Wharfedale
Si tratta dell'alternativa low cost alle Mission nei diffusori da scaffale.Ma la qualita' anche se la fama e' elevata e' inferiore.
Modelli 8.1 e 8.2:da usare anche come canali principali e secondari nell'HiFi multicanale e Home theater di qualità.Meglio come canali Posteriori che per gli anteriori,per eccessive colorazioni del suono.
I prodotti migliori sono i subwoofer,per la loro massima economicita' ma preferibile Mordaunt anche se ad un 25% di costo in piu'; e i canali posteriori:gli anteriori sono meglio per il cinema che per la musica.
Per chi ama entrambi,cinema e musica, consiglio Mordaunt Short sui canali anteriori ed anche sub.Come solo sub l'indiana line arbour e' la soluzione ancora migliore.
Per i posteriori ove si puo' investire di meno si puo' rimanere su Wharfedale o sui piccoli Mission M30.
Mi spiego:ritengo il suono dei frontali 8.1 o .2 un po' gonfi sui bassi a discapito dei medi.Nei posteriori( canali d'effetto) dove il segnale non scende a basse frequenze e' accettabile ma non sugli anteriori .
un subwofer dal rapporto qualità prezzo imbattibile: unica alternativa il mordaunt short 907w, che costa un 25% in piu'(consigliato caldamente insieme all'Indiana Line Arbour sub).
un diffusore surround dal rapporto qualità prezzo imbattibile:anche esteticamente ben accoppiabile ai Mordaunt Short, quest'ultimida usare per i canali anteriori ed eventualmente anche per il sub.Ma consiglio due diffusori normali come Mission M30 o Mordaunt 902,validi anche per la musica multicanale.
By HiFi Choice:
The 8.2 is expressive and engaging, with good basic communication skills that make speech clear and intelligible
Wharfedale's Diamond models have roots that go back some twenty-odd years, but what started out as a radical little sub-miniature design way back in the 1980s has since evolved into a generic term which covers Wharfedale's complete range of 'budget' models.There are three Diamond 8s in total, consisting of two standmounts and a floorstander. All are two-way designs, this Diamond 8.2 sitting in the middle of the three, combining a good-size standmount enclosure with a generous 6.5-inch frame main driver - both of which make its £150 price tag look modest enough in the context of the group as a whole. It's comfortably the largest of the six speakers assembled for this group, with an internal enclosure volume of around 13 litres, and the second heaviest too at 6kg, so material value for money looks promising.The box wrap and back are in the usual rather anonymous and innocuous vinyl woodprint, while the front panel has a painted champagne finish, a slightly curved profile, and a central groove that runs top to bottom.Port-loaded in the front panel, the main driver here has a pressed steel frame, a modest magnet, and a yellow 125mm diameter Kevlar cone. The tweeter has a 28mm soft fabric dome, and the rear panel carries twin terminal pairs, permitting bi-wiring.The multi-lingual instruction leaflet includes a section on 'room positioning' - which might have been a good idea, were it not riddled with contradictions. One sentence talks about leaving a gap of 0.7-1m behind the speakers, while the next talks of shelf-mounting and wall-brackets. Our in-room measurements, meanwhile, strongly suggest the Diamond 8.2 in close-to-wall siting. Indeed, the traces show a serious (c8dB) loss of output below 100Hz when free-space sited, an alignment which is beautifully filled in when close to the wall.Sensitivity is a modest 86dB/2.83V over the broad midband, yet the load is a fairly demanding four ohms through the low frequency region. The frequency balance is a little unusual: it holds within good limits across the band, though the extreme top and bottom are rolled off, the central midband is a little too restrained (250Hz-1kHz), while the presence (1.5-3kHz) is relatively strong.Sound QualityA bit of a mixed bag, the 8.2 might be a little crude and middly but it's also dynamically quite expressive and engaging, with good basic communication skills that make speech notably clear and intelligible. But the top end lacks air, the midband could be smoother and the whole thing can sound a little too forced and strong, especially when pumping up the volume.That said, the main driver comes into its own when dealing with the heavy bass modulations on Wyclef Jean's Carnival. While it wasn't quite the loudest, it still hung in well, showing the advantage of this good-size driver, while also avoiding any unwelcome 'thumpy' tendencies. There is some midband hollowness and boxiness here, but on balance colorations seem pretty well controlled.ConclusionTo describe the Diamond 8.2 as cheap'n'cheerful would be to sell it short, though both adjectives seem highly appropriate here. It isn't the smoothest or the most discreet loudspeaker around, sonically or aesthetically, but it is a good basic communicator with a lively openness that's very persuasive in the light of its modest price tag.
