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Wharfedale Diamond 12 Owner's Thread

Jgcajas

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Will the Wharfedale 12.2 be a good synergy with my Cambridge CXA81 integrated amplifier?
 
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MarkWinston

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Will the Wharfedale 12.2 be a good synergy with my Cambridge CXA81 integrated amplifier?
Interestingly enough, my 12.2s work best with the most analytical and revealing of amps. The 12s are really neutral with a BBC Dip, so a revealing amp would bring the best out of the speakers. I am a firm believer of everything has to be as neutral as possible in the chain and if anything was to be coloured to taste, it would be the speakers. My best combo for the 12.2 is the DA9 which is known to be very neutral and clean, paired with a good ESS based DAC from the likes of Topping, which is also known to be very revealing. The CXA81 does not have those attributes, in fact most if not all Cambridge amps have a their own house signature sound, that is slightly dipped in the mids to smoothen things out. That does not really bode well with speakers that already have a dip in those areas.
 

Crosstalk

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Interestingly enough, my 12.2s work best with the most analytical and revealing of amps. The 12s are really neutral with a BBC Dip, so a revealing amp would bring the best out of the speakers. I am a firm believer of everything has to be as neutral as possible in the chain and if anything was to be coloured to taste, it would be the speakers. My best combo for the 12.2 is the DA9 which is known to be very neutral and clean, paired with a good ESS based DAC from the likes of Topping, which is also known to be very revealing. The CXA81 does not have those attributes, in fact most if not all Cambridge amps have a their own house signature sound, that is slightly dipped in the mids to smoothen things out. That does not really bode well with speakers that already have a dip in those areas.
I am wondering if anyone got a chance to compare this with classic bbc speakers
 

Jgcajas

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Interestingly enough, my 12.2s work best with the most analytical and revealing of amps. The 12s are really neutral with a BBC Dip, so a revealing amp would bring the best out of the speakers. I am a firm believer of everything has to be as neutral as possible in the chain and if anything was to be coloured to taste, it would be the speakers. My best combo for the 12.2 is the DA9 which is known to be very neutral and clean, paired with a good ESS based DAC from the likes of Topping, which is also known to be very revealing. The CXA81 does not have those attributes, in fact most if not all Cambridge amps have a their own house signature sound, that is slightly dipped in the mids to smoothen things out. That does not really bode well with speakers that already have a dip in those areas.
Thanks for your feedback, what other integrated amplifiers, priced around $ 1,000, would be a better fit for these Wharfedale 12.2 loudspeakers?
 
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MarkWinston

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Thanks for your feedback, what other integrated amplifiers, priced around $ 1,000, would be a better fit for these Wharfedale 12.2 loudspeakers?
Try the PA5 along with their DAC that is within your budget. The PA5 and D70S should be below 1000 and that would be a great setup. Or stretch your budget a wee bit more and get the D90SE. Thats SOTA stuff right there.
 

bramsat

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The aiyima07 is the best amp for my wharfedales EVO 4.4 and also the diamonds 10.7...I got the topping PA5 right now....my oldest amp the

litle old amp the akai AM 2250 with only ±40 watts sounds better and has more powergrip on the speaker as the PA5.

The PA5 sounds clean but also liveles an boring.
 

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bramsat

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The aiyima07 is the best amp for my wharfedales EVO 4.4 and also the diamonds 10.7...I got the topping PA5 right now....my oldest amp the

litle old amp the akai AM 2250 with only ±40 watts sounds better and has more powergrip on the speaker as the PA5.

The PA5 sounds clean but also liveles an boring.
But the topping E50 sounds top!
 
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MarkWinston

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The aiyima07 is the best amp for my wharfedales EVO 4.4 and also the diamonds 10.7...I got the topping PA5 right now....my oldest amp the

litle old amp the akai AM 2250 with only ±40 watts sounds better and has more powergrip on the speaker as the PA5.

The PA5 sounds clean but also liveles an boring.
In my case, the A07 is the worst amp I have compared to my DA9 and PA5. Ok for 80 bucks, not even close to the DA9 and PA5 in terms of clarity and how they just amplify and send the signal out.
 

nick779

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Just curious here, has anyone compared the 12.1/12.2 to the Kef Q150?

I have a non-ideal stereo location that leaves about 9" of gap from the speakers and the Q150s sound good-great with rich, but tight bass when the partial plug is in. It still sounds good without the plugs but gets a bit boomy. I like the Kefs, but the treble range dances on the edge of harshness and so I was recommended to check out the 12 series.

I received a pair of 12.1s today and replaced the Kefs to do some A/B testing. The 12.1s played random music for a few hours then I did some listening tests. In this weird room, in my opinion the bass difference between the two is substantially worse for the 12.1s. The easiest instrument I see a change in is certain notes of bass guitars which just fade away. The sound is there, but the SPL is not and it is very distracting. Manufacturer specs the Kef at 51hz vs the 12.1's 65hz which I assume is the issue, but I could be wrong.

I REALLY like the midrange and treble ranges on the 12.1 over the Q150, but the low end attenuation is a deal breaker for my 2.0 setup. I hesitate to step up to the 12.2 as they are nearly twice the price of the Kefs and I don't know what to expect of them. Plus with my wall proximity, I hate to waste my time testing it if they're more finnicky with placement.

Is this anyone else's experience or could this just be a room issue that these speakers are not meant to work with?
 
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nick779

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Sorry... double post as I ran out of edit time.

Well, turns out it was a corner bass boost. The port of the Kefs was about 1.5" lower than the 12.1s placing it slightly below the edge of a partial wall near the speaker. If I raise the Kefs 2" they have similar bass extension to the 12.1s, but with a less desirable mid & treble.

