今次試聽以 SME Model 20/3 唱盤和 SME V 唱臂配上 My Sonic Lab 的 Ultra Eminent BC 唱頭和 T+A PDP 3000 HV CD/ SACD 播放機作為音源，再以 Kubala-Sosna Expression 喇叭線將 Luxman L-509X合併擴音機連接到 Tidal Piano 揚聲器來進行試聽。由於這台 L-509X 是全新的關係，所以接駁完成後再將它堡煉約三十小時後才正式進行試聽。先聽 「Diamonds & Rust in the Bullring LP」，這張專輯是 Joan Baez 於 1988 年在西班牙 Bilbao 鬥牛場舉辦一場演唱會。此專輯的錄音達到很高的水平，今次只是使用 L-509X 的內置唱放，但竟可讓我感到十分驚喜，表現絕不比分體唱放遜色，除了底噪極低之外聲音也十分細緻迷人， Joan Baez 嘹亮的嗓音加上感性的表達方式，徹底展現出她獨特的氣質和成熟的韻味，將歌曲中的濃濃情感詮釋得淋漓盡致，還能如實地展現出結他那份樸素無華的感覺，音場寬廣且深，整體互相配合之下絕對讓人盡興。
試聽 lsolajazz專輯，這張於2017年在意大利熱拿亞舉行的演奏會現場錄音，由Venus旗下多位爵士樂手及歌手演出，整張專輯的現場氣氛相當濃烈」讓人有置身現場的感覺。碟I頭兩首純音樂已讓人感到興奮，特別是敲擊手 Ernesttico 在Theme From Mash 一曲中展現出高超精湛的技藝，L-509X 擁有強大的動態和極佳迅變能力，完全能將快、狠、準的音效重現出來。碟 2 的Quando Quando Quando 由 Denise King 引導現場觀眾一同高歌，全場的情緒非常高漲，可說是彼此打成一片。整張專輯能讓人感到滿載歡樂與熱鬧的氣氛，如此豐厚的現場感覺確實盡顯 L-509X 的功力。
首先，我最想知道的是 330 的頻率兩極伸延及音色的平衡度，於是我選來一首來自Oscar Peterson Trio一張1964 年的名盤「We Get Requests」中的 “You Look Good To Me”，一台鋼琴、一套爵士鼓加一支低音大提琴奏出的音樂，雖然沒有交響曲那麼複雜，但足以考驗器材最主要的音效，樂曲開首那段低音大提琴的旋律，真的鋸得要多低有多低，但它卻沒有累贅的感覺，而且是十分清爽和極之有質感；鋼琴每一粒音都是清晰無比，同時散發著一點一點光芒，但卻沒有一點搶耳的感覺。聆聽 Ed Thigpen 那套爵士鼓組合更是一種非比尋常的享受，因為 330 的速度感變相讓樂曲更生動活潑。坐在皇帝位上，很清楚聽到每一件樂器的音像線條，而且輪廓是極之細膩自然，沒有半點人工化。很多人都說瑞士高級音響器材的聲音有一份獨特的氣質，是充滿文化氣息，我覺得330 正正具備了這種聽感。330 播這首 “You Look Good To Me”，由第一秒鐘開始，都不斷給我驚喜，想不到連最後一組鋼琴的琶音都給我衝上雲霄的感覺！
說明書就在箱子裡，其實是三個型號共用的，詳細講解了連接方式和技術參數取出音箱，羞羞媳婦准備掀開面紗了剛剛打開封貼的那一刻，黑檀木優雅深沉的自然質感就已經深深吸引著我的目光包裝時，防塵網罩已經安裝好在箱體上，座放在為LS3/5a 設計的貴族胡桃原木腳架上，通過腳架作參照，赫然發現S3/5R2 SE 比LS3/5a 稍窄一點，略深一點。其實從規格表上也能了解到這一點，隻是沒有放上腳架上這麼明確罷了看看背板，碩大的鏡面厚金屬銘牌上印著豐富的信息，表明了英國原廠設計、制造的身份，而且每一隻音箱均有獨立的產品編號。事實上，Spendor 在英國自有大型箱體制造工廠，不但完全滿足自家品牌的生產，還幫很多同行代工隻提供一對鍍金多用途喇叭線輸入座，塑料制造的接線盒也採用密封墊，防止漏氣。老實講，這個接線端子的設計不如以往採用接線柱直接緊固在箱體上的做法。而隻提供單線輸入，証明廠方對這一代S3/5R2 SE 的分頻器和喇叭單元素質極有信心，但作為發燒友卻少了一種雙線分音甚至雙功放驅動的玩法選擇傳統英國式設計就是這麼的方正工整落落大方，木皮的典雅質感非常突出掀開網罩一睹廬山真面目，結構上繼承了LS3/5a 的架構，典型的傳統兩路兩單元書架箱設計，如出一轍的密閉箱體設計，令低頻響應更快
尋尋覓覓中，偶然在一個小型發燒聚會中聽到了日本 Luxman 力仕 D-380 和 LX-380 組合推英國 Spendor 思奔達 S3/5R2 Special Edition 書架箱的聲音，僅憑18W×2（8Ω）膽機的輸出功率，驅動體型和 LS3/5a 幾乎無異的 S3/5R2 SE 小書架箱，那飽滿、厚實的音質，重播交響樂時頗具規模感的表現，令人大感意外。初步的感受：音質密度、低頻厚實度，以及細節分析力等方面已經超出了以往對LS3/5a的舊有印象，而中音溫暖厚實，這不正是我要找的聲音嗎？事實上當年KEF 停止供應 LS3/5a 的喇叭單元后，LS3/5a 的各生產廠商無奈悉數停產這款常青樹監聽箱，轉而研發替代產品，Spendor 的 S3/5 就是在這個背景下誕生的，而現在的最新版本 S3/5R2 SE 則是不斷進化的第五代產品了。