FEATURESMeasures 19x29x18cm (WxHxD), MDF cabinet, 165mm Kevlar mid/bass cone, 25mm silk dome tweeter, 86dB sensitivity, 6 Ohm impedance, weight - 6kg
Review By Audiofile:
Diamonds are a girls best friend
By CHERYL GOH
Model: Wharfedale Diamond 8.1 loudspeakers
ITS that time of year again when Im feeling a little neither here nor there. The weekends pass by in the blink of an eye and I find myself staring intensely at this years calendar hoping to find a red-circled date indicating a public holiday. Unfortunately the one measly holiday bestowed upon us this merry month happens to fall on a Saturday.
Hit by the realisation of three more strenuous weeks, the slump into yet another black hole of endless working hours and perennial eye bags begins. This is when I tell myself that I need to chill out and hang loose for a second or two Im in definite need of a hot cup of coffee, comfortable sofa and Enya. That a pair of visiting Wharfedale Diamond 8.1 speakers, the latest incarnation of that 1980s gem that helped bring respectability to budget, small speakers, did something to clear a little of that gloom.
Its all in the cut
The Wharfedale Diamond 8.1 is the smallest in the 8 series range, which consists of bookshelves and large floorstanders such as the 8.3 and 8.4. I remember years ago, when I was shopping around for a budget home cinema set-up, I came across the little Wharfedale surrounds that were at the time the tiniest surround speakers I had ever seen. This was when I was first introduced to these British speakers; at the time, the brand was focused mainly on budget speakers.
When I first received the Diamonds, I expected them to come in a much smaller box the Diamonds were larger in size than I thought. I had just about enough lugging these cartons up my two-storey staircase. Thankfully, what followed it was fun and worth the hassle.
The speaker measures 296 x 198 x 181mm (h/w/d), and unlike my Mission 751s, the Wharfedale was indeed a slim speaker. I removed the front black spongy grille and exposed a yellow-coloured 130mm Kevlar cone staring right back at me. Now, where had I seen this before? Ah yes how could anyone forget? yyy was the first to come up with these weaved Kevlar cones that reminds me very much of a beehive, for some strange reason.
The front panel underneath the grille was coloured a matte champagne silver, very similar to that of the Yamaha range of speakers, only a little duller. Despite the champagne silver panelling, the yellow Kevlar cone matched it perfectly. Pace your eyes a little higher and youll find a 25mm silk fabric dome tweeter with ferrofluid cooling. We arent quite supposed to touch these delicate tweeters, but if I had they would have felt soft and spongy to the touch.
Turn the speaker around by carefully handling the edges of the cherry veneer and youre greeted with two pairs of 4mm bi-wiring gold-plated binding posts that are connected by gold plated links for single wiring options. The rest of the specs are quite standard, if a little lower end of the scale, with 86dB sensitivity and six-ohm impedance. By the looks of it, a beefy amp is needed to drive these Diamonds. Recommended power handling is about 100 watts, so my faithful Micromega Miniums would be more than adequate.
Diamond in the rough
Ancillaries used were the usual; two Micromega Minium integrated amps in mono alongside a pair of Musical Fidelity XA50 monoblocks. Source was a Marantz CD67 CD player linked to the amps via a Musical Fidelity X10D buffer with modified valves. The Diamonds were placed on my seriously rusty sand-filled Apollo AZ stands (must have been wet sand that they filled it with). Speaker cables were two metre runs of AudioQuest Indigo+ cable and interconnects were one metre runs of AudioQuest Quartz. To all those who have been reading my articles from day one, yes I know I need an upgrade. Care to donate? Hand-me-downs are always welcome (Tsk, tsk, resorting to such tactics A.L.)
