Features:
- 2-way, ported bookshelf speakers
- Compact size
- 48-to-20,000 Hz frequency response
- 100 watts RMS maximum power handling
- 5-way binding-post terminals
Description:
British loudspeakers are known and cherished for their precision and detail, and Wharfedale brings hefty helpings of both to a tiny, affordable speaker with astoundingly beefy low end. This two-way speaker is ported at the back--as it would have to be to pump out sound below 50 Hz. The amazing thing is that Wharfedale resorts to porting without also defaulting to a tubby, muddy, or grievously unbalanced tonal character. The Diamond 7.1s are cheery little things, extremely well suited to rear-channel home theater service or front-and-center bedroom, office, or kitchen placement. These speakers are so small and lightweight that we questioned their ability to render even a facade of full-bodied sound. However, we were happily impressed. The Wharfedale 7.1s are detailed, effortless, warm, and punchy; what bass they can muster is firm and taut, like you'd want from a small speaker. Most speakers have trouble recreating the deep and woody sound of an acoustic upright bass; on the Diamond 7.1s, recordings of this instrument sound articulate and musical, if not necessarily six feet tall. The Diamond 7.1s sound best at medium-to-loud levels, but you do get more bass as you crank them up, and distortion doesn't seem to be a worry (see our accompanying FAQ for more on Wharfedale's antidistortion measures). The speakers are fairly dynamic, though they do compress a little under high-power, bass-heavy material. They also sound a little piercing at the level where the low end sounds right for rock listening--in this respect the removable grilles help, so if you're going to listen loudly, leave 'em on. Imaging is good, and the Diamond 7.1s offer a good sense of low-level ambient detail, especially with ambient recordings commonly found on classical CDs. Often small speakers, even very good ones, will really dry up ambient recordings--that is, shrink the perceived room size where the musical performance is taking place. This is largely because so many bookshelf speakers have little deep bass, and many ambient or spatial cues live in low tones and in room resonances that make up the atmosphere of a recording, rather than in specific musical tones. If pressed to name shortcomings, we'd say the Diamond 7.1s' high frequencies are not as smooth or effortless in quality as those from pricier speakers and are a little too pronounced (emphasizing, for instance, the tape hiss present on CDs mastered from analog tapes). And the bass, for all its pleasing qualities, is a little muddier than one would want in an ideal speaker. But considering the per-dollar level of quality here, these quibbles are easily forgiven. For a budget sound system or merely a compact, secondary-use pair, we highly recommend Wharfedale's Diamond 7.1 bookshelf speakers. --Michael Mikesell Pros:
- Great sound
- Well suited to different musical styles
- Small size
- Remarkably deep bass output
- Quality design
- Can be used with banana-plug-terminated speaker cable
Cons:
- Slightly muddy low end
- Slightly pronounced high frequencies
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