WHARFEDALE 10.2
Stand mount monitors
The Diamond 10.2 builds on the former "9" range that contained some most appraised models in hifi. Wharfedale felt the need to innovate so here we are - the 10.2 should be the most capable model in the range.
Function and form
The front baffle, lacquered in piano gloss, is a two board composite with the total thickness of 25mm. Both drivers are mounted directly into it. The tweeter uses textile dome and should be flat up to 24kHz, according to speccifications. The tweeter's surrounding is carved so that the midbass driver could be as close to the tweeter and thus could approximate the one point source ideal. The 165mm midbass driver has a Kevlar cone with ridged rubber surroundings which should help reduce parasitic oscillations in the upper region of its effective range. The basket is plastic, there is a lot of acoustic foam inside the speakers that partially blocks dual bassreflex ports. During the review I liked the binding posts as they provide good access with any type of speaker cables.
Bass management
The textures of Freedom (Steve Davis Project) were so good that I started to ask myself do I really listene to such an inexpensive speaker? The bass of the 10.2s is powerful, so powerful that it can stand against some floorstanding models. To sum it up the Wharfedale 10.2s were a big surprise to me. After thorough auditioning it became clear that the bass was not so powerful and a bit loose but still the sound of Sonny Rollin's tenorsaxophone was beautifully rich and colourful as well as it induced physiological sensation in my stomach.
Clarity & delicacy
I used the 10.2s with textile grilles on for two reasons - first, they do no harm, second, I did not like the technical-looking decorative rings around drivers. After some experiments I concluded that Wharfedal really designed the 10.2s for the grilles-on performance as the highs had better balance in this 'mode'. The tweeter is protected by a small metal diffusor to facilitate dispersion too.
Tonal accuracy
The best I can say about the Diamond 10.2s is that they never dissapointed me during my auditioning sessions. They did not try to pretend they were bigger or bolder. Instead they just played the music and did so well. I remember one of my first experiences with hifi - I side to side compared several brands in a studio and chose French JMlab Focal entry-level monitors. They were the most analytical and therefore the best to my ears. In the studio. Few weeks later, at my home, I cursed these boxes as they were relentlessly attacking my ears with sound that was way too forward. I learnt a lesson. The Wharfedale Diamond 10.2s are not like this - I could listen to them till late night and start again on the next morning. As said, they played music and did so well.
Spatial resolution
The playback of Stompin’ At Savoy (Johnny Frigo/Bucky/John Pizzarelli) was delight through the Diamond 10.2s. The speakers dissapeared and let the guitarists take the stage. Sure, the resolution of my resident Revel Ultima Studio2 is several levels higher, still the Diamonds - though more muted, constrained and less detailed - were amazingly capable for their price category.
Recommended resellers
RP Audio , Ostrava, +420 596 110 872
Manufacturer's website: http://www.wharfedale.co.uk
Associated components
- Sources: C.E.C. TL-51XR
- Amplifiers: Mark Levinson No. 432, DYI attenuator
- Interconnects and speaker cables: Kubala-Sosna Emotion
- Loudpeakers: Revel Ultima Studio2
- Power conditioning: IsoTek Titan with IsoTek cables
Gallery
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