Diamond 11 features massive magnet designs to both raise sensitivity and ensure absolute control of cone movement over lower bass frequencies. In addition the use of a specially shaped top plate with copper cap controls the magnetic flux and ensures low distortion through the critical midrange area. Then there is the suspension which features a lightweight progressive foamed surround, in conjunction with a super-long-throw voice coil motor system, to achieve unparalleled linearity and accuracy in this sector of the market. Nor have forgotten the high frequency performance. A similar over-size ceramic magnet system is used for the HF unit, again featuring a copper cap for flux control. And, here, the pole piece is vented through to a specially shaped rear chamber. This provides a low resonant frequency ensuring wonderful linearity throughout the operating system and allowing the textile dome to provide lucid midrange performance in addition to precise high frequency detailing.
While the cabinet, to the owner, is often just a piece of furniture, at Wharfedale have long realised that it is the final piece of the design process that marks a loudspeaker out of the ordinary. For Diamond 11 engineers have refined the multi-layer sandwich of differing woods to subdue the identifiable characteristics of the cabinet ‘sound’ and so let the drive units speak for themselves. Critical bracing of the cabinet panels and, of course, the curving of the cabinet walls to provide a non-boxy shape, have reduced resonances more than 25dB below the driver outputs. In addition use a specially developed internal fibre to line the cabinet walls which has been chosen because of its outstanding absorbent qualities across a wide bandwidth.
The Diamond 11 utilizes a Wide Frequency Response (WFR) vented HF design. By utilizing a custom machined vented pole plate exiting into the large sealed rear chamber, the WFR design can extend down to frequencies below 0.5kHz before rolling off. This results in cleaner more detailed vocal presentation and smoother transitions into the MF/LF.
The slot-loaded distributed port is a Diamond innovation where the internal port tube opens into a slot formed between the cabinet and the plinth. This not only reduces the turbulence caused by the sudden outrush of high pressure air into the low pressure in the room, suffered by conventional ported systems, but also increases the efficiency of transfer of energy from the bass reflex tuning to the room. The Diamond 11 profiling both ends of the port with a semi-parabolic exit curve that linearises airflow through the port tube. This has allowed to increase the volume of air in the slot loaded system and further improve the performance of the low frequency output. The low Q nature of this ported system also allows the listener to position Diamond 11 speakers close to a rear wall, helping to make the speakers less obtrusive in a room setting.
Wharfedale with more than 75 years of setting the standards in perfecting loudspeaker performance, the most advanced research and development program, and the most integrated and thorough manufacturing and quality control process in the industry, Wharfedale, in order to remain at the forefront of audio, has dedicated a 1.5 million square foot of manufacturing operation in which every single product and process takes place in-house.This makes the design of any new loudspeaker an acoustic engineer’s dream. Instead of having to use off-the-shelf components from a catalogue as most other purported ‘hi-fi’ companies choose to, we are able to build a complete vision – to engineer every single component from scratch to achieve a harmony in performance and balance.
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