Wharfedale Diamond 7.2 Bookshelf Speakers, Black Ash (Pair)

by Wharfedale

Product Details

Data Sheet [248kb PDF]

• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 7.5 x 11.6 inches ; 10.5 pounds
• Shipping Weight: 21 pounds
• Shipping: Currently, item can be shipped only within the U.S.
• Shipping Advisory: This item must be shipped separately from other items in your order. Additional shipping charges will not apply.
• ASIN: B00004SY5F
• Item model number: Diamond 7.2
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (24 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #211,078 in Electronics (See Top 100 in Electronics)
• Discontinued by manufacturer: Yes

Product Description

Amazon.com Review

Wharfedale's Diamond series of bookshelf speakers can rightfully be dubbed "classic." Originally introduced some 20 years ago, these ever-evolving British bookshelf models are prized for their stellar midrange, silky treble, and remarkable bass response. That's one reason why they've never left the U.K.'s bestseller list. The other is value--and the new Diamond 7.2 redefines the term "best buy."

Well built with a black-ash vinyl-wrap veneer, the Diamond 7.2s are striking little speakers. But underneath that skin is where the Diamonds' true beauty lies. Reproducing the middle of the frequency range (the body of voices, guitars, and pianos) and doing bass duty is a 5.1-inch mineral-loaded polymer woofer. Embedding finely crushed stone into polymer creates a rigid, fast driver. This high-performance woofer is then crossed over via audiophile-grade film capacitors to a 1-inch silk-dome tweeter, yielding superb overall balance and a sweet, extended top end.

The Diamond 7.2's Audiostealth cabinet is rigid and free of coloration. The speaker's bass and sensitivity are further enhanced by a rear-firing port, so please note that the Diamond 7.2 should be placed a few feet from the rear wall and on a dedicated stand to sound its best. Though Wharfedale uses nickel-plated 5-way posts for speaker terminals (perfect for banana-plug-terminated speaker cable), gold-plated terminals would have been even nicer.

The Diamond 7.2s sound simply remarkable for a pair of speakers in this price range. Vocals sound open, detailed, and present, very "there." Instrumental textures, from guitars to saxophones to massed symphonic strings, sound lifelike, with a warm, rich balance. The bass has amazing weight and punch, reaching down to below 50 Hz with lovely detail. The tweeter is airy and sweet--it never spits or otherwise offends.

Finally, it's hard to believe that a speaker the size of the Diamond 7.2 can play as loud as it does without strain. Yes, you can overdrive it, but chances are your ears will give out first.

The latest Diamond 7.2 continues Wharfedale's classic tradition of providing superb sound and incredible value. --Wayne Garcia

Pros:

• Natural, detailed sound
• Excellent drivers
• Rigid construction

Cons:

• Require add-on subwoofer for home theater use
• Nickel-plated posts instead of gold

Amazon.com Product Description

The Diamond 7.2 takes the performance of the Wharfedale Diamond series to unrivalled heights, going louder, deeper, and reproducing sound more cleanly than any comparable product. The Wharfedale Diamond 7.2 is a compact, two-way, rear-ported, high-performance bookshelf loudspeaker with audiophile-grade film capacitors in the crossover, as opposed to the usual bipolar types. The 7.2 employs a large magnet assembly and a cone molded from an exclusive mineral-loaded homopolymer plastic to damp out unwanted resonances.

Wharfedale has been at the forefront of enclosure design for many years and has now developed a radical new construction method. Conventional cabinets fix the front and rear panels rigidly into the cabinet box, so the woofer cone vibrations are transmitted through the whole cabinet. Each cabinet wall would then vibrate adding coloration and dissipating sound energy. In contrast, Wharfedale uses front and rear panels made from Audiostealth molded rock polymer. This material is acoustically dead and is isolated from the main cabinet body with compliant gaskets. The result? Lower cabinet vibrations mean lower levels of coloration, a cleaner sound, and tighter, louder bass.

