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

Bi-wiring is necessary with these speakers as recommended in the users manual. Also use good quality cables. I started with the single wiring first for 2 weeks, the sound was muffled and flat. After that I did the bi-wiring and sound changed in the same moment. I know that there are 2 camps when it comes to bi-wiring but it definetely works with these speakers. My pair now sounds full, detailed, punchy and musical. Bass is absolutely great. Simply a bargain at this price.

 

A member compared a few speakers including the Wharfedale 225. He stated the Dali Zensor 1 was best. It costs $299 for a pair.

 

Every review I've read for the 220's and 225's contradict everything you've said.

 

I wonder if you had not heard the $3000 speakers, if the 220’s would have sounded as bad as you thought.

It’s like driving a $90,000 Mercedes then getting back into a Civic.

 

[QUOTE="Jerryb, Notes: For reference, I'm comparing these (Wharfedale 220) in the presence of Harbeth Monitor 30, Spendor Prelude 2, Quad ESL 57, and when my cheap pair of Audioengine A2 powered desktop speakers w/ subwoofer completely blow away the Diamond 220 in terms of smoothness, sophistication, and musicality, I know we have a serious problem. [/QUOTE]
Any $500 speaker will sound poor compared to Haribeth Monitor 30, Spendor Prelude 2 and Quad ESL 57. Quality high-end sound with a high-end amp & high-end source needs at least $2000 & higher cost speakers.

 

Any $500 speaker will sound poor compared to Haribeth Monitor 30, Spendor Prelude 2 and Quad ESL 57. Quality high-end sound with a high-end amp & high-end source needs at least $2000 & higher cost speakers.[/QUOTE]

Personally I don't consider the small Harbeths that great just expensive. Quad ESL57 are a different thing and different kind of presentation than small boxes. For several hundred pounds you once could get seriously good sounding speakers. Budget boxes were near £100 which sounds the real price point of these Diamonds. I think build quality has likely dropped since production of Wharfdale moved to China. I heard some small Missions at a show now made by the same company and they were about the worst speakers I've heard to date. So far away from my UK built Missions that cost around £500 24 years ago. With inflation should still get a bookshelf model of top quality for less than that outlay (considering cheap Chinese labour).

 

You must be tripping. I have been listening to these for a year hooked up to a PSB subwoofer and a vintage Yamaha CR820 and a Yamaha direct drive SLD202 and they sound great. These are awesome for $400.

 

Good points. Reviewers often work for magazines/newspapers that sell advertising to exist so, can tend to be overly charitable at times. Certainly I'm sure everyone has heard speakers in a sealed audio room and thought that they were brilliant, only to get them home and be disappointed. Partnering of equipment, sound acoustics, shape of room, furnishing etc., all create different dynamics. I have an old pair of Castle Durham 2-way speakers on stands in my small snug, running on old Nac 62/Nap 140 Naim Amps they work well. I have tried better speakers, but the bass can't unfold so, it muddies the sound whereas the Castle Durham's are crisp and detailed in that situation.