When it comes to good quality speakers, relying on the tried and tested brands is always a smart move. We know this, our customers know this, and the critics know this. At least, they did when the Wharfedale Diamond 220s rolled in for review. This is the latest and most current of the Wharfedale Diamond range, and has already swept up a series of awards and five star ratings, and all for a very modest price.
Let’s take a closer look…
The Wharfedale Diamond 220 bookshelf speakers have come along to replace the hugely successful 121 range of entry level bookshelf speakers, tweaking everything that needed to be tweaked and leaving something that’s pretty much impossible to fault, for the price point. In fact, pretty every major reviewer has shrugged and said that there’s nothing to complain about. They are pretty much as good as you can get, but for a very tiny price tag. It’s really no surprise that it scooped up the Hi-fi award for “Best Stereo Speakers Up To £200” mere weeks after its launch in 2014.
Design wise, they build on every success of the 121. A cabinet sandwiched by MDF on either side, a proven method of helping to reduce distortion. Now, this wasn’t exactly a problem in the first instance. But the 220 have reduced it even further. Many critics have also noted the much smoother, polished and premium finish which let the proceeding speaker down in terms of reviews.
One of the key features of the 121 was the integral bass plinth (which fires the bass into a small air gap beneath the speaker) making placement far, far easier than should the bass port be either rear or front facing. The Wharfedale Diamond 220 has kept this feature, along with the powerful, immersive bass response. Which means that the 220 can be placed pretty much anywhere, without risk of the bass performance being effected.
They feature woven “ribbed” kevlar drivers – incredibly light and incredibly rigid, alongside a revised, much larger magnet system for improved responsiveness. The result is something hugely affordable and accessible, yet capable of an inspiring performance. The reduced (from pretty much nothing in the first instance) resonance and the larger magnet within the drivers has resulted in a sound being described as clean, clear and transparent, with controlled bass.
No, they’re not fancy. They’re not feature-laden, but the benefits of incredible sound and free-and-easy placement make up for what they lack in features. It’s no wonder Wharfedale have taken some time to kick back on new releases since. After all, when you’ve created an award wining benchmark, you’ve earned the right to take your time.
Like what you see? Take a closer look at the Wharfedale Diamond 220, including the full tech specs, by clicking here.