Amazingly detailed sound when biiwired, cabinets are true craftsmanship at its best, they look amazing. Not overly obstrusive and tall. Oh yeah and price.

they put my B&W 601S2's to shame which i paid $600 a pair for, otherwise there are none.

I bought these speakers based on the reviews in this site plus i have used wharfedales in the past and have never been happie. I ordered them off ebay at a but it now price of $250.00 which in itself was amazing, i ordered the limited edition walnut color i say limited because they made less than 600 pairs in this color according to the manufacturer. As soon as i opened the boxes i already knew i would like these speakers because of the craftsmanship on the cabinets which is beautiful. Then i biiwired them to my marantz 7200 receiver with Tara labs 14g cable(this is no ordinary cable it is 9/10 copper it is almost completly copper which is impossible to find nowadays)i paid $3.00 a foot and the sound from these babies is amazing, i mean the soundstage is incredible it is even better than the definitive technologies 2002's which cost $1,400 a pair which I was thinking about buying which would have been a HUGE mistake. So what I did was order less expensive speakers and the best wire money can buy along with rear speakers which were the wharfedale 8.2's they were only $299.99 a pair and match perfectly. But, back the the emerald's the midrange is amazing as I tested them on the mummy I heard everything that i couldn't hear with my B&W 601 S2's also as many people have been quothing on the bass driver that it isn't adequate enough to produce a ton of bass WELL DUH it isn't made for that if you want more bass go for the 99's you need a subwoofer to make your home theater system sound good anyways. all in all these are the best speakers that I have heard for under $800 on the market and i have heard a lot of them including definitive technologies 2002's, 2004's, kef q series, B&W 601 and 602S3's(it blew them away). My advice is buy these now while you still can they are the best deal on the market.

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Everything soundtrack superstores has to offer.

Great range and soundstage. Amazing sound for the money.

Unfortunately the cabinets are not terribly durable. With the aid of my wife's cat (would any guy actually own a cat otherwise?) my beloved speakers are starting to show their age prematurely.

I must admit that I have been very pleased with these speakers. First, I bought a single pair to be powered by my old Sony STR-DE687 receiver. Even then they sounded amazing. Soon thereafter, I bi-wired them and they sounded even better with a noticable expansion in soundstage. A few months after that, I scrapped my old Sony in favor of a Denon AVR-3802. That made a tremendous difference! With a superior receiver these speakers really shine. This setup was actually a bit bright for my taste, but this problem was easily remedied with the addition of a Panamax 1500 line conditioner. As a final note, I was so pleased with these speakers that I now have six Emerald 97's and two Emerald Centers crowding my little one bedroom apartment. Ridiculous? Yes. But a lot of fun...

1) Price, price, price! (www.ubid.com) 2) Perfectly balanced sound, clean as an Evian spring stream, detailed as a cartographer, highs like a Ferrari at redline and lows as accurate as baseball meeting a glove at 100mph. Both provide fabulous range with without sacrificing detail and control. 3) High wife-acceptance factor. The elegant/timeless design without sacrificing performance. Small footprint.

Can’t think of a damn thing…

I have a Pioneer ELITE VX-5 receiver that I bought back in 1997 as an open-box item @ Magnolia Hi-Fi in Portland, OR. As a struggling student, I knew the ELITE series were a reference-standard product, but never understood what that meant until I wired up the Wharfedale Emerald 99s (the best looking finish found for a black ash anywhere – WOW). I bought an Infinity satellite set with subwoofer at the same time, and always thought that the sound form music was just average. The home theater experience was great, but a CD with Pink Floyd or Andrea Bocelli sounded just like it would in my car. Nothing special. I now live in Las Vegas. When I first received these speakers, I was amazed at the details of the finish. It looked like a woodworker had gone around the entire speaker and softened all the edges. The area around where the drivers attach to the wood is also sunk to detail the driver placement. The platform onto where the speaker sits also anchors the asthetic qualities of the entire package. A work of art! The best part was when I bi-wired them to the Pioneer receiver. Oh my goodness! Oh dear God! These are the best sounding speakers I have heard – EVER! The sound is perfectly balanced and hits with detail and accuracy. CDs that you have listed to 1,000 times over will ring with new sounds never heard from lower quality drivers. I have only listened for about 5 hours, far below the 50 hour break-in criteria. I can't believe they are only going to get better. I will be in heaven when these are perfectly tuned after 50 hours. As the last reviewed commented, “I think I am keeping this speaker for life…I am such a happy person now”. Finally, some recommendations for the price-conscious consumers looking for the best “bang-for-the-buck”. First, buy from www.ubid.com. They have the best prices, hands down. Even www.amazon.com prices are twice as much. Remember, retail on these is well over $1000. Secondly, get good speaker wire. Don’t skimp here. The 12-gauge is best, but I got 100ft roll of 14-gauge from Home Depot for $35. Finally, bi-wire the speakers for the very best performance. I tried wiring them separately from the receiver on both speaker A and B outputs, but they did not work properly. To make a long story short, I wired both sets of wires into the speaker A outputs and the sound is incredible!

