Wharfedale's Diamond 12 Series is the latest in a long line of much-loved speakers that serve up great 'sound per pound'. Furthermore, the new range sees speaker designer, consultant and FinkTeam head honcho, Karl-Heinz Fink, get in on the action to squeeze every last bit of performance from the credit card friendly loudspeakers.

The result is speakers that are not only less expensive than the outgoing Diamond 11 Series, but every element has been tweaked to its limit without exception.

The new range is made up of three standmount speakers, two floorstanding models and a centre speaker for home cinema configurations and features a new composite developed by Wharfedale called Klarity. The new material replaces Kevlar in the line's mid/bass cones and uses polypropylene as a key ingredient. Polypropylene cones are renowned for their characteristically low distortion and controlled 'breakup', as well as their resistance to moisture in the air.

Wharfedale adds mica to the Klarity formula to increase stiffness to reduce flexing and enable a lightweight cone with high rigidity, low colouration and lightning-fast response, says the manufacturer.

The Klarity diaphragms are driven by a substantial magnet system with an aluminium compensation ring to minimise the effect of variations in inductance as the voice coil travels. This is said to contribute to an absence of distortion and intermodulation generated by the motor system. Unusually for speakers in this price range, the voice coil is wound on a high-power epoxy/glass fibre bobbin. We're told that this has the advantage of not adding eddy currents while also delivering greater power handling than an aluminium bobbin.

Read Our Diamond 12.1 Review

The Diamond 12 Series also sports a 25mm dome made from a woven polyester film with a high-gloss coating with a magnet system and front plate being optimised for wide dispersion and uncompressed behaviour.

The treble unit and mid/bass driver hand off via a crossover network using an acoustic LKR 24dB topology. This includes air-core inductors of the type more commonly found in high-end speakers.

The Diamond 12 Series cabinets are made from sections of wood fibreboard of varying thickness, constructed in such a way as to subdue the identifiable characteristics of the cabinet's 'sound' and ensure the drivers' output remains unsullied. The rear ports are matched to the various model's cabinets.

Inside the cabinet, Intelligent Spot Bracing connects opposing walls with a specific form of wood brace to achieve an optimal reduction of cabinet resonance.

The Diamond 12.1 is available from October 1st with the rest of the team joining it in November. All models are offered in a choice of black, white, walnut or light oak.

Wharfedale Diamond 12 Series prices

Standmount speakers

• Diamond 12.0 – £199 per pair
• Diamond 12.1 – £249 per pair
• Diamond 12.2 – £299 per pair

Floorstanding speakers

• Diamond 12.3 – £499 per pair
• Diamond 12.4 – £699 per pair

Home cinema centre speaker

• Diamond 12.C – £229

More Information at Wharfedale