In this review, we will be comparing Diamond 12.4 and Bronze 500, two Passive Floor-standing speakers from Wharfedale and Monitor Audio.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of Wharfedale Diamond 12.4 and Monitor Audio Bronze 500 first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
| Key Specs | Wharfedale Diamond 12.4 | Monitor Audio Bronze 500 |
|---|
| Design | 2-way | 2-way |
|---|
| Tweeter | 1" Soft-Dome | 1" gold dome C-CAM with uniform dispersion (UD) waveguide |
|---|
| Woofer | 2 x 6.5" Mica-infused polypropylene | 2 x 8" C-CAM |
|---|
| Frequency response | 40-20k Hz | 32-30k Hz |
|---|
| Sensitivity | 89 dB | 90 dB |
|---|
| Impedance | 8 ohms | 8 ohms |
|---|
| Power range | 30-200 watts | 60-200 watts |
|---|
| Weight | 22.40kg / 49.3lbs | 18.05kg / 39.7lbs |
|---|
| Dimensions (H x W x D) | 45-1/2" x 8" x 15-1/4"
1156.0 x 200.0 x 388.0mm | 38-7/16" x 11-9/16" x 14-3/8"
977.0 x 294.0 x 366.0mm |
|---|
What size room are the Wharfedale Diamond 12.4 and Monitor Audio Bronze 500 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 12.4 |
Monitor Audio Bronze 500 |
| Near-field |
Bad |
Bad |
| Small Room |
Poor |
Poor |
| Mid-size Room |
Good |
Good |
| Large Room |
Good |
Good |
| Very Large Room |
Poor |
Poor |
(* 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.
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through our links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
Drivers
Both Diamond 12.4 and Bronze 500 are 2-way speakers.
Wharfedale Diamond 12.4Monitor Audio Bronze 500
TweeterWoofer
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 12.4 |
Monitor Audio Bronze 500 |
|
Driver Setup
|
2-way
|
2-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
1-inch
|
1-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
- |
- |
|
Woofer
|
2 x 6.5-inch
|
2 x 8-inch
|
Diamond 12.4 features a 1" Textile Soft-Dome Tweeter and 2 x 6.5" Mica-infused polypropylene Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 2100Hz. On the other hand, the Bronze 500 features a 1" gold dome C-CAM with uniform dispersion (UD) waveguide Tweeter and 2 x 8" C-CAM Woofer.
Frequency Response
Diamond 12.4 has a frequency range of 40-20k Hz whereas Bronze 500 has a frequency range of 32-30k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 32Hz, the Bronze 500 can go significantly deeper on the low side and provide stronger bass compared to the Diamond 12.4's min frequency of 40Hz.
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 12.4 and Bronze 500 have the same Impedance of 8 ohms but where they differ is the sensitivity levels. Diamond 12.4 sensitivity is rated at 89 dB and the Bronze 500's is at 90 dB. This 1 dB difference makes the Monitor Audio Bronze 500 a more sensitive speaker compared to Wharfedale Diamond 12.4, 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.
Both handle the same maximum of 200 watts RMS, though Diamond 12.4 is rated 30-200 watts and Bronze 500 60-200 watts.
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
Both Diamond 12.4 and Bronze 500 features dual binding post speaker terminals for bi-amping or bi-wiring.
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 12.4's and Monitor Audio Bronze 500's external dimensions. Wharfedale Diamond 12.4 has external dimensions of 1156.0 x 200.0 x 388.0mm (45-1/2 x 8 x 15-1/4inch) whereas Monitor Audio Bronze 500 has external dimensions of 977.0 x 294.0 x 366.0mm (38-7/16 x 11-9/16 x 14-3/8inch).
Monitor Audio Bronze 500 is 179mm shorter and 22mm less deeper than Wharfedale Diamond 12.4 but it is also 94mm wider.
Below you can see the front view size comparison of Wharfedale Diamond 12.4 and Monitor Audio Bronze 500 in scale.
Comparison image of Wharfedale Diamond 12.4 and Monitor Audio Bronze 500 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 12.4 is approximately 776.0cm2 / 120.3inch2 and base area of the Monitor Audio Bronze 500 is approximately 1076.0cm2 / 166.8inch2. The Diamond 12.4 requires 28% less surface area than the Bronze 500 which gives it a small advantage 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 12.4 weighs 22.40kg / 49.3lbs and the Monitor Audio Bronze 500 weighs 18.05kg / 39.7lbs. This makes the Diamond 12.4 24% heavier than the Bronze 500.
