tldr; British budget speakers with warm sound and good build quality
$819.99 on AmazonScores based on sentiment analysis of topic-related comments
Best praise vs top criticism for Wharfedale Diamond 12.2
“The Wharfedale 12.2 will outperform the soundbar in all key audio categories, including soundstage, imaging, and detail retrieval. A proper pair of bookshelf speakers like these will provide wider and more immersive stereo separation, making movies and music sound far more natural and dynamic than a single-unit soundbar ever could. The only time I would recommend a soundbar is if space constraints prevent the use of bookshelf or tower speakers. Otherwise, a dedicated speaker setup will always deliver superior audio performance, better dialogue clarity, and a more engaging listening experience.”
“In 5.x you have side surrounds only. In 7.x you have sider surrounds and rear surrounds. That being said, the 12.1 is a very capable, neutral speaker, while the 12.2 is bigger and has a bit more bass, it has been noted to have some distortion issues. Since bass response is not critical to surround speakers, I'd go with the 12.1, unless it's a very large room.”
132 Reddit opinions analyzed • Last updated 3/24/2026