I suppose if I intend on keeping these speakers a while I might as well splurge knowing I am getting what I really want. The Wharfdale 12.2s should be here on Tuesday.
 
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MarkWinston

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Sorry... double post as I ran out of edit time.

Well, turns out it was a corner bass boost. The port of the Kefs was about 1.5" lower than the 12.1s placing it slightly below the edge of a partial wall near the speaker. If I raise the Kefs 2" they have similar bass extension to the 12.1s, but with a less desirable mid & treble.

I suppose if I intend on keeping these speakers a while I might as well splurge knowing I am getting what I really want. The Wharfdale 12.2s should be here on Tuesday.
Let us know what you think of the 12.2 compared to the 12.1, to me 12.2 hands down in all aspects, nearfield and far.
 
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MarkWinston

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In this interview with Karl, he mentioned that he would personally toe in the Diamond 12s until its on axis and slowly start toeing them out to get proper imaging then stop right there. This has worked best for me and I have the Diamonds toed in around 10 - 15 degrees. He also mentioned that he liked the 12.2 the best, probably because of its size and impact it gives compared to its smaller siblings.
 

nick779

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Let us know what you think of the 12.2 compared to the 12.1, to me 12.2 hands down in all aspects, nearfield and far.
Got them yesterday. There's no comparison to the 12.1. So much more body and fullness to music now. Low end is no joke either. They don't have that high end "sparkle" but they're fantastic all arounders for the price.

Frankly based on the price, I'm not so sure where the 12.1 would fit in. 12.0 with a sub, or 12.2 with/without a sub.

One thing that irks me ever so slightly is that while the speakers were wrapped well, the dark chrome beauty rings around the woofers were scuffed on both of my speakers in multiple places. It appears to have been from the grille as there is some residue. Perhaps hasty assembly.
The center cone on one speaker has a discoloration like an oil spot and neither woofer is perfectly aligned.

They both sound great, but you would think they would be a bit better than that with the QC and assembly. Crutchfield did grant me the scratch and dent price after I sent in some pics, so I'm in it for $529 (from $599).
 
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MarkWinston

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Got them yesterday. There's no comparison to the 12.1. So much more body and fullness to music now. Low end is no joke either. They don't have that high end "sparkle" but they're fantastic all arounders for the price.

Frankly based on the price, I'm not so sure where the 12.1 would fit in. 12.0 with a sub, or 12.2 with/without a sub.

One thing that irks me ever so slightly is that while the speakers were wrapped well, the dark chrome beauty rings around the woofers were scuffed on both of my speakers in multiple places. It appears to have been from the grille as there is some residue. Perhaps hasty assembly.
The center cone on one speaker has a discoloration like an oil spot and neither woofer is perfectly aligned.

They both sound great, but you would think they would be a bit better than that with the QC and assembly. Crutchfield did grant me the scratch and dent price after I sent in some pics, so I'm in it for $529 (from $599).
Glad you like them... you can try to coax that sparkly treble out a bit with cleaner sounding amps and dacs, but overall wharfedales, especially the diamond line, is never known for that high end sheen. You can listen to them for days and never get tired yet staying accurate. I am now goin for the 12.4s, which IMO sounds even better than the Evo 4.4, just way more balanced and neutral.

QC wise, I returned a pair of 12.2s because there was dried glue peeling off the dust cap. It irritated the hell out of me.
 

nick779

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Glad you like them... you can try to coax that sparkly treble out a bit with cleaner sounding amps and dacs, but overall wharfedales, especially the diamond line, is never known for that high end sheen. You can listen to them for days and never get tired yet staying accurate. I am now goin for the 12.4s, which IMO sounds even better than the Evo 4.4, just way more balanced and neutral.

QC wise, I returned a pair of 12.2s because there was dried glue peeling off the dust cap. It irritated the hell out of me.
I don't mind the treble because it isn't fatiguing at all. The Kefs occasionally would start to bother me if I had them going in the background for 5-7 hours even at lower volumes.

Did you go through a retailer for the exchange or Wharfedale direct?

I'm not sure what to do, I thought I was ok with it, but I keep noticing more little things that may or may not make a difference.
 
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MarkWinston

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I don't mind the treble because it isn't fatiguing at all. The Kefs occasionally would start to bother me if I had them going in the background for 5-7 hours even at lower volumes.

Did you go through a retailer for the exchange or Wharfedale direct?

I'm not sure what to do, I thought I was ok with it, but I keep noticing more little things that may or may not make a difference.
All the 3 sets of diamond 12.2 I recieved had some sort of a white powder on the rubber surrounds, had to wipe them off slowly with a dry cloth. Took me 15 minutes to do a perfect job. My first set had dry glue peeling off the dustcap, so I contacted the shop I bought it from and returned it right away. You should contact the shop you bought it from and tell them about the scuff, that is unacceptable. Damn tweeter off center is the worst. Get it returned. It looks like your unit has been used. Where did you buy it from?
 

nick779

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All the 3 sets of diamond 12.2 I recieved had some sort of a white powder on the rubber surrounds, had to wipe them off slowly with a dry cloth. Took me 15 minutes to do a perfect job. My first set had dry glue peeling off the dustcap, so I contacted the shop I bought it from and returned it right away. You should contact the shop you bought it from and tell them about the scuff, that is unacceptable. Damn tweeter off center is the worst. Get it returned. It looks like your unit has been used. Where did you buy it from?
Crutchfield as new. They looked packaged new, but I wonder if maybe they're a refurb.
 

nick779

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Im sure crutch
Im sure crutchfield will get you a new one.
They're sending me a new one today.

I just hope I don't get the angry phone call for returns. I've heard that people who make too many returns can get blacklisted. I'm at 4 with this exchange, speaking to an advisor each time for advice/recommendations. They've all said it's no problem, so hopefully it stays that way.
 
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