Home Forums Chat Forum Wharfedale Diamond 9.1 speakers – Buyers remorse – Send back or keep?

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  • Wharfedale Diamond 9.1 speakers – Buyers remorse – Send back or keep?
  • kayak23
    Full Member

    Sup

    I’ve been giving my ‘office’ (little corner in the cold roof space) a bit of love recently and bought back my poor unloved turntable, amp, speakers and reggae and punk LPs.

    I’m absolutely not an audiophile type.

    I’ve got a Sony PS-T22 turntable, that’s got to be 40 years old or so. Works great.

    I’ve got a NAD 3020B Amp that I’ve had forever too, since man was a yoot.

    I’ve also got some really old speakers, Goodmans RB20’s.
    They’re 50 watt and 4-8 ohms or something.
    I’ve replaced the bigger cone on both speakers at some point and, they work. They sound ok.
    They kind of suit the crackly old reggae and punk vinyl i play through them.

    I recently bought another separate, a bluetooth Dab/FM tuner/internet radio and so have added that to the mix which is great for listening to Six music and anything else.

    I got a bit carried away with the audio equipment want after that and ‘accidentally’ bought some Wharfedale Diamond 9.1 speakers and now I have a bit of buyers remorse.
    I was sold on the good reviews and the very decent price and got tempted by a bit of lockdown angst, but now they’re home, they just look a bit….soulless next to my old-school and large-ish Goodmans, and I’ve not got them out of the box properly, never mind tried them.
    Can’t decide whether to keep them now I have them. Don’t want to unwrap them and then find they’re not game-changing!

    They are smaller, but more powerful, probably way better build quality and obviously newer by several decades.

    So should I use them over the Goodmans? Will I notice and appreciate the difference? I won’t lose the bass from the larger units will I? There’s nothing wrong with the Goodmans as such, or is there? This is what I’m asking I suppose… 😀

    tartanscarf
    Full Member

    Never got on with them with my setup, they didn’t bring much to the music. I left it too late and sold them on. If I were you I’d give them a very quick try then send them back!

    andy8442
    Free Member

    I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised by them. Go on, give them a try. I’ve got some 35 yr old Diamonds in the garage fed by one of those 6 quid tiny tiny amps from China, and they ROCK!

    nedrapier
    Full Member

    So should I use them over the Goodmans? Will I notice and appreciate the difference?

    I have no clue! But I bought some recently, as some very old and beaten up Sony jobs from a mates old system finally gave up the ghost. The 9.1s chose themselves because I wanted them to go in the top 30cm cubes in a bookcase in the shed.

    non shit + budgetish + decent bass + front ported + <30cms high = the 9.1s

    having said that, I’m pretty happy with them, I’m not audiophiling with them either – mostly streaming through bluetooth and a T class amp, but they sound pretty good to me. Old school Jungle/DnB right now.

    kayak23
    Full Member

    If I were you I’d give them a very quick try then send them back!

    Aye but I feel bad taking them from their virgin packaging and cheekily using them.
    It’s not really something you can try out at the moment in a shop.

    Plus in a shop, they’d be unlikely to be able to mimic my 40 year plus set-up! 😂

    jeffl
    Full Member

    If you do try them they may take a bit of running in. When I bought my monitor audio speakers a couple of years ago they took a few hours to sound their best.

    devash
    Free Member

    There’s so many variables (room acoustics, positioning, setup, personal preference towards the tone of the speakers / amp combo) that you’d just need to give them a listen first before selling.

    I have some floorstanders from one of the previous iterations of the Diamond series (Diamond 230) and I’m very happy with them.

    cynic-al
    Free Member

    Have you listened to them? That’s what you bought them for presumably?

    kayak23
    Full Member

    No I haven’t.
    I know it seems ridiculous, but I got cold feet.
    I was thinking my feet could be warm again if folks said they’d definitely be way better than my vintage ones. 🤔

    redmex
    Free Member

    I had the very early diamonds back in the ’90s they were cracking speakers lots of tight bass
    A Marantz cd 50se driven by an Arcam A60 amp
    Only the Marantz bought in 1991 is still alive and kicking

    sillysilly
    Free Member

    Try them. Most half decent hifi shops are totally happy with home demo / return if you don’t like. Never sounds the same in-store vs in your room / with your equipment.