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Infinity (7-yrs), Yamaha (9-yrs), Sony (13-yrs), Kenwood (15-years)

clean sound, mellow and soothing. Great mirror imaging. If you love great hard wood like I do, this speaker is for you. By the way, I have a cherry. I probably like it in Oak more. I probably don't like Black wood (what is that?)

Bass is slightly less than sufficient. It is not a big negative though.

This is for the Emerald 99. I have been a critical Audiophile for 30 years. I have never been happy until I got the Emerald 99 last week. Now, the world around me is totally different. I listened to internet radio streaming 3 hours a day and I won't quit until it is late at night. I have an below average Yamaha receiver that drives this pair of elegant speakers, I am in heaven already. I am determined to upgrade the receiver to a Harman Kardon AVR125/225 within 1-2 months, and I am sure the sound quality will be beyond recognition. Yes, bass is not satisfactory but the mid to high ranges are far better any $1000 Polks/Bose/Infinity. I will be buying a DVD-Audio/SACD player in the next 6 months, and then I will be living in heaven on earth. Of course, the looks are such an important fact as we are looking at this guy hours at a time. This babe looks a truly elegant classy lady that I truly adore. Thank you Wharfedale, thank you uBid. I think I am keeping this speaker for life, and I am probably keeping my marriage too: O I am such a happy person now. I think everyone should have an Emerald 99 and there will be no unhappy person in this world, and there will be no war, my friend.

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JBL, Infinity, Bose, Polk.

Build quality, PRICE, looks, mids and highs are those of much more expensive speakers.

Bass, bass, bass. If you don't really know much about audio, it will be fine...but it drives me nuts.

There are so many great speakers in the world below $2,000. They all look, sound, and cost differently. What "Stereophile" reccommends in this price range, "The Absolute Sound" may have never even reviewed. I bought these speakers as a starting point in my quest through mid hi-fi, if you will, and since then I have learned quite a lot about audio. It seems the more I learn, the more disappointed I am with my Emerald 97's. Yet let me be clear--I'm disappointed because there are better, more affordable options in existance. For the price most of us will pay, there are absolutely not any better speakers in the world. I defy anyone to find a better overall pair of speakers for under $500 (even through amazon.com you pay little more than $500), factoring in price, cosmetics, and most importantly sound--there is nothing better. Yet for those of you that do have a little more to spend, I have some other routes you should travel. Check out Polk's new stunning line--namely the Lsi15. Look at PSB's image line, such as the image 5t, 6t, or 7t. Check out Athena's solid AS-F2 speakers. The reality is that the Wharfedale's are an unheard-of bargain, yet those that say they are the best for under $1,000, or $2,000...well, you guys are simply wrong. The Emeralds are extremely well built for most any price point: gold-plated biwireable speaker-connectors, well-made drivers and tweeters, and all of this housed in a quality wood housing to dampen vibrations and improve the natural soundstage. These build features make the sound incredibly musical and involving for the price. But that's really the key in understanding the Emerald 97's--they are incredible, but only for the price. If you have more to spend, listen around, and don't make a purchase simply on reviews (but you won't be dissappointed if you do). The 97's high and mids are really what you pay for--very accurate...on a well-recorded album you will be pierced with full-bodied vocals, and absorbed in realism. The soundstage is also quite good...extends about a foot beyond each speaker, yet it takes a great recording to really make you appreciate the soundstage--these aren't nearly capable of the "sound emerging from space" element that much more pricey speakers are known for. The bass is the main problem with the speaker, but again, for this price...who's complaining? It's punchy yet lacking in frequency-range on its best day, with your most well-milked recording, but on most days it's a muddy blob...inaccurate and underwhelming. The lower-end also feels disconnected from the mids and highs...they don't all intertwine beautifully, wrapping each sound around the other to produce music as its meant to be heard--the speakers sound like each driver is handling its specific dynamic range, so the proper "flow" of frequencies is lost. I highly reccommend buying the Wharfedale's if you have no more than, say, $500 to spend on speakers. They are very rare at this point...not on display at small shops nor the large chains, and the facts that they're a discontinued model and made under a Canadian audio conglomerate doesn't help much for us American's...but I bought mine based only on the reviews here...and I know I'm far from the only one. So if you have a limited amout of dough, go for it. These speakers really are one of the last of a kind--a true audio bargain, ready to please if only you can get your hands on them. They are beautifully neutral as well--they will never put an artificial veil over your terrible-recordings...another sign of their quality. Have fun, listen around, and good luck y'all.

