The wharfedale laser 100 was one of the larger speakers in the Laser range manufactured by Wharfedale between 1979 & 83. These units comprised a 250mm paper Bass driver, a 100mm MFHP Mid Range driver; and a 19mm LMP dome treble unit as also seen on the Laser 60, 80 & 120.
Power rating is 70w continuous and 105 programme, sensitivity 88dB/1 watt, impedance 6ohms and typical frequency range 40Hz - 30KHz.
These speakers were marketed in their day as bookshelf speakers but you would need both big & strong bookshelves to fit them on! Each unit weighs 13.5kg. Dimensions 565mm high, 305mm wide and 246mm deep. Cabinet internal volume is 29 litres.
OK that's the technical stuff out of the way. To my knowledge no-one ever tried to put these speakers on bookshelves. They were either correctly put on stands or wrongly - on the floor.
These days there are many smaller loudspeakers on the market than the Laser 100's all pumping out the same power/volume and more. Most manufacturers (including wharfedale) have gone for tower designs incorporating 1 x treble plus 2 x 150mm Bass/Midrange units as opposed to using 250mm whoppers that require big cabinets to fit them in.
The thing with that big bass speaker though - it gives you a BIG sound. These speakers are great for any music - classical through rock to Reggae. Turn the volume up (obviously you'll need an amp matched to the speakers peak output to get full value) and pretty soon things will start to vibrate - ie, the whole house! Close your eyes and you could be right there in front of the orchestra or that rock band. These speakers are loud and have vast amounts of presence!
For all of that vibration & noise though, the bass is well defined & tight, the midrange clear & the treble crisp & well defined. Sound quality is every bit a good as other speakers in the Laser Range and rivals that of many more modern units. Although the Laser Range were Wharfedales budget range in the 1980s they were and still are for the audiophile, a great sounding and good looking loudspeaker. At the time of manufacture, the Laser 100s sold for around £100 per pair, nowadays you can pick them up on Ebay for as little as £25. Be wary though as the Laser ranges weak point were, as with most speakers - those treble units! So before committing to buy online or indeed by any other means - make sure that they haven't been burnt out by an overdriven amp - often a vendors reason for selling and you cannot buy remanufactured replacements.
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