About The Wharfedale Diamond 250 Speakers
Wharfedale Diamond 250 tower loudspeakers are the biggest and baddest model in the 200 series and provide audiophile sound marked by exceptional balance, clarity and energy. Anchored by two heavy-duty 200mm bass drivers they will change the way you experience your music and movies.
Diamonds are forever and although Shirley Bassey probably didn't know how enduring her song from the 1971 James Bond movie of the same name would be, it is certainly memorable. Same may be true when the diamonds at issue here are the Wharfedale Diamond 250 tower loudspeakers. Clear, balanced, immediate, and dynamically involving, the three-way floorstander provides perpetual music enjoyment. Diamond 250 provides exquisite audiophile sound marked by tremendous energy, gorgeous tonality, deep bass, smooth mids, and extended highs. Built to play with non-fatiguing ease, two 200mm (8") bass drivers and a 130mm (5.1") midrange driver complement a soft-dome tweeter equipped with an advanced ferrite magnet system. This elegant speaker draws listeners into their music in emotionally compelling ways traditionally only associated from much costlier models.
The Wharfedale Diamond 200 Series flagship, the Diamond 250, touts significant enhancements that impact its design, construction, performance, and looks. Upgraded speaker materials, woven Kevlar woofers, fine-tuned crossovers, updated bass and treble units, and a slot-loaded port are just a few of the internal features that account for the speaker's stellar capability. Yet you'll likely be too busy preoccupied with what you experience outside to worry about particulars. That's the sign of a great speaker – and one that is 100% guaranteed to forever change the way you experience music.
New Speaker Materials Reduce Colouration, Block Internal Cabinet Noise: Ongoing research into new cabinet materials and loudspeaker drivers yields the foundation for Diamond 250, which improves upon its predecessors in terms of design, construction, execution, and aesthetics. Diamond 250 boasts the latest acoustic technology to produce an involving listening experience that cannot be beat at this price point. Fieldwork and testing that resulted in the implementation of Crystalam (a substance that reduces the audibility of panel resonance and the 'cabinet hear-through' that causes distinct colouration) in Wharfedale's flagship Jade Series has now been applied to the far less-expensive Diamond 250. In Diamond 250, a simpler combination of particleboard and MDF supplies similar reductions in coloration, damps annoying high-frequency resonances, and blocks internal sound leakage.
Slot-Loaded Port Improves Efficiency, Fine-Tuned Crossovers Enhance Integration: Derived from the Jade Series' Aperiodic bass-loading system, a slot-loaded distributed port created by the plinth exits the base of the speaker cabinet. It allows for greater freedom of speaker positioning, meaning Diamond 250 can be placed as close as two feet from a wall and still operate at peak potential. Most speakers cannot achieve this feat. The port also equalises the air pressure to mimic the pressure inside the cabinet, permitting a smooth transition between the pressure variation in the cabinet and low-frequency sound developed in the room. Consequently, the energy transfer is increased, and overall system efficiency strengthened. Computer-assisted modelling and hundreds of hours of tests ensure each speaker is fine-tuned. The same process is employed to fine-tune the crossover, which betters the integration between the drive units and intensifies the musical realism. Music lovers will relish audiophile sound whether listening either on and off-axis.
Updates to Bass Motors and Treble Unit Yield More Power, Better Midrange: Bass unit motor systems are also significantly refined. Increases in magnet sizes, where applicable, beget higher-sensitivity systems that both make the speakers easier to drive and boost transient acoustic power. Semi-elliptical break-up areas on the speakers' signature woven-Kevlar woofer smooth the response, while the cone edges are treated with a unique diamond-pattern molding. To further facilitate outstanding midrange response, Diamond 250's tweeter uses a sheer fabric dome and advanced ferrite magnet system surrounded by a carefully crafted waveguide. The latter smooths the transition between the midrange and tweeter in the crossover region, producing extremely coherent sound between the drivers.
Lacquered Front Baffle and Superb Veneer Finishes Boost Aesthetic Appeal: Destined to elegantly blend into any room, Diamond 250 stylistically benefits from a new lacquered front baffle and cosmetically enhanced veneers. The simple, one-piece baffle that tops the hybrid cabinet material is lacquered to a highly polished finish that cosmetically matches the diamond-cut drive unit surrounds. In addition, the inner and outer layers of MDF allow for a superior finish to the cabinet veneers, enhancing the prior look available on Diamond 100 Series.
Bi-amp or bi-wire for even better sound: On the back of the 250 you'll find two sets of speaker input terminals. These let you bi-amp or bi-wire your speaker to get the best sound out of it. See below for suggested speaker wire packs.
Extending a Proud Heritage: Wharfedale Diamond Series reigns as one of the most successful hi-fi loudspeaker lines in history, earning worldwide accommodates for delivering award-winning sound at prices everyone can afford. Since its debut in 1982, Diamond models have subscribed to the principle that stellar performance could – and should – be available at a cost that brings more listeners closer to the music they love. Adhering to that brilliant heritage, Diamond 200 Series reveals entirely new levels of musical detail and transient attack, drawing listeners into musical performances in emotionally compelling ways traditionally only expected from speakers that command much higher prices.
About Wharfedale: Wharfedale is the British heavyweight champion of value-for-money loudspeakers. Every single component, from woofer cone to cabinet, is both designed and built in-house. This creates unparalleled quality control while maintaining the lowest possible price. And with a range that extends from entry-level to extreme luxury, Wharfedale has a specific loudspeaker to suit you anywhere on your audio journey.
Wharfedale Diamond 250 In The News
With plenty of low-end frequency extension along with enough dynamic range to play the toughest tracks and keep it together, they are speakers you can build an awesome system around. - Tone Audio
Our Take On The Diamond 250
The Diamond 250's have an excellent soundstage and almost disappear when pushed with a fair amount of high-quality power. The bass is well driven but not overwhelming which is typical of the Wharfedale heritage and will satisfy most listeners. Excellent for home theatre systems where you need at least one good subwoofer and preferably two which will deliver amazing performance. High-end frequencies are "clear and bright" (sorry, only thought of Sound of Music AFTER I wrote this section) as it needs to be and the midrange really blends it all nicely. The sound coming from the 250's is really beautiful and at the price represent another great offering. The round grilles with chrome accents are timelessly elegant. The cabinets weigh close on 30kg each and obviously are solid and very well finished. You will not easily be moving these all around your listening room to find the ideal placement although this is important and we'll be happy to discuss this with you. After that conversation, try putting them where they'll live and let them stand firm in their weighty immobility. If your house is demolished by an earthquake, the 250's will be left standing.
Build A Diamond System
Use a pair of Diamond 250s to anchor the front soundstage of a complete Wharfedale home theatre system. This speaker is also equally impressive as part of a stereo music system. Pair the 250s with other models from the Diamond 200 series for voice-matched home sound:
Centre channel: Diamond 220C or Diamond 240C
Bookshelf speakers: Diamond 220, or Diamond 225
Complete System: Click here.
Main Features & Specifications
- Design: 4-driver, 3-way floorstanding speaker
- Enclosure Type: Bass reflex with rear port
- Transducer Complement: 3-way
- Bass driver: 2 x 200mm Woven Kevlar Cones
- Midrange driver: 1 x 130mm Woven Kevlar Cone
- High Frequency Driver: 1 x 25mm Soft Dome Tweeter
- Sensitivity(2.83V @ 1m): 89dB
- Recommended Amplifier Power: 50-200 Watts - must be 'clean' power
- Peak SPL: 110dB
- Nominal Impedance: 6 Ohms
- Minimum Impedance: 3.1 Ohms
- Frequency Response (+/-3dB): 35Hz - 20kHz
- Bass Extension (-6dB): 32Hz
- Crossover Frequency: 350Hz & 2.5kHz
- Speaker Wire Terminals: Will accept bare wire or banana plugs
- Bi-Wire Option: Two sets of input terminals allow bi-amping or bi-wiring
- Removable Grilles: Yes
- Finish: Black Ash. Maybe available in Walnut; Rosewood and White
- Dimensions (HxWxD): 1128 x 250 x 396mm
- Net Weight: 29.4kg each
- Manufacturer's Warranty: 5 Years - does not include misuse or abuse.
Note: Features & Specifications Subject To Change Without Notice. E&OE