For more than 30 years, Wharfedale’s famous Diamond speakers have served as the classic entry point for many a budding music lover…they were ccertainlymy first “real” loudspeaker and I enjoyed them immensely.  Now, with the introduction of the all-new Diamond 200 Series, Wharfedale is saying that it “has once again raised the bar for affordable, high-performance loudspeakers”.

Replacing the Diamond 100 Series, Diamond 200 comprises two standmount speakers and three floorstanding models, plus a centre speaker for home cinema use. “Given that the speakers’ predecessors were so highly rated for their sound quality, Wharfedale’s engineers took an evolutionary approach, precisely targeting key areas to improve in order to make an already great loudspeaker range deliver even better value for money” says the company’s latest press release.

Enhancements across the range include:

• New cabinet construction – a sandwich of particleboard between MDF, which has enabled improvements both aesthetic and sonic.
• New lacquered baffle design further enhances aesthetic qualities.
• Improved bass motor system with larger magnets makes the speakers easier to drive and boosts transient acoustic power.
• Enhanced ‘Slot-Loaded Distributed Port’ – improved airflow control lowers turbulence and hence reduces low-frequency distortion.
• Upgraded crossover networks further improve the integration between the drive units.

Prices are from just shy of £150