The speakers in the picture claim to be Wharfedale Coleridge but are they? There are very few details given bar the dimensions – 19″ high x 10″ x 10″ and a claim that they originally cost more than £800 two years ago. Oh, and nothing about whether they actually work.
A Google image search reveals nothing similar.
Is my scepticism well placed?
Dunno. However, I found a couple of pictures with similar front grills and the Wharfedale logo is in the same place. Odd that there is so little info on line. I probably wouldn’t buy used speakers without hearing them.
And blow me if I haven’t now found an identical pair!
http://www.gumtree.com/p/other-fitness-gym-equipment/wharfedale-coleridge-reference-speakers-with-matching-stands/1005597817
(Why are they in “other-fitness-gym-equipment”?)
I know bugger all about this stuff. What’s a “reference speaker”?
They look kosher. How much are they asking for them? Don’t do anything without hearing them but you know that anyway.
£25. Hence the scepticism.
I would be very wary too. I have a pair of Dali Lektor 2 I’m looking to sell if you’re interested. Not for £25 though.
Reference is meaningless marketing gubbins. Ignore.
I’m not especially looking, but they’re ‘pick up only’ within a few miles of me, and I know Wharfedale’s a respected name. The listing has so many spelling errors, it’s entirely possible no one else has found it by searching.
£25? Snatch their bloody hands off!
Coleridges with metal-domed tweeters were made during the late 80’s and had a pretty good reputation. In the early 90’s Wharfedale swapped to ceramic tweeters for a bit, then revamped their range with the 51x series.
The metal tweeters are probably OK unless they have been touched. Avoid the ceramics as they are fragile. Wharfedale’s repair centre in Huntingdon can probably fix them but expect to pay at least £50 per tweeter to replace.
Not worth £50. At £25, maybe, but only if you can view and hear them first.
So the £800 two years ago claim is either horseshit or he’s been done?
More like £600 twenty two years ago.
If it is the marque ‘Wharfedale’ thats attracts you, and quality of sound at a good price is paramount may I suggest:
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Wharfedale-Linton-2-Main-Stereo-Speakers-/291444285882?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_3&hash=item43db6ee1ba
Wharfedale Linton 2 – I have owned a pair of these since the mid ’70’s. They have been hooked up to high end systems – Linn analogue and Micromega digital.
40 years old and they still sound warm, clear and fabulous.
In the last few years, Wharfedale speakers (along with other IAG brands Mission, Quad, Castle and Audiolab) have been designed by acoustic guru Peter Comeau (the man behind Heybrook) and built in IAG’s factory in China.
The Whafedale Diamond range always was good, and the recent Diamond 200 range are now even better. Prices start at £149. They’ve even resurrected a few old Wharfedale classics like the Airedale and Denton.
You have a Micromega CD player? I thought I was the only person with one. I have an upgraded Leader, which has been repaired three times, as I’d have to spend over £1k to match it. What do you have? Does it still work?
Bought a second pair of Goodmans’ Mezzo SL speakers off e-bay 35 years after I bought my first pair which cost £89, for £69. Both pairs are still working a treat.
I bought one of those Denon compact stereos which were recommended here which gave me the excuse to get my old Acoustic Research AR4xa speakers out of the roof and they sound as lovely as they did when I got them in 1979.
They’re great, but longevity isn’t their strongest point.
The compact systems, I mean, not the speakers
All Ok so far but it isn’t going to get a lot of hammer so fingers crossed. Great design though. I’m considering getting another one already for a different purpose.
The advertiser sounds dodgy to me. Stolen goods?
From the look of the other stuff s/he’s selling, I’m tempted to think it’s probably a genuine house clearance as claimed. But you might be right.
I doubt it. Who’d lug around a pair of 30-year-old speakers of unknown worth, when they could steal an iPhone for an easy sale? £25 sounds alright to me, but only if they are in full working order.
they are wharfedale coleridge…i have a pair i bought with a stereo system at a garage sale last year and look exactly as yours in the picture. It took me months to find information on these speakers. They were made from 1989 to around 1992 and as you see by the following excerpt i pulled from a reference guide to hifi speakers, they were not cheap especially since they are bookshelf speakers.
WHARFEDALE Type: COLERIDGE Indicative Price: $1300 pair + feet 2 $600 F pair (stand).
It is one of the oldest manufacturers of speakers and manufacturers of loudspeakers. His name is linked to the legendary systems that mark major stages of the evolution of the high-fidelity. Recently, the different versions of the Diamond were delighted connoisseurs who appreciate the accuracy of stamps and analytical fineness. This company has recently reconnect with systems without compromise in references Coleridge.
They are featured in a reference guide to some high end speakers. The sound is awesome. The louder you play them, the cleaner the sound. Where they excel is in the tweeter. They do lack some bass, but i find that can be expected in bookshelf speakers. if you can get a deal on them, i would jump on them.