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.
| Key Specs | Focal Kanta No.3 | Wharfedale Elysian 4 |
|---|
| Brand | Focal
France · founded 1979 | Wharfedale
United Kingdom · founded 1932 |
|---|
| Design | 3-way | 3-way |
|---|
| Tweeter | 1.1" Hard-Dome | 27x90mm" AMT (Ribbon) |
|---|
| Midrange | 6.5" | 6" |
|---|
| Woofer | 2 x 8" Flax | 2 x 8.5" Coated Fiberglass |
|---|
| Frequency response | 33-40k Hz | 30-22k Hz |
|---|
| Sensitivity | 91 dB | 92 dB |
|---|
| Impedance | 8 ohms | 4 ohms |
|---|
| Power range | 40-400 watts | 15-250 watts |
|---|
| Weight | 46.09kg / 101.4lbs | 49.60kg / 109.1lbs |
|---|
| Dimensions (H x W x D) | 50-3/8" x 15-3/16" x 20-1/2"
1280.0 x 386.0 x 521.0mm | 46-3/4" x 15-13/16" x 18-3/16"
1188.0 x 402.0 x 462.0mm |
|---|
What size room are the 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.)
The sections below take each area in turn: drivers, frequency response, physical size and what you get in the box.
