Полочная акустика — Wharfedale DIAMOND 12.2i

The DIAMOND 12.2i is the top bookshelf speaker in Wharfedale's Diamond 12i generation, above the 12.0i and 12.1i, with the 12.3i and 12.4i floorstanders sitting higher in the price list. At GBP 299 per pair it costs the same as the Diamond 12.2 it replaced. The refresh reached the market in December 2025, and Wharfedale describes it as a change of finishes combined with small acoustic revisions rather than a new design. Buyers choose between an all-black semi-matt version, Stone Grey, and Classic Walnut fronted by a semi-matt black baffle.

Key specs that matter

The 12.2i carries a 150 mm Klarity cone made from a polypropylene and mica blend and a 25 mm textile dome tweeter, divided at 2.0 kHz. Wharfedale states 50 Hz to 20 kHz at plus or minus 3 dB and 43 Hz at minus 6 dB. For 2.83 V at 1 m the output is 88 dB, and peak SPL is 96 dB. The load is 8 ohm nominal and 4.0 ohm at its lowest. Cabinet volume is 11.8 litres, the box stands 335 mm high and 200 mm wide, and its depth is 285 mm plus 28 mm of terminal. Weight per speaker is 8.2 kg.

Engineering and use context

With a bigger woofer and enclosure than the other i-series standmounts, the 12.2i reaches deepest in bass, and its crossover is the lowest handover point of the three, so the tweeter covers more of the upper midrange. For the i update, Peter Comeau, Wharfedale's Director of Acoustic Design, worked on port tuning and airflow control, supported by laser interferometry and computational fluid dynamics measurements, and the internal damping was revised as well. Drive units are now built to tighter tolerances. The tweeter dome is woven polyester treated with a high-loss damping coating. A Linkwitz-Riley network with air-core inductors joins the two drivers. The multi-layered sandwich cabinet uses spot bracing placed inside the box to reduce panel resonance, and the reflex port fires from the back. The standard warranty period is three years.

Pairing

Wharfedale recommends between 20 and 120 W of amplification, the widest range among the 12i standmounts. A 4 ohm minimum load keeps the speaker within reach of standard stereo amplifiers and receivers, and the extra bass extension makes it the most likely of the three to be used without a subwoofer in a room of about 20 m2.

Alternatives

The DIAMOND 12.0i is the compact Wharfedale bookshelf model at the bottom of the same series, priced at GBP 199 per pair.