Wharfedale Emerald 93 Bookshelf Speakers (Real Rosewood Veneer)

Other products by Wharfedale

Product Details

• Product Dimensions: 10.8 x 8.6 x 19.3 inches ; 18.4 pounds
• Shipping Weight: 40 pounds
• Shipping: Currently, item can be shipped only within the U.S.
• ASIN: B00004SY56
• Item model number: Emerald 93 Rose
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #185,409 in Electronics (See Bestsellers in Electronics)
• Discontinued by manufacturer: Yes
• Date first available at Amazon.com: September 4, 1973

Product Description

Amazon.com Review
Wharfedale's Emerald 93 is a jewel of a bookshelf speaker. Built by one of England's most celebrated manufacturers, the two-way speakers employ a pair of superb speaker cones as well as other key component parts for a sound best described as "musical." Their sound is impressive--open, warm, and natural--and consistently conveys the essence or "soul" of the music.

That said, the Emerald 93s are handsome, well-fashioned speakers. Both the rosewood and oak models are cased in gorgeous, real-wood veneer with black grilles. Just below and running parallel with the angular grille base runs a wedge carved into the cabinet itself. This subtle yet striking cosmetic touch sets the Emerald 93s apart from less fashion-conscious speakers.

But let's talk about what's inside those cabinets.

A 6-inch, mineral-loaded polymer woofer handles the bass frequencies and the critical midrange, where 80 percent of the music takes place. Wharfedale's quick-response woofer gets its rigidity from finely crushed stone, which Wharfedale presses into the polymer during the molding process. This outstanding driver crosses over to 1-inch, silk-dome high-frequency driver, certainly one of the sweetest tweeters we know of.

In addition to being a looker, the Emerald 93s boast a rigid cabinet that's free of resonant coloration. Both deep bass and speaker sensitivity (how loaded it sounds with a given voltage input) are enhanced by a rear-firing port, which means that the Emerald 93s require some distance from the rear wall (about two feet or so) to perform at its best. We also recommend a pair of sturdy, 24-inch-high stands to get the most from these speakers.

The Emerald 93s' sound is exquisite. Vocals are so present it's like having the singer in front of you. A grand piano, one of the hardest of all instruments to reproduce, is full and sonorous, with layers of complex harmonics and a gorgeous tone, while electric guitars ring with the texture and crunch of real life.

The Emerald 93s' bass sounds punchy and warm, reaching down to an honest 50 Hz with a beautiful roundness. Bowed acoustic basses growl, and drums rock with a sense of real weight behind them. And the tweeter is, again, a marvel--extended, detailed, and sweet.

What else is there to say? Wharfedale's Emerald 93s are remarkable speakers. They're also a remarkable value. If you truly love music and want to hear its subtlety, nuance, and bouquet of tone colors marvelously reproduced, these are speakers you'll cherish. --Wayne Garcia

Pros:

• Extremely detailed and natural sound
• Superb drivers
• Great cosmetics and construction quality
• Bi-wire and bi-amp ready

Cons:

• Not much bass below 50 Hz

Product Description
With a performance as inviting as its classical good looks, the Emerald, now in its second generation, is a truly refined speaker. Designed with a distinctly art-deco feel, the speakers from the new Emerald range are built into a real wood cabinet, producing a rich, warm sound, steeped in emotion. Although undisclosed by the appearance of the Emeralds, technology is used extensively in the manufacture. Complex computer modeling has been used in the design of the cabinets to minimize coloration, the woofer cones are constructed using the patented mineral loaded homopolymer plastic to damp unwanted resonances, whilst retaining the strength to keep bass accurate and dynamic. Finally, laser interferometry has been used to create a truly outstanding tweeter for the Emeralds.The end result is a classic amongst speakers - a dry acoustic character with a revealing and flawless transparency.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

16 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars I love my EMMYS!!!, August 19, 2000

By	Adam (San Francisco, CA USA) - See all my reviews

These are fabulous speakers--the best I've ever owned.I got mine as a demo for a lot less money, but I was lucky. Especially if you have a smaller space & can afford them I'd say you can't really go wrong with these... As for the low bass--yes, I'm considering getting a subwoofer for the under 50 herz signals, but even WITHOUT one I've been incredibly impressed. On the soundtrack of 'Eye of the Beholder' the woofer cone(without grille due to a shipping incident) was pumping in and out with such ferocity that --well that's the 'slap in the face' that Wharfedale is so understandably famous for...This English loudspeaker I understand is well loved by all sorts of british musical legends such as Eric Clapton,the Stones, etc. Now I know why! Go get 'em!!!

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Beautiful, November 18, 2000

By A Customer

These speakers produce a very clean sound. I replaced a Bose AMIII with these speakers and can't believe the music I was missing. The oak cabinets are drop dead beautiful. If you want to hear the music the way the artist intended, buy these speakers.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The best sounding speakers I have ever heard, June 26, 2002

By	"harvini" (The middle of nowhere, Eastern PA) - See all my reviews

I recently replaced my venerable 16 year old Advent speakers with a pair of Wharfedale Emerald 93s. The first thing you notice is they are so much smaller and lighter than the Advents, how can they possibly sound as good?

Well let me tell you, these speakers have the cleanest, most transparent, warm and sweet sound I have ever heard come from any speaker (with the possible exception of my Sennheiser headphones). The sound stage they produce is well defined and sounds three dimensional. They don't sound like good speakers, they just sound like the musicians are in the room with you. These speakers truly produce "the sound" I have been looking for from my audio equipment for over 30 years.

Even before fully broken in (they need 60-100 hours to fully open up) they are marvelously bright and full. They produce more bass than a box that size normally would (due to the ported design), but without it being over powering or boomy. The high end is accurate without the tinny/hissy quality I hear in too many speakers these days. I would also definitely recommend biwiring, which they are equipped to do.

The bottom line...try them, you'll be pleased with the result.