In this review, we will be comparing Diamond 12.3 and SE 3000F, two Passive Floor-standing speakers from Wharfedale and Paradigm.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of Wharfedale Diamond 12.3 and Paradigm SE 3000F first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
| Key Specs | Wharfedale Diamond 12.3 | Paradigm SE 3000F |
|---|
| Brand | Wharfedale
United Kingdom · founded 1932 | Paradigm
Canada · founded 1982 |
|---|
| Design | 2-way | 3-way |
|---|
| Tweeter | 1" Soft-Dome | 1" |
|---|
| Midrange | — | 5.5" |
|---|
| Woofer | 2 x 5" Mica-infused polypropylene | 2 x 5.5" Mineral-filled polypropylene |
|---|
| Frequency response | 45-20k Hz | 55-21k Hz |
|---|
| Sensitivity | 88 dB | 91 dB |
|---|
| Impedance | 8 ohms | 8 ohms |
|---|
| Power range | 30-150 watts | 15-100 watts |
|---|
| Weight | 19.50kg / 42.9lbs | 15.91kg / 35lbs |
|---|
| Dimensions (H x W x D) | 38-3/4" x 7-1/8" x 14-1/4"
985.0 x 180.0 x 362.0mm | 39-5/8" x 8-15/16" x 10-15/16"
1007.0 x 228.0 x 278.0mm |
|---|
What size room are the Wharfedale Diamond 12.3 and Paradigm SE 3000F 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* |
Wharfedale Diamond 12.3 |
Paradigm SE 3000F |
| Near-field |
Bad |
Poor |
| Small Room |
Poor |
Average |
| Mid-size Room |
Good |
Good |
| Large Room |
Good |
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.)
The sections below take each area in turn: drivers, frequency response, physical size and what you get in the box.
Drivers
One of the fundamental differences between these two speakers is that Diamond 12.3 is a 2-way design whereas the SE 3000F is a 3-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.
Wharfedale Diamond 12.3Paradigm SE 3000F
TweeterMidrangeWoofer
Front view, drawn to scale - cabinets and drivers share one scale, so sizes are directly comparable. Hover a driver for its size.
| Driver |
Wharfedale Diamond 12.3 |
Paradigm SE 3000F |
|
Driver Setup
|
2-way
|
3-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
1-inch
|
1-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
- |
1 x 5.5-inch |
|
Woofer
|
2 x 5-inch
|
2 x 5.5-inch
|
Diamond 12.3 features a 1" Textile Soft-Dome Tweeter and 2 x 5" Mica-infused polypropylene Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 2200Hz. On the other hand, the SE 3000F features a 1" Tweeter, a 5.5" Midrange and 2 x 5.5" Mineral-filled polypropylene Woofer.
Frequency Response
Diamond 12.3 has a frequency range of 45-20k Hz whereas SE 3000F has a frequency range of 55-21k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 45Hz, the Diamond 12.3 can go significantly deeper on the low side and provide stronger bass compared to the SE 3000F's min frequency of 55Hz.
The graph below depicts how these two speakers compare with the max, min and average Low Frequency values of other speakers in the Floor-standing class in our database.
Low Frequency
Floor-standing Speakers
Neither pair reaches down to 20Hz, the usual definition of full-range, which is normal for speakers of this size. If you want the bottom octave for movies or bass-heavy music, add a subwoofer to whichever you choose. Visit our Powered Subwoofers section to find out more about the available options.
Impedance and Sensitivity
Diamond 12.3 and SE 3000F have the same Impedance of 8 ohms but where they differ is the sensitivity levels. Diamond 12.3 sensitivity is rated at 88 dB and the SE 3000F's is at 91 dB. This 3 dB difference makes the Paradigm SE 3000F a more sensitive speaker compared to Wharfedale Diamond 12.3, hence will play louder with the same amount of watts.
Sensitivity
Floor-standing Speakers
Power Range
Power
range is the range of input power in watts RMS that a loudspeaker is designed to handle. Staying
within that range gives nominal performance; driving the speaker beyond its maximum wattage can damage it.
