In this review, we will be comparing 803 D4 and Elysian 4, two Passive Floor-standing speakers from Bowers Wilkins and Wharfedale.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of Bowers & Wilkins 803 D4 and Wharfedale Elysian 4 first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
| Key Specs | Bowers & Wilkins 803 D4 | Wharfedale Elysian 4 |
|---|
| Brand | Bowers Wilkins
United Kingdom · founded 1966 | Wharfedale
United Kingdom · founded 1932 |
|---|
| Design | 3-way | 3-way |
|---|
| Tweeter | 1" Diamond dome | 27x90mm" AMT (Ribbon) |
|---|
| Midrange | 5" | 6" |
|---|
| Woofer | 2 x 7" Aerofoil | 2 x 8.5" Coated Fiberglass |
|---|
| Frequency response | 19-28k Hz | 30-22k Hz |
|---|
| Sensitivity | 90 dB | 92 dB |
|---|
| Impedance | 8 ohms | 4 ohms |
|---|
| Power range | 50-500 watts | 15-250 watts |
|---|
| Weight | 62.15kg / 136.7lbs | 49.60kg / 109.1lbs |
|---|
| Dimensions (H x W x D) | 45-7/8" x 14-1/16" x 20-1/8"
1165.0 x 357.0 x 511.0mm | 46-3/4" x 15-13/16" x 18-3/16"
1188.0 x 402.0 x 462.0mm |
|---|
What size room are the Bowers & Wilkins 803 D4 and Wharfedale Elysian 4 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* |
Bowers & Wilkins 803 D4 |
Wharfedale Elysian 4 |
| Near-field |
Bad |
Bad |
| Small Room |
Poor |
Poor |
| Mid-size Room |
Average |
Average |
| Large Room |
Good |
Good |
| Very Large Room |
Average |
Average |
(* 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 803 D4 and Elysian 4 are 3-way speakers.
Bowers & Wilkins 803 D4Wharfedale Elysian 4
TweeterMidrangeWoofer
Front view, drawn to scale - cabinets and drivers share one scale, so sizes are directly comparable. Hover a driver for its size.
| Driver |
Bowers & Wilkins 803 D4 |
Wharfedale Elysian 4 |
|
Driver Setup
|
3-way
|
3-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
1-inch
|
27x90mm-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
1 x 5-inch |
1 x 6-inch |
|
Woofer
|
2 x 7-inch
|
2 x 8.5-inch
|
803 D4 features a 1" Diamond Diamond dome Tweeter, a 5" Midrange and 2 x 7" Aerofoil Woofer. On the other hand, the Elysian 4 features a 27x90mm" AMT (Ribbon) Tweeter, a 6" Midrange and 2 x 8.5" Coated Fiberglass Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 340Hz and 3100Hz.
Frequency Response
803 D4 has a frequency range of 19-28k Hz whereas Elysian 4 has a frequency range of 30-22k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 19Hz, the 803 D4 can go significantly deeper on the low side and provide stronger bass compared to the Elysian 4's min frequency of 30Hz.
The graph below depicts how these two speakers compare with the max, min and average Low Frequency values of other speakers in the Floor-standing class in our database.
Low Frequency
Floor-standing Speakers
Impedance and Sensitivity
803 D4 is a 8 ohms speaker compared to the Elysian 4 which has a nominal impedance of 4 ohms. Lower impedance speakers, especially the ones that are rated at 4 ohms may put more pressure on the amplifier unit especially when played at high volume levels, so make sure the amp you pair with the Elysian 4 can provide this impedance level.
These two speakers also have different sensitivity levels. 803 D4 sensitivity is rated at 90 dB and the Elysian 4's is rated at 92 dB. This 2 dB difference makes the Wharfedale Elysian 4 a more sensitive speaker compared to Bowers & Wilkins 803 D4, hence will play louder with the same amount of watts.
Sensitivity
Floor-standing 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.
803 D4 can handle a max power of 500 watts RMS, whereas Elysian 4 has a max power handling value of 250 watts RMS, 250 watts less than the 803 D4.
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
Both 803 D4 and Elysian 4 features dual binding post speaker terminals for bi-amping or bi-wiring.
Cabinet Type and Port Position
803 D4 has a rear firing port whereas Elysian 4 has a bottom firing ports. Wharfedale Elysian 4's bottom-firing port gives more flexibility in placement in regards to proximity to walls compared to Bowers & Wilkins 803 D4 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 Bowers & Wilkins 803 D4's and Wharfedale Elysian 4's external dimensions. Bowers & Wilkins 803 D4 has external dimensions of 1165.0 x 357.0 x 511.0mm (45-7/8 x 14-1/16 x 20-1/8inch) whereas Wharfedale Elysian 4 has external dimensions of 1188.0 x 402.0 x 462.0mm (46-3/4 x 15-13/16 x 18-3/16inch).
Bowers & Wilkins 803 D4 is 45mm narrower and 23mm shorter than Wharfedale Elysian 4 but it is also 49mm deeper.
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.
Near-identical footprints. Bowers & Wilkins 803 D4 is 49mm deeper, so it stands that much further out from the wall. Wharfedale Elysian 4 is 23mm taller.
