Wharfedale Diamond 230

摘要

Diamonds may be forever, but those of the Wharfedale variety have so far lasted 31 years, as it was in 1984 that the original tiny bookshelf model first appeared in UK shops. Since then the loudspeaker has gone through numerous incarnations, with each successive line putting the accent on getting a big sound from a small box. However, everything in the modern world seems to be getting bigger - and that includes the Diamond in the shape of the £500 'intermediate' floorstander reviewed here. So while Wharfedale still makes small standmount Diamonds (its 210s are the direct descendant of the original design), the franchise has now grown to include everything from centre speakers to really quite large floorstanders. We have witnessed the rise of a new generation of small floorstanders from the likes of Q Acoustics [HFN Feb'14] that offer the appeal of deep, earthy bass at a price previously associated with bookshelf designs. It's an attractive formula, but notoriously difficult to get right because of the compromises that a larger, less rigid, cabinet introduces.