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Klipsch, Bose, Polk, etc.

great bass from such small drivers

none so far

i was very leary buying speakers i havent heard before but with all the positive reviews and the price i took a chance. im glad i did . one of my biggest fears was bass. they have more than my old kenwoods with a 10 inch woofer.i have yet to really crank them up as they say to be restraind for the first fifty hours but so far from steely dan to black sabbath they seem to sound great.cabinet quality is exelent. overall im very happy.

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kenwood, realistic

Highs and mids - msut have a sub for the 97s.

A litte too directional, room placement critical.

Purchased four 97s after reading several reviews and listening to Pacific series in stores. Later I added the Topaz sub and Emerald Center. Pushing this system with a Denon 3802 and the results are incredible. Very accurate reproduction like M&Ks, so a poorly produced CD will emit poor sound. Speakers are very directional so placement is critical. Set them at least a 12-16" from the wall. Overall, mids are dead on and highs are clear. Adding the sub makes for perfect bass. You can't beat this system for the price. Getting "perma-grin" every time I watch a well produced movie or listen to rock, jazz or bluegrass. Stringed instruments sound perfect - you'll think Yo Yo Ma is in the room!!

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Infinity M&K Atlantic Technology Paradigm Klipsch

Natural sound, easy listening Quality craftsmanship

Somewhat boxy Lack of extension both low and high

Of the Wharfedale speakers I've owned (including Pacific 40's) the Emeralds were the best. The high-end is smooth (though not particularly extended), the mids sound natural and rhythmic (though somewhat closed-in), the bottom end well controlled (though a bit thin). Overall, a very musical, somewhat warm and enjoyable presentation that far exceeds many pricier models sold at big-box stores. However, do not be fooled into thinking you're getting a pair of speakers that can compete with the cream of the $1000/pair crop. For $200-$300, they're a great deal. For much more than that, I'd look into paradigm, athena, sound dynamics and other highly regarded budget models. While on my soapbox, I have to add that the PI-40's I briefly owned were a major disappointment—demonstrating how a speaker can be less than the sum of its parts. Loaded with technology, and boasting substantial cabinetry, they nonetheless (to my ears at least) were very boxy sounding. The midrange was muddy, the pacing sluggish, the highs lacking sparkle. For the price, even discounted, you can do better.

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Epos, Spendor, Paradigm, Platinum Audio

Great Sound Quality

6 ohms nominal impedance Black finish from Ubid.com

I purchased a pair of these speakers from Ubid.com for $400.00 delivered based primarily upon reviews from audioreview.com. Needless to say I was surprised when they arrived only four days after placing the bid. However, this was the least of my surprises when I opened the box. Yes, to by dismay, the Emerald 99’s I ordered were a black veneer even though all pictures on Ubid.com displayed the more desirable oak finish. After hooking them up to my Sherwood 9090 5x100 A/V receiver, I was very pleased with the sound quality. For the most part everything wase crystal clear, however, the vocals did sound a little shallow when playing the Eagles “Hell Freezes Over” DVD. Overall the musicality of these speakers is a “9” out of “10”. The problems kicked in when I tested it for HT with Matrix. My 8 ohms 5x100 receiver could not handle the 6 ohms nominal impedance of these speakers and the receiver shut down five times during the demo run. This has left me looking for high quality 6 ohms amplifier on the Internet (any recommendations would he appreciated). All in all, these are great speakers, however, buyer be ware if you are looking to purchase the oak finish from Ubid.com or if your receiver is not up for the challenge.

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Wharfedale Valdus 400's a little bright, but a good speaker for the money.

Well built, awesome sound. Get one, you'll know.

NONE NONE NONE NONE NONE NONE NONE!

I just got it a few days ago. The so called "50 hours running period" hasn't kicked in yet, but the sound is already awesome. Within $260 price range, you can't get any better speaker (sony sells for around $280 in frys...and sony sucks) Sound is clear and loud, also vocal and music are balanced (thanks to big midrange). Can't say anything more...just buy it if you don't have one. Get more from what you pay. Awesome, 2 BIG thumbs UP!!!

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infinity