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 Bowers & Wilkins 803 D4 is approximately 1824.3cm2 / 282.8inch2 and base area of the Wharfedale Elysian 4 is approximately 1857.2cm2 / 287.9inch2. The 803 D4 requires 2% less surface area than the Elysian 4 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 Bowers & Wilkins 803 D4 weighs 62.15kg / 136.7lbs and the Wharfedale Elysian 4 weighs 49.60kg / 109.1lbs. This makes the 803 D4 25% heavier than the Elysian 4.
Here is a comparison of how 803 D4 and Elysian 4's weights compare with the average, max and min weights in Passive Floor-standing class.
Weight
All Floor-standing Speakers
What's in the Box of Wharfedale Elysian 4?
Here are the items that come with the Elysian 4:
- Floorstanding loudspeaker
- Grille
- 2 Terminal-jumpers (pre-installed)
- 4 Spike feet
- User Manual
 Max Input Power |
500 watts
vs
250 watts
|
Handle more power from your amplifier |
 Nominal Impedance |
8 ohms
vs
4 ohms
|
Less selective with amplifiers |
 Low Frequency Response |
19 Hz
vs
30 Hz
|
Generates deeper bass |
 High Frequency Response |
28k Hz
vs
22k Hz
|
Generates higher frequency |
 Height |
1165mm
vs
1188mm
|
Easier to fit in smaller spaces |
 Base Surface Area |
1824cm2
vs
1857cm2
|
Takes less floor space |
 Sensitivity |
92 dB
vs
90 dB
|
Play louder with same amount of amplification power |
|
Woofer Size |
8.5 inches
vs
7 inches
|
Larger woofer |
 Price per pair* |
9996USD
vs
27000USD
|
costs less (*prices may change depending on the seller, location and time) |
| General |
Bowers & Wilkins 803 D4 |
Wharfedale Elysian 4 |
| Brand |
Bowers Wilkins |
Wharfedale |
| Speaker Type |
Floor-standing speaker |
Floor-standing speaker |
| Power Range |
50-500 watts |
15-250 watts |
| Sensitivity |
90 dB |
92 dB |
| Impedance |
8 ohms |
4 ohms |
| Impedance |
3.0 ohms |
n/a |
| Frequency Response |
19-28k Hz |
30-22k Hz |
Drivers |
|
|
| Woofer Quantity |
2 |
2 |
| Woofer Size |
7" |
8.5" |
| Woofer Composition |
Aerofoil |
Coated Fiberglass |
| Woofer Surround Material |
n/a |
Foamed Rubber |
| Tweeter Size |
1" |
27x90mm" |
| Tweeter Type |
Diamond dome |
AMT (Ribbon) |
| Aimable Tweeter |
No |
No |
| Midrange Driver |
5" |
6" |
| Crossover Frequency |
n/a |
340Hz and 3100Hz |
| Firing Direction |
rear |
bottom |
Physical Specs |
|
|
| Height |
1165.0mm (45.9") |
1188.0mm (46.8") |
| Width |
357.0mm (14.1") |
402.0mm (15.8") |
| Depth |
511.0mm (20.1") |
462.0mm (18.2") |
| Weight |
62.15kg (136.7lbs) |
49.60kg (109.1lbs) |
| Enclosure |
Bass Reflex |
Bass Reflex |
| Finish |
n/a |
MDF/Lacquer |
| Available Colors |
n/a |
Piano Black, Piano Walnut,White |
| Grille |
Yes |
Yes |
| Moisture Resistancy |
No |
No |
Connections |
|
|
| Biamp Inputs |
Yes |
Yes |
Other |
|
|
| Parts Warranty |
5 Years |
5 Years |
| Labor Warranty |
5 Years |
5 Years |
These sit in different price classes - Bowers & Wilkins 803 D4 costs roughly 2.7x what Wharfedale Elysian 4 does. Expect it to lead on paper; the question is whether the gap is audible enough in your room to be worth it.
| Area | Better | Why |
|---|
| Bass | A | Bowers & Wilkins 803 D4 digs deeper - 19Hz against 30Hz. |
| Amplifier needs | B | Wharfedale Elysian 4 is more sensitive (92dB vs 90dB), so it goes louder on the same amplifier. |
| Amplifier match | A | Bowers & Wilkins 803 D4 is the easier load at 8 ohms; the other is 4 ohms and wants an amplifier rated for it. |
| Headroom | A | Bowers & Wilkins 803 D4 takes more power (500W vs 250W) - more in hand in a big room. |
| Size | depends | Similar cabinet size - neither is easier to fit. |
| Expandability | depends | Bowers & Wilkins 803 D4: bi-amping; Wharfedale Elysian 4: bi-amping. |
| Price | B | Wharfedale Elysian 4 is cheaper - $9,996 against $27,000, about 63% less; arguably a different class. |
A Bowers & Wilkins 803 D4 B Wharfedale Elysian 4
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?
The usual trade-off: Bowers & Wilkins 803 D4 measures better, Wharfedale Elysian 4 costs about about 2.7x the price% less. Whether that gap is worth the money is the call only you can make - and in a normal room it is often smaller than the numbers suggest. If a subwoofer is in your plans, the bass gap largely stops mattering - you would be crossing over above 30Hz anyway, which makes the cheaper Wharfedale Elysian 4 much easier to justify. If your amplifier is modest, vintage or valve-based, Wharfedale Elysian 4 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.