    It’s all personal too. Think they are better than the QAudio everyone usually raves about. Ignore the mag review too and trust your ears. For me 5* What Hifi reviews often result in disappointment.

    hugo
    Free Member

    I’ve got a some and they’re decent but you’re right, the cabinets aren’t for everyone’s taste and a bit soulless. Sound good though.

    Only 120 quid and lots of options out there. Send em back because you’ll always see then and get something else. They’re good but plenty out there with a bit more character in how they look.

    fettlin
    Full Member

    So, you’ve paid for them, they are in your house and you are just going to send them back?? Without trying them??

    Connect them up, run them in for a couple of hours and get listening! Pretty much all HiFi shops will take them back if they don’t meet your expectations…

    Unless you have already made your mind up and are just looking for some confirmation bias to support your feelings…..

    the-muffin-man
    Full Member

    Plug them in and try them – the sound is the most important part.

    If you need to add patina, kick them round the back yard a few times to rough them up! 🙂

    I’ll add one caveat – I know they’re not the same (but similar in size) I bought some Diamond 220’s, mounted on Atacama stands and they were completely lacking in base compared to my old Missions.

    Richer Sounds would have let me keep them for a week then take them back, but I couldn’t be arsed. They’re now used in my office and I bought some Q Acoustics Floorstanders for home!

    kayak23
    Full Member

    So, you’ve paid for them, they are in your house and you are just going to send them back?? Without trying them??

    Um…… 😬
    You’re right, I’ll try them. I’m being a twonk.

    I was just a bit paranoid that if I opened them I wouldn’t be able to return them so was looking for some big ups to ease my mind and assure me they’d blow my vintage Goodmans out of the water.

    But yeah, I’ll try them out carefully with some banging tunes and if they don’t improve things to my ears, I’ll request a return.

    I’ll do a back to back test with this song 👍

    escrs
    Free Member

    Ive got Wharfedale Diamond 9.1 speakers in the garage hooked up to a Cambridge Audio Topaz AM5 amp connected to an Alexa input,TV AND Laptop and they are pretty good for the money

    In the house Ive got Wharfedale Diamond 220’s hooked up to a Yamaha R-N500 amp and this set up is much better

    The Goodman’s factory used to be just down the road from me and i know a few people who used to work for them making the Jamo 10 etc…

    If any of the speakers got damaged in production (chipped casing, any cosmetic marks etc…) they were chucked in a skip out back

    This led to lots of people jumping the fence and pinching them (my brother included) eventually Goodman’s upped the security and made the skips lockable

    bob_summers
    Full Member

    I had the same thing a while back. Happily listening to punk and reggae through my 70s Celestion Ditton floorstanders. I’m not an audiophile; the state of most of my vinyl means there’s no point, it was pressed crap when it was new anyway. I just like a big airy sound.

    My OH always hated the speakers though (looked like coffins) and bought me a smart pair of ex demo B&W bookshelf jobbies. Sound better in every way than the Dittons which probably needed new tweeters and rewiring but they look crap and don’t add to the ceremony of playing records. I miss dropping the needle onto the record and seeing the huge bass cones thrust an inch. My neighbours don’t, I guess.

    Loved the way they handled this album:

    ajantom
    Full Member

    But yeah, I’ll try them out carefully with some banging tunes and if they don’t improve things to my ears, I’ll request a return.

    You might need to give it a bit of time.
    I replaced some venerable, but not at all expensive, floorstanders with some much nicer new ones last year.

    Initially I was really non-plussed. I just think my ears had got used to the overly bassy, baggy sound from the old speakers.

