ELAC DBR62 vs Wharfedale Diamond 9.1

Last updated: August 25, 2026

Short answer: the ELAC DBR62. It ranks #55 of 131 bookshelf speakers by sound quality; the Wharfedale Diamond 9.1 ranks #109.

What the ELAC DBR62 offers: Two-way design with a 6.5” woofer and 1” dome tweeter in a shallow waveguide, with the tweeter positioned close to the woofer for near-point-source coherence - giving more vertical listening leeway than typical two-ways. Notably forgiving of placement and aiming: sounds good from directly on-axis all the way to 30° of toe-out (parallel with the rear wall), making it more room-independent than many speakers this price. Wide horizontal radiation of about ±70° until the tweeter starts beaming, right in the reviewer’s preferred sweet spot. A mild, wide-Q bass bump centered around 100Hz adds a bit of extra punch that the reviewer personally likes. On-axis linearity within about ±2.5dB, with a strong measured preference score of 5.3. Distortion stays below 3% at both 86dB and 96dB until around 50Hz. Vertical sweet spot of about ±10-20° works well for multi-row home theater seating. The reviewer calls it “the epitome of a good speaker” for its price, with no reservations recommending it. Watch for: A slight recess in the 1-2kHz region reduces vocal presence somewhat compared to other speakers in direct comparison. A mild hot spot around 4-5kHz can read as slight sibilance when pointed directly on-axis. Low-to-mid sensitivity (about 84.3dB) combined with a current draw that behaves like roughly 2.4 ohms between 100-200Hz means it’s best driven by a dedicated 4-ohm-capable amplifier rather than an AVR. A diffraction dip from the baffle edge is visible in measurements - typical of any standard rectangular-baffle speaker and not correctable without a much more expensive curved-baffle design. Multitone distortion testing suggests some potential midrange distortion could be audible on certain material, though the reviewer didn’t personally notice it. Minor resonances appear around 700Hz and 1-1.5kHz, possibly tied to the enclosure, port, or cone/surround edge termination, though their audible impact appears minimal. F3 of 53Hz means a subwoofer is still needed for real bass extension below about 40Hz.

What the Wharfedale Diamond 9.1 offers: The first design was a pretty good sounding speaker, the speaker was then outsourced to China and lost 1.5kg and was made with cheap parts and sounds much worse. Slightly rolled off in the treble by about 3dB Watch for: All current new ones sold today are the crap version.

Buy the ELAC DBR62 if sound quality matters more than the price. Buy the Wharfedale Diamond 9.1 if the price matters more than sound quality.

If sound quality matters at all to you, skip the Wharfedale Diamond 9.1. It ranks near the bottom of the 131 bookshelf speakers, so look higher up the list instead.

Buy the ELAC DBR62 at Amazon ($678.97) →

ELAC DBR62 vs Wharfedale Diamond 9.1

Specifications Side By Side

ELAC DBR62 Wharfedale Diamond 9.1
Price$678.97Discontinued
Ranked#55 of 131 in Large Size Bookshelf Speakers#109 of 131 in Large Size Bookshelf Speakers
Bass Extension (-10dB)41Hz (measured, Erin’s Audio Corner)-
Bass Extension (-3dB)53Hz (measured, Erin’s Audio Corner)-
Dimensions14.1"H x 8.2"W x 10.8"D (358.1 x 208.3 x 274.3 mm)11.7"H x 7.6"W x 10.9"D (296.0 x 194.0 x 278.0 mm)
Impedance6 ohms nominal, 5.2 ohms minimum (measured above 80Hz, Erin’s Audio Corner)6 ohms
Sensitivity84.3dB (measured average 300Hz-3kHz @ 2.83V/1m, Erin’s Audio Corner; 86dB manufacturer specified)87dB
Drivers6.5" Aramid Fiber woofer, 1" soft dome tweeter6.5" Kevlar cone woofer, 1" soft dome tweeter
Weight18.1 lbs / 8.2 kg each12.1 lbs / 5.5 kg (good version), 9.9 lbs / 4.5 kg (bad version) each
Woofer Cabinetported, frontported
Discontinued-Yes
Buy the ELAC DBR62 at Amazon ($678.97) →

More useful head-to-heads from the same speaker class:

Prices on this page were last checked August 25, 2026 at 6:19 AM UTC. Product prices and availability are accurate as of that date/time and are subject to change; the price and availability shown on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.

