In this review, we will be comparing Diamond 220 and S15, two Passive Bookshelf speakers from Wharfedale and Polk Audio.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of Wharfedale 220 and Polk S15 first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
| Key Specs | Wharfedale 220 | Polk S15 |
|---|
| Brand | Wharfedale
United Kingdom · founded 1932 | Polk Audio
United States · founded 1972 |
|---|
| Design | 2-way | 2-way |
|---|
| Tweeter | 1" Dome | 1" Dome |
|---|
| Woofer | 5" Woven Kevlar | 5.25" Mica-reinforced polypropylene |
|---|
| Frequency response | 56-20k Hz | 50-40k Hz |
|---|
| Sensitivity | 86 dB | 88 dB |
|---|
| Impedance | 8 ohms | 8 ohms |
|---|
| Power range | 25-100 watts | 20-100 watts |
|---|
| Weight | 5.32kg / 11.7lbs | 5.90kg / 13lbs |
|---|
| Dimensions (H x W x D) | 12.4" x 6.8" x 10.0"
315.0 x 174.0 x 255.0mm | 12.0" x 7.4" x 10.2"
304.8 x 190.0 x 260.4mm |
|---|
What size room are the Wharfedale 220 and Polk S15 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 220 |
Polk S15 |
| Near-field |
Average |
Average |
| Small Room |
Good |
Good |
| Mid-size Room |
Average |
Average |
| Large Room |
Poor |
Poor |
| Very Large Room |
Bad |
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
Both Diamond 220 and S15 are 2-way speakers.
Wharfedale 220Polk S15
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 220 |
Polk S15 |
|
Driver Setup
|
2-way
|
2-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
1-inch
|
1-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
- |
- |
|
Woofer
|
1 x 5-inch
|
1 x 5.25-inch
|
Diamond 220 features a 1" Dome Tweeter and 1 x 5" Woven Kevlar Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 2200Hz. On the other hand, the S15 features a 1" Terylene Dome Tweeter and 1 x 5.25" Mica-reinforced polypropylene Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 2500Hz.
Frequency Response
Diamond 220 has a frequency range of 56-20k Hz whereas S15 has a frequency range of 50-40k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 50Hz, the S15 can go significantly deeper on the low side and provide stronger bass compared to the Diamond 220's min frequency of 56Hz.
The graph below depicts how these two speakers compare with the max, min and average Low Frequency values of other speakers in the Bookshelf class in our database.
Low Frequency
Bookshelf 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 220 and S15 have the same Impedance of 8 ohms but where they differ is the sensitivity levels. Diamond 220 sensitivity is rated at 86 dB and the S15's is at 88 dB. This 2 dB difference makes the Polk S15 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. Staying
within that range gives nominal performance; driving the speaker beyond its maximum wattage can damage it.
Both handle the same maximum of 100 watts RMS, though Diamond 220 is rated 25-100 watts and S15 20-100 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
Diamond 220 features Post posts which make bi-amping or bi-wiring possible. S15 has a Pair of Binding Posts - Gold Plated which doesn't feature bi-amping/bi-wiring.
Wharfedale 220's Post terminals allows Bi-amping or bi-wiring
Cabinet Type and Port Position
Diamond 220 has a bottom firing port whereas S15 has a rear firing ports. Wharfedale 220's bottom-firing port gives more flexibility in placement in regards to proximity to walls compared to Polk S15 with its rear-firing port.
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 220's and Polk S15's external dimensions. Wharfedale 220 has external dimensions of 315.0 x 174.0 x 255.0mm (12.4 x 6.8 x 10.0inch) whereas Polk S15 has external dimensions of 304.8 x 190.0 x 260.4mm (12.0 x 7.4 x 10.2inch).
Wharfedale 220 is 16mm narrower and 5.4mm less deeper than Polk S15 but it is also 10.2mm taller.
Size, drawn to scale
Both speakers and both views share one scale, so everything here is directly comparable. Hover a box for its dimensions.
One scale for both, standing on the same surface and pushed back to the same wall, so the deeper one visibly sticks out further.
Polk S15 needs about 12% more floor or shelf area.
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 220 is approximately 443.7cm2 / 68.8inch2 and base area of the Polk S15 is approximately 494.8cm2 / 76.7inch2. The Diamond 220 requires 10% less surface area than the S15 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 220 weighs 5.32kg / 11.7lbs and the Polk S15 weighs 5.90kg / 13lbs. This makes the S15 11% heavier than the Diamond 220.
