Полочная акустика — Wharfedale Diamond 12.0

The Diamond 12.0 is the smallest speaker in Wharfedale's Diamond 12 series, the range introduced in 2020 that later gave way to the Diamond 12i generation. Wharfedale describes it as an ultra-compact bookshelf design for small hi-fi systems, and also as a satellite for home theatre use. When the 12i update arrived, its 12.0i successor kept the same UK price of GBP 199 per pair. The 12.0 was offered in four wood-effect finishes - Black Oak, Light Oak, Walnut Pearl and White Oak.

Key specs that matter

This passive two-way model pairs a 100 mm bass driver with a polypropylene Klarity cone and a 25 mm textile dome tweeter, crossing over at 2.7 kHz. The rated range is 70 Hz to 20 kHz within 3 dB, with a 65 Hz figure at the minus 6 dB point. Sensitivity is 87 dB for 2.83 V at 1 m, and peak SPL reaches 95 dB. The impedance is 8 ohm nominally and 4.0 ohm at the minimum. A 4.4 litre bass reflex cabinet measures 265 x 160 x 228 mm (height, width, depth), and each speaker weighs 5.1 kg.

Engineering and use context

Even in this small box, Wharfedale uses the same core technology as the bigger Diamond 12 models. The Klarity cone is a polypropylene material chosen to balance stiffness and damping, and it is driven by a precision motor that includes an aluminium compensation ring, plus a high-power epoxy and glass fibre bobbin for the voice coil. The tweeter uses a woven polyester dome. The crossover follows an acoustic LKR (Linkwitz-Riley) 24 dB per octave slope and is built with air-core inductors rather than cored coils. The enclosure is a multi-layered sandwich construction, and intelligent spot bracing is placed inside it to stiffen the walls at chosen points. The small driver hands over slightly higher than the 2.6 kHz used in the 12.1, which reflects the smaller cone. The small volume and modest weight make it easy to place on a shelf, desk or small stand, or to use as a rear channel in a surround system.

Pairing

The maker suggests 20 to 60 W per channel, a lower ceiling than the larger Diamond 12 models. The minimum load is manageable for most stereo amplifiers and receivers, and in home theatre use a subwoofer covering the lowest octaves fits the satellite role Wharfedale describes.

Alternatives

The Wharfedale Diamond 12.1 sits one step higher among the Diamond 12 bookshelf speakers, with a larger woofer and cabinet.