In the world of high fidelity audio, there are a lot of components that are unnecessarily overpriced. Big name electronics companies don't always give you the best bang for your buck and in many cases a bloated advertising budget can seriously affect the quality of the components you spend your hard-earned money on. A little research into smaller, independent speaker companies can yield big results. In this post, I'll be comparing the Bose 301v ($330/pair) against the Wharfedale Diamond 10.1 ($350/pair).

Let's start with where it all begins: the connectors. The 301v is outfitted with what is essentially the cheapest type of connector possible, a spring loaded clip. These are notorious for creating an insecure connection and have nothing to prevent oxidation of the wire. They are also incompatible with many wire terminations such as banana plugs and spades (the two most effective terminations). Now where does the Diamond stand on this? It has bi-amplified, gold plated, 5-way binding posts. This is the same type of connections that just about every high-end speaker uses because it allows all types of terminations to connect and will not oxidize because the surface is entirely gold. What does bi-amplified mean? It is a term that denotes that a speaker has separate amplifiers for the high frequency driver (tweeter) and the low-frequency driver (woofer). This allows the amps to be tailored to the needs of each driver instead of being stressed to produce a full spectrum of sound. This is pertinent to the connectors because the only external indicator of bi-amplification is the presence of 2 sets of connectors instead of one. Next we will look at the drivers in each speaker.
The 301v sports a 2-way design with an 8-inch paper woofer and two 2-inch paper cone tweeters. One tweeter is front firing, the other rear firing. The concept behind the rear firing tweeter is that it should "blend reflected and direct sound to re-create much of a live concert's natural spaciousness". However, Bose provides no evidence of this and is the only company I've found to make use of such technology. Either Bose is onto something groundbreaking, or more likely, it's a marketing gimmick. Additionally, the presence of cone tweeters came as quite a shock to me. For those that don't understand why, Wikipedia puts it best:
"Cone tweeters are relatively cheap, but do not have the dispersion characteristics of domes. Thus they are routinely seen in low cost applications such as factory car speakers, shelf stereo systems, and boom boxes. [...] They are now a rare sight in modern hi-fi usage."
Moving on to the Diamond, it also makes use of a 2-way design with a 4.5-inch Kevlar-cone woofer and a 1-inch soft dome tweeter. If you are unfamiliar with the material Kevlar, it is synonymous with bullet-proof vests and as such, is extremely resilient yet highly responsive. This is the same material that Bowers and Wilkins have been using to make the midrange drivers in almost all of their products since 1974. This includes their iconic 800 Series Diamond loudspeakers ($24,000/pair). Although paper cones such as those in the 301v are not necessarily of poor quality, they usually are as it is a cheap material to work with. Also, high end speakers that use paper as the cone material generally treat it with chemicals to increase its sonic characteristics. If you haven't guessed yet, Bose paper cones are untreated. As we continue to look at the drivers, let's focus next on the dimensions of each.
As I previously mentioned, the 301v woofer and tweeters are 8-inches and 2-inches respectively whereas the Diamond's drivers are 4.5-inches and 1-inch. The difference in size of the drivers should give the Diamond an advantage in the upper range but also prevent it from reaching as low as the 301v. Looking at the frequency ranges of each, the 301v dips down to 45Hz and the Diamond to 48Hz. Both speakers have a fairly impressive lower end for their price. However, the 301v does extend decently lower. As a 2 channel system, you might decide that this is important enough to sway your decision; but as a 2.1 channel system, the addition of a subwoofer makes it a moot point. As for the upper limit, the 301v reaches 19 kHz whereas the Diamond stretches up to 24 kHz. For anyone that is unaware, this frequency is beyond the capacity of human ears. Now you may be thinking, "If I can't hear it why does it matter?" Although you may not be able to hear supersonic frequencies, they still interact with audible frequencies and the room's acoustics. In fact, many musical instruments produce supersonic frequencies naturally and cannot be properly recreated without a capable speaker.
A few advantages of the Diamond still remain to be discussed but for time's sake I will go over them briefly. Aesthetically, the Diamond leaves a much smaller footprint than the 301v and has a more traditional vertical driver alignment. The 301v is available in black and light cherry while the diamond is offered in black, cool maple, wenge, blackwood, cinnamon cherry, winter maple, walnut pearl, and rosewood quilted. From a technical view, the curved walls of the Diamond help to significantly reduce standing waves and unwanted cabinet resonance. Taking a peek inside, the Diamond makes use of rare earth metals called neodymium magnets. They are regarded as the strongest and highest quality magnet, whereas the 301v does not list any particular type of magnet. More secure flanges, tweeter diffusers, A/V shielding, and composite front baffles add even more to the list of features Wharfedale offers.
Overall, the Wharfedale Diamond 10.1 offers a clearly greater value of generally higher quality than the Bose 301v, both in its components and performance. Although Bose has launched an extensive campaign to convince consumers of their superior sound, the specs speak for themselves.
Still, it would be foolish to forget the old adage "beauty is in the eye of the beholder". This is certainly applicable to speakers; while one speaker may outperform another in every dimension, the better speaker is always the one which makes you happiest. If you find yourself leaning towards a name brand set because of how it sounds, don't let my rant hold you back. Just put forth your best effort to be as unbiased as possible and your ears will guide you to the right choice.
Sources:
http://www.bowers-wilkins.com/Discover/Discover/Technologies/Kevlar.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tweeter#Cone_tweeter
http://www.bose.com/controller?url=/shop_online/speakers/stereo_speakers/301_speakers/index.jsp
http://www.stereophile.com/content/wharfedale-diamond-101-loudspeaker
http://www.dansdata.com/images/gz033/spring320.jpg
|
Comments rated to be "almost" Good Answers: