Wharfedale Diamond 8.4 Floorstanding Speakers
Wharfedale Diamond 8.4 Floorstanding Speakers
USER REVIEWS
[Dec 28, 2021]
natedog
Strength:
These speakers were a surprise to me; I bought them used in vgc. With organ music, they can dig deep (30Hz? maybe). I listen to a lot of complicated jazz and they shine with that. I am using different amps, yet the 'best' so far seems to be a Class A 33 wpc dual mono Pass ss power amp. Fed from a jfet Hafler pre-amp. Quite an addictive match for me. Weakness:
A bit more space for the binding posts would be good. A hatch to fill the bases with sand/ shot. Price Paid: 80 usd
Purchased: Used
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[Oct 31, 2019]
sampita
Strength:
The Diamonds are the kind of product expected from a long time manufacturer dedicated to making music accessible. With it’s canny balance of abilities the Diamonds do a very good job of disappearing and do not get between the listener and the music. With no major flaws, they are a steal, solid proof that the art of building good value stereo equipment survives. Weakness:
Sound clarity, bi-wirable, balanced low, mids and highs, sturdy cabinet. |
[Sep 20, 2018]
fasteddie199
Strength:
They are very open and transparent as well as accurate. Sound superb at a whisper or roar. Used every day they sound even better now than when I bought them brand new in the early 2000's. Weakness:
The grilles are relatively delicate and do not invite on/off on/off treatment. Leave them or or take them off and keep it that way. Price Paid: 800.00
Purchased: New
Model Year: 2003
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[Apr 02, 2009]
vanwilder42
AudioPhile
Best 250. including delivery I may ever spend. Thanks STO. Long breakin period that was expected from woven Kevlar drivers. Very large and forgiving soundstage. Full detailed sound especially in midrange. The Bass is very adequate for a 6.5" driver and typically a bit boomy as are many ported 3 way speakers. The tweeter is good, not great but good, the all around sound is well balanced and very enveloping. I am driving these biwired with an Onkyo 2 channel 50WPC and they truely sound Terrific. My son broke them in with his Gawdawful "screamo" music and it hasnt seemed to damge the speakers LOL. Overall for the money i paid i could not be happier. I love that Kevlar sound, i'm used to it from my Sony SSK line and these rock just as well. At clearance prices you will find nothing that sounds better untill you go up around 1,000 pair. |
[Apr 27, 2006]
Timo
Audio Enthusiast
Strength:
Good sound, straight frequency respond (or something). Looks good, sounds good.
Weakness:
A little bump at ~155 hz, but that's the only weakness i've found from these. I finally installed the spikes at the bottom of the loudspeakers. The improvement was unbelieveable. Lot more air in to the sound. I really enjoy the sound of the speakers. With subwoofer i get almost equal volume from 36hz to 16khz. Similar Products Used: UK350 |
[Jan 24, 2005]
sachi
Audio Enthusiast
Strength:
allrounder,great for stereo,value for money. well built
Weakness:
The treble is probably a little bright. i was really excited about the wharfedale diamond 8.4s. the day i got them i listened to them for some hours and i began to think that maybe I made a mistake(they did'nt sound as good as they did in the showroom). Then i thought i'll give them some time to break in. Oh! What a revelation. These beauties are just too good. They reproduce an unbelievable stereo soundstage. they excel in movies too. Just try Lord of the rings or best pop in the saving private Ryan and get ready to be amazed, amazed that such sound quality can be had for so little of those greenbacks. The bass is clean but not boomy. They sound good when they are given some space. Similar Products Used: mission 74i |
[Jun 03, 2004]
ayakano
Audio Enthusiast
Strength:
Bass is depth ... 30000Hz Medium is ok Powerfull sound (150 Watts rms) Nice look !
