Wharfedale Diamonds vs Emerald 97's (1 Viewer)

[eskendir]

I am debating whether I should get 4 Wharfedale Diamond 8.3's and a diamond center( for around $600) or 4 Emerald 97's and Emerald center (if I can get them at Ubid for under $800 total) for 100% HT setup in a 16x15 family room. I am planning to use the Sony SA-WM40 Sub and either the Yamaha HTR-5560 or the Denon 1802 receiver. Which set up will give the best HT sound? Which line of Wharfedale has the best looking quality finish. Any suggestion about good inexpensive interconnect and speaker cables? Pls help.

P.S. I am planning to get a parasound HCA-855A to drive the fronts in the future.

Alex

 

[Paul Clarke]

Hello eskendir,

I use 4 97's, a Yamaha center and a JBL PB10 in a 12x17 space. The Emerald center is decent but does not seem to live up to the standards of the towers. I stay with the Yamaha because of the tweeter attenuator. I also use an 855A with my H/K 510 to bi-amp the mains...you will not regret the investment...wonderful, warm sound.

Considering the 8.3's and the 97's, my preference should already be obvious. But the 8.3's are the 97's equal for HT and not too far off in Stereo. IMO the 97's are simply better for those who value accurate, transparent 2 channel.

I use Radio Shack Gold for most connections including any Y adapters. Speaker wire I generally use IXOS from AC4L.com but Home Depot 12ga is perfectly fine.

 

[eskendir]

Hi Paul, Thanks for your reply. I have read in this forum that the Emerald center is the weakest link in all emerald HT setup. Since the center channel is the most important speaker for movies I would like the best I can afford. What do you think of the Wharfedale Modus Music center? What if I venture out to other manufacturers for center, say the PSB 8C or The Paradigm CC-370? BTW, I have been looking for the Emerald 97's in Rosewood on Ubid for a couple of weeks and I haven't come across a single one. Are they becoming a collectors item?

 

[eskendir]

What are your thought on HK 320 or 520 to drive the Emerald/Diamonds? I have heard QC and reliability problem with the HK. Is it true? Everybody seems to be jumping on the Denon wagon. Should I do the same for 100% HT setup? I was considering Denon 1802,1803 or 2802 or Yamaha HTR-5560 or Pioneer Elite VSX-41? Your thoughts on power rating of these receivers? Last but not least is it OK to buy refurbished HK from Ubid?

Thanks for your time.

 

[Paul Clarke]

Hello eskendir,
First, let me say Welcome to the Forum. Mea Culpa .:b I apologize for not noticing before.
Now, as to your latest posts...you have quite a basketful of ???'s.
I know there are folks on this forum who are running Modus setups or have run them in the past. To my ears the Modus center is better for HT and would blend nicely with the 97's. If you look elsewhere, I recommend trying to keep to the silk/fabric dome tweeter design.
I believe the Rosewoods are just about gone. I haven't seen much Rosewood in the 97's for some time. (My 4 are Walnut)
I run a 510/855 setup in the main room and a 310 in the bedroom. So, I guess you can see where my preferences lie. IMO the 320 or 520 would be great choices. But if I were building a strictly HT system, of the OTHER receivers mentioned I would go with the 2802. It is a proven and well regarded product and will give you 6 channels compared to H/K's 5. Of the non-H/K's, I prefer it's sound over the others...just my opinion.
As to power, ever since the move to increased channels of decoding and amplification over 5.1, many makers have resorted to cheapening out on the delivered spec. Most of this flim-flam lies solely in the multi-channel realm so someone like yourself building a purely HT system must be careful. While your current room size is not too large, many factors play a role in delivering proper sound levels.
Of the receivers you cited, Denon is certainly respectable in this regard. While the power delivered is never quite what is advertised when multiple channels are driven, Denon does better than most, EVEN in the low to mid model range. This is one of many reasons why Denon is considered a superior HT product.
Lastly, (whew) I would not hesitate to recommend Refurbed or remanufactured H/K's. Both of mine are and have performed flawlessly. HOWEVER, I would never buy a product from Ubid WITHOUT a full warranty. Most H/K's sold there have the original 2 years but lately some have only 90 days. In considering these I would be very circumspect. It would be worth the extra $$$ to buy from Harmanaudio.com and receive the full H/K support.

 

[eskendir]

Hi Paul, thanks a million for taking the time to respond to my basketful of ???? Your reply was very helpful. BTW I called IAG America this morning and was told they won't be shipping the Emeralds to Ubid anymore but rather to Amazon.com They priced a bit more than I can afford at Amazon.com at the moment. So I was kind of leaning toward the Diamond 8 package. This speakers are getting excellent reviews in British Hi-FI press , eg. What Hi-Fi?,Hi Fi News etc. Absolute sound also had good things to say about them.
I am particularly impressed with this one review I found on the net that is pushing me more toward the diamonds. You can find this review at http://www.area450.com/homecinema/speakers.htm
If you are interested to read the other British Hi-Fi reviews go to www.audioadvisor.com choose Wharfedale from the drop down menu,click on diamond 8.1 and then click on review on the right side of the menu.
Let me know what you think of the reviews. Happy reading

 

[Paul Clarke]

Hi eskendir,

They used to have the complete Diamond package on the Home page of the British site...Lucky Brits. I've recommended it many times although over here it is usually not offered as a total package with sub. It is a great sounding system with very reasonable pricing and ideal for HT.

Thanks for the links. I always enjoy reading about Wharfedale products and am really looking forward to hearing the new Evo's at my local dealer.

Good Luck.

 

[Mike Brenton]

Hi eskendir,
I got the diamond 8.4's for fronts, 8.3's for rears, DFS's for rear back and 8CE for the center. They look and sound great for the price range their in. They are a good set to build on.


Mike Brenton