REVIEW: Wharfedale Diamond 220 speakers (avoid this product!)

Discussion in 'Audio Hardware' started by The Seeker, Jul 21, 2016.

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  1. riddlemay

    riddlemay Forum Resident

    Location:
    Chicago, IL
    They just got a rave from Herb Reichert in Stereophile.
     
    LeeS likes this.
  2. Liquid Len

    Liquid Len Forum Resident

    Location:
    Yorkshire, UK
    timind likes this.
  3. Thouston

    Thouston Forum Resident

    Location:
    Mattoon, IL
    That was a Diamond 225, not a 220.
     
    Mateo Sanboval and bluemooze like this.
  4. teag

    teag Forum Resident

    Location:
    Colorado
    Maybe this model is not the greatest but I have heard Wharfedales that sound really good for the price.
     
  5. riddlemay

    riddlemay Forum Resident

    Location:
    Chicago, IL
    You're right. I stand corrected.
     
  6. SpeedMorris

    SpeedMorris Forum Resident

    Location:
    Iowa
    Much as I enjoy Arden's insights, it would seem that one of the most terrifying calls one might possibly get would be "Arden here- I'm dropping over to listen to your stereo".:shake:
     
  7. Jack Flannery

    Jack Flannery Forum Resident

    Location:
    Houston, TX
    What is wrong with disliking a speaker?
     
    timind and F1nut like this.
  8. bhazen

    bhazen I Am The Walrus

    Location:
    Deepest suburbia
    I tried the 220's, took them back after about a three-day demo. Very disappointing. The earlier Diamonds (10.X series) are scads better, and a real value.

    I think Elac are taking over this category ...
     
    bluemooze and Dr. Winston Ramone like this.
  9. SpeedMorris

    SpeedMorris Forum Resident

    Location:
    Iowa
    If referring to me, absolutely nothing. I was just attempting to crack a joke, imagining Arden- who's an exacting audiophile and tough, meticulous critic- coming to my house and reacting to 5 systems of mid-fi dreck.:)
     
    Last edited: Feb 13, 2017
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  10. showbag

    showbag New Member

    Location:
    Melbourne
    Thanks for the review but I have to say "bugger!". I have a pair of EVO 40's with a Diamond 220C and I was looking to buy the 220 bookshelf's. I'm hesitating now. What else could I match with what I've got so they will all blend sonically? Thank you.
     
  11. Tim1954

    Tim1954 Forum Resident

    Location:
    Cincinnati, OH
    I got some 10.2s and man they are SO smiley so far. All bass, all treble. No midrange whatsoever.

    I've been running Music Matters Blue Note 45s cut by the Hoffman/Gray team to make sure I have recordings with PLENTY of midrange, and I can't imagine how long it'll take to break these in.

    I'll give them 50 hours at least. What concerns me more is the bass. It's a bit boomy and undefined. I've positioned the speakers on about one foot high stands about 4" from the walls and that was too much. Moved them out about a foot and that helped a bit.

    The treble out of the box is a joke, but I'm assuming that will be tamed with continued use.

    More bass than expected, that's for sure. Maybe TOO much.
     
  12. HallmanLabs

    HallmanLabs New Member

    Location:
    Raleigh, NC
    I strongly disagree with the OP's opinion of these speakers and I have been running a set of the Diamond 220s since August 2015, nearly daily usage. I own a lot of other speakers and high end headphones including Audeze EL-8 (Open backs). When the Diamond 220s are bi-amplified and placed correctly in a room they can put most affordable floor-standing speakers to shame in every category. I amplify the 220s with a Pioneer VSX-919AH and occasionally with a Yamaha RX-V863.

    I have done A/B comparisons with my Polk Audio Monitor 70s and the Wharfedale units provide a purer sound in the mid-range (vs. the usual mid-range boost we see in many products), the bass blows me away almost every time I use the Wharfedale units because for such tight and accurate bass to come out of bookshelf speaker is very unexpected.