    The new ones are a lot tighter, much better separation. They seem less bassy, but it’s there, just more controlled.
    Again initially they seemed much too trebly, but my old speakers just weren’t dealing with the mids and highs very well.

    It’s probably only now 6/7 months later that I’m really appreciating them.

    I do also have done really nice, ribbon tweetered, 8″ Kevlar coned, studio monitors upstairs.
    But they’re a VERY different listen! They bring out every little detail…good and bad!

    What is interesting (to me anyway) is that when I’d recorded and mixed some music, my old floorstanders would make anything sound nice(ish), but you lost a lot of detail.
    The new speakers areca lot less forgiving, and I need to get a really good mix for it to sound good on them.

    ready
    Full Member

    I’ve had some 9.1s for 10 years + and have been very impressed with them. Paired with the (equally excellent) Wharfedale subwoofer they’ve handled everything I’ve put through them, from D&B/house/dub, to films.
    I don’t have the largest front room though!

    cynic-al
    Free Member

    As above I’d expect them to be a lot more accurate and revealing, which could be good and bad.

    Did you replace the woofers with identical ones? If not the bass could be way out. Is the middle plate a bass reflex port? (Out of curiosity).

    dyna-ti
    Full Member

    I think the consumer law allows you to return gods, even if they are undamaged and you’ve just changed your mind.

    twistedpencil
    Full Member

    ^

    that would be an ecumenical matter…

    kayak23
    Full Member

    My OH always hated the speakers though (looked like coffins) and bought me a smart pair of ex demo B&W bookshelf jobbies. Sound better in every way than the Dittons which probably needed new tweeters and rewiring but they look crap and don’t add to the ceremony of playing records. I miss dropping the needle onto the record and seeing the huge bass cones thrust an inch. My neighbours don’t, I guess.

    Loved the way they handled this album:

    Yeah man, I’m with you on that 😊👊

    Did you replace the woofers with identical ones? If not the bass could be way out. Is the middle plate a bass reflex port? (Out of curiosity).

    Identical size and power I believe. The old ones had ripped and crumbled and possibly been eaten by a mouse.
    I haven’t got a scooby on the bass reflex port if I’m honest but I think it’s another cone for mid range.

    Specs below.

    HiFi Three-Way Speaker System Model Goodmans RB 20
    Frequency Range 50 – 20000 Hz
    Impedance 4 – 8 Ω
    Music Power 50 W
    Internal Volume 20 litres
    Chassis:
    1x 200 mm Bass Unit
    1x 85 mm Mid-Range-Unit (1000-6000 Hz)
    1x 26 mm High Frequency Dome Radiator
    Frequency Dividing and Integrating Network (Crossover Frequencies 1000 and 6000 Hz)
    Finish: Teak or Walnut Effect

    What about if I wire up all four speakers? Would that work or would it be terrible?

    ajantom
    Full Member

    What about if I wire up all four speakers? Would that work or would it be terrible?

    If your amp had the outputs for two sets of speakers, and let you choose either or both (mine does), then it should be fine.

    Would enable you to A-B them easily.

    fettlin
    Full Member

    twistedpencil
    Full Member
    ^

    that would be an ecumenical matter…

    Posted 1 hour ago

    That needs more recognition, well done sir! 👏

    BigJohn
    Full Member

    I agree they look a little bit underwhelming.

    If only you knew somebody who could make some nice speaker cabinets then you could swap the bits over.

    kayak23
    Full Member

    I’ve thought about that before, but there’s more to it than just a nice box as I understand it.
    Would be pretty cool though. 🤔

    kayak23
    Full Member

    Ok well that was unexpected.

    Just unboxed them and plugged them in and they sound….terrible!

    There actually sounds like there is something wrong with them. I’m getting music through a crisp packet type sounds, from both speakers.

    I’ve tried swapping the cables over the other way, I’ve switched on and off ‘soft clipping’ on the back of the amp, and I’ve switched the impedence from 4ohms to 8ohms and back again.
    No difference.
    It’s really weird. There is distortion there and a kind of crunch/crackle to each bass punch in a song, and not at a high volume either.