Diamond 12.3 can handle a max power of 150 watts RMS, whereas SE 3000F has a max power handling value of 100 watts RMS, 50 watts less than the Diamond 12.3.
Note that higher power handling does not make a speaker louder: that depends mainly on
sensitivity and impedance. The calculator below shows how loud each of these actually plays
on a real amplifier.
Which plays louder on your amplifier?
Starting with a popular amplifier - change it to the one you own, or any you are
considering, and watch both numbers move.
Input Type and Bi-Amping / Bi-Wiring
Diamond 12.3 features Binding post posts which make bi-amping or bi-wiring possible. SE 3000F has a Post which doesn't feature bi-amping/bi-wiring.
Wharfedale Diamond 12.3's Binding post terminals allows Bi-amping or bi-wiring
Paradigm SE 3000F's Post terminals
Cabinet Type and Port Position
Both Diamond 12.3 and SE 3000F have rear firing ports. Rear ported speakers generally need more room between the backside of the speaker and the wall compared to sealed and front/bottom ported speakers. Placing the speakers too close to the walls may cause the bass to sound boomy.
If you are limited in space and can't get the speakers away from the backwall, check our Speakers with Front Firing Ports page.
Physical Specs
The size of a speaker can sometimes be an important decision factor due to space constraints or in some cases purely for esthetic reasons. In this section, we are going to compare Wharfedale Diamond 12.3's and Paradigm SE 3000F's external dimensions. Wharfedale Diamond 12.3 has external dimensions of 985.0 x 180.0 x 362.0mm (38-3/4 x 7-1/8 x 14-1/4inch) whereas Paradigm SE 3000F has external dimensions of 1007.0 x 228.0 x 278.0mm (39-5/8 x 8-15/16 x 10-15/16inch).
Wharfedale Diamond 12.3 is 48mm narrower and 22mm shorter than Paradigm SE 3000F but it is also 84mm deeper.
Below you can see the front view size comparison of Wharfedale Diamond 12.3 and Paradigm SE 3000F in scale.
Comparison image of Wharfedale Diamond 12.3 and Paradigm SE 3000F 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 Wharfedale Diamond 12.3 is approximately 651.6cm2 / 101.0inch2 and base area of the Paradigm SE 3000F is approximately 633.8cm2 / 98.2inch2. The Diamond 12.3 requires 3% more surface area than the SE 3000F which gives it a small disadvantage on placement in tight spaces.
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 Wharfedale Diamond 12.3 weighs 19.50kg / 42.9lbs and the Paradigm SE 3000F weighs 15.91kg / 35lbs. This makes the Diamond 12.3 23% heavier than the SE 3000F.
Here is a comparison of how Diamond 12.3 and SE 3000F's weights compare with the average, max and min weights in Passive Floor-standing class.
Weight
All Floor-standing Speakers
What's in the Box of Wharfedale Diamond 12.3?
Here are the items that are included inside the box of Diamond 12.3:
- Floorstanding loudspeaker
- Grille
- 4 Spike feet (w/ locking collars)
- 2 Jumper-bars (pre-installed)
- 4 Isolation pucks
- Users Manual
What's in the Box of Paradigm SE 3000F?
