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Wharfedale Diamond 12.2 Bookshelf speakers (Black)

Item # 336D122BLK

Balanced, revealing sound, at an affordable price.

Balanced, revealing sound, at an affordable price.

4 questions - 12 answers

Item # 336D122BLK

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$599.00 pair

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About the Wharfedale Diamond 12.2

David Brown

An excellent entry into high-fidelity sound

If you're looking to put together a high-quality stereo system on a budget, I recommend giving the Wharfedale Diamond 12.2 speakers a look. Wharfedale's Diamond series has long been known for balanced, revealing sound at affordable prices. These are the largest bookshelf speakers in the lineup, so they offer a bit more bass than the other models. The rear-firing ports also help round out low frequencies, making these impressively potent speakers when paired with a good amplifier. 

An excellent entry into high-fidelity sound

If you're looking to put together a high-quality stereo system on a budget, I recommend giving the Wharfedale Diamond 12.2 speakers a look. Wharfedale's Diamond series has long been known for balanced, revealing sound at affordable prices. These are the largest bookshelf speakers in the lineup, so they offer a bit more bass than the other models. The rear-firing ports also help round out low frequencies, making these impressively potent speakers when paired with a good amplifier. 

New woofer design

The Diamond 12.2 speakers are a complete redesign from the previous generation. The 6-1/2" Klarity™ woofer is a mica-infused polypropylene cone. What does that mean? Polypropylene is very light, so it responds quickly to the audio signals — important for any speaker to reproduce music accurately. Mica is a mineral that adds stiffness to the polypropylene. That keeps the woofer from losing its shape, which can cause distortion. Combined with the 1" soft-dome tweeter, these new Klarity woofers offer sound that's impressively accurate and smooth.

Save your bookshelves for books

The industry calls this category of speakers "bookshelf speakers." But that doesn't mean the 12.2s are meant to be placed on bookshelves. Instead, I recommend putting them on a solid pair of speaker stands to position the tweeters at ear-height and reduce vibrations that can color the sound.

Part of a complete Wharfedale surround sound system

The Wharfedale Diamond 12 Series features an array of speakers that are voice-matched for compatibility in an immersive surround sound system:

Got wire?

Most speakers don't include any. Read our article about choosing and installing speaker wire.
Shop our selection of speaker wire.

READ LESS

Product highlights:

  • 1" soft dome tweeter (woven polyester)
  • 6-1/2" Klarity™ woofer (polypropylene and mica)
  • bass reflex design (rear port)
  • frequency response: 50-20,000 Hz (±3dB)
  • sensitivity: 88 dB
  • nominal impedance: 8 ohms
  • minimum impedance 4 ohms
  • recommended amplifier power: 20-120 watts
  • dual five-way binding post speaker terminals allow bi-wiring and bi-amping
  • removable grilles
  • 7-7/8"W x 13-1/4"H x 12-3/8"D
  • weight: 18.1 lbs. each
  • warranty: 5 years
  • MFR # WHD122BLK

What's in the box:

  • 2 Bookshelf loudspeakers
  • 2 Grilles
  • 4 Jumper-bars (pre-installed)
  • 8 Self-adhesive rubber feet
  • User's Manual

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More details on the Wharfedale Diamond 12.2

Stacey B.

Features & specs

Enclosure Ported
Finish MDF/Wood-grain vinyl
Color Black
Tweeter Type Soft-Dome
Tweeter Size (inches) 1
Midrange Size (inches) N/A
Woofer Size (inches) 6.5
Woofer Composition Mica-infused polypropylene
Woofer Surround Rubber
Power Range 20-120
Sensitivity 88 dB
Impedance (Ohms) 8
Frequency Response 50-20k Hz
Connector Type Binding post
Bi-amp Inputs Yes
Height (inches) 13-1/4
Width (inches) 7-15/16
Depth (inches) 12-11/16
Weight (pounds) 18.1
Wall-mountable No
Bracket Included No
Recommended Stand Height (inches) ---
Parts Warranty 5 Years
Labor Warranty 5 Years

Product Research

Features

Woven Polyester Tweeter: The Wharfedale Diamond 12.2 bookshelf loudspeaker features a 1" soft-dome tweeter that is made from a woven polyester material with a high-loss 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; only a very short duct on the front plate balances the acoustic load and improves the SPL (sound pressure level) measurement.

Klarity Cone Woofer: The Diamond 12.2 bookshelf loudspeaker features a 6.5" Klarity cone woofer. Wharfedale's Klarity cone material, formulated from a blend of Polypropylene and mica adds stiffness to reduce flexing, enabling a lightweight cone with high rigidity, low coloration and lightning-fast response.