    Any ideas what might be causing that?
    I thought it would just be a case of unplugging one set and plugging in the other… 😐

    Plugged the Goodmans back in and wacked on Dead Prez – Hip Hop, and it sounds rad.

    higgo
    Free Member

    I had a pair and wasn’t impressed at all.

    zzjabzz
    Free Member

    I’ve got a pair on stands with the SW150 sub like the dude up there ^. They sound great all the time. But then again, I listen to awesome music, which is more important than anything else, despite what the experts may try and tell you. You’re going to have to try them out…

    higgo
    Free Member

    I guess the sub will help but mine sounded ‘puny’.

    kayak23
    Full Member

    You’re going to have to try them out…

    I did if you read above.
    There is something wrong. They don’t sound puny, they sound broken.
    Distorted sound and crisp packet beats.
    Not sure what’s happening.
    The Goodmans do none of that plugged back in right after.

    cynic-al
    Free Member

    Sounds like there is something wrong with them as you say, but that is really odd (I see to work in speaker manufacture).

    redmex
    Free Member

    Do you know much about speakers cynic-al?
    I have a pair of Missions big long cabinets, look like new but I can’t get good sound out them. I willing to give anyone a go and see what’s up or is it my waxy lugs
    I listen to Aegis speakers and they sound great

    somafunk
    Full Member

    ^ Where are the speakers placed in the room as correct speaker placement is pretty essential for good sound reproduction?, the room the speakers are in contributes a great deal to sound reproduction. – post a pic of their placement.

    jsync
    Full Member

    I have a NAD C320BEE amp that I’ve got paired to some B&W 602 S3, lovely warm sound with plenty of bass. I did trial some 9.1 and MA bronze. The 9.1 were empty and dull, the MA were pretty good but I think the B&W are a decent match.

    chiefgrooveguru
    Full Member

    I’d rather use the Goodman’s. 3-way, larger woofer and enclosure and you don’t have loads of amp power to compensate for the latter two or loads of money to compensate for the first.

    Sounds like you may have one of the Wharfedales connected in reverse polarity which will cancel out the lows and cause amp clipping or cone over excursion before you hit a decent level.

    Do the Goodmans have matching woofers to each other? Ideally you’d replace blown woofers with identical ones – the power rating isn’t what matter and the size is only one of about a dozen T/S parameters that determine the bass response and then the coil and cone minutiae determine the midrange response, which needs to match the crossover components and the mid driver. But if you can’t get identical ones you want similar sensitivity and T/S parameters and a matched pair.

    cynic-al
    Free Member

    @redmex I know a bit, but never specialised in repair. The main things that go wrong are burning drivers out (gives a stifled crackly sound) and maybe capacitors aging in the crossover. Solder joints might age too I guess.

    Speakers obviously can sound quite different, doesn’t mean anything is wrong. Sounds like you’re describing something more but without more info it’s tricky to say much.

    Speakers out of phase wouldn’t produce the effect the OP is describing IMO/E, same for positioning.

    kayak23
    Full Member

    Yeah definitely something wrong, not just poor sound.

    I mean it could be something wrong in my amp or whatever, but it seems weird that the Goodmans are fine and the Wharfedales not right after.

    Positioning-wise, I’m sitting at 6 o’clock and the speakers are 10 to 2, and about a metre and a half away (small room)
    As I say though, it’s not a positioning issue. Something isn’t right.

    I’ve initiated a return now anyway. Can’t be doing with more messing about when the RB20s sound good enough.

    I was hoping for some kind of revelatory sound experience I think, not music played through a crisp packet.

    Shame. I’ll see how I get on keeping the Goodmans. 👍

    NZCol
    Full Member

    I got some Neat Iotas and at first I was a bit meh about them, then I went out and accidentally left the stereo at about 50% volume for 6 hours. After they they have got progressively better or I am getting used to them. But yours sound fuct.!

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