Home > Consumer Reviews > Wharfedale Emerald 97 3-Way Floorstanding Speakers (Real Oak Veneer)

Ran these speakers next to b&w speakers and they were neck to neck. For $1,000 less these speakers are a no brainer. Try them out and you wont be sorry.

I have never ordered anything major on the internet. I was somewhat apprehensive to order an item this significant. But after receiving these phenomenal speakers I am extremely pleased. The sound is exceptional and my wife is very happy about the beauty of the cabinets. I would highly recommend these speakers for anyone who wants a set of speakers in the $1000 range.

Although this fine product cannot be shipped to me here in New Zealand, I found the Amazon review and description so helpful that I went out and bought a pair here in Auckland city! It's all systems go for this very fine Wharfedale product. These speakers are clean and open sounding with no hint of 'boxiness', and they have decent bass output. And the real Rosewood veneer finish is just superb. I'm somewhat biased, as these are the third Rosewood colored set of speakers I've owned. You see, I bought the Emerald Center speaker, too! I may be wrong, but I think Wharfedale has become a slight underdog in the marketplace these days and I urge any undecided buyers to heed my words and at the very least audition the Emerald range.

I own the new Mark IV's in Walnut. There have been some changes: they are slightly redesigned in cabinet features (the bottom plinth) and the frequency response has been changed from 40-20000Hz to 30-20000Hz. Also the sensitivity is down 1 decibel to 88dB. The bass drivers have been tweaked for greater bottom end and my AVIA test signals show a remarkable Spl output from 40-25Hz primarily, I suppose, to offer greater HT experience without sub.

I can add very little to what has already been described in other reviews. These speakers have one of the finest tweeters I've ever come across right out of the box. When the bass and mid-range drivers have had a chance to fully break-in, the 97 will yield performance comparable to many 'name' speakers costing severalfold the outlay I made. Don't be frightened off by the 'Made in China' buzz out there...the quality is outstanding in every area: design (still British), materials (quality wood veneers---even on the bottom of the plinth!), and assembly. The finished product is an absolute steal.

One word of caution: do not buy these speakers unless you like sonic accuracy and detail. You will find little of the 'fuzzy warmth' that passes for sound reproduction in other places yet they still maintain an open, sincere character with any music style. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.

I purchased these speakers 2 years ago. I had them bi-wired and hooked up to a Rotel pre and power amp. They sounded great, and were a marked improvement from my 10 year old B&W bookshelf entry level speakers. One later later I found myself in the market for a home theatre system. I again opted for the Rotel pre and power amp, but did some speaker tests with the B&W Nautilus line. Eventually I was sold over on the Nautilus line (at a much higher premium). Upon doing an A/B test of the B&W's versus these Wharfedales, there is a marked difference in overall soundscape. The Wharfedales at high volumes got a little shrill in the high end, while the B&W's just sounded great at any volume.
For the money I would definitely recommend these speakes whole heartedly, but if you have a little more money and are a picky audiophile, you may want to check out the B&W Nautilus series.