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No, you didn't make a mistake with the Wharfedale's, great speakers at the price. It's been awhile since I've heard them, they've been around forever, so they certainly weren't the latest version, but I really liked them. Very dynamic and clear without harshness, a tough feat for cheap speakers.
I considered the JBL's. A lot of people really like them. The WAF with them is not very good. I strongly considered the Elac's but if you read between the lines on reviews (pro and user) they have their issues.It will be interesting to compare the 10.2's to a pair of Monitor Audio S1's (a very clear, musical and detailed speaker) and PSB B6's (great midrange and warmer sounding with very good mid bass, lacks upper frequency detail but it is a lot of bang for the buck and a very forgiving speaker) that I have. I bought the PSB B6's for my son and I may offer him the 10.2's in a trade if he likes them better than the PSB's. Initially I wanted to buy the Wharfedales for him a few years ago but the price went up and the PSB's were on sale for $100 off.
Just a head's up, the LSR305 in white are available on Amazon right now for $99 each. $200 a pair including amps.
There's an ongoing $50 instant rebate from JBL through December 31, and although not all retailers are showing it, you can get black ones from sources such as Guitar Center, Markertek, etc.Steve
How can you tell if the instant rebate is being applied? I went to Amazon and B&H Photo and don't see any indication that they are applying a $50 rebate.
I received my Wharfedale Diamond 10.2's in 2 days from Music Direct. The build quality is excellent with real Rosewood Veneer and quality binding posts. They look great with the grills off with a high gloss black front panel. The cabinet is curved. They look like speakers $2K or more.They are breaking in right now in my main rig with my Pass X250 amp and BAT preamp. They are very inefficient and are rated at 87db sensitivity but they seem lower. I tried them in another system with a Parasound A21 amp and a diy Pass B1 preamp/buffer and I can't get any usable volume out of them. They clearly like the 500wpc of my Pass amp and the dynamics of the BAT preamp.They have a slightly darker sound but are neutral at the same time. They are laid back and very smooth with a sweet midrange. Treble is not harsh and bass is very controlled and tight for an inexpensive speaker. They sound more detailed and less bloated bass than a pair of more expensive PSB B6's that I have. Dynamics are improving after about 4 hours of play. I suspect it will take about 30 hours to fully break in. Vocals and acoustic music sound great with them. They are definitely a Rock and Roll speaker.The main weakness I hear is that the top end could use more detail as you would expect in a speaker in this price range.These are clearly a C&C great buy.