使用廠方全新開發的15cm with EP77 polymer cone 中低音單元；22mm widesurround寬環高音單元這枚22mm 高音單元已經採用到同系產品中，包括最新的New Classic 100，其音質密度和寬闊的指向性都值得期待新箱開聲不可避免有點緊、頻響兩端延伸不夠順暢，無疑需要留給足夠的時間煲練，才能進入較理想的狀態。剛開始時先接上藝術家作品一號晶體管功放，用中等音量煲箱，說說聲音初體驗吧：雖然高低頻延伸較緊，有點放不開，但中頻的那種“毒性”已經若隱若現了。至於S3/5R2 SE 的聲音究竟如何？留待音箱“煲”出狀態后再和大家分享吧。過段時間我會換上麗磁膽機，並且嘗試換上不同的線材搭配，正式享受這款純粹英倫書架箱的音樂美味盛宴15cm 中低音單元口徑比S3/5 上使用的稍大一點，是全新開發的產品，採用固定式子彈頭相位塞，目的是改善中頻的相位和指向性
以往搭配 LS3/5a 的經驗是“無膽不歡”，加上這次聽過 Luxman 力仕 LX-380 膽機的經歷，令我對 S3/5R2 SE 搭配膽機的效果充滿信心。我正好使用的是 211 版本的麗磁 LM-218IA 膽機， 用來搭配 S3/5R2 SE 看來是成功率比較高的選擇。另外，我還有羽商 Classic 藝術家 OP.1 作品一號晶體管功放，也可以試試搭配這款廠方富有盛名的 S3/5R2 SE 小書架箱的搭配適應性。於是，一對全新的 S3/5R2 SE 收入囊中，激動的開箱過程見証續夢 LS3/5a 的旅程再次啟航。
This is the world I grew up in: iPods, ear buds, tinny laptop speakers. Most people my age don’t think twice about their equipment, so long as it makes sound. Your average iTunes aficionado isn’t going to shell out big sums of cash on stereo equipment, especially when everything seems to have speakers built in these days. Why bother?
But there is good sound at approachable prices, fantastic sound really, the sort of sound that people obsess about. It’s not a mystical thing; it’s a visceral one; and younger people are finally starting to figure it out. Vinyl’s comeback is proof of that. The iPod generation is ready for quality; it’s just a matter of figuring out how to get it. And for me, it always starts with speakers.
There’s nothing better than opening something new, which is probably why people watch videos of strangers unboxing hardware on YouTube. The Wharfedale Diamond 225s sat wrapped in plastic covers sandwiched between tight foam inserts at the top and bottom, keeping them secure in transit. When I finally got them up and out, I stared at the gorgeous rosewood-veneer boxes, with their black-lacquer MDF baffles and the small Wharfedale logo just beneath the woofer. I leaned back in my desk chair and thought: “Wow, those are pretty.” They’re clean, unpretentious, and clearly put together very, very well.
Wharfedale Diamond 225
OK, the speaker grilles were a little weird. They’re two round foam pieces with little plastic rods that snap in over the tweeter and the woofer, leaving the rest of the baffle exposed, as opposed to something that covers the whole front. It’s not my favorite aesthetic choice, though it’s not necessarily a bad one, either. Just a matter of taste, I guess. At least they’re easy to remove, so I popped them off and forgot about them.
