Wharfedale Valdus 500 Floorstanding Speakers

Wharfedale Valdus 500 Floorstanding Speakers 

DESCRIPTION

loudspeaker

USER REVIEWS

Showing 11-20 of 67  
[Feb 25, 2003]
Dreaddi
Audio Enthusiast

Strength:

Clarity...Ambience...Tone...

Weakness:

Midrange needs better crossover...

I bouth these speaker used but when they arrived they looked new. The owner kept very good care of them not a scratch. They beautifully when creating sounds at higher levels. The are in deep need for a better midrange crossover networking but none the less they sound beautiful. I would recommend them to any and everyone. No matter the type of music you listen to they will do the job exceptionally.

Similar Products Used:

None

OVERALL
RATING
5
VALUE
RATING
5
[Jan 23, 2003]
chloride
Audio Enthusiast

Strength:

Very clear and punchy at high volume

Weakness:

Bass does seem to outweigh treble at low volume; although evens out nicely at high volume. As per above - really do need alot of power to get optimum results.

I work at an electronics store (similar to Harvey Norman) specializing in mid-range audio equipment (Sony, Technics, etc), and after trying out most of what we stock I settled on a pair of Valdus 500's to run off my 100watt x 5 sony amp (@ .7%THD, 8ohm). I must say that when i got them home they didnt sound as hot as they did in store. After 3 weeks of running them in they have started to come into their own - seems it takes quite a while for them to wear in; So dont be discouraged if you are dissapointed at first. They get better and better the more you listen to them. I would recommend a more powerful amp than 100x5; as they need to be driven hard (>70% volume) for optimum clarity, but this is to be expected given their power rating. Regardless of this, even at 70% volume there doesnt seem to be any amplifier clipping. Very effective for Home Theatre (I am running them with a Valdus centre and Sony Satellites - each rear channel running 2 speakers and in parallel @ +2db to compensate for the fronts; dont know how good this is for the amplifier but no trouble so far)

Similar Products Used:

U name it I've tried it. Second pick for speakers would be 3 way technics (panasonic - dont know model) unit putitng out similar specs; smaller cheaper unit but have heard it on a Sony 110x5 @ .09%THD

OVERALL
RATING
5
VALUE
RATING
4
[Jan 21, 2003]
uru
Audio Enthusiast

Strength:

They can create clear sound in a very big space,they let u fill the music with there low bass,the hi sound(twiter)is very clear also,the best speakers for live music,they could be the best for home theater(don't need the sub)and most importent your girlfriend will like them.

Weakness:

The bass must be tuned when changing the music from rock to trance music(allways tune the trebel for the highest db).

My latest speakers were'nt that acurate and that loud (3Way ESS) so i look for the ultimate speakers whom i'll enjoy for the clear music in hi db.In the first day that I purchess this loudloudspeakes I thot to myself: this r the same speakers as mine just more powerfull and that lowlow bass was so new to me that I was surrprised that main speakers could be so powerfull(for the price I payd),and don't u think I didn't heard them before at the store and liked them,but in the store there was much more space than in my appartment,and this speakers need quiet space to break if u know what I mean:-O So if u like your music playing in u,or more correctly if u like to fill your music and not just hear it so thiese r the speakers for u. and like the salseman at the store told me:"Go on and blow your neighbours mind".

Similar Products Used:

Not in this price!!!

OVERALL
RATING
5
VALUE
RATING
5
[Jan 08, 2003]
sculbert
Audio Enthusiast

Strength:

Incredible Bass. Solid Construction, good looks.

Weakness:

Maybe they could use a little better crossover networking but for midrange sytem they are still great.

Just to note I am a 45 year old person that enjoys a broad range of music from classic to rap. I was hesitant after reading some reviews but the price was making it worth a try. Seems some people loved them and some hated them. Most reveiws stated they found limited midrange. I haven't found this. Issue is the bass response is so good that it covers some of the midrange. The bass is so good I don't see the need to use my barrowed 750 watt Cerwin Vega Subwoofer. I have found these work very well with my Pioneer DS488. It is only 100 watts X 5 but it drives these speakers very well. My conclusion is they are great for DVD Theater sounds and live music sound incredible with them as well. You need to re-adjust your tones a little to accomadate for the extra bass.

