In this review, we will be comparing E50 and Diamond 220, two Passive Bookshelf speakers from Buchardt and Wharfedale.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of Buchardt E50 and Wharfedale 220 first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
Buchardt E50 Key Specs
- 2-way Design
- 1" waveguide Tweeter
- 6.5" PURIFI Extended Stroke Woofer
- 36-30k HZ Frequency Response
- 85 dB Sensitivity
- Impedance: 4ohms
- Power Range:60-200watts
- Weight:8.60kg
- Dimensions (H x W x D): 395.0" x 7.5" x 11.1"( 395 x 190 x 284 mm )
Wharfedale 220 Key Specs
- 2-way Design
- 1" Dome Tweeter
- 5" Woven Kevlar Woofer
- 56-20k Hz Frequency Response
- 86 dB Sensitivity
- Impedance: 8ohms
- Power Range:25-100watts
- Weight:5.32kg
- Dimensions (H x W x D): 315.0" x 6.8" x 10.0"( 315.0 x 174.0 x 255.0mm )
What size room are the Buchardt E50 and Wharfedale 220 speakers good for?
The size of the room in which you are planning to use these loudspeakers is an important decision
factor. Here we have compared their suitability to various sizes of environments considering their size
and max power parameters:
| Listening Environment* |
Buchardt E50 |
Wharfedale 220 |
| Near-field |
Poor |
Average |
| Small Room |
Average |
Good |
| Mid-size Room |
Good |
Average |
| Large Room |
Average |
Poor |
| Very Large Room |
Poor |
Bad |
(* Approximate Room sizes: Small < 100sq. ft / 9 m2,
Mid-size: 100-220 sq. ft / 9-20 m2, Large 220-400 sq. ft / 20-36 m2, Very Large: >
400 sq. ft / 36 m2.
Average Floor Height: 9" / 2.7m. Typical room sizes differ from country to country, and the actual
listening experience changes depending on floor height, room shape, surface materials, listening
position, speaker locations, etc.)
In the following sections, we will get into more detail in order to better understand how the Buchardt E50 and Wharfedale 220 compare and hopefully end up with enough arguments to decide which one of these loudspeakers is the better choice for you.
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Drivers
Both E50 and Diamond 220 are 2-way speakers.
| Driver |
Buchardt E50 |
Wharfedale 220 |
|
Driver Setup
|
2-way
|
2-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
1-inch
|
1-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
- |
- |
|
Woofer
|
1 x 6.5-inch
|
1 x 5-inch
|
E50 features a 1" Custom Scanspeak textile dome waveguide Tweeter and 1 x 6.5" PURIFI Extended Stroke Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 2000Hz. On the other hand, the Diamond 220 features a 1" Dome Tweeter and 1 x 5" Woven Kevlar Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 2200Hz.
Frequency Response
E50 has a frequency range of 36-30k HZ whereas Diamond 220 has a frequency range of 56-20k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 36Hz, the E50 can go significantly deeper on the low side and provide stronger bass compared to the Diamond 220's min frequency of 56Hz.
Below graphs depict how these two speakers compare with the max, min and average values of the Min and Max Frequencies of other speakers in the Bookshelf class in our database.
Low Frequency
Bookshelf Speakers
High Frequency
Bookshelf Speakers
None of these speakers achieves full range experience which is commonly agreed as 20Hz-20kHz. In order to achieve lower lows / deeper bass, we recommend you pair these with a subwoofer. Visit our Powered Subwoofers section to find out more about the available options.
Impedance and Sensitivity
E50 is a 4 ohms speaker compared to the Diamond 220 which has a nominal impedance of 8 ohms. Lower impedance speakers, especially the ones that are rated at 4 ohms may put more pressure on the amplifier unit especially when played at high volume levels, so make sure the amp you pair with the E50 can provide this impedance level.
These two speakers also have different sensitivity levels. E50 sensitivity is rated at 85 dB and the Diamond 220's is rated at 86 dB. This 1 dB difference makes the Wharfedale 220 a more sensitive speaker compared to Buchardt E50, hence will play louder with the same amount of watts.
Sensitivity
Bookshelf Speakers
Power Range
Power
range is the range of input power in watts RMS that a loudspeaker is designed to handle. While using
an amplifier within this range ensures the nominal performance , inputting a power that is higher than the
max wattage can result in a damaged speaker.
E50 can handle a max power of 200 watts RMS from the amp the whereas Diamond 220 has a max power handling value of 100 watts RMS, 100 watts less than the E50.
Keep in mind that a higher max power handling value doesn't necessarily make that a louder speaker
compared to a lower max handling speaker. Loudness or the sound level is also impacted by parameters
such as Impedance, sensitivity and system efficiencies.
Physical Specs
Size of a speaker can sometimes become an important decision factor due to space constraints or in some cases purely for esthetic reasons. In this section, we are going to compare Buchardt E50's and Wharfedale 220's external dimensions. Buchardt E50 has external dimensions of 395 x 190 x 284 mm ( 15.5 x 7.5 x 11.1 inch) whereas Wharfedale 220 has external dimensions of 315.0 x 174.0 x 255.0mm ( 12.4 x 6.8 x 10.0inch) .
Buchardt E50 is clearly the larger of the two speakers. Its body is 16mm wider, 80mm taller and 29mm deeper than Wharfedale 220.
Below you can see the front view size comparison of Buchardt E50 and Wharfedale 220 in scale.
Comparison image of Buchardt E50 and Wharfedale 220 Size and External Dimensions
Base Surface Area Comparison
Base surface area of a loudspeaker may become a determining factor when the space in your room or desk is limited.
The base surface area of the Buchardt E50 is approximately 539.6cm2 / 83.6inch2 and base area of the Wharfedale 220 is approximately 443.7cm2 / 68.8inch2. The E50 requires 22% more surface area than the Diamond 220 which gives it a small disadvantage on placement in tight spaces.
Here is an another comparison that shows both speakers on a BDI Octave Media Cabinet, next to a standard size amplifier and turntable in scale:
Size Comparison image of Buchardt E50 and Wharfedale 220 on a Media Console