Here is a comparison of how Diamond 220 and S15's weights compare with the average, max and min weights in Passive Bookshelf class.
Weight
All Bookshelf Speakers
What's in the Box of Wharfedale 220?
Here are the items that are included inside the box of Diamond 220:
- 2 Bookshelf loudspeakers
- 2 Grilles (pre-installed)
- 8 Self-adhesive rubber feet
- User's Manual
- Installation Guide
What's in the Box of Polk S15?
Here are the items that come with the S15:
- 2 Bookshelf loudspeakers
- 2 Grille (attached)
- 8 Self-adhesive rubber feet
- Wall-mount template
- Owners Manual
- Online Product Registration
 Bi-Amping and Bi-Wiring |
Yes
vs
No
|
Allows bi-amping and bi-wiring connections |
 Base Surface Area |
443cm2
vs
494cm2
|
Takes less floor space |
 Price per pair* |
249USD
vs
259USD
|
costs less (*prices may change depending on the seller, location and time) |
 Sensitivity |
88 dB
vs
86 dB
|
Play louder with same amount of amplification power |
 Woofer Size |
5.25 inches
vs
5 inches
|
Larger woofer |
|
Low Frequency Response |
50 Hz
vs
56 Hz
|
Generates deeper bass |
 High Frequency Response |
40k Hz
vs
20k Hz
|
Generates higher frequency |
 Mounting Bracket |
Yes
vs
No
|
Allows mounting on walls |
 Height |
304mm
vs
315mm
|
Easier to fit in smaller spaces |
| General |
Wharfedale Diamond 220 |
Polk Audio Signature S15 |
| Brand |
Wharfedale |
Polk Audio |
| Speaker Type |
Bookshelf speakers |
Bookshelf speakers |
| Power Range |
25-100 watts |
20-100 watts |
| Sensitivity |
86 dB |
88 dB |
| Impedance |
8 ohms |
8 ohms |
| Impedance |
4.1 ohms |
n/a |
| Frequency Response |
56-20k Hz |
50-40k Hz |
Drivers |
|
|
| Woofer Quantity |
1 |
1 |
| Woofer Size |
5" |
5.25" |
| Woofer Composition |
Woven Kevlar |
Mica-reinforced polypropylene |
| Woofer Surround Material |
Rubber |
Butyl rubber |
| Tweeter Size |
1" |
1" |
| Tweeter Type |
Dome |
Dome |
| Aimable Tweeter |
No |
No |
| Midrange Driver |
No |
No |
| Crossover Frequency |
2200Hz |
2500Hz |
| Firing Direction |
bottom |
rear |
Physical Specs |
|
|
| Height |
315.0mm (12.4") |
304.8mm (12") |
| Width |
174.0mm (6.9") |
190.0mm (7.5") |
| Depth |
255.0mm (10") |
260.4mm (10.3") |
| Weight |
5.32kg (11.7lbs) |
5.90kg (13lbs) |
| Enclosure |
Bass Reflex |
Bass Reflex |
| Finish |
MDF/Wood veneer |
Meddite MDF |
| Available Colors |
Black, White, Walnut |
Black, Walnut, Brown Walnut |
| Mounting Bracket |
No |
Keyhole |
| Recommended Stand Height |
24" |
24-30" |
| Grille |
Yes |
Yes |
| 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 | B | Polk S15 digs deeper - 50Hz against 56Hz. A subwoofer would even that out. |
| Amplifier needs | B | Polk S15 is more sensitive (88dB vs 86dB), so it goes louder on the same amplifier. |
| Headroom | evenly matched | Similar power handling (100W vs 100W). |
| Size | depends | Similar cabinet size - neither is easier to fit. |
| Expandability | depends | Wharfedale 220: bi-amping. Polk S15 sits in a wider range (6 models), so a matched surround system is easier later. |
| Price | evenly matched | Much the same money ($249 vs $259 a pair). |
A Wharfedale 220 B Polk S15
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?
Polk S15 has the edge on paper, though the margin is not large. The rows marked "depends" may matter more to you than the score does. If a subwoofer is in your plans, the bass gap largely stops mattering - you would be crossing over above 56Hz anyway, so judge these on the other rows instead. If your amplifier is modest, vintage or valve-based, Polk S15 is the safer partner - the other will want more current or more watts to sound its best.
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.