As an eBay Partner, we may be compensated if you make a purchase.

The Two Speakers In Full

ELAC DBR62: $678.97 Amazon Crutchfield eBay

ELAC DBR62 ranking card

Pros: Two-way design with a 6.5” woofer and 1” dome tweeter in a shallow waveguide, with the tweeter positioned close to the woofer for near-point-source coherence - giving more vertical listening leeway than typical two-ways. Notably forgiving of placement and aiming: sounds good from directly on-axis all the way to 30° of toe-out (parallel with the rear wall), making it more room-independent than many speakers this price. Wide horizontal radiation of about ±70° until the tweeter starts beaming, right in the reviewer’s preferred sweet spot. A mild, wide-Q bass bump centered around 100Hz adds a bit of extra punch that the reviewer personally likes. On-axis linearity within about ±2.5dB, with a strong measured preference score of 5.3. Distortion stays below 3% at both 86dB and 96dB until around 50Hz. Vertical sweet spot of about ±10-20° works well for multi-row home theater seating. The reviewer calls it “the epitome of a good speaker” for its price, with no reservations recommending it.

Cons: A slight recess in the 1-2kHz region reduces vocal presence somewhat compared to other speakers in direct comparison. A mild hot spot around 4-5kHz can read as slight sibilance when pointed directly on-axis. Low-to-mid sensitivity (about 84.3dB) combined with a current draw that behaves like roughly 2.4 ohms between 100-200Hz means it’s best driven by a dedicated 4-ohm-capable amplifier rather than an AVR. A diffraction dip from the baffle edge is visible in measurements - typical of any standard rectangular-baffle speaker and not correctable without a much more expensive curved-baffle design. Multitone distortion testing suggests some potential midrange distortion could be audible on certain material, though the reviewer didn’t personally notice it. Minor resonances appear around 700Hz and 1-1.5kHz, possibly tied to the enclosure, port, or cone/surround edge termination, though their audible impact appears minimal. F3 of 53Hz means a subwoofer is still needed for real bass extension below about 40Hz.

Full ELAC DBR62 review and specifications →

Bass Extension (-10dB)41Hz (measured, Erin's Audio Corner)
Bass Extension (-3dB)53Hz (measured, Erin's Audio Corner)
Dimensions14.1"H x 8.2"W x 10.8"D (358.1 x 208.3 x 274.3 mm)
Drivers6.5" Aramid Fiber woofer, 1" soft dome tweeter
Impedance6 ohms nominal, 5.2 ohms minimum (measured above 80Hz, Erin's Audio Corner)
Sensitivity84.3dB (measured average 300Hz-3kHz @ 2.83V/1m, Erin's Audio Corner; 86dB manufacturer specified)
Weight18.1 lbs / 8.2 kg each
Woofer Cabinetported, front
Check current price at Amazon ($678.97) →Check current price at Crutchfield →Search eBay for ELAC DBR62 →

Wharfedale Diamond 9.1: Discontinued eBay

Wharfedale Diamond 9.1 ranking card

Pros: The first design was a pretty good sounding speaker, the speaker was then outsourced to China and lost 1.5kg and was made with cheap parts and sounds much worse. Slightly rolled off in the treble by about 3dB

Cons: All current new ones sold today are the crap version. Discontinued.

Full Wharfedale Diamond 9.1 review and specifications →

Dimensions11.7"H x 7.6"W x 10.9"D (296.0 x 194.0 x 278.0 mm)
DiscontinuedYes
Drivers6.5" Kevlar cone woofer, 1" soft dome tweeter
Impedance6 ohms
Sensitivity87dB
Weight12.1 lbs / 5.5 kg (good version), 9.9 lbs / 4.5 kg (bad version) each
Woofer Cabinetported
Search eBay for Wharfedale Diamond 9.1 →