The 225s are fairly compact, though deep and solid. Sound is always the most important aspect of any audio component, but you still have to live with these things, and it’s easier to live with beautiful stuff. Fortunately, they’re exactly what they need to be: simple and attractive. Clearly the people at Wharfedale know what they’re doing, which makes sense, considering how long they’ve been around. Wharfedale is a relatively large British outfit founded back in the 1930s, and they’ve been a big name in British hi-fi ever since. The Diamond series debuted in 1981, and Wharfedale has been slowly improving the Diamond designs and sound without inflating cost, and that’s exactly what I’m looking for.
The 225s list at $450, which is a price an actual human with a real job could potentially afford. If you’re like me, and you’re sick of “affordable” equipment pushing easily into the $1000 range, this review is for you. Fact is, the majority of people can’t shell out the cash for the absurdly hyper-expensive audio equipment that clogs up most blogs. If we want to get the next generation to fall in love with great sound, I think it’s about time to accept that there’s some seriously good, affordable stuff worth writing about.
So with all that in mind, I put the 225s on top of my cheap stands, hooked them up to my (also British) Cambridge Audio CXA80 integrated, and turned it all on. Truth is, my listening space isn’t ideal. It’s small, oddly shaped with a sloping roof, and my speaker placement is limited. They have to be up close to a wall, though fortunately for me, these Wharfedales were designed with that in mind. The slot-loaded bass port fires downwards, instead of back, minimizing room interaction. So don’t worry about sticking them on either side of an entertainment system in the living room, for example, or squeezing them into a small office. Like I said, we have to live with these things, and space is sometimes at a premium.
Diving into the sound, I wasn’t sure what to expect. Bookshelf speakers typically aren’t known for deep, earth-shaking bass, and the 225s are no different in that regard. They aren’t going to rattle anyone’s bones and dig deep into that 40Hz bass region, which is fine—that’s what a sub’s for. Still, when I started with “Sparkle,” the first track on Tatsuro Yamashita’s City Pop masterpiece, For You, I got such a satisfyingly deep drop that I didn’t find myself missing the lowest of the low registers. Frankly, I didn’t find myself missing much of anything at all, especially when that clean, twanging guitar played its insanely catchy riff. The opening of “Sparkle” features a heavy, show-stopping reveal, and the 225s were more than up to the task of reproducing that big moment. I was surprised by how much weight I was getting from these things, more than enough for my small listening space. I can’t say how well they’d do in a much larger room, although I suspect they’d be up to the task.
The other good thing about “Sparkle” is the way Yamashita’s voice is recorded. There’s tons of reverb and space, his notes just drifting off into the background, and the 225s highlighted that nicely. For such small speakers, these things could create an impressive soundstage. Not the greatest, most spectacular presentation, but plenty to keep me engaged. Sound hung, drifting, projected nicely in both directions. At some points at higher volume, I noticed a bit of gristle in the upper registers, and sometimes the lower end felt a bit soft. I have to admit though, I was having fun just running through my favorite sides, one after the other, looking for any sonic detail that might be worth delving into. That’s the best sign that a piece of equipment is working. These little boxes just seemed to get me.
But I had to push the 225s, give them something challenging. That’s the whole point of a review, after all, to see how these things really perform. I turned to one of the strangest and most complicated albums of the year, King Krule’s The Ooz. This double-LP is as idiosyncratic as it is fascinating. On the most basic, surface level, it’s an experimental trip-hop masterpiece, but I think it’s so much more than that. It’s a sonically difficult album, with deep, rolling bass lines, up-tempo shifting beats, and Krule’s own morphing, grinding voice switching registers at will. The 225s did not disappoint me. They had a solid grip on the bass, keeping up with the hairpin-turn bumps and rumbles. The horns blaring in the background of “Dum Surfer” were rendered butter-smooth, along with that catchy guitar floating over the tight snares. I was drawn to the way the 225s made The Ooz somehow more accessible. It’s such an intricately layered album, and little details such as Krule’s English slang could easily be missed if anything muddy got in the way. I could feel the details of his voice despite the heavy synths and shimmering guitar effects. The 225s did a great job of creating a solid soundstage with minutely differentiated pieces. These songs felt so simple at first listen, but it took a piece of equipment like the 225s to do this level of complexity justice.
