Diamond 121

 

As you would expect from a series of this stature,
the Diamond 100 is bang up to date in terms of
technology and performance. Foremost in the
design criteria for Diamond 100 is the ongoing
research into loudspeaker driver sound quality. To
that end the famous Wharfedale Woven Kevlar cone
was put under the technology spotlight and given a
new profile based on the research originally carried
out for the high-end Jade range.

Incorporated in the low frequency and midrange
cones are semi-elliptical ‘break-up’ areas which
smooth the response throughout the audible range.
In addition each surround is treated to match
the cone edge with a unique ‘Diamond Pattern’
moulding. Finally the dust cap is blended and
treated to provide a smooth transition and perfect
acoustic match to the treble unit.

The treble unit chosen for Diamond 100 came
under equal scrutiny during development. As well
as selecting a sheer fabric dome and advanced
ferrite magnet system, the dome is surrounded
by a carefully crafted wave guide that encourages
outstanding midrange performance.

 

 

Combining the drivers is a crossover developed
using Wharfedale’s latest ‘Virtual Speaker ’
software. Techniques developed in-house allow
the final loudspeaker to be simulated and fully
analysed even before a prototype is played for the
first time. This simulation accommodates driver
performance and cabinet construction, as well as
room placement, to make sure that both on-axis and
off-axis performance over a wide listening area is
fully optimized.

 

 

Naturally cabinet design was not forgotten in
amongst all the other technology. Rectilinear cabinet
shapes were chosen to maximize the internal
volume and provide the deepest, most extended
bass response. Again the research from the highend
Jade series was incorporated to elicit the latest
advance in loudspeaker reflex loading – the Slot-
Loaded Distributed Port.

Exiting at the base of the speaker cabinet, the refl ex
port is loaded by a slot created by the plinth. This
equalises the air pressure to mimic that inside
the cabinet allowing smooth transition between
the pressure variation in the cabinet and the low
frequency sound developed in the room.

Cabinet walls and internal bracing were also
incorporated in the ‘Virtual Speaker’ model, with
the help of Delayed Cumulative Spectral Analysis
that ruthlessly reveals panel coloration in all its
forms. Using this technique Wharfedale engineers
formulated a cabinet panel construction of multigrain
faceted boards bonded together to damp
annoying High-Q resonances and block internal
sound leakage. The effect is that the ‘noise’ from
cabinet walls is buried more than 35dB below
the driver output. In Diamond 100 all you hear is
crystal clear music from the drive units without
any attendant coloration from the cabinet. Again
computer analysis helped refine this novel
technique, but the result is an audibly superior bass
performance of great articulation and clarity.

 

 

That doesn’t mean that Diamond 100 is purely a
computer design, clever though that might be.
This ‘Virtual Speaker’ is simply a tool that allows
the Wharfedale engineers to explore all facets of
the loudspeaker ’s performance before starting
listening tests. In the final evaluation weeks are
spent fine tuning the acoustic performance using a
wide variety of music in Wharfedale’s five listening
rooms, each of which mimics the kind of domestic
environments the Diamond Series are likely to be
used in.
Only when the acoustic tests are deemed truly
satisfying are the loudspeaker designs signed-off
for production, ensuring that each speaker model
fulfils its eventual owner’s dreams of musically
enjoyable reproduction from Britain’s Most Famous
Loudspeakers.