Wharfedale DP8.2A Diamond Pro Active Monitor (6.5 in.)

zZounds' Take on Wharfedale Diamond 8.2 Pro

Reference monitors are like prescription glasses for your ears. Get the wrong prescription and you'll find yourself straining to hear what's right in front of you. Get yourself a pair of Wharfedale Diamond Pro 8.2 Powered Monitors and your music will reveal itself to you like never before.

High Fidelity, Low Cost

Wharfedale Diamond Series monitors have been best sellers in Britain for the past twenty years for a simple reason: they deliver stellar sound without sky-high prices. Over three years of research went into determining which components would make for the best balance of performance and affordability. For the low- and mid-frequency woofer, Wharfedale uses a bi-directional kevlar weave for its durability and inherent resonance dampening properties. Fewer resonant frequencies means a clearer view of your music, as noise and phasing problems which might otherwise cloud your sound are virtually eliminated. The high-frequencies are handled by a ferrofluid-cooled, textile dome tweeter. The high-frequency response of these tweeters is uncharacteristically smooth for this price range, reducing listening fatigue and extending your mix-endurance. No more second-guessing your own judgement at the end of a long mixing session.

Sophisticated Sound, Simple Setup

The Diamond Pro 8.2A's give you just enough control over your sound without overcomplicating things. While optimal placement for any near-field monitor is three feet away from any wall, Wharfedale knows that space is a luxury that project studio owners and home recordists often must do without. No worries: a simple "bass filter" switch on the Diamond Pro 8.2A provides proximity attenuation for the boomy low-end that's the most common culprit in cramped spaces. Additionally, the Diamond Pros' wide audio dispersion yields a larger-than-normal sweet spot. You'll spend less time experimenting with speaker placement, and you won't be craning your neck to find the right listening position during playback. With the Diamond Pro 8.2As, you can rest assured you're always getting the proper stereo image, and the most accurate impression of your mix. A Neutrik combo jack makes monitor integration as hassle-free as speaker placement. This top-quality, industry-standard connector accepts either XLR or balanced 1/4" cables, so you won't waste your time searching for some specialty adaptor to hook them up.

Self-Powered Means Self-Contained

Speaking of easy setup: the Diamond Pro 8.2A's are self-powered, eliminating a whole host of potential connection and calibration obstacles. While passive monitors require a separate, external power amplifier, the active Pro 8.2A's include a specially matched power stage. Use the wrong amp with passive speakers and you can negatively affect your sound at the very least and damage your equipment at worst. It's a non-issue with Diamond Pro monitors; they take all the amplification-guesswork out of the equation. The internal amplifier is perfectly tuned and wired to the drivers for the most transparent operation possible. High-quality Monster cabling is used internally for an active speaker that will run maintenance-free for years with typical use. Proper bi-amping of the the high- and low-frequency drivers is necessary for full-spectrum monitoring, and is yet another detail that the self-powered design takes care of for you. The secret to well-executed bi-amping is a finely-tuned crossover--the threshold at which the frequency spectrum is split--and Wharfedale has given the Diamond Pro 8's a gentle, sloping crossover that maximizes both drivers while minimizing the mid-frequency "honk" found in other two-way speaker designs. In all aspects of these speakers' design, Wharfedale has sweated the specs so you can focus on being a recording engineer, not a studio designer.

An engineer on a budget (and that's nearly everyone) needs to spend their time and money wisely. The Wharfedale Diamond Pro 8.2A active monitors deliver maximum clarity with minimum hassle, so you can invest your time, your money, and yourself back into your work.

Manufacturer's Description for Wharfedale DP8.2A Diamond Pro Active Monitor (6.5 in.)

The 8.1A provides a 1/4 in. unbalanced input, and the 8.2A provides a balanced XLR-1/4 in. combo input. Rear panel controls include Volume level and a carefully tailored bass filter switch. For professional recording and post production, Diamond 8 speakers are a superb reference for the creation and mixing of program material.

The Diamond 8 Series
Make no mistake -- these don't just lead the class, they completely redefine it!

There's not much to say about these that hasn't already been said. "The hi-fi products of the decade" - -(HiFi World), "The most amazing loudspeakers for 25 years" -- (Ken Kessler - Hi-Fi News - D8.1), "Instantly sets the level to which all rivals must now aspire" -- (Gramophone).

They have totally redefined the expectations at the price. No longer will sloppy drive units, poor build and single wire terminals suffice -- even in budget loudspeakers. If you are serious about sound, but restricted by cost, there is no other choice.

The Diamond 8 is nothing short of a revolution in audio. Wharfedale's unique bi-directional KEVLAR weave creates a cone that can start and stop in an instant -- for detail and resolution that will amaze even the most skeptical listener. Coupled with the most refined Ferro-fluid cooled, neodymium powered, textile tweeter in it's class, this range has it all -- detail, dynamics, one of the most impressive soundstages you will ever hear (at any price) and the kind of excitement and involvement that many who spend 100 times as much on their loudspeakers would envy.

For Home Cinema enthusiasts, there is now a special edition of the DFS speaker tonally and aesthetically matched to the Diamond 8 series. This bi-polar speakers produces an ideal rear sound field, with both direct stereo imaging and the ambience required -- all with the same detail and resolution you have come to expect from the rest of the range. zZounds is an authorized dealer of Wharfedale products.