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Wharfedale Emerald 97 3-Way Floor-Standing Speakers (Rosewood)

Wharfedale Emerald 97 3-Way Floor-Standing Speakers (Rosewood)

List Price: $899.99
Your Price:
Product Info Reviews

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Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Pretty speakers and great sound...
Review: These are very good speakers for the money. I won't expound on what others here have said. But you should know that these are Wharfedale's Chinese-made knock-offs, not the UK-made real-deal. Also, these speakers are 6 ohms impedence, whereas most amps are designed to drive 8 to 16 ohm speakers. By using these, you run the risk of blowing the fuse on your amp if you play the volume extra loud. I gave these 4 stars because I don't think their suitable for most people's systems.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: very clean sound but...
Review: This might be the best speaker available in its price range. But the reason I gave 4 stars is because of the sound quality of its tweeter. Mid-range sound is well defined and bass is relatively clear and not blurry at all. But somehow high frequencies sound, despite of their so called 'silk dome tweeter' is not very good. Does it ruin the listening experience? Not really. But it would be perfect if the tweeter could produce a little better sound.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Very Nice
Review: Very Clear, crisp and still powerfull speakers for not too much money. I wanted a pair of KEF speakers, but couldn't foot the pricetag. However, for about 1/2 the price, these speakers perform just as well. Great combo with WH2 surrounds and Emerald center channel.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Very Nice
Review: Very Clear, crisp and still powerfull speakers for not too much money. I wanted a pair of KEF speakers, but couldn't foot the pricetag. However, for about 1/2 the price, these speakers perform just as well. Great combo with WH2 surrounds and Emerald center channel.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Great Value!
Review: Well, first of all, I should say the speakers look just as good in person as they do on amazon.com. Fabulous!! They really complement the modern furnishing in our house. Also, I visited two major retail electronics stores a few nights ago (Circuit City, The Good Guys). There wasn't a speaker that looked better than the Wharfedales--at any price. And, they had some fairly pricey wood cabinet speakers on display ...

Sound--these aren't just for looks, after all! A good amount of bass and well defined high-notes. Very nice, indeed, and the best sounding speakers I've ever owned. I am driving the Emerald 97's with a Yamaha RX-570 receiver, 70 watts/channel, connected in a bi-wire configuration. Interestingly, I can now actually play the receiver at full volume (yes, unreasonably loud, but tolerable), something I couldn't have dreamed of doing with my old Acoustic 3311 Series ("white van") speakers. I imagine whoever makes the Acoustic speakers weren't lying about the sensitivity--95 db. The Wharfedale's have a sensitivity of 89 db, and suppose I may need to get a more powerful amplifier to fully realize the speaker's capabilities. Then again, I do live in a condo, and probably shouldn't do anything--like buy a more powerful amplifier--that might encourage me to play music any louder than I already do ;-)

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: These are a dream come true!
Review: When I first received these speakers, I was amazed at the details of the finish. It looked like a woodworker had gone around the entire speaker and softened all the edges. The area around where the drivers attach to the wood is also sunk to detail the driver placement. The platform onto where the speaker sits also anchors the aesthetic qualities of the entire package. A work of art!

The best part was when I bi-wired them to my Pioneer ELITE VX-5 receiver. Oh my goodness! Oh dear God! These are the best sounding speakers I have heard - EVER! The sound is perfectly balanced and hits with detail and accuracy. CDs that you have listed to 1,000 times over will ring with new sounds never heard from lower quality drivers. I have only listened for about 5 hours, far below the 50-hour break-in criteria. I can't believe they are only going to get better!

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Great Speaker for the Price
Review: When one considers that these speakers compare favorably with the B&W 600 Series (which do cost twice as much, and don't feature real wood veneers), the great value of these Wharfedales becomes apparent.

Wharfedale was a respected speaker name from the early days of hi-fi, that since fell into disfavor (and possibly inactivity). With these and several other speaker lines, they've definitely reasserted themselves, and I understand that they are considered a high-end speaker in some international markets. Again, this just points to what a great value these speakers represent.

Two points: First, I would recommend using a subwoofer with these, despite their size. Second, they do take some breaking in.

Enjoy!


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