Weakness:
Treble ... Could be better ! Sorry for my bad english, i am french ... Good bass ... depth ... strong ... Medium seems ok ... Treble is not very clear, not high enough ... a little hard ... I have listened to better treble ... (Kef Coda 7) Well balanced sound ... Directive sound ... Placement is important to have a good bass and soundstage ... Not expensive speakers in France ... That's why i bought them ! ;-) You need good (specially in the high frequencies) and powerful amp to drive them ... They are just 86dB ... Nice soundstage detailed even with treble not high enough ... Certainly because of the 3 speakers ... Similar Products Used: Kef Coda 7 |
[May 11, 2004]
isomc
AudioPhile
Strength:
Clarity. Excellent ballance between the different sounds. Unbelievable price. Very good look (the maple finish in particular) Bi-wirable (if you'r intrested in it) Cevlar domes. Well known maker (Wharfedale)
Weakness:
The grill... Made in China (if you find it as a weakness) Undoubtly the best value for your money. I was realy intrested in B&W s3, and after a long research and wandering in many stores, I figured out that the asked price for the B&W 603 or even the 602 is not for me. That's the reason that pushed me to look for a better reward for my money. This is how i met the Wharfedale Diamond and the rest is history. The Diamond 8.4 turned to be the best buy for the money and I'm happy with this purchase. The 8.4 are great speakers. The sounds are clear and warm, and there is excellent ballance between high, medium and bass. They are great for stereo as well as for home theatre. I warmly recommend them. The best value for your money. I think the best price could be found on the net is in www.buy.com Mine were bought in Manila (where I live for a while), I guess they are so cheap because they are made in China. I didn't find any bad about this, and the quality still remains high as any previous Wharfedale product made in the U.K. Similar Products Used: Sherwood Main speakers |
[Dec 15, 2003]
Johan Wahlberg
Audio Enthusiast
Strength:
+Frequency range +Frequency separation +Stereo separation +Clarity and detail +Looks
Weakness:
+Poor plastic grille construction +Impossible to open up for maintenance. +The metal spikes scratch my floor This lots of LOUDSPEAKER for your money! Maybe the best budget hifi speaker ever made! Good bass/mids/highs-separation and balance, nice stereo spread and nice frequency range, 30hz-20khz! Hey- where's that sub?? You get really great detail and clarity for the small amount of money compared to lots of other speakers for $500+. And the looks! Oh those sexy yellow cones... Bad things are almost insignificant. The grille is very poor. I feel like I'm breaking it every time i put it on/off. I guess best is leaving it on. or off. It looks good either way and sounds no different. The optional spikes are of sharp metal. Should be rubber tipped to prevent scratching the floor. Just leave the speaker where it is. The cabinetts are sealed with glue. You will not be able to open them up if you burn a driver and want to replace it. Right, and don't forget the placement. Move them around and try different positions. I got stunning results after some experimenting. Similar Products Used: Diamond 7.2 Home built and DIY-set floor speakers Crappy Sony and JVC mini-systems |
[Nov 12, 2003]
Dave from Halifax NS
Audio Enthusiast
Strength:
Bi-wireable Kevlar drivers Tight, deep bass Great value for the price
Weakness:
As everyone has pointed out, the WORST grill design I could ever imagine I recently decided it was time to upgrade my speaker system to something of better quality and style for our new house. The 15 yr old Mach II speakers I had purchased prior to college were big and cumbersome and the wife hated the looks of them in the new rec room. I had recently auditioned a pair of Athena FS-2 speakers and was waiting for them to go on sale for a more affordable price. Then a local electronics shop had moved to a new location, so I stopped in to see what they had available. They had both Axiom and Wharfedale product lines set up and I listened to various speakers from both companies. The Axiom M80's sounded incredible, but were well out of my budget range. The Wharfedales had a rich, natual sound, especially the Diamond 8.4's. After listening to them, I was definitely interested and decided to look around at some of the other stores in the area to compare the results with other speaker lines. Over the next few weeks I listened to various products from Athena, Polk, Paradigm, Mission, and B&W. All of these lines had speakers that souded good, but they were usually 2-3X the price of the Wharfedale 8.4's. In fact the $1500 B&W 600 series also use small Kevlar drivers like the Wharfedale line. I purchased the Diamond 8.4's and set them up in my basement rec room, 12 x 20 with laminate floor. As they did in the showroom, the speakers sound great! With a flat tone setting on the receiver, the sound is very natural and the presence of a mid/bass driver is very evident. Use of the loudness feature, or increasing the bass setting really brings the "punch" out of the 8.4's. I would not have believed the Diamond 8.4, with a 6 1/2" driver, could have better bass than my old speakers with a 15" bass driver, but they do. Manufacturer specs say bass down to 30 Hz and I tend to believe that is true. I also purchased a set of Wharfedale Diamond DFS surround speakers and a Reel Acoustics 150W 10" sub to complete the home theater package. The sub is great for movie soundtracks, but I don't use it when listening to music...the 8.4's have more than ample bass by themselves! In my opinion, the Diamond 8.4's represent great value. I admit, the B&W 600 Series and the Axiom M80's sounded a little better, but considering they were 3X the cost, I don't believe they sounded 3X as good. If you are looking for a budget speaker that sounds like an audiophile product, you should audition a set of Wharefale Diamond 8.4's as you may be pleasantly surprised for the price. (at CAN$530, they are a deal!) My system now contains: Diamond 8.4 Fronts Infinity Center One Reel Acoustics 1012 150W Subwoofer Diamond DFS Surrounds Pioneer VSX-710S Receiver Toshiba SD 2800 DVD Player JVC 32301 D-Series 32" TV Similar Products Used: Compared with the following before purchase: Athena FS-2 Paradigm Monitor Series B&W 600 Series Polk Audio RT Series |