Diamond 12 Series

Wharfedale Diamond 12 Series
What Hi-Fi?

What Hi-Fi?

Best standmount speaker under £300, 2024 Wharfedale's affordable standmounts deliver fantastic audio for a modest sum.

Diamond 12.1
Oct, 2024
What Hi-Fi?

What Hi-Fi?

Best floorstanding speaker under £500, 2024 Whafedale's refined, entertaining and affordable floorstanders take the top spot for yet another year.

Diamond 12.3
Oct, 2024
What Hi-Fi?

What Hi-Fi?

Best speaker package £500-£1000, 2024 Fluid, composed and consistent, these speakers are the best you'll get at this price.

Diamond 12.1 HCP
Oct, 2024
What Hi-Fi?

What Hi-Fi?

Best speaker package £1000-£1500, 2024 With a mature sound and stylish looks these speakers are a fantastic choice for any movie fan.

Diamond 12.3 HCP
Oct, 2024
What Hi-Fi?

What Hi-Fi?

They resolve a large amount of information, but also present it in an organised and controlled way. We appreciate the articulate and expressive midrange and the seamless integration between the drive units, and like how Wharfedale has avoided excess; there’s enough bass weight to satisfy but not so much that it spoils the balance of the presentation. The lows are agile, satisfyingly rich and textured with it.

Diamond 12.3
Mar, 2024
What Hi-Fi - British Hifi Week

What Hi-Fi - British Hifi Week

11 of the best Wharfedale speakers of all time

Diamond 12.3
Mar, 2024

For many decades, Wharfedale has been famous for fusing even-handed neutrality and transparency with captivating clarity and expression. The Wharfedale DIAMOND 12 embodies that sonic goal.

The DIAMOND 12 series represents affordable, authentic hi-fi loudspeakers that truly capture the spirit of music, whatever you play – from rock to classical, jazz to electronica – whilst conveying the recording with truth and accuracy, as all great ‘hi-fi’ should.

Since 1982, Wharfedale’s famous speakers have served as the classic entry point to true high-fidelity sound, their exceptional value for money earning numerous accolades and ‘best of’ awards, around the world. With the introduction of the all-new Diamond 12 Series, Wharfedale is once again raising the bar for affordable, high-performance loudspeakers.

Klarity affords focus

NEW Klarity™ cone material, formulated from a blend of Polypropylene and mica adds stiffness to reduce flexing, enabling a lightweight cone with high rigidity, low colouration and lightning-fast response.

Low colour and expression

The Klarity™ cone is fitted with a low-damping surround, thereby achieving both low colouration and expressive dynamics. By simulating many different cone shapes and adding ribs to provide further stiffening, a flat response curve was achieved without resorting to a high-damping surround, thereby striking the ideal balance.

A magnet of forces

A precision-made magnet system with an aluminium compensation ring to minimise 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’.

A voice coil beyond this class

The voice coil is wound on a high-power epoxy/glass fibre bobbin highly unusual in speakers at this price level. This has the advantage of not adding eddy currents and delivering greater power handling than an aluminium bobbin, whilst also being much stiffer than the Kapton type associated with this price-class.

DIAMOND highs

The 25mm dome is made from a woven polyester film with a high-loss coating to deliver open and smoothly extended high frequencies. The magnet system and the front plate have been optimised for wide dispersion and uncompressed behavior. The front plate is flat and exposes the dome as much as possible; only a very short duct on the front plate balances the acoustic load and improves the SPL (sound pressure level) measurement.

A crossover of style

The crossover network uses an acoustic LKR 24dB topology. This includes air-core inductors of the type more commonly found in high-end speakers, selected because they produce the lowest distortion of all inductor types. As the resistance of the coil is higher than a standard laminated steel or ferrite core inductor, the magnetic structure of the mid/bass driver has been modified to compensate, resulting in fast, clean bass with no distortion from the inductor.

Firm and fair

The DIAMOND 12.1 ’s rear-ported enclosure is precisely sized so that the internal volume works in harmony with the drive unit system to deliver the desired sonic result. A multi-layered sandwich design subdues the identifiable characteristics of the cabinet’s ‘sound’. Even the resonant properties of the glue between the layers was measured to determine the optimum combination.