The time had come after a tiring set-up session to test the mettle of the Diamonds. They, like any other pair of speakers, would need first to be run in to loosen them up. It was time for TechTV anyway, so I thought Id let them run in for a bit while I kept myself informed of all the lovely electronic gadgets out there.
A couple of hours passed. I must have dozed off. It was now time to make the most important decision of the day. What should I play? This has never been something easy for me to do. I started rummaging through my DIY CD drawer looking for something decent to start with. Well, there it was, sitting all dusty and worn from overuse, was the album I was looking for. Enyas Only Time, from the Sweet November album is a personal fave, and this was good time to relive the memories.
Flipping to track number three, I sat back in my comfy sofa and waited to see what the Diamonds could offer me. Could they live up to their expectations of being a What Hi-Fi 2001 award winner? The track started off with Enyas trademark echoey feel; background ambience reached far and wide way beyond the expected radius of the little Diamonds. The lingering sibilance added a touch of enigma to the piece as Enyas church-like chant echoed round the room. Ambient music such as this tend to sound great on almost any system, so I was still at this point unconvinced of the Diamonds true abilities.
Next up was R.Kellys Gotham City from the Batman soundtrack. The distinct blow of punchy bass sets this piece apart from any other. Here, it hit hard and deep despite the tiny size of the Diamonds. Tight and precise, the hypnotic pounding was portrayed in all its glory as it kept in rhythm with the singers voice, which was rich and deep, as it should be in this piece with each and every emotion laid bare. Gospel-like singers hummed beautifully in the background, each in their place, on centre stage. As the music faded out and the voices of children bellowed down the corridor, the sounds of tom toms were loud and clear, yet not overwhelming.
I was beginning to truly like these Diamonds. They were able to portray even the smallest detail in a convincing manner.
I loaded something a little less punchy like Madonnas reminiscent American Pie. Not many speakers this level can cope with the Queen of Pop and I was glad that the Diamond was one of them that could. Madonnas shallow monotones were crystal clear yet not lacking in richness or depth.
The psychedelic background synthesiser throb sizzled in its entire colour and chaos, yet never overwhelming the main vocals. Imaging was also very good. I could imagine Madonna as she swayed from left to right presenting this biographic piece. I had decided by now that I need a dynamic piece to truly push the Diamonds to their limit.
In my CD drawer I went. Guess what I came out with? Faith Evans. The soothing tones of Mrs Notorious B.I.G travelled smoothly over each guitar pluck and mouthed bass. Treble was as rich as chocolate cake, and the bass was strong and firm. This baby can most definitely cope with some serious R&B.
The Corrs Queen of Hollywood went on next, providing a good showcase of rhythm and melody. With the 8.1s, Andrea Corrs dreamy vocals were projected forcefully, laced wonderfully with Sharon Corrs violin, which never sounded thin or harsh. Keyboard is also distinct and layered with emotion and tonal texture. Enjoyable? Well, I started to sing along with the music, so what more could you ask for than a speaker thatll make you sing along?
The last piece, which I just had to try out, was a Gene Pitney track, one I had heard my dad playing on his system a couple of days back, and found I liked. Backstage is beautifully written. Unfortunately it was written about 20 years ago and the recording isnt all that great. Only a good speaker will be able to handle the nitty-gritty of this bright and, at the same time, harsh recording. The Diamond 8.1 aced it although still bordering on harshness and loads of sibilance, the piece was extremely audible via the speaker.
What a sparkling gem!
For its asking price, the Wharfedale Diamond 8.1 is a little bit of a glittering prize; it handles all genres of music more than competently, with an assuredness and composure that belies its small size and budget tag. It continues the tradition started all those years ago, and excellently at that. Viva la Wharfedale youve done it again.
Pros: Punchy and deep bass for its size; excellent vocal clarity with acceptable imaging and widespread soundstage.
Cons: Uhm for the price, absolutely zip.
elevato rapporto qualita'/prezzo: 
Questo funziona bene! low cost!