Here are the items that come with the SE 3000F:
- Floorstanding loudspeaker
4 Rubber feet
4 Spike feet
Owner's Manual
Online Registration Card
Unboxing Instructions
 Max Input Power |
150 watts
vs
100 watts
|
Handle more power from your amplifier |
 Low Frequency Response |
45 Hz
vs
55 Hz
|
Generates deeper bass |
 Bi-Amping and Bi-Wiring |
Yes
vs
No
|
Allows bi-amping and bi-wiring connections |
 Height |
985mm
vs
1007mm
|
Easier to fit in smaller spaces |
 Driver Setup |
3-way
vs
2-way
|
Have a dedicated mid-range driver |
 Sensitivity |
91 dB
vs
88 dB
|
Play louder with same amount of amplification power |
|
Woofer Size |
5.5 inches
vs
5 inches
|
Larger woofer |
 High Frequency Response |
21k Hz
vs
20k Hz
|
Generates higher frequency |
 Base Surface Area |
633cm2
vs
651cm2
|
Takes less floor space |
 Price per pair* |
700USD
vs
998USD
|
costs less (*prices may change depending on the seller, location and time) |
| General |
Wharfedale Diamond 12.3 |
Paradigm Monitor SE 3000F |
| Brand |
Wharfedale |
Paradigm |
| Speaker Type |
Floor-standing speaker |
Floor-standing speaker |
| Power Range |
30-150 watts |
15-100 watts |
| Sensitivity |
88 dB |
91 dB |
| Impedance |
8 ohms |
8 ohms |
| Impedance |
5 ohms |
n/a |
| Frequency Response |
45-20k Hz |
55-21k Hz |
Drivers |
|
|
| Woofer Quantity |
2 |
2 |
| Woofer Size |
5" |
5.5" |
| Woofer Composition |
Mica-infused polypropylene |
Mineral-filled polypropylene |
| Woofer Surround Material |
Rubber |
Rubber |
| Tweeter Size |
1" |
1" |
| Tweeter Type |
Soft-Dome |
n/a |
| Aimable Tweeter |
No |
No |
| Midrange Driver |
No |
5.5" |
| Crossover Frequency |
2200Hz |
n/a |
| Firing Direction |
rear |
rear |
Physical Specs |
|
|
| Height |
985.0mm (38.8") |
1007.0mm (39.6") |
| Width |
180.0mm (7.1") |
228.0mm (9") |
| Depth |
362.0mm (14.3") |
278.0mm (10.9") |
| Weight |
19.50kg (42.9lbs) |
15.91kg (35lbs) |
| Enclosure |
Bass Reflex |
Bass Reflex |
| Finish |
MDF/Wood-grain vinyl |
MDF/Vinyl |
| Available Colors |
Black, Oak, Walnut |
Black |
| Grille |
Yes |
n/a |
| Moisture Resistancy |
No |
No |
Connections |
|
|
| Biamp Inputs |
Yes |
No |
Other |
|
|
| Parts Warranty |
5 Years |
5 Years |
| Labor Warranty |
5 Years |
5 Years |
No single best speaker here - they are built to different priorities, and the right one depends on your room, your amplifier and what you listen to.
| Area | Better | Why |
|---|
| Bass | A | Wharfedale Diamond 12.3 digs deeper - 45Hz against 55Hz. |
| Amplifier needs | B | Paradigm SE 3000F is more sensitive (91dB vs 88dB), so it goes louder on the same amplifier. |
| Headroom | A | Wharfedale Diamond 12.3 takes more power (150W vs 100W) - more in hand in a big room. |
| Size | depends | Similar cabinet size - neither is easier to fit. |
| Expandability | A | Wharfedale Diamond 12.3: bi-amping. Wharfedale Diamond 12.3 sits in a wider range (12 models), so a matched surround system is easier later. |
| Price | B | Paradigm SE 3000F is cheaper - $700 against $998, about 30% less. |
A Wharfedale Diamond 12.3 B Paradigm SE 3000F
depends neither is better in the abstract - it turns on your room, your system or how you will use them. Only specs published for both speakers are judged; anything missing on either side is left out rather than guessed.
Which should you choose?
The usual trade-off: Wharfedale Diamond 12.3 measures better, Paradigm SE 3000F costs about about 43% more% less. Whether that gap is worth the money is the call only you can make - and in a normal room it is often smaller than the numbers suggest. If a subwoofer is in your plans, the bass gap largely stops mattering - you would be crossing over above 55Hz anyway, which makes the cheaper Paradigm SE 3000F much easier to justify. Match it to your room: we rate Wharfedale Diamond 12.3 the better fit for a large room, and Paradigm SE 3000F for a small room.
And remember what a spec sheet cannot show: how each looks in your room and whether the finish suits it, what dealer support and warranty are like where you live, and how they actually sound to you. If you can hear them first - ideally with your own music - that will tell you more than any number above.