Here is a comparison of how Diamond 12.4 and Bronze 500'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 12.4?
Here are the items that are included inside the box of Diamond 12.4:
- 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 Monitor Audio Bronze 500?
Here are the items that come with the Bronze 500:
- Floorstanding loudspeaker
- Grille
- 4 Outrigger feet (w/ 4 adjustment dials and locking-nuts)
- 4 Spikes (pre-installed on outrigger feet)
- 4 Rubber feet
- 4 Large course-thread screws
- 4 Small machine screws
- 2 Terminal-jumpers (pre-installed)
- 2 Foam port plugs
- Hex-key
- Quick Start Guide
- Important Safety Instructions
 Base Surface Area |
776cm2
vs
1076cm2
|
Takes less floor space |
 Price per pair* |
1298USD
vs
1496USD
|
costs less (*prices may change depending on the seller, location and time) |
 Sensitivity |
90 dB
vs
89 dB
|
Play louder with same amount of amplification power |
 Woofer Size |
8 inches
vs
6.5 inches
|
Larger woofer |
|
Low Frequency Response |
32 Hz
vs
40 Hz
|
Generates deeper bass |
 High Frequency Response |
30k Hz
vs
20k Hz
|
Generates higher frequency |
 Dolby Atmos Drivers |
Optional
vs
No
|
Dolby Atmos Compatibility |
 Height |
977mm
vs
1156mm
|
Easier to fit in smaller spaces |
| General |
Wharfedale Diamond 12.4 |
Monitor Audio Bronze 500 |
| Brand |
Wharfedale |
Monitor Audio |
| Speaker Type |
Floor-standing speaker |
Floor-standing speaker |
| Power Range |
30-200 watts |
60-200 watts |
| Sensitivity |
89 dB |
90 dB |
| Impedance |
8 ohms |
8 ohms |
| Impedance |
5 ohms |
n/a |
| Frequency Response |
40-20k Hz |
32-30k Hz |
Drivers |
|
|
| Woofer Quantity |
2 |
2 |
| Woofer Size |
6.5" |
8" |
| Woofer Composition |
Mica-infused polypropylene |
C-CAM |
| Woofer Surround Material |
Rubber |
Rubber |
| Tweeter Size |
1" |
1" |
| Tweeter Type |
Soft-Dome |
gold dome C-CAM with uniform dispersion (UD) waveguide |
| Aimable Tweeter |
No |
No |
| Midrange Driver |
No |
No |
| Crossover Frequency |
2100Hz |
n/a |
| Firing Direction |
rear |
n/a |
Physical Specs |
|
|
| Height |
1156.0mm (45.5") |
977.0mm (38.5") |
| Width |
200.0mm (7.9") |
294.0mm (11.6") |
| Depth |
388.0mm (15.3") |
366.0mm (14.4") |
| Weight |
22.40kg (49.3lbs) |
18.05kg (39.7lbs) |
| Enclosure |
Bass Reflex |
Bass Reflex |
| Finish |
MDF/Wood-grain vinyl |
MDF/Vinyl |
| Available Colors |
Black |
Black |
| Grille |
Yes |
Yes |
| Moisture Resistancy |
No |
No |
Connections |
|
|
| Biamp Inputs |
Yes |
Yes |
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 |
B |
Monitor Audio Bronze 500 digs deeper - 32Hz against 40Hz. A subwoofer would even that out. |
| Amplifier needs |
evenly matched |
Similar sensitivity (89dB vs 90dB) - both want much the same power. |
| Headroom |
evenly matched |
Similar power handling (200W vs 200W). |
| Size |
depends |
Similar cabinet size - neither is easier to fit. |
| Expandability |
B |
Wharfedale Diamond 12.4: bi-amping; Monitor Audio Bronze 500: bi-amping and Atmos drivers. |
| Price |
A |
Wharfedale Diamond 12.4 is cheaper - $1,298 against $1,496, about 13% less. |
A Wharfedale Diamond 12.4
B Monitor Audio Bronze 500
depends neither is better in the abstract - it turns on your room, placement 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: Monitor Audio Bronze 500 measures better, Wharfedale Diamond 12.4 costs about 13% 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 40Hz anyway, which makes the cheaper Wharfedale Diamond 12.4 much easier to justify.
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.