Finally, I wanted to hear how the Diamond 225s would deal with rich, complex upper-range vocals. These speakers could handle bass and midrange, but I was curious as to how they’d do when it came to subtlety. For that, I turned to Moses Sumney’s odd, pared-down, R&B-influenced album, Romanticism. Sumney’s music focuses so much on his intense, wonderful, lilting falsetto, which nicely showcased the 225’s ability to highlight delicate high-end and midrange detail as he moved through registers. I had a feeling the 225s would be plenty engaging with a softer sound, and I wasn’t disappointed. The bass guitar on “Man on the Moon (reprise)” barely kept pace while Sumney’s vocals played above it, yet through the 225s the layers of Sumney’s voice came through clean, uncolored, and almost liquid. I didn’t really understand this album on first listen, but as I went through it again and again on the 225s, I came to really love its low-key cleanliness. In the end, I think that’s the real strength of the 225s. They weren’t throwing the deepest bass or resolving the upper registers absolutely perfectly, but they had weight right where I needed it, along with the detail and the clarity necessary to resolve complex tracks into enjoyable musicality.
These speakers remind me that the “entry-level” isn’t a bad place to be. Inexpensive components are getting better and better as high-end design trickles down into supposedly budget hardware. The Diamond 225s take everything good about high-end audio, the power of beautifully reproduced music, and they make it accessible to a wider audience. I believe the 225s would satisfy just about anybody looking for fantastic-sounding speakers designed by a respected manufacturer at a reasonable price. They’re not perfect, but man, they’re still more than good. I highly recommend them.
The quality of finish on the 220s is much better than on the old 121s
The 220s are the replacement for the hugely talented 121s, but while they look quite similar there are some important changes. They’re neatly finished for starters. This might sound like a small point, but it was the older speaker’s big weakness.
At its heart, this shortcoming had as much to do with Wharfedale’s ambition to make the 121s sonic class-leaders as it did with the factory’s quality control. In a bid to improve performance, Wharfedale’s engineers used cabinet walls made of a layered construction that mixed chipboard and MDF.
It was felt that using MDF alone – as on most speakers – led to an undesirable level of cabinet coloration. The chipboard side was on the outside in contact with the (rather thin) vinyl covering.
The result? An uneven surface that made the speakers look poorly finished. It didn’t help that the factory seemed to have a rather lax attitude to the neat application of the vinyl wrap, particularly at the cabinet corners.
We also had issues with the front baffle which, once again, looked uneven in appearance.
Improved quality
The bass port fires downwards into a small air gap between base of the cabinet and the plinth below
We’re glad to report the Diamond 220s are much better in all respects. While still not the classiest speakers we’ve seen around this price (Q Acoustics and Monitor Audio set the standard), they’re good enough to avoid criticism.
Wharfedale has kept the layered cabinet construction, though – in this case two thin layers of MDF sandwich the chipboard section – and glue the vinyl onto the smoother MDF surfaces.The blackwood vinyl on our sample is tidy and ripple-free and we can only expect this to be the case with the walnut pearl, rosewood quilted and white finishes.
Goodbye ripples, hello better finish. Now that the finish issues are sorted, the advantages of these composite panels come to the fore. The combination of chipboard and MDF helps to damp resonances, preventing the cabinet from contributing too much to the overall sound.
Quite simply, you hear more of the drive units and less of the cabinet. But there’s more than just better finish involved in the move to the new model.
There’s a bigger magnet on the 13cm woven Kevlar mid/bass driver. This makes the speakers easier to drive and improves its responsiveness.
There’s a bigger magnet on the 13cm woven Kevlar mid/bass driver
The unusual slot-loaded port arrangement first seen on the 100 series reappears here too, and it has been tweaked to reduce distortion. Such a design is claimed to be more efficient than a conventional port.
The proof, as ever, is in the listening. The tweeter remains unchanged. It still sits in a deeply dished waveguide, which helps efficiency (particularly through the crossover region).
A ferrite magnet, rather than the more usual neodymium, is used in the unit’s motor system: not only is ferrite cheaper – always a consideration with products at this price level – but the engineers also feel it produces a smoother sound.
Wharfedale has tweaked the crossover to improve integration too.
The tweeter remains unchanged and it still sits in a deeply dished waveguide
Wharfedale’s engineers haven’t taken the easy route with the Diamond 220s’ bass tuning. Instead of going down the usual route of a rear- or front-firing reflex port, they’ve decided to fire the port downwards into a small air gap between base of the cabinet and the plinth below.
This arrangement has been further refined from that seen on the earlier 121s. Not only does this technique help with port efficiency and the reduction of chuffing noise, it makes the speaker less fussy about placement.
