Wharfedale Diamond 12.2i Bookshelf Speakers (Pair)

Yes, Sub-$800 Bookshelf Loudspeakers Really Can Sound This Good: Wharfedale Diamond 12.2i Features 6.5-Inch Klarity Driver and Plays with Emotion, Control, Immediacy, and Depth

Wharfedale Diamond 12.2i, the largest bookshelf loudspeaker in the company's striking Diamond 12i Series, makes its strength known both visually and technologically: A powerful 6.5-inch driver. More on it below, but for now, understand that it combines with an array of other savvy elements to anchor a model that plays everything from rock to classical and jazz with engaging emotion, poise, openness, texture, depth, and immediacy. With a redesigned port crafted using laser interferometry, anechoic measurements, and computational fluid dynamics to access airflow and pressure in its structure, Diamond 12.2i offers articulate and controlled bass responsiveness as well as consistent spatial performance. 

Now, more about that midrange/bass driver. It arrives comprised of trademarked Klarity cone material – formulated from a blend of polypropylene and mica to add stiffness while remaining lightweight for low coloration and fast responsiveness. Fitted with a low-damping surround and shaped to achieve a flat response curve, it produces expressive dynamics even on complex material. It also touts a precision-crafted magnet system with an aluminum compensation ring to minimize the effect of variations in inductance as the voice coil travels, ultimately leading to an absence of distortion and intermodulation generated by the motor system. As for the aforementioned voice coil? It's wound on an epoxy/glass-fiber bobbin produces higher power handling than those assembled on aluminum machines – and claims a stiffness lacking on Kapton types normally found on speakers at this cost.

Diamond 12.2i shines when reproducing high frequencies. Manufactured from woven polyester film with a high-loss coating for open, smoothly extended high frequencies, its one-inch textile-dome tweeter boasts an optimized magnet system and flat front plate to attain wide dispersion and uncompressed playback. Architecturally, a very short duct on the front plate balances the acoustic load and serves to improve SPL measurement. Even better, Diamond 12.2i utilizes a Linkwitz-Riley crossover with air-core inductors – the latter commonly found in much more expensive high-end designs due to their low-distortion properties.

Visually, the 13.19 x 7.87 x 12.32-inch (HWD) Diamond 12.2i will catch people's attention in any room in which it resides. Not only does this compact unit have elegant finishes and accents, it takes advantage of form-follows-function architecture in which Intelligent Spot Bracing connects opposite walls with a custom, computer-modeled wood brace to reduce resonance – and not transfer it from side to another. 

Want to hear more about Diamond 12.2i or the Diamond 12i Series? Give us a shout at 312-433-0200 and let's talk. 

Driver Magnet Systems
Each mid/bass driver features a precise magnet system with an aluminum compensation ring to reduce the effects of inductance changes as the voice coil moves. This advanced motor system minimizes intermodulation and distortion, producing cleaner, more accurate sound. The voice coil is wrapped around a high-power epoxy/glass-fiber bobbin, which performs significantly better than standard materials at this price point, offering greater power handling, thermal stability, and structural strength.

High-End Crossovers
Wharfedale engineers use a sophisticated Linkwitz-Riley crossover design complete with air-core inductors — components typically found in high-end speakers. The crossover network is finely adjusted for minimal phase shift and smooth integration between drivers. The magnet structure for the mid/bass driver is modified to address the resistance of the high-quality inductors, ensuring
fast, clean bass without compromise.

Low-Resonance Cabinets
Each enclosure features a multi-layered sandwich construction that reduces panel resonance and distortion. Even the adhesive properties between the layers have been acoustically tested to optimize damping. Inside, intelligent spot bracing connects opposite cabinet walls using computer-modeled braces that reduce vibration without passing it from one surface to another. This contributes to the solid and authoritative sound signature of the Diamond 12i series.