Thread: Wharfedale Opus 2-1 Speaker

Wharfedale Opus 2-1 Speaker, Over its long history, stretching back some 75 years to the earliest days of hi-fi, Wharfedale has become almost synonymous with high-quality budget speakers. like the small Diamond 9.1 stand mount that we reviewed earlier this year. Less well known is that Wharfedale also has a number of more upmarket ranges above and beyond the Diamonds. including elaborate creations like those in the Opus 2 range One of five stereo pairs in the Opus 2 line-up, this three-way design is a handsome beast to be sure and its pricetag seems surprisingly reasonable considering the high number of impressive bullet points on the features list Viewed from above, the generous and very solidly built boat-shaped enclosure has a slightly convex front and strongly curved sides leading to a very narrow back panel, all of which will help disperse internal reflections and prevent the focusing of horizontal standing waves.





Our samples came in piano-lacquered black; lacquered real wood veneer finishes are also available. Beneath the dome mid-range, bass is supplied by a relatively large 200mm drive unit that's equipped with a 150mm woven Kevlar cone and augmented by a large front port Both dome units have textile diaphragms, the tweeter's being 27mm in diameter. A shaped and extended plinth ensures good lateral stability, and while Don't even think of locating these speakers close to a wall. There's ample bass output when the speakers are clear of walls here. with notable firmness and authority. to the point where the somewhat larger Opus 2-2 (2x200mm) and Opus 2-3 (2x250mm) models would probably have rather too much bass. Although the tonal balance is essentially impressively smooth and neutral, the overall character is certainly on the bright side, arguably tending to emphasise the presence and treble a little too much. As a result. the Opus 2-1 sounds exceptionally open and brings excellent intelligibility to voices, even at very low listening levels.