View offers: whf.cm/BestFloorstandingSpeakers2022
Wharfedale Diamond 12.3
£499
Hi-fi aficionados with long memories might well associate the name ‘Wharfedale Diamond’ with small but talented standmounters dating back to the early ’80s. Now, though, the Diamond range also includes floorstanders, and the 12.3 – the most compact and affordable of them – is extra special. Allow us to explain why.
Essentially, these speakers, which have a 2.5-way design, are masters at juggling the almost-contradictory demands of being forgiving with budget all-in-one electronics while at the same time having enough transparency to make the most of price-compatible separates. They are smooth, even-handed and wonderfully refined for the money.
Feed them a poor signal and they are skilled at revealing the shortcomings without shouting about them. They will round off rough edges and downplay unwanted aggression without sounding as if they are smothering the life out of the music. But given a good source and suitably capable amplification, they perform superbly. They resolve a
