Siblings in Wharfedale's Diamond 12 series, so they share a family sound. It comes down to size, output and price.
| Area | Better | Why |
|---|
| Bass | A | Wharfedale Diamond 12.4 digs deeper - 40Hz against 70Hz. |
| Amplifier needs | A | Wharfedale Diamond 12.4 is more sensitive (89dB vs 87dB), so it goes louder on the same amplifier. |
| Headroom | A | Wharfedale Diamond 12.4 takes more power (200W vs 60W) - more in hand in a big room. |
| Size | depends | Wharfedale Diamond 12.0i is easier to place; Wharfedale Diamond 12.4 is bigger, which usually goes with fuller bass. Your room decides. |
| Type | depends | A Passive Floor-standing against a Passive Bookshelf - a different job rather than a better one. |
| Expandability | depends | Wharfedale Diamond 12.4: bi-amping; Wharfedale Diamond 12.0i: bi-amping. |
| Price | B | Wharfedale Diamond 12.0i is cheaper - $399 against $1,298, about 69% less; arguably a different class. |
A Wharfedale Diamond 12.4 B Wharfedale Diamond 12.0i
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 12.4 measures better, Wharfedale Diamond 12.0i costs about about 3.3x the price% 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 70Hz anyway, which makes the cheaper Wharfedale Diamond 12.0i much easier to justify. In a large or open-plan room, Wharfedale Diamond 12.4 has the cabinet volume to fill it more easily; in a small room, near a wall or at desk distance, Wharfedale Diamond 12.0i is the easier speaker to get right.
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.