wharfedale diamond 8

  • Thread starter Thread starter guhlenn
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guhlenn

guhlenn

Oh REALLY????
I know i promissed i'd stop but you people keep feeding me so muchj good info that i keep coming up with questions :o (hopefully you'll permit me another one :eek: ). I seen many people here appreciating the wharefdales diamond 8.2 to 8.4. Now for once i can get them for a fairly low price. Woudl this (besides being a kick ass hi fi speaker system) be good to mix on? How do they compare to the more know studio monitors like the BX 8 or even mackie 824?
 
I've mixed on them and still use them as a "B" set on my mastering system (did we have this discussion?).

The soundstage and realism is nothing short of startling. They're accurate enough to stay "accurate" and sweet enough to stay "real-world."

Once you practice with them and get used to the way they handle things (as you would with any loudspeaker/monitor setup), I think you'll be a pretty happy dude.

Personally, if I needed a set of "big guns" for "small cash" in here, the 8.4's would be near or at the top of a VERY short list.

Just do yourself a favor and don't skimp too much on the amplification - For the 8.2's & 3's, a Hafler TA series at the minumum. For the 8.4's, I'd do my best to find a used Bryston 2B or 2B-LP. They kick out a bit of heat, but they're worth every penny and are one of the greatest amps made, period.
 
You did reply on the BX-8 question, and someone did ask you about mastering on the diamonds. It wasnt me though. But now i've found a dealer in my area and damn they did look nice, got a lot of really raving reviews and i have some experience with old wharfedales which kicked ass as stereo speakers. THey are really cheap when compared to all the usa stuff too. And I personally just cant'help but feel good about not buying the entry level stuff but the top model (i want the 8.4... ). Now I've never heard of the Bryston amps but I'll do a search.

Thanks alot John you really helped me out here... REALLY appreciated.

Glenn :D *pretty happy dude* :D
 
Glenn - Try Ebay on the Bryston amps - You don't want to overpower the beasts... A 2B or 3B will be plenty to drive them cleanly and/or blow them to bits :eek:

That power will come in handy - Think of it this way... You've got your Lamborghini in the one hand and the much less expensive, but still formidable Corvette in the other. Getting near-Lamborghini performance will require using the same premium fuel in either car.

Think of Bryston as that premium fuel - It's an esoteric, hand-made, amazing quality amplifier that is well-respected by any audiophile - and for good reason. It blows my mind that they can be found on ebay at affordable prices to begin with, but sometimes they go fast - and for higher prices. If you can nail down a 2B-LP using Buy It Now for under 4 or 500 bucks, or a standard 2B for 3 or 400, you're getting TOP quality for peanuts.

Also, see if you can find the age of the amp or the serial number - I was very happy to find that a used Bryston I purchased recently still has over 4 years (out of 20) of full warranty service left on it. And I'm (at LEAST) the third owner, according to Bryston. Either way, they don't care. It's the AMP their covering - not the owner. Not too many companies stand behind their gear like that these days.

Once you have that kind of sound with that kind of power, you're not going to have much to complain about.

SHOCKING REVELATION: Just FYI... A thought that just crossed my mind - Don't know if it will matter, and assuming that you'll have them at least 1-1/2' away from your video monitors, the 8.4's aren't shielded. You're not going to want them that close in the first place, but I thought you should know that if you weren't aware.

Anyway, once you've got all this stuf hooked up and cranked up, let us all know what you think. If you can peel yourself away from it for a while... :D
 
wow. the bryston's are 1300,- new. And that is for the 60 watt model. That IS pricey. ANy brand that isn't that expensive, yet fairly good?
 
Ok. hadn't read your message when i posted. I get your point. And i agree. I saw them on ebay. BUT. i live in europe. Wont shippping such a great amp be kind of dumb? ( not to mention expensive... LOL)

An just for the sake of comparisment; what would kind of brand would you call average? The hafler?

Thanks alot!

Glenn
 
I currently use a pair of old philips hi-end (well, at least for philips)speakers and matching amp (30 watt), therefore my interest in the wharfedale... I have no problems with these and they are unshielded too. I therefore do not expect problems, do you?
 
Hafler will do - A nice used Carver or something wouldn't hurt either...
 
I'll look into getting a good amp. I have money to spare since the wharfedales are really cheap. In fact there's a bryston 3B for sale on european ebay.... fingers crossed. I'll let you know.

Thanks!
 
John, or somone lelse ofcourse,

Is audiolabs up to par with the amplifiers you mentioned? can get one used. The bryston stuff is pretty rare here in holland. Also, what about these; Rotel, NAD, Quad and TAG McLaren? All seem to be "audiophile" and are reconmended by local dealers when i ask them for references.

Also; Ofoucrse when locating a dealer for the wharfedales he mentioned that Quad 11l and 12L are more transparent and better for mixing... Ofcourse they are also more expensive :rolleyes:

Some help would greatly be appreciated... I need to know before i go to the dealer for the wharfedales...
 
yeah looked it up. But for for literally 15 more then the buy now price i can get em new. plus i live in europe (living in europe feels like third world when you want to buy gear...)

Thanks though... any recomendations on the amp?
 
I've never used the TAG stuff - Just not familiar with it. You pretty much can't go wrong with NAD or QUAD, though...
 
NAD is cheap, Quad definately not. Thanks, I'll guess I'll let my ears decide...

Guhlenn
 
to Massive Master

Massive, would you say it would be better to go for a pair of PASSIVE 8.2's with a Bryston or similar quality amp rather than a pair of 8.2 ACTIVE's??

One wonders how good the amps are on the back of the ACTIVE's, given they are made in China.....
 
I agree re: Bryston...but remember, the 8.2 ACTIVE's do have an active crossover which is apparently the reason they work so well.

I can't imagine they would sound the same as each other i.e. PASSIVE 8.2's + nice amp VS 8.2 ACTIVE's.

No, there would be a difference for sure...and I wonder if anyone has ever been able to A/B both set-ups. I just want to know what would be preferable...
 
Never A/B'd the Wharfies, but have with several (Events, others...) and for some reason I almost always gravitate towards the passives.

I know that physics would argue that, as it's been explained so many times that internal bi-amping is technically "more accurate." However, untechnically speaking, I found the passives to sound "more natural" which IMO, is slightly more important - at least to me. If I'm not comfortable and/or trusting of my monitoring, I'm sunk.

And I'm pretty sure that a Bryston of 20 years is going to sound better than whatever amps are stock in most low-to-low-mid priced active monitors.

Just my two cents...
 
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