Source: Press Release, Last Accessed: 2020/09/30

Since 1982, Wharfedale’s famous Diamond speakers have served as the classic entry point to true high-fidelity sound, their exceptional sonic value for money earning numerous "product of the year" accolades in the UK and around the world. This autumn, with the introduction of the all-new Diamond 12 Series, Wharfedale once again raises the bar for affordable, high-performance loudspeakers.
To develop the new range, Wharfedale has collaborated with world-renowned speaker designer Karl-Heinz Fink for the first time. Fink’s track record of delivering class-leading sound from modestly priced speakers is exceptional and with the Diamond 12 Series, he and Wharfedale’s team of acoustic engineers have achieved a new entry-level benchmark, the company says.
Wharfedale determined that the Diamond 12 Series should be an opportunity to start afresh. A challenge was issued to Mr Fink: how much sonic performance can you wring from a range of speakers at classic Diamond price points? And so, he and Wharfedale’s team set to work, delivering clean-sheet designs without a single element unaltered from the outgoing – and more costly – Diamond 11 Series. With recommend retail prices starting at £199, the new range comprises six models in total, three bookshelf (12.0, 12.1 and 12.2), two floorstanding (12.3 and 12.4) and the center/dialog channel 12.C.
Since the Diamond 8 Series in 2001, Wharfedale has made the mid/bass cones for every Diamond generation from Kevlar. Nineteen years and many award-wining ranges later, Wharfedale has developed a new composite called Klarity. The chief ingredient of Klarity is polypropylene, a material that has been used to make speaker cones since the BBC researched its use for this purpose in the 1970s. Polypropylene cones are renowned for their characteristically low distortion and controlled breakup, as well as their resistance to moisture in the air.
For the Diamond 12 Series, the aim was to combine the Klarity cone with a low-damping surround, thereby achieving both low coloration and expressive dynamics. The diaphragms are driven by a substantial, precision-made magnet system with an aluminum compensation ring to minimize the effect of variations in inductance as the voice coil travels. This contributes to an absence of distortion and intermodulation generated by the motor system, the company says. The voice coil is wound on a high-power epoxy/glass fiber bobbin – highly unusual in speakers at this price level.
The Diamond 12 Series’ treble unit sports a 25mm dome made from a woven polyester film with a high gloss coating, to deliver open and smoothly extended high frequencies. The magnet system and the front plate have been optimized for wide dispersion and uncompressed behavior. The front plate is flat and exposes the dome as much as possible, with a short duct to balance the acoustic load and improve the SPL measurement. The treble unit combines seamlessly with the mid/bass driver via a crossover network using an acoustic LKR 24dB topology.
The cabinet walls are made from sections of wood fiber board of varying thickness, constructed in such a way as to subdue the identifiable characteristics of the cabinet’s sound and ensure the drivers’ output remains unsullied.
All models are already available in a choice of black, white, walnut or light oak.

For more information: https://www.wharfedale.co.uk/

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