Another reason the Diamond 7.2 produces such extraordinary sound is that it uses symmetrical ports. Ordinary port tubes are flared at the end you see but plain at the other end. The result is that the air can get into the cabinet faster than it can get out, resulting in a pressure buildup that displaces the woofer cone so that it hits its end stops sooner. The Diamonds use Wharfedale's symmetrical ports through which air flows equally well in either direction. The result is that the Diamond loudspeaker can actually play louder with less distortion!

The Diamond 7.2 has a power handling of 100 watts so it can handle your powerful home theater amplifier, a sensitivity of 89 dB, and standard nominal impedance of 8 ohms. This model comes in black ash and has a five-year warranty covering parts and labor.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Good for the price, but don't expect greatness..., August 20, 2001

By 

DMR - See all my reviews

This review is from: Wharfedale Diamond 7.2 Bookshelf Speakers, Black Ash (Pair) (Electronics)

I will admit that for the price, these are hard to beat - I've heard worse sounding speakers that cost more. However, don't be led to believe that you will get super-high-quality audiophile sound from these (as some of the previous reviews seem to indicate). The 7.2s do indeed get low (although I found the bass a little muddy sounding), and the high frequenceies are very present (I actually turn the treble down). This emphasis on the extremes makes loud rock music sound great. Where I found this speaker lacking is in the mid-range. If you're a jazz or classical music connoisseur this is where you'll wish you had paid more for a speaker. I found solo piano, string quartet, and similar genres to sound empty or hollow on this speaker. This kind of music doesn't rely on a "thumping" bass or piercing highs the way rock music does, but it does require a full and rich midrange. Unfortunately this seems to be where Wharfedale cut the corners on the 7.2 (I suppose they had to cut them somewhere to offer them for this price). I'm giving them four stars because they are a good speaker for the price (from a purely critical standpoint I'd give them a 2-3 stars), and if you are easily impressed by lots of bass these are great. However, if you're a more discriminating listener you probably won't be completely satisified.

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars These speakers are a great deal, September 8, 2000

By 

Ursiform (Torrance, CA USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Wharfedale Diamond 7.2 Bookshelf Speakers, Black Ash (Pair) (Electronics)

I ordered these speakers as a more compact replacement for a pair of older, mediocre quality, three way speakers with 8" woofers that I had in my computer room. I wasn't really sure what to expect from such small and inexpensive speakers. When they arrived I put one of the old and one of the new speakers side-by-side, and switched between them. I was surprised by how similar the two speakers sounded; this was no doubt partly coincidence, as two speakers of very different design will normally have noticeable differences in they way they sound even if the overall sound quality is similar. I then installed the new speakers, and as a pair they sound better than the old speakers did. Some of this may be because the layout of the room forces me to put the speakers too close together, and this may degrade the sound of the smaller speakers less. But the pair also just sound good together. In any event, these speakers sound about as good as they reasonably can given the size and acoustics of the room. I'm sure pedantic audiophiles can find things to object to in these speakers, but if you have a small, acoustically-challenged room, or simply limited space or budget, these speakers are a great deal.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars great value, November 14, 2002

By A Customer

This review is from: Wharfedale Diamond 7.2 Bookshelf Speakers, Black Ash (Pair) (Electronics)

I bought these off the website, more or less without much information other than the editorial and customer reviews, so I wasn't sure what to expect. I have had the same Genesis 15-inch speakers since college (which is some time ago!) and while I am no audiophile, wanted something that would sound good for classical and jazz, as well as some pop/rock.

When I installed these on the bookshelf in the same location as my old speakers had occupied, I was really disappointed. The bass was too heavy, the mid-range muddy...

The next night, however, I rearranged some things, took the speakers off the shelf, and used some surfaces that were about the same level as my listening height, in the approximate configuration shown in the instructions. All I can say is--what a difference!! They sound terrific now--clear, nice timbre, good bass AND mid-range, as well as rich-sounding treble.

My conclusion is that the placement in your room will really affect the sound on these speakers, so experiment a bit. I am very pleased with them now, and think they are a great value.