WHARFEDALE Diamond 9.5
Floorstanding loudspeakers
The Wharfedale Diamond 9.5s belong to a serious product category. Entry-level speakers do form our opinions on hifi for many years to come. Very often they set a kind of sonic benchmark: we do not like to depart from the sonic flavour we took as a reference when we were young.
Function and form
The Diamond 9.5s are 3-way speakers. Alike Bowers & Wilkins speakers they use Kevlar cones in bass and midrange drivers (16.5cm), the actually quite good tweeter is of a 1" soft dome design. Towards the back rounded enslosures are rigid and well damped. Gold-plated binding posts are mounted onto a die-cast metal plate. A reflex ports fire to the rear of the speakers. In this price range there was no room for natural veneers so the anclosures are covered in vinyl foil.
Bass management
The lows of the Wharfedales are quite impressive, with bottom end extension to 32Hz in my room. The sound is dense and weighty which does good to movie soundtracks. At some moments the bass of the Diamond 9.5s was almost monumental.
Clarity & delicacy
I found these speakers to be very sensitive to source components (amplifiers) as well as to cables. It makes no sense to list what were my preferences - neither was better than another, just different.
Tonal accuracy
Spatial resolution
Tonal colours are not entirely in line with what can be heard from high end speakers but the Wharfedales are not high end speakers, right? One can buy 10-20 pairs of the Diamond 9.5 at the budget that allows the upgrade to better sound. Still, I would like to hear more detailed and natural sound from the Warfedales. If you listen to rock then the 9.5s may be for you.
Recommended resellers
RP Audio , Ostrava, +420 596 110 872
Manufacturer's website: http://www.wharfedale.co.uk
Associated components
- Sources: Denon DCD 700AE, ŃAD CD 542, Marantz CD7300
- Amplifiers: Denon PMA 700AE, NAD C352, Marantz PM 8200
- Interconnects and speaker cables: X-Symphony Pure Silver Fantasy, Oehlbach NF-214, Monitor NF 41, Gronenberg Quattro Reference, Hi-Diamond Petit Black, DHLabs Silversonic Air Matrix
- Power conditioning: Supra distributor
Gallery
ACOUSTIQUE QUALITY AQ Passion
Acoustique Quality has been around since early 90’s. The company’s loudspeakers were always close to what can be characterized a good value for money, with a bit of pre-2000 vibe. Speaker by speaker the guys in Acoustique Quality ...
Recommended resellers
AQ s.r.o., Červenka, tel. +420 585 342 232
ANTE Supersonic One
The Supersonics were visually inspired by Lamborghini Countach racer. The functional elegance of the Lamborghini does not come at budget costs and neither the Ante does. The price tag of €160,000 keeps the Supersonics in the company ...
Recommended resellers
Media Control, Bratislava, SK, +421 905 613 928
AQ Canto 5
An experience that moves your soul. This is how Czech loudspeaker manufacturer presents the brand-new Canto range. For the company, the Canto is a milestone, so important that they decided to dedicate a special website to it. The ...
Recommended resellers
AQ s.r.o., Červenka, tel. +420 585 342 232
AUDIO PHYSIC Avantera
The Audio Physic’s HHCM midrange drivers are fantastic. The realism of both male and female vocals through the Avanteras is nothing short of magic. The Avanteras skillfully blend a cocktail full of colors, sonority, textures, ...
Recommended resellers
CZ: High-End Audio Studio, Praha, tel. +420 224 256 844
SK: Platan Audio, Hlohovec / Bratislava, tel. +421 905 409 802
AUDIO PHYSIC Cardeas Plus+
Audio Physic's original Cardeas was like an album of a respected band that was recorded just because it had to be recorded due to a contract. Not like the album that was recorded because the band wanted to. I sighed with relief that ...
Recommended resellers
CZ: High-End Audio Studio, Praha, tel. +420 224 256 844
SK: Platan Audio, Hlohovec / Bratislava, tel. +421 905 409 802
AURUM CANTUS V6F
The Aurum Cantus V6Fs have the ability to dissapear from your ear-view - they move an orchestra to your living room instead and let you bathe in an expanding and transparent soundstage. After listening to the V6Fs you'll find ...
Recommended resellers
Hifi studio MeLissa, Brno, tel. +420 777 04 1313
AVANTGARDE ACOUSTIC Uno Fino
Should your priority is to blend the speakers with your interior and make them visually disappear, the Avantgarde Acoustic Uno Fino is not for you. I am not in favor of color lacquers on speakers and prefer natural veneers where ...
Recommended resellers
HI-FI studio TYKON, Ostrava, tel. +420 723 449 894