Brace yourself

Inside the cabinet, Intelligent Spot Bracing connects opposite walls with a specific form of wood brace to achieve optimal reduction of cabinet resonance. These braces are precisely modeled by computer simulation to improve upon the commonplace ‘figure of eight’ brace, which may simply transfer resonance from one wall to another.

Brace yourself

9 Products

Diamond 12.0 Bookshelf Speakers
Discontinued

DIAMOND 12.0

Diamond 12.1 Bookshelf Speakers
Discontinued

DIAMOND 12.1

Diamond 12.2 Bookshelf Speakers
Discontinued

DIAMOND 12.2

Diamond 12.3 Floorstanding Speakers
Discontinued

DIAMOND 12.3

Diamond 12.4 Floorstanding Speakers
Discontinued

DIAMOND 12.4

Diamond 12.C Centre Speaker
Discontinued

DIAMOND 12.C

Diamond 12.3D Surround Speakers
Discontinued

DIAMOND 12 3D

Diamond 12.1 HCP 5.1 home cinema package
Discontinued

DIAMOND 12.1 HCP

Diamond 12.3 HCP 5.1 home cinema package
Discontinued

DIAMOND 12.3 HCP

The Diamond 12 Series is Wharfedale's award-winning entry point to true hi-fi — the classic budget audiophile speaker, refined over 40 years and still setting the value benchmark.

From compact standmounts to floorstanders and a complete home-cinema pack, the range covers stereo and surround.

British sound since 1932Wharfedale was founded in 1932 in Yorkshire, UK, by Gilbert Arthur Briggs.
3 Year WarrantyWe provide a 3-year warranty for all Wharfedale products.
Free Australia wide shippingFree on all Australian orders over $300.

Why the Diamond 12 Series is the classic starting point

For over 40 years the Diamond name has meant award-winning sound at an affordable price. Diamond 12 is the latest generation — the easiest, best-value way into genuine hi-fi, and the natural step up from all-in-one and soundbar systems. Ready for more? Step up to the EVO4 Series.

Which Diamond 12 model is right for your room

The Diamond 12.0, 12.1 and 12.2 are standmounts for small to medium rooms or desktops. The Diamond 12.3 is a slim floorstander for medium rooms. For movies, the Diamond 12.3 HCP package and 12.C centre build a complete home cinema.

What to pair with Diamond 12 speakers

Diamond 12 is easy to drive and happy with 25–100 watts per channel from any quality amplifier or stereo receiver. Place standmounts on dedicated stands, and add a subwoofer if you want deeper bass for movies.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the Wharfedale Diamond 12 Series?

Diamond 12 is the latest generation of Wharfedale's famous Diamond range — the award-winning, affordable entry point to true hi-fi sound, available as standmounts, a floorstander, a centre and a home-cinema pack.

Are Diamond 12 speakers good for beginners?

Yes — they're the classic first step into proper hi-fi, offering far better sound than all-in-one systems or soundbars while remaining easy to set up and easy to drive.

Which Diamond 12 model should I choose?

Choose the 12.0, 12.1 or 12.2 standmounts for smaller rooms and desktops, the 12.3 floorstander for medium rooms, or the 12.3 HCP pack and 12.C centre for home cinema.

What amplifier do Diamond 12 speakers need?

They're easy to drive and work well with around 25–100 watts per channel from any quality amplifier or stereo receiver.

Do Diamond 12 standmounts need stands?

For the best sound, place them on dedicated stands at ear height, away from shelves and walls. A subwoofer can be added for deeper movie bass.

Is my Wharfedale Diamond 12 purchase covered by warranty in Australia?

Yes. As the authorised Australian distributor, AVR provides a genuine local warranty on all Wharfedale speakers. See our warranty terms for details.

Categories

Heritage Speakers

Heritage Speakers

Bookshelf Speakers

Bookshelf Speakers

Floorstanding Speakers

Floorstanding Speakers

Subwoofers

Subwoofers

Installation Speakers

Installation Speakers

Home Cinema

Home Cinema

Centre Channel

Centre Channel

Speaker Stands

Speaker Stands