This set of Diamond 10.5 loudspeakers is just one product in a new line from the well established hi-fi manufacturer Wharfedale.

Founded way back in the 1930s, Wharfedale has one of the longest histories in hi-fi, though 75 years has seen several changes in ownership and downs as well as ups.

The company that ruled the UK market for the best part of half a century might no longer enjoy its earlier dominance, but IAG (the International Audio Group), its owner since 1997, is in for the long haul and has every intention of re-establishing its previous pre-eminence.

Alongside Wharfedale, IAG owns Quad, Mission and Castle Acoustics (plus Audiolab and Leak). IAG itself is owned by two Taiwanese Chinese hi-fi enthusiast brothers, Bernard and Michael Chang. Their operation is based on a huge factory complex with around 2,000 workers.

This operates a policy of 'vertical integration', which means that virtually everything needed to build a loudspeaker – drivers, cables, enclosures, crossovers and so on – is made in-house.

A new era?

Three months ago, Peter Comeau took over as Director of Acoustic Design at IAG's hi-fi Division.

The first fruit of Comeau's involvement is a brand new Wharfedale Diamond 10 range, which includes no fewer than eight stereo pairs, plus numerous home cinema extras. Eight models does seem a trifle excessive – most manufacturers make do with four or five – but we were told it was needed to cope with the wide variety of tastes across a global marketplace.

Chinese consumers, for example, like speakers with a lot of drive units. There might be some Chinese influence in the styling too: plenty of bling is visible when the grille is removed, with a glossy black front and super shiny finish on the plastic driver frames. A much more demure black grille is available, which neatly fixes onto the hex sockets of the driver woodscrews.

The Diamonds have been Wharfedale's entry-level hi-fi models since the early 1980s, so high perceived value is an essential part of the agenda. Whatever one's reaction to the bling, this three-way floorstander is a lot of loudspeaker for £480.

Probably inevitably, finish is vinyl woodprint, but the catalogue lists no fewer than seven options. Our samples came in 'Roswood Quilted', whatever that means: they certainly look pretty good, even though touch betrays their synthetic origins.

Despite the low price, the Diamond 10.5 ticks many of the boxes. Curved sides should help stiffen the enclosure and distribute internal reflections and standing waves. A composite front panel provides a secure driver mounting platform.

Diamond 10.5

A separate plinth is fitted for secure spike accommodation, though regrettably this doesn't extend the stability footprint one iota and the spike lock-nut arrangements are very difficult to tighten properly. The rear panel has twin terminal pairs, linked by brass strips and fitted to a fairly tough-looking moulding; there's also room for a port.

The driver line-up is certainly distinctive. Dome-type midrange drivers are usually only found in much more upmarket speakers, so the 50mm dome used here is rather unusual.

There are pluses and minuses: the main advantage is that its relatively small-diameter diaphragm helps maintain consistent dispersion as frequency rises. The disadvantage is relatively modest sensitivity, due again to the small diaphragm and large (hence heavy) voice coil.

The bass and treble drivers are a little more conventional. The former is a 165mm device with a 130mm woven Kevlar cone and a 'diamond patterned' surround, while the tweeter has a 25mm soft dome diaphragm and short horn loading. Both mid and treble drivers are separately protected under metal mesh covers.

Auditioning was carried out in a heavily furnished and somewhat irregular 4.4x2.6x5.5m (WxHxD) room.