Performance
Make sure you place the Wharfedales as close to a rear wall as possible for best solidity and balance
The arrangement pays off: surprisingly for their size, the Wharfedales have the low-end ability to eat up even the thickest basslines (Led Zeppelin’s Dazed and Confused, for example). Bass is deep and agile, too.
And it’s not only bass weight that belies their dinky proportions; there’s a sense of power and scale we’d normally expect from a much larger box than the 32cm-tall Diamonds. Give them a good, solid pair of stands such as Atacama Moseco 6s (£120) and they will sparkle.
Their solidity and authority throughout the frequency range relies on placement near or against a rear wall: pull them out too far in the open and that sure-footedness is diluted slightly; bass notes are looser and vocals lose a bit of substance.
Talking of vocals, the 220s clear and candid delivery is very expressive. Run through Eminem’s Relapse album and his choppy raps are communicated effortlessly. The 220s erupt with the attack and rhythmic drive to really devour the hard, edgy nature of the songs too.
You can biwire each speaker using the twin sets of binding posts
There’s scale here with a degree of authority and substance that no rival we’ve heard can better. Stereo imaging is good too, nicely projected and layered. The good news continues where integration is concerned, with everything tying together into a seamless whole.
We like the stereo imaging too, but it’s the Diamond’s level of insight and dynamic aptitude that really lifts them above their peers. In a version of Grieg’s Piano Concerto, instruments are packed with variation and subtlety; piano sequences are fluid and telling, violins textured.
There’s an exceptional finesse to the delivery that rivals fail to match. Dynamic presence in even the quietest sections conveys the gradual swell of the piece. The 220s seem happy delivering the dramatic moments too – as orchestration gathers momentum, the speakers enjoy the ride.
While these speakers aren’t unduly fussy about partnering kit you’ll get out only what you put in. The Wharfedales will be a huge upgrade for any microsystem – the Denon D-M39DAB, say – partnering them with a punchy, dynamic amp like Rega’s Brio-R (£480) will get you two thirds of the way to a really exceptional system. For a source, we’d look at the Marantz CD6005 CD player as a good start.
How do they compare with the older 121s? The character is similar but the newer speakers are a little better in most respects.
Verdict
In any case, the talented Diamond 220s will likely be the jewel in the crown of any budget – or even mid-range – set-up. Would we go as far as saying they’re one of the best hi-fi products you can buy sub-£200?
升級版電源供應
在「音響技術」試音室聽330的配搭器材是我們十分熟悉的參考組合，訊源是 dCS Vivaldi SACD/CD重播組合、Dr.Feickert Analogue Firebird唱盤＋Acoustical Systems Axiom唱臂＋Accuphase AC-6動圈唱頭＋ Kondo SFz 升壓牛/ GE-I唱放，線材是Nordost Odin2 一套西裝。330今次要推的喇叭是「音響技術」沿用多年的 Dynaudio 白金証據，不要小看那 4枚直徑只有18 厘米的低音單元，要把它們推得貼貼服服其實不容易，看看 330 的阻尼系數，廠方註明超過 5000，雖然不及同廠550 的10000，但以合併機來說都算是一個不錯的數值，當然數字只可以作為一個參考而已，實際表現必須靠耳朵來驗証。
柔滑的聲音特質：Inpol Heritage的機箱雖然顯得大，由此覺得它的聲音會很激進、很強勢那就大錯特錯了，它是屬於柔和典雅，極盡柔滑，內斂而不會鋒芒畢露的功放，在Inpol Heritage的聲音中，幾乎聽不到刺耳的聲音或是顆粒感。這種特質在表現一些旋律優美的音樂時是極盡華麗的，純美的女聲更是柔滑細膩，弦樂線條細膩悅耳，許多同級功放和它對比，這種柔滑度真的要遜色許多。
首先要說的是 InPol Heritage 雖然功率提高了，能搭配的音箱更多樣，但是不意味著它的驅動力源源不斷。筆者認為它不接受低效率、速度慢的音箱，那樣隻會獲得一種缺乏生氣的聲音，因此給 InPol Heritage 找一對合適的音箱是很重要的事，不要因為搭配不當而對它有錯誤的判斷。就像這次試聽，起初認為 80W甲類的驅動力超強，搭配了一對效率不太高的落地式音箱，結果回放的音樂完全缺乏應有的起伏，顯得很平，這種聲音令人質疑，即使聲音的質感很柔滑。由此可以說它的80W功率隻是用於應付大動態的音樂，在搭配合適的音箱之下，並非完全為了驅動力而來。
