Wharfedale Emerald 93 Opinions

IMHO the Wharfedale is one horrid line of speakers. They are constantly sold here at AG at a good profit for the seller. He buys them on U-Bid and sells them here for quite the mark up. They do not even come close to any model of the Paradigm line. But, you will get all sorts of opinions here and only accept what you are willing to accept. If they sound okay to YOU, then nothing else really matters does it? I think they stink, but what difference does that make to you? I might not have the same tastes as you in the sound quality of a speaker design. Without question the Studio 20's are a much better speaker than the Emerald. I don't think many people here will contest that.

Scottht,

Your opinions resonate with those of many (if not most), but I think you may be letting stigma get the better of your voice - have you actually owned or heard them? And if so, were you expecting much much more than what you paid for?

The U-bid surge seems to be mostly over - I've checked in there out of curiosity a few times over the past few months, and there's hardly any volume of ANY product these days. Don't even remember seeing a Wharfedale there the last few trips, but that's not to say they're not still there.

I call them WharfeRats, and fondly so. I have a pair of their stupid nu-rock techno-designed "Valdus 500s" in my basement. Funny thing is, with their "big bad" 500 model, they almost screwed the pooch -- my brother has the smaller 400's, and they have tighter bass by miles, but less wall-shaker "appeal". But even so, I warmed up quickly to the 500s. I would really consider bracing the cabs and batting up one of the ports (Sean would concur), but I just don't care enough. Heck, they're in the basement, and often used as sound reinforcement for outdoor games. But they also sing sweetly with a Classe 70 or B&K ST140 - I can't call these "misfits" such a miss... I enjoy every last second down there, and at times find myself listening more down there than on my main system, and never wanting for anything. So what's in a dollar?

Cheap, durable, and lovable (and fast - the drivers are VERY impressive for the overall cost). I see alot of good in these, and I keep them and cherish them for what they are - which is alot of good, a lot of bad, but in balance - a hugely welcome member of my home, and has stood the test of time, and provided boundless enjoyment even with my snotty tastes.

Wharfedale is not what it once was in most people's opinion - they've gone the "designed in UK, manufactured in China" route as many have (Acoustic Energy, though with more grace). But let's not rain on the party... have any naysayers out there actually paired some Wharferats with a little bit of decent gear and found their toes tapping just a few times before they got self-conscious and stopped? I still sway the curtains with mine downstairs, and I also listen down low with a wide soundstage and luscious micro-detail as well. All for the low price of $49 per speaker plus $89 each for shipping (for all you Ubid fans - that's the punchline!)

No question there's better (heck, most of what we see here is), but at the prices these have traded at, the WharfeRats are a happy hobo. Highly recommended on a budget.

Mike

A moment of history, off-topic by all but a millmeter: Wharfedale did not always make mass-market speakers, designed to push buyers' buttons in large-surface stores. Lots of 'goners learned theory from Wharfedale chief engineer G.A. Briggs' "Cabinet Handbook", published in the late '50s IIRC. Some of us even built one of Briggs' designs.

Wharfedale drivers, and indeed complete speakers, were at one point among the very best you could buy. The company was sold to the Rank organisation, and its engineers went on to form other companies later, among them Castle. The Wharfedale research legacy is very much alive today... perhaps just a bit less at the present company's premises than elsewhere.