The Diamond 12.4 is the flagship floorstanding speaker in Wharfedale’s Diamond 12 series, designed by Karl-Heinz Fink. A 2.5-way bass reflex design with a 40.8-litre cabinet, it uses dual 150 mm woofers with Klarity cones — a mica-infused polypropylene blend engineered to add stiffness while minimising coloration — paired with a 25 mm soft dome tweeter recessed into a composite flange with a tapered sound guide for controlled directivity.
Driver Technology
The Klarity woofer cones combine polypropylene with mica to achieve a balance of rigidity and low mass, supported by soft suspension for optimal linear excursion. Each driver incorporates an aluminium wear ring in its magnetic system to reduce unwanted vibrations. The 25 mm tweeter uses polyester fibres treated with a damping compound, mounted in a tapered horn flange that controls the high-frequency directional pattern and smooths off-axis response.
Crossover and Amplifier Compatibility
Fourth-order Linkwitz-Riley crossovers with air-core coils (avoiding the non-linearities associated with ferrite or steel cores) split the signal at 2.1 kHz. The driver parameters are optimised to account for the higher ohmic losses inherent in air-core inductors. Nominal impedance is 8 ohms with a minimum of 5 ohms — a notably benign load that suits a wide range of amplifiers, from modestly powered integrated models at 30 W through to high-current designs up to 200 W.
Cabinet Construction
The cabinet uses Wharfedale’s Intelligent Spot Bracing system: computer-modelled wooden brackets connecting opposite internal planes to damp panel resonance, combined with a multi-layer sandwich wall construction. The 40.8-litre internal volume represents a significant increase over the previous generation’s 30 litres, contributing to bass extension down to 35 Hz (−6 dB). A rear-mounted bass reflex port uses a non-resonant design to minimise port turbulence at high excursion levels.
In the Diamond 12 Range
The Diamond 12 series spans bookshelf (12.1), standmount (12.2), compact floorstander (12.3), this full-size floorstander (12.4), and the 12.C centre channel. The 12.4 is the only model in the range with dual bass drivers, giving it the deepest extension and highest sensitivity (89 dB) of the series. All models share the same Klarity driver technology and crossover philosophy, making them tonally matched for use in multi-channel systems.
| Type | 2.5-way bass reflex floorstanding speaker (pair) |
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| Frequency Response (±3 dB) | 40 Hz – 20 kHz |
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| Bass Extension (−6 dB) | 35 Hz |
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| Sensitivity (2.83 V @ 1 m) | 89 dB |
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| Peak SPL | 102 dB |
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| Nominal Impedance | 8 ohms |
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| Minimum Impedance | 5 ohms |
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| Recommended Amplifier Power | 30–200 W |
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| Crossover Frequency | 2.1 kHz |
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| Tweeter | 1 × 25 mm soft dome |
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| Woofers | 2 × 150 mm (6.5 in) Klarity cone |
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| Cabinet Volume | 40.8 litres |
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| Bi-Wiring / Bi-Amping | Yes |
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| Connections | Dual binding posts |
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| Dimensions (H × W × D) | 1100 × 200 × 350 mm (1150 × 200 × 378 mm inc. spikes and base) |
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| Weight | 22.4 kg per speaker |
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| Finishes | Black, White, Light Oak, Walnut |
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| Also Available As | White |
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