Wharfedale Speakers: What To Know Before You Buy Them
Hi-fi is an audio term that refers to high quality audio equipment. In the United States, the term is used more commonly in reference to home audio, while in Europe it is used primarily in reference to professional audio.
All of Wharfedale’s speakers are tuned by actual people. They think it’s important and it makes a difference.They believe music should be listened to in the home, and they make speakers that will achieve that goal.
That is one of the main reasons why Wharfedale speakers should be on your radar too if you are looking for a high quality set of speakers that does not break your budget.
In this post, you will learn more about this unique brand that has a deep heritage in the audio space. Let’s jump right in.
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Who is Wharfedale?
Wharfedale is a British company that started off making all sorts of audio and visual equipment including TVs and DVD players, but today, they primarily manufacture speakers.
The company was started in 1935 by Gilbert Briggs and very soon became well known for their innovative approach to manufacturing audio products. Back then in the 50s and 60s, they even pioneered the use of double cabinets to remove cabinet resonance, filling the inner and outer shells with sand to achieve this.
Since then, it has changed owners a couple of times and is now owned by the International Audio Group, which also owns several other audio equipment manufacturer such as Castle Acoustics and Tag McLaren.
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Where are Wharfedale speakers made?
Wharfedale has dedicated a 1.5 million square foot facility for manufacturing operations in which every single product and process takes place in-house. This exact location is not disclosed on its official website, but several owners I have spoken to has mentioned that its parent company IAG has facilities in Shenzhen, China.
Its design and engineering come from the headquarters in the United Kingdom, where there is a 50-person research and development team.
Are Wharfedale speakers good?
This questions is probably the most subjective question any one can ask, and for someone who has not used Wharfedale speakers before, the best solution is to do some research and ask around.
Generally speaking, Wharfedale is well regarded by audiophiles all across the globe. They are well respected in the industry and their heritage is historically illustrious. That is not to say that they have not kept up with the times though.
These days, they still make the same high quality speakers that its name has come to be associated with. Not only that, they are getting recognition from some of the leading publications in the world such as What Hi-Fi, Hi-Fi+, and Hi-Fi World.
When it comes to their sounds, it can be described as warm with a full midrange, with excellent bass response. No doubt it lives up to its name as a lively musical speaker.
Range of Wharfedale speakers
Wharfedale has a few different series of speakers that suits audiophiles with different needs. They are categorized as follows:
- Heritage
- Diamond 12
- Elysian
- EVO4
- D300
Within each of these series, you can find a wide range of audio equipment that caters to your unique requirements:
- Book shelf speakers
- Center channel speakers
- Floor standing speakers
- Subwoofers
The above are just selections available on their US website, and there are several more on the UK version. That includes Crystal 4 and Diamond Active, as well as newer technology such as soundbars and wireless speakers.
To say that they are comprehensive is an understatement!
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How much are Wharfedale speakers?
Whafedale speakers are available in a wide range of prices, catering to almost any consumer who is after a top quality set of speakers.
Quite often, you will come across articles that speaks about them being the best speaker under a certain price range, frequently demonstrating value and sound quality as that of products twice its price!
Just to give you a perspective, a pair of its world renowned Diamond 12.2 bookshelf speakers is only retailing for $599 on its official website. These are very frequently referred to as one of the best value speakers money can buy. (I typically check out Amazon as well since they often have deals available)
On another scale, you can also get your hands on a pair of Denton bookshelf speakers from their Heritage range for only $999.
If you are in the mood to splurge and indulge in the top of line range, you can check out the Elysian 2 bookshelf speakers, retailing at $6,995.
On the other end of the spectrum, you can grab a pair of D310 speakers for only $129.
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What are the best Wharfedale Speakers?
I suppose it does not really make much sense in trying to determine which is the best Wharfedale speakers since each of them is made for different purposes and budget.
The cool thing is that even at the lower end of the scale, you know you are getting a well made and high quality audio equipment from a trusted and reliable manufacturer.
For some who might be casual shoppers, a set from the Diamond 12 series would be an excellent foray into Wharfedale products. They have been around for almost 20 years and each iteration is made even better than the last.
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Where to buy Wharfedale speakers?
As Wharfedale does not have that big a presence in the United States, you might not have that many options to purchase their products.
I prefer to look on Amazon as they have an official store in there and you can also check out more of their latest offerings such as wireless speakers, or alternatively, you can check out the official US site here.
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Verdict: Wharfedale Speakers
Are Wharfedale speakers worth buying? I’m not sure about you, but they are definitely high on my list when I go speaker shopping next time. Listening to its sounds on my friends’ systems has gotten me green with envy.
Considering the attractive pricing and the occasional discounts you can get on Amazon, I highly recommend you checking them out too.
