidentally nicked them in a couple spots, but I guess because of the varnish they use on these I was able to rub out the nicks and they disappeared. Use a decent amp with them and you got yourself a very nice sounding (and nice looking) system. I know I'll have mine for quite awhile.

Strengths:
Music sounds real, voices sound open and natural. Instruments such as guitar, piano and cello sound terrific. I've been listening to music much more now that I have these. Very nice looking speakers as well. Also, they don't mask the music so a bad recording sounds bad but most recordings I've listened to sound very good.

Weaknesses:
Not really big enough to have deep bass but I have a sub anyway. Need to take off grill covers if moving or shipping as pegs can break easily.

sonofjack

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, 3.00 votes

Price Paid:  $0.00

Summary:
I have been familiar with Wharfedale loudspeakers for a long time. My foray into good sounding electronics began with a pair of Wharfedale 508s speakers I purchased in October 1986 at New Paltz Audio in New Paltz, NY. At the time I had a lowly AV Technics receiver that I made due with, along with a Teac cassette deck and a cheap turntable. I also had a Hitachi Hifi/stereo VCR and a 20" JVC TV all of which was hooked up together, making it early Home Theater. The Wharfedale 508s were a decent size bookshelf model which sounded pretty good, even with their light bass. In 1990, I so called upgraded to Design Acoustic PS10As, didn't keep them for long for obvious sonic reasons; however, Design Acoustic had a sister speaker company known as Signet. I Purchased a pair of Signet SL280Ex I listened to on my way to audition some B&Ws in August 1994. The Signets were very good,so good in fact, I listened to them for 11 years. I sold them in May 2005. I needed to replace/upgrade again. My most recent purchase, was my current pair of Wharfedale Opus 1s. Although I have had them for only 3 weeks, I must say they are a very, very good sounding pair of loudspeaker. These are a different class of speakers from the 508s. Back then, Wharfedale wasn't under the IAG umbrella. I have auditioned the likes of JM Lab's Chorus line, Paradigm Studio, Energy C-series and Wharfedale's own Evolutions and Diamond 9 lines. The Opus 1s, to my ears sound better than all of them. The bass from the Opus 1s is somewhat lightweight(37hz) for these large-ish Floorstanders; My Signets were rated at a 30hz low end, and had way more bass output than the Opus 1s. In my opinion, the fabric dome tweeter and midrange that the Opus uses, gives an overall smoother, less edgy presentation than the metalic dome tweeter and cone mid/Woof of the Signets. The midrange from the Opus also betters the almost excellent midrange of the Signets. For low end, my Energy Encore 8 handles that excellent-ly. To my ears, the Wharfedales are better sounding speakers overall. I listen to urban and contemporary Jazz which uses many instruments and is one of the best sounding music around, I also listen to Smooth R & B and some rap. Being Jamaican, good Reggae (The likes of Morgan Heritage, Luciano, Freddie Mcgregor, culture and others), is also palyed with much frequency, both at home, and in the car. Electronics are an Acurus A100X3 Amp, an HK AVR 430 (used as pre/pro) and Yamaha DV C750 universal player. Together, this combination rocks with both music and home theater. Wharfedales still sound very good to my ears after all these years. Today they also look a lot better. Sonofjack

Strengths:
Excellent and clear mids, smooth and extend without being harsh fabric tweeter. The most excellent finish (Black Piano Gloss) I have seen on any speaker in or above speakers its price class.

Weaknesses:
Flimsy grill connectors, crazy glue works.

Similar Products Used:
Wharfedale Diamond 9.6, Signet SL280ex,