 |
Wharfedale Diamond 9.1
by amazingtrade
I bought these to replaced old Eltax speakers which fell of their stands when a large book shelf collapsed and crushed them.
They are extremely well built with Kevlar drive units and very high quality tweeters for the higher end. These speakers have a relaxed and restrained sound which means if they are not positioned ... properly they will sound very dull and lifeless. With proper stands in the correct position the sound is transformed. They become alive with bass lines being extremely punchy and perfectly timed. The vocals are clear and open and the treble is detailed yet very refined - rare on budget speakers.
The problem with these speakers is they need a decent HIFI system to make them sound good, most £100 speakers sound quite bright which means they sound good on almost anything these have a much more expensive tonal balance which means you need decent kit to be able to get the most out of them. The sound also takes a while to grow on you, they took about 20 hours to burn in and out of the box you may well be disappointed but just be patient the soundstage which emerges will quickly transform you from your listening room to being at the front of the stage or recording studio.
They also sound a lot better when the volume is pumped up, they suddenly come into life and force you to dance.
I only bought these as they were 'half price' in the sale but the money I don't think I could have got anything better. I mainly use my Grado headphones so the speakers tend to be only be used before I go out on a Saturday night or when friends are round.
They don't sound as lively as my old Eltax speakers but they are much easier to listen to, the old speakers tended to force the detail out which robbed them of their musicality. The 9.1s just sing and they let you forget you are listening to the music from a record which is what true HIFI should be all about.
Read the complete review |
 |
Wharfedale Diamond 9.1
by XraySource
I've had a pair of Wharfedale Diamond 9.1 bookshelf speakers for several years now and generally use them at least once a day when at home. The speakers are part of my first 'real' hifi I have owned myself and are connected to a Marantz PM4001OSE amplifier. The speakers are connected to the amplifier using what looks to be about 2 metres ... of speaker cable at no less than 1mm2 of copper conductor. The speakers are stood on floor stands to raise the top of them to just below waist height. The stands are separated by about 1.5 metres. They have taken several gentle knocks from time to time and still seem to be working and the looking just like when I bought them. For this reason I can only assume they are a reliable and well built speaker. I'm not going to dwell on features or specifications of the speakers as if you're reading this you most likely know anyway.
I'm by no means an audio expert, just somebody who mainly listens to rock and pop music at low to moderate volume on a regular basis. I bought the setup since I felt I could benefit from a setup slightly above the typical hifi in a box. I initially bought the speakers based on recommendation in shops that I'd been in. At the limited budget I was operating on these speakers are very pleasing wherever I'm listening in the room. The speakers provide a very clear sound but initially I was disappointed with the depth to the bass. I felt when listening to rock music (whether it was Rainbow or Paramore) that the kick drum and bass weren't quite as powerful as what I'd hoped for. Going back I'd have probably looked more closely at the possibility of floor standing speakers in the hope of getting a deeper bass response. When listening to lighter pop the sound is much more what I expected. Films really come to life when listening through the speakers but once again it feels I am missing out on some of the lower frequencies. One thing that was very obvious with films is how well defined the sounds are in the stereo image. You can hear the sounds move clearly across the stereo image.
I've recently added the matching SW150 subwoofer to the system and this really fills in the system's low-end whilst adding a whole new dimension to films. It seamlessly extends the depth of the speakers and for me really completes the system.
When rating the speakers I have rated them against how I expected them to perform. If they performed as well as or better than expected they score 5. The only lost point was for slightly weaker bass than expected.
Overall I feel the sound is very sharp and focused and really adds to my enjoyment of listening to music. The longer I've had the system the more I seem to appreciate it and less the lack of bass has bothered me. I would definitely recommend the speakers to a friend although I would suggest that they carefully listen to the speakers to check they provide the desired depth to the bass.
Read the complete review |
 |
Wharfedale Diamond 9.1
by andrewjames1234
I agree with most of the other reviewers on here about the Wharfedale Diamond 9.1 speakers. Ive had mine for ages and there still going strong. They pack a punch and have a lovely depth of sound, handles deep bass with ease too. They look great in the bookshelf finish (walnut) which is the colour I have them in but you can also get ... them in Rosewood and black. Correct me if im wrong (and i know im not) but a good indicator to the quality of these speakers is that they won awards with what hi-fi sound and vision in 2004, 2005, 2006 and 2007. Generally they compete in the sub £200 range so to be coming out on top against some bigger hitters goes along way to saying that these are top quality. Would recommend these to anyone who wants a great set of speakers without paying a great big price. Recommended!!
Read the complete review |
