Wharfedale DIAMOND 12.1i Bookshelf Speakers

Along with the aesthetic upgrade, Wharfedale’s engineering team revisited the speaker’s internals, paying special attention to bass port tuning and airflow control. Small but significant changes to the port design and internal damping have improved bass clarity and low-frequency control—especially in real-world environments. Listeners will notice the difference.

A thorough port design effort led by Wharfedale’s Director of Acoustic Design, Peter Comeau, and senior engineers Dan Bailey Ornellas and Oliver Davies aimed to refine low-frequency performance through extensive empirical testing and listening evaluations. The development process lasted several months and included advanced techniques, such as laser interferometry, extensive anechoic and in-room measurements, and computational fluid dynamics (CFD) to assess airflow and pressure in the port structure. Critical listening sessions—totalling hundreds of hours—were held to confirm the results. The outcome is a bass response that is better controlled and more articulate, with improved transitions between low and mid frequencies and consistent spatial performance, no matter the placement. These changes maintain the DIAMOND 12’s signature neutrality while subtly increasing listener engagement and dynamic flow.

Each mid/bass driver features a precise magnet system with an aluminium compensation ring to reduce the effects of inductance changes as the voice coil moves. This advanced motor system minimises intermodulation and distortion, producing cleaner, more accurate sound.

The voice coil is wrapped around a high-power epoxy/glass fibre bobbin, which performs significantly better than standard materials at this price point, offering greater power handling, thermal stability, and structural strength.

Wharfedale’s engineers use a sophisticated Linkwitz-Riley crossover design, complete with air-core inductors—components typically found in high-end speakers. The crossover network is finely adjusted for minimal phase shift and smooth integration between drivers.

The magnet structure for the mid/bass driver is modified to address the resistance of these high-quality inductors, ensuring fast, clean bass without compromise.

Overall, the new DIAMOND 12i series is sure to impress. The changes may seem minor, but the impact is significant. It looks, feels, and performs like something new because it is. Yet, it still retains all of the qualities that made the original iteration so special!