Similar Products Used:

Pioneer, Cerwin Vega, Sony

OVERALL
RATING
5
VALUE
RATING
5
[Jan 02, 2003]
senser
Audio Enthusiast

Strength:

great for live music

Weakness:

can get muddy at xtrem levels

a good speaker for teens that have need it loud and bassy i did now am ready for something else

Similar Products Used:

kenwood and pionieer speakers

OVERALL
RATING
4
VALUE
RATING
4
[Dec 24, 2002]
cytodyne78
Audio Enthusiast

Strength:

Heavy bass....they rock

Weakness:

No weaknesses

These are excellent speakers,best I have ever owned.They are very power hungry and need to be driven hard.Wharfedale A++++

Similar Products Used:

Marantz,Yamaha,cerwin-vega

OVERALL
RATING
5
VALUE
RATING
5
[Oct 25, 2002]
Harpo
Audio Enthusiast

Strength:

Strong bass,detailed mids and crisp highs. Tweeter protection a big plus! For this price range alot of value!

Weakness:

No spikes,not bi-wireable.. some quality control issues with Wharfedale.

Well,I have given these speakers the proper break-in before posting this review. I bought these to replace the Wharfedale Modus6.1 in hopes to aquire more bass,and boy these speakers do not let you down in that department! I also find the mids and highs to be great,so I can only assume that other people on this site that have complained about the mids not being strong enough maybe should consider getting a new reciever with more power as reccomended in the owners manual that comes with these speakers. How do they compare to the Modus? Build quality..not as good..one of my speakers arrived with the speaker binding-post input panal disloged(no big deal). If not bi-wireable....why not at least spikes? Sound....I actually prefer these speakers to the modus,they are much more forward in soungstage,the mids are sweet and the highs are much more detailed than the Modus..probably do to the 93db rating as compaired to the 89db that of the Modus. For $240 a pair from U-BID a bargin!

Similar Products Used:

Modus 6.1,diamond 7.1

OVERALL
RATING
5
VALUE
RATING
5
[Sep 22, 2002]
volcano219
Audio Enthusiast

Strength:

Great Bass, Great Mids, Great Highs, Subwoofer is optional for music, (in my opinion, anyway). P.S. I love the covers and the indestructible rubber surrounds. Solid made speaker.

Weakness:

Not Bi-wirable, Bi-ampable....Too bad! They could be that much better.

Price included shipping - great buy! My Wharfies are still a-Thumpin'. Liked the SE500's so much I upgraded my HT receiver to a DENON AVR-3802 (AVR-1082) - Know what? They even sound better than before. If you can find 'em now, buy em' now!

Similar Products Used:

Def. Tech, Klipsch, etc.

OVERALL
RATING
5
VALUE
RATING
5
[Aug 21, 2002]
coulterbob76
Audio Enthusiast

Strength:

$233/pair, room-filling, nice live music sound.

Weakness:

?maybe the mids depending on setup

At $233 for the pair delivered, I think they are unbeatable. In stores, I have not seen anything at $233 each that really would compare. If you want to go really HIFI or THXultra don't complain here, go spend more money. My primary use is for home theater, but I do use them for CD's as well. In my theater, I don't notice the mid problem, it may be present in music to some extent but I don't push as hard as some of the other reviewers, and I also have them positioned 18" away from the wall. I run them with my 100 watt pioneer vsx-d810 and in my smallish listening room they really can take you away. I have further reduced any mid problems playing them side by side with some wharfedale diamond 7.1 bookshelfs(another good price) that really fill in the mid-range. The bass hounds are right to say that they push hard, and with really driven music they shine the best, however for my theater I do add a JBL sub for the 150 watt punch and to reach below 40hz. This is important if you want to feel your favorite action movie. Finally I say that they perform very well on all the live recordings I have listened to. (10,000 Maniacs Unplugged is a good place to start.) I don't see the cheap grill problem mentioned in other reviews either. Value is an obvious 5-star. Overall they exceeded my expectation for the price range, again 5-stars.

Similar Products Used:

JBL, Bose, Infinity, Klipsch, Warfedale Diamonds

OVERALL
RATING
5
VALUE
RATING
5
[May 07, 2002]
deliverance2k
AudioPhile

Strength:

Good hi and mid lo freq. 3 years warranty but good luck on finding the ref. Keep your receipt.

Weakness:

Made in China. Stickers say in England.

Bought a pair of Valdus 500 at Ubid for 103 a piece. Shipping cost another $50 apiece. It is rediculous for Ubid but it is another story. Speakers lack of mid range and skip base sometime. Tweeters blown twice. Don''t trust people saying that this baby can rock; again it can blow tweeter anytime if you let the dogs out.

Similar Products Used:

Bose 701 Bose center Pioneer Elite amp Bose 201 for surround.

OVERALL
RATING
3
VALUE
RATING
3
Showing 11-20 of 67  

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