  • Low-Damping Surround: The Klarity cone is outfitted 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.
  • Precision-Made Magnet System: 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.
  • High-Power Voice Coil: The voice coil is wound on a high-power epoxy/glass fiber bobbin and delivers greater power handling than an aluminum bobbin, while also being much stiffer than a Kapton type voice coil.

Advanced Crossover Network: 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.

Non-Resonant Bass Reflex Enclosure: The Diamond 12.2 speaker uses a bass reflex enclosure with a rear-firing port. The ported enclosure is precisely sized so that the internal volume works in harmony with the drive unit system to deliver the desired sonic result.

  • Multi-Layer Sandwich Construction: A multi-layered sandwich design subdues the identifiable characteristics of the cabinet's acoustics and sound. Even the resonant properties of the glue between the layers was measured to determine the optimum combination.
  • Intelligent Spot Bracing: Inside the cabinet, Intelligent Spot Bracing connects opposite walls with a specif form of wood brace to achieve optimal reduction of cabinet resonance. These braces are precisely modeled by computer simulation to improve the cabinet's non-resonance properties.

Magnetic Grille: The Wharfedale Diamond 12 Series bookshelf loudspeaker comes with an acoustically transparent cloth grille that magnetically attaches to the front of the speaker cabinet.

Dual Binding Posts: The Wharfedale Diamond 12 Series loudspeaker has two sets of binding posts connected by jumper-plates. The binding posts will accept bare wire (up to 10AWG), pin connectors, spade connectors, & banana plugs (single only). Using these dual binding posts, you can bi-amp or bi-wire the speakers. Bi-wiring or bi-amping the speaker provides improved bass & treble performance.

  • Bi-Wiring: Bi-wiring can provide noticeable improvements in the overall transparency of your loudspeakers. Run separate speaker wires to the low & high frequency drivers from a single amplifier (the upper set of binding posts are for the high frequency drivers; the lower set of binding posts are for the low frequency drivers).
  • Bi-Amping: Bi-amping allows you to use separate amplifiers for the high & low frequency sections of your loudspeaker for greater dynamic range & lower distortion. We recommend that your separate amplifiers have identical gain to preserve the speaker's voicing balance.

Note: If you decide to bi-wire or bi-amp, you must remove the jumpers between the terminal posts (failure to do this could result in damage to your amplifier and loudspeakers).

Mounting Options: The Diamond 12 Series bookshelf loudspeaker can simply be mounted on stands (sold separately - see Accessories Tab), shelves, or other piece of AV furniture with a rigid flat surface. Self-adhesive rubber feet are supplied to protect scratching the bottom of the speaker and the top of your furniture, as well as to isolate the speaker from the mounting surface to prevent unwanted vibration. The rubber feet add approximately 0.125" to the overall height of the speaker.

  • The loudspeakers should be positioned 6.5' to 13' apart and create an equilateral triangle with the main listening position. The speakers should also be "toed" or angled (15° to 40°) into the main listening position. The tweeter should be positioned at ear level in regards to the main listening position when seated.
  • Position the speakers at least 2" from the rear walls and 2.25' from the side walls. Bass extension will increase with the speakers positioned closer to the wall, but this may also cause the bass to sound too boomy or indistinct.
  • If the loudspeakers are placed away from the walls, the inward angle may be increased by up to 40%, although this may restrict the width of the optimum listening position.
Note: The Wharfedale bookshelf loudspeaker does not include any type of bracket, keyhole slot, or threaded insert to wall mount the speaker.

Applications: The Wharfedale Diamond 12 Series bookshelf loudspeaker is an excellent choice for 2ch stereo music and multichannel home theater applications.

  • 2Ch Stereo Placement: The Diamond 12 Series can be utilized in a 2ch stereo music application. Try to position the loudspeakers equidistant (6.5' to 13') from one another and the main listening position to form an equaliteral triangle. The speakers should ideally be positioned so that the tweeters are roughly at ear level to a seated listener. The speakers should be "toed" or angled (15° to 40°) into the main listening position.
  • Home Theater Placement: The Diamond 12 Series can be used as front and/or surround speakers in a home theater application. When used as front speakers, they should be placed equal distant on either side of the television screen (6.5' to 13' apart) and positioned at ear level. The front speakers should be angled (15° to 40°) slightly so they are aimed towards the main listening position. When used as surround speakers, they should be placed in a higher position, behind the main listening position. If the rear or side walls are a long way from the main listening position, consider stand mounting the loudspeakers.