    I left the best for last, high-end on the Diamond 220s vs. Polk 70s is like comparing solid state and tube amplifiers. The fabric-dome tweeter (with a ferrite magnet) on the Diamond 220s in their deep waveguide dish provide non-fatiguing, clear and accurate highs without too much roll off being used at all due to the ferrite magnet. Some people don't like the use of a ferrite magnet because they are cheaper than most others, but I think they picked this to best balance the speaker as a whole.

    Not to mention, these speakers won the "What HiFi 2014 Best Bookshelf Speaker (up to £200)" award. That site is one of the most well known and oldest reviewers of all things high fidelity.

    I run an up and coming audio hardware focused website where I give reviews/news/build videos/etc. if anyone is interested: www.HallmanLabs.com

    Wharfedale Diamond 220 review
     
  13. ChrisR2060

    ChrisR2060 Stereo addict

    Location:
    North Carolina
    Wow, that's quite a report on Diamond 220. Thanks for sharing.
     
    EricCuda likes this.
  14. HiFi Guy

    HiFi Guy Forum Resident

    Location:
    Lakeland, FL
    What Hi-Fi likes everything. They are Britain's Stereo Review.
     
    progrocker, patient_ot and timind like this.
  15. SpeedMorris

    SpeedMorris Forum Resident

    Location:
    Iowa
    Unless, of course, the sound isn't "exciting".
     
    bhazen likes this.
  16. LitHum05

    LitHum05 El Disco es Cultura

    Location:
    Virginia
    No argument here. Plus, if you make the point you just made in terms of quality, you are considered a snob who is against the democratization of technology for all.
     
  17. Dougr33

    Dougr33 Forum Resident

    Location:
    Twin Cities, MN
    I haven't heard the 220s, but I had the 225s for a few months, and they are a fantastic value.
     
    bhazen likes this.
  18. noahjld

    noahjld Der Wixxer

    220's are just over £100.00 at Richer Sounds. Bargain.
     
  19. Adam9

    Adam9 Русский военный корабль, иди на хуй.

    Location:
    Toronto, Canada
    Those would be the Wharfedale 225, not the 220.
     
  20. allied333

    allied333 Audiophile

    Location:
    nowhere
    Minimum 'good' (not great) entry level speakers from Whafredale are the 225. Some like the more laidback Denton. You do not find used 225s for sale either.
     
    bhazen likes this.
  21. Classicrock

    Classicrock Senior Member

    Location:
    South West, UK.
    I can. What hi-fi give everything a good write up (that advertise there). :)
     
  22. bhazen

    bhazen I Am The Walrus

    Location:
    Deepest suburbia
    In What HiFi?-speak, I read 'exciting' as 'bright'.
     
    SpeedMorris likes this.
  23. bwalk63

    bwalk63 Well-Known Member

    Location:
    Champaign, IL
    I started a thread awhile back about the Diamond 220's as well. I had them for 16 months, and they never sounded quite good enough. Was wondering if it was my amp or the speakers or both. They just sounded Blah! I ended up trading them in for the Paradigm Mini Monitor 7, and right off without ever breaking them in they sounded fuller with more detail and more bass. So I knew it was not my amp. The place where I traded the 220'a into, had them hooked up to a $1500 Anthem amp(never even heard of them) the speakers still sounded like crap. They cant sell them, they are still on the floor after 2 months. Best thing I ever did was get rid of them. YMMV
     
    Strat-Mangler likes this.
  24. Benzion

    Benzion "Cogito, ergo sum" Forum Resident

    Location:
    Brooklyn, NY
    You should have chosen the 225's, not the 220's. It's the 225's that got the good reviews, not the 220's, IIRC.
     
  25. Dougr33

    Dougr33 Forum Resident

    Location:
    Twin Cities, MN
    In case anyone's interested, MusicDirect just posted a pair of 'scratch and dent' 225's for half price.
     
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