In this review, we will be comparing Gold 100 6G and Diamond 220, two Passive Bookshelf speakers from Monitor Audio and Wharfedale. Let's have a brief look at the main features
of Monitor Audio Gold 100 6G and Wharfedale 220 first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
Monitor Audio Gold 100 6G Key Specs
- 3-way Design
- 1" Tweeter
- 3" Midrange
- 8" HDT C-CAM Woofer
- 49 Hz - 60 kHz Frequency Response
- 86.5 dB Sensitivity
- Impedance: 4ohms
- Power Range:up to 1250watts
- Weight:14.05kg
- Dimensions (H x W x D): 448.0" x 9-1/16" x 14-1/16"( 231.0 x 448.0 x 358.0mm )
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 Monitor Audio Gold 100 6G 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* |
Monitor Audio Gold 100 6G |
Wharfedale 220 |
| Near-field |
Poor |
Average |
| Small Room |
Poor |
Good |
| Mid-size Room |
Good |
Average |
| Large Room |
Good |
Poor |
| Very Large Room |
Average |
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 Monitor Audio Gold 100 6G 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
One of the fundamental differences between these two speakers is that Gold 100 6G is a 3-way design whereas the Diamond 220 is a 2-way speaker. 3-way designs utilize a midrange driver in addition to the tweeter and woofer on 2-way designs. Designing a crossover for a 3-way speaker is a complicated process and generally increases the overall cost of the speaker.
| Driver |
Monitor Audio Gold 100 6G |
Wharfedale 220 |
|
Driver Setup
|
3-way
|
2-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
1-inch
|
1-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
1 x 3-inch |
- |
|
Woofer
|
1 x 8-inch
|
1 x 5-inch
|
Gold 100 6G features a 1" MPD III Tweeter , a 3" Midrange and 1 x 8" HDT C-CAM Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 700 Hz - 2600 Hz. 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
Gold 100 6G has a frequency range of 49 Hz - 60 kHz whereas Diamond 220 has a frequency range of 56-20k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 49Hz, the Gold 100 6G 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
Monitor Audio Gold 100 6G
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
Gold 100 6G 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 Gold 100 6G can provide this impedance level.
These two speakers also have different sensitivity levels. Gold 100 6G sensitivity is rated at 86.5 dB and the Diamond 220's is rated at 86 dB. This 1 dB difference makes the Monitor Audio Gold 100 6G a more sensitive speaker compared to Wharfedale 220, 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.
Gold 100 6G can handle a max power of 250 watts RMS from the amp the whereas Diamond 220 has a max power handling value of 100 watts RMS, 150 watts less than the Gold 100 6G.
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.
Input Type and Bi-Amping / Bi-Wiring
Both Gold 100 6G and Diamond 220 features dual binding post speaker terminals for bi-amping or bi-wiring.
Monitor Audio Gold 100 6G's Binding post terminals allows Bi-amping or bi-wiring
Wharfedale 220's Post terminals allows Bi-amping or bi-wiring
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 Monitor Audio Gold 100 6G's and Wharfedale 220's external dimensions. Monitor Audio Gold 100 6G has external dimensions of 231.0 x 448.0 x 358.0mm ( 9-1/16 x 17-5/8 x 14-1/16) whereas Wharfedale 220 has external dimensions of 315.0 x 174.0 x 255.0mm ( 12.4 x 6.8 x 10.0inch) .
Monitor Audio Gold 100 6G is clearly the larger of the two speakers. Its body is 57mm wider, 133mm taller and 103mm deeper than Wharfedale 220.
Below you can see the front view size comparison of Monitor Audio Gold 100 6G and Wharfedale 220 in scale.
Comparison image of Monitor Audio Gold 100 6G 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 Monitor Audio Gold 100 6G is approximately 1603.8cm2 / 248.6inch2 and base area of the Wharfedale 220 is approximately 443.7cm2 / 68.8inch2. The Gold 100 6G requires 261% 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 Monitor Audio Gold 100 6G and Wharfedale 220 on a Media Console
Weight Comparison The weight of a loudspeaker can become an important factor if you need to move and reposition the unit often. Weight of a speaker can also "sometimes" be an indicator of the rigidity of the enclosure and the quality of the internal components used. The Monitor Audio Gold 100 6G weighs 14.05kg / 30.9lbs and the Wharfedale 220 weighs 5.32kg / 11.7lbs. This makes the Gold 100 6G 164% heavier than the Diamond 220.
Here is a comparison of how Gold 100 6G and Diamond 220's weights compare with the average, max and min weights in Passive Bookshelf class.
Weight
All Bookshelf Speakers
Monitor Audio Gold 100 6G
What's in the Box of Monitor Audio Gold 100 6G?
Here are the items that are included inside the box of Gold 100 6G:
2 Stand-mount loudspeakers 4 Grilles 8 Rubber feet 4 Jumper-plates (pre-installed) 2 Port plugs Quick Setup Guide Important Safety Instructions
What's in the Box of Wharfedale 220?
Here are the items that come with the Diamond 220:
2 Bookshelf loudspeakers 2 Grilles (pre-installed) 8 Self-adhesive rubber feet User's Manual Installation Guide