Shine on you crazy...
Hi-Fi Choice|September 2021
The latest member of the long-running series makes some significant revisions over its predecessor. Ed Selley adds polish
Ed Selley
Shine on you crazy...

DETAILS

PRODUCT Wharfedale Diamond 12.2

ORIGIN UK/China

TYPE 2-way stand-mount loudspeaker

WEIGHT 4.1kg

DIMENSIONS (WxHxD) 200 x 335 x 285mm

FEATURES

  • 25mm soft dome tweeter

  • 150mm ‘Klarity’ mid/bass driver

  • Quoted sensitivity: 88dB/1W/1m (8ohm)

DISTRIBUTOR IAG

WEBSITE wharfedale.co.uk

For any product line to have survived a dozen model revisions is notable in itself. The Diamond series, Wharfedale’s premier range of affordable speakers, has managed this feat while competing in one of the most keenly contested product categories going, making the achievement more impressive still. The twelfth generation comprises three standmounts, two floorstanders and one centre. The 12.2 here is the largest of the standmounts.

The biggest difference between the latest Diamonds and their predecessors is the mid/bass drivers. The previous three generations used a woven Kevlar cone for this, but the 12.2 features a 150mm unit made from a material called Klarity. This is a combination of polypropylene and mica – used in small but unspecified amounts to increase the stiffness of the mid/bass driver. Then, to augment this process even further, it has 15 ribs added in a spoke patten arranged in three groups of five.

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