In this review, we will be comparing Kanta No.3 and Elysian 4, two Passive Floor-standing speakers from Focal and Wharfedale.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of Focal Kanta No.3 and Wharfedale Elysian 4 first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
Focal Kanta No.3 Key Specs
- 3-way Design
- 1.1" Hard-Dome Tweeter
- 6.5" Midrange
- 2 x 8" Flax Woofer
- 33-40k Hz Frequency Response
- 91 dB Sensitivity
- Impedance: 8ohms
- Power Range:40-400watts
- Weight:46.09kg
- Dimensions (H x W x D): 1280.0" x 15-3/16" x 20-1/2"( 1280.0 x 386.0 x 521.0mm )
Wharfedale Elysian 4 Key Specs
- 3-way Design
- 27x90mm" AMT (Ribbon) Tweeter
- 6" Midrange
- 2 x 8.5" Coated Fiberglass Woofer
- 6" Midrange
- 30-22k Hz Frequency Response
- 92 dB Sensitivity
- Impedance: 4ohms
- Power Range:15-250watts
- Weight:49.60kg
- Dimensions (H x W x D): 1188.0" x 15-13/16" x 18-3/16"( 1188.0 x 402.0 x 462.0mm )
What size room are the Focal Kanta No.3 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* |
Focal Kanta No.3 |
Wharfedale Elysian 4 |
| Near-field |
Are you nuts? |
Bad |
| Small Room |
Poor |
Poor |
| Mid-size Room |
Average |
Average |
| Large Room |
Good |
Good |
| Very Large Room |
Good |
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.)
In the following sections, we will get into more detail in order to better understand how the Focal Kanta No.3 and Wharfedale Elysian 4 compare and hopefully end up with enough arguments to decide which one of these loudspeakers is the better choice for you.
**This post contains affiliate links, and I will be compensated if you make a purchase after clicking
through my links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
Drivers
Both Kanta No.3 and Elysian 4 are 3-way speakers.
| Driver |
Focal Kanta No.3 |
Wharfedale Elysian 4 |
|
Driver Setup
|
3-way
|
3-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
1.1-inch
|
27x90mm-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
1 x 6.5-inch |
1 x 6-inch |
|
Woofer
|
2 x 8-inch
|
2 x 8.5-inch
|
Kanta No.3 features a 1.1" IAL3 Beryllium Hard-Dome Tweeter , a 6.5" Midrange and 2 x 8" Flax Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 250 Hz - 2500 Hz. 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
Kanta No.3 has a frequency range of 33-40k Hz whereas Elysian 4 has a frequency range of 30-22k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 30Hz, the Elysian 4 can go slightly deeper then the Kanta No.3's min frequency of 33Hz.
Below graphs depict how these two speakers compare with the max, min and average values of the Min and Max Frequencies of other speakers in the Floor-standing class in our database.
Low Frequency
Floor-standing Speakers
High Frequency
Floor-standing Speakers
None of these speakers achieves full range experience which is commonly agreed as 20Hz-20kHz. In order to achieve lower lows / deeper bass, we recommend you pair these with a subwoofer. Visit our Powered Subwoofers section to find out more about the available options.
Impedance and Sensitivity
Kanta No.3 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. Kanta No.3 sensitivity is rated at 91 dB and the Elysian 4's is rated at 92 dB. This 1 dB difference makes the Wharfedale Elysian 4 a more sensitive speaker compared to Focal Kanta No.3, 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. While using
an amplifier within this range ensures the nominal performance , inputting a power that is higher than the
max wattage can result in a damaged speaker.
Kanta No.3 can handle a max power of 400 watts RMS from the amp the whereas Elysian 4 has a max power handling value of 250 watts RMS, 150 watts less than the Kanta No.3.
Keep in mind that a higher max power handling value doesn't necessarily make that a louder speaker
compared to a lower max handling speaker. Loudness or the sound level is also impacted by parameters
such as Impedance, sensitivity and system efficiencies.
Input Type and Bi-Amping / Bi-Wiring
Elysian 4 features Binding post posts which make bi-amping or bi-wiring possible. Kanta No.3 has a Binding post which doesn't feature bi-amping/bi-wiring.
Cabinet Type and Port Position
Kanta No.3 has a Front firing port whereas Elysian 4 has a bottom firing ports.
Physical Specs
Size of a speaker can sometimes become an important decision factor due to space constraints or in some cases purely for esthetic reasons. In this section, we are going to compare Focal Kanta No.3's and Wharfedale Elysian 4's external dimensions. Focal Kanta No.3 has external dimensions of 1280.0 x 386.0 x 521.0mm ( 50-3/8inch x 15-3/16inch x 20-1/2inch ) 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) .
Wharfedale Elysian 4 is 92mm shorter and 59mm less deeper than Focal Kanta No.3 but it is also 16mm wider.
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 Focal Kanta No.3 is approximately 2011.1cm2 / 311.7inch2 and base area of the Wharfedale Elysian 4 is approximately 1857.2cm2 / 287.9inch2. The Kanta No.3 requires 8% more surface area than the Elysian 4 which gives it a small disadvantage on placement in tight spaces.