Home > Consumer Reviews > Wharfedale Diamond 7.1 Bookshelf Speakers (Black Ash)

I read the favorable customer reviews of the Wharfedale 7.1 speakers before deciding to buy. I wanted the speakers to bring sound to my kitchen as I like to cook to music. I tried the speakers out with the opening of Strauss' Also Sprach Zarathustra. The low C on the organ came through remarkably well, the tympani were reproduced crisply, and the brass was clean. Next I put on a Bill Evans jazz disc. The brushes were reproduced almost as well as on my main system. The similarly sized speakers I put in my wife's painting studio cost twice as much but do not compare with the Wharfedale 7.1.

The speakers might not do as well in a larger room, and they get a little muddy if the volume is cranked up too high. But for smaller spaces, they deliver nice sound at an unbeatable price.

Ever Heard of Warfedale? Well me neither (unless u live in Britain). I had a little extra cash to burn after the holidays so i decided to log on to amazon and see what their was for some cheap but good bookshelf speakers. The 7.1's by wharfedale stuck in my mind mainly because of their cheap price and the raving editorial reviewer who i thought was just a bit crazy. So i decided to purchase a pair. When they came and i first hooked them up i was a little skeptical. Not after i cranked up the volume on my stereo however. These things are incredible! They sound like they are coming from speakers 3 times their size. The bass is nothing short of amazing for the tiny woofers. And furthermore i dont think i could blow these things w/o first blowing my ears. I highly recomend these for anyone looking for a cheap pair of speakers with high performance.

I have read about Wharfedale Diamonds for years ,they have always been highly regarded by audiophiles.They offer great value for the money......but $63.99??????....you have got to be kidding!..for the pair?....Nothing touches these speakers for at least 3 times this price.I bought the 7.1's .They sound so great I do kinda wish that I had spent the extra 20 bucks or so for the 7.2's just to see what the slightly deeper cabinet would do.The brochure claims that the 7.1's can reproduce lows down to 50 hz.......the 7.2's 40hz!I cannot recommend these speakers highly enough especially at a little over $30 dollars each.I have matched the 7.1's with a NAD 3020 integrated amp with Monster Cable.

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I agree with most of the reviews here. The 7.1 is just right for my apartment and produces great sound. I paired them with a Wharfedale Atlantic center [...], and have Bose 141s as my rear surrounds. They are all hooked up to a Sony STR-DE475 and they make lovely music together. :-)

Was surprised to see the size - I was actually expecting it to be smaller. The workmanship is good and the speaker really feels solid. The speaker grills though are a bit 'flimsy', but then again, that's no big deal for me.

I'm happy with this purchase and plan to eventually upgrade to a full blown Wharfedale speaker system soon. Overall, a good value bookshelf speaker.

Ok - just when I wanted to order another Wharfedale Anniversary set (love those in the living room) for the hobby room there are no more. Limited budget, so what do I do now? Ordered with a sigh this 7.1 pair. Just got them set up and fired up on an NAD 7155 receiver. They are very tight! I've auditioned a lot of speakers and actually got earaches at low volumes with some "audiophile" (high priced) speakers, because the bass and mids had a very strange resonance and phase shifting thing going on, that actually hurt my ears for real. Not these little guys. Beautifully driven, but I also suspect they really like a good amp to develop some volume, something to consider. Maybe the other reviewers' complaints about highs are from people that aren't used to hearing them? After the Boston CR75 pair I junked out (award winning, hence over priced, high pitched, mushy bottomed - enough said?) these Wharfedales are perfectly balanced. I finally get to hear all the detail while not in the living room McIntosh driven (the high end amp, not the computer) environment with the slightly larger Wharfedale Anniversary speakers. The 7.1 pair sounds very dynamic. A whack on the drum is a dry and hard one with no wobbely bits. The high end is NOT exagerated, but everything is there and I can pick out the accompanying brass, strings, vocals, well the whole shebang. Sounds like a thick heavy curtain has been removed and I am finally close to the stage or right in the studio. Anybody who sets these up in an apartment and complains about lack of bass is a complete utmost fool and deserves the eviction he will get for sure. No subwoofer needed for me, I can HEAR the lows. All in all, these and the Anniversary edition are hands down the biggest bang for the buck I ever had. With buying TWO Wharfedale pairs I still haven't spent the money I blew on my last set of award winners (the Bostons, bad move). Somebody pinch me.

Pros:
Sound is balanced, tight, clear, detailed, delivers punch, good dynamics, great for rooms under 200 sq-ft IF properly positioned. PS: not quite broken in by now, but I think my hobby room may even be too small for these to unfold. At medium volume they seem to want to hammer on the walls, if that makes sense. A larger environment (tested them in the living room) and some damping furniture/bookshelves/carpet-wall-coverings would let them run loose and unfold into a more pleasant, softer mode, so FORGET the 200 sqft comment I made earlier.
Cons:
consider the price! NO CONS