New Drivers, Crossovers, and Architecture for Budget Benchmark Status: Wharfedale Diamond 12.3 Tower Loudspeaker Plays with Notable Openness and Emotionalism "New." If you were to describe the Wharfedale Diamond 12.3 tower loudspeaker with one term, youd be challenged to pick a different word. Thats because like all Diamond 12 models, the overachieving floorstander arrives having been re-engineered top-to-bottom over its predecessor to ensure its status as a budget benchmarks its price class. Everything from the drivers to the crossovers to the cabinets contributes to an instrument that reproduces music exceptional poise, detail, openness, and emotionalism. Equally important, Diamond 12.3 is at home with all types of recordings, from pop and rock to jazz and classical. Starting with high-frequency reproduction, Diamond 12.3 sparkles. Comprised of woven polyester film with a high-loss coating for open, smoothly extended high frequencies, its one-inch soft-dome tweeter boasts an optimized magnet system and flat front plate to attain wide dispersion and uncompressed playback. Architecturally, a very short duct on the front plate balances the acoustic load and serves to improve SPL measurement. Equally important, Diamond 12.3 utilizes a crossover network with LKR 24dB topology and air-core inductors – the latter commonly found in much more expensive high-end designs due to their low-distortion properties. Of course, Diamond 12.3 isnt a 2.5-way design for nothing. It boasts a five-inch midrange and five-inch woofer – each comprised of trademarked Klarity cone material – formulated from a blend of polypropylene and mica to add stiffness while remaining lightweight for low coloration and fast responsiveness. Fitted with a low-damping surround and shaped to achieve a flat response curve, both produce expressive dynamics even on complex material. Each also touts