Diamond 12 Series: Developed in collaboration with Karl-Heinz Fink (one of the most successful loudspeaker designers in the industry), the Wharfedale Diamond 12 Series offers a high-fidelity sound with a contemporary styled cabinet at an affordable price. The Diamond 12 Series consists of two floorstanding loudpeakers (12.3 / 12.4), three bookshelf loudspeakers (12.0 / 12.1 / 12.2), and one center-channel speaker (12.C) - all sold separately.

 

 

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Customer Q&A

4 questions already asked

Q
Would a record player with a built in amp, be able to simply be hooked up with these speakers?
bruh122  Sep 23, 2021
4 answers
A
No. I only use CD player and bluetooth, but I believe record players come only with built in phono pre-amps, not amps. If you have one of these record players, you'll still need an amp to connect it to these speakers, because these speakers are passive, meaning they don't have built in amplification. You can pick one of these two choices: record player with built in pre-amp + amp + passive speakers (like these), or, record player with built in pre-amp + active speakers (those with built in amplification). Just remember that in order to connect a record player, you'll always need a phono pre-amp, that can be either built in the record player or the amp. Some active speakers (the ones with amplification) also come with phono pre-amp connection.
paulo  Sep 24, 2021
A
Depends on the specifications of the amp. If a reasonable amount of wattage with a 8 or 4 ohm residence. I am having a hard time picturing this turntable. - vvetbill
william  Sep 23, 2021
A
I think so. If they have outputs for left and right channels positive/negative then yes absolutely
alis  Sep 23, 2021
A
If the amp has speaker level outputs, then yes it should work. But how much is your power output? These are great sounding speakers but average in efficiency. I would want a good 50 Watts per channel to drive them to get the best sound. You can use less, but you might not get the best dynamics from them.
ross  Sep 23, 2021
Q
Are there wall mounts available for these?
howudoin314  Dec 16, 2023
1 answer
A
We do not have any wall mounts available for the Wharfedale Diamond 12.2's, Mike. This is due to the size, and the rear mounted port hole that needs some space from a back wall for the best possible sound. If you need to mount your speakers on the wall in your setup, you could consider the smaller Diamond 12.0 in the first link below. Since they are smaller in size significantly, they are compatible with the Ethereal Helios AS-SPKR-26 articulating wall mounts in the second link below, this could be a good option for you to get good sound with a wall-mountable Wharfedale speaker! https://www.crutchfield.com/p_336D120WHT/Wharfedale-Diamond-12-0-White.html https://www.crutchfield.com/p_120SPKR26/Ethereal-Helios-AS-SPKR-26.html
bo  Dec 16, 2023 (Staff)
Q
What amps you can recommend with Bluetooth and cd or just Bluetooth?
junlo  Jun 20, 2023
1 answer
A
Greetings Jun, and thank you for your question. Please contact one of our advisors at 800-324-9695 for a tailored amplifier recommendation based on your listening needs.
hogan  Jun 20, 2023 (Staff)
Q
Will 30 old school Sansui watts do it for these? My room is 8x8 which would make them almost near field monitors. I currently run a pair of B+W 602 S3 but curious about new speaker design.
emblymouse  Jan 04, 2022
6 answers
A
I run min thru a Denon 125w per, I know that's close to the max but I'm not sure what too little of power will affect. Check the minimum wattage for those on the website
bill  Jan 06, 2022
A
I am powering mine with a very low wattage tube amp (25w?) and they sound fantastic. I am not in to super loud volume as I have a small space and an apartment and they are just ideal for that. Hope this helps.
roy  Jan 04, 2022
A
OK, sorry for the confusion, but 4 Ohms is the minimum rating, while the speaker is listed as being 8 Ohm compatible, so you should have no concern regarding their use with your vintage Sansui gear.
ross  Jan 04, 2022
A
Oh, do note that these 12.2 have an impedance rating of 4 Ohms. This means your amp or integrated needs to be rated to handle that, otherwise it could run hot and shutdown. In other words your 30 old school Watts into 8 Ohms would likely be ramping up to around 50 Watts when driving these. Just check your Sansui's instructions to be sure it is compatible.
ross  Jan 04, 2022
A
Not a good person for you to ask. I ended up with kllipphs speakers
stephen  Jan 04, 2022
A
It would really depends on your listening habits. Wharfedale recommends 20-120W for the 12.2. Obviously, the closer to 120W the better, but in a small 8 X 8 room, 30 old school Watts would likely be fine as long as you are playing them at reasonable volumes. They are rated at 88dB at 1 M driven by 2.83V. So they aren't "efficient" but they aren't "hard" to drive either. Somewhere right in the middle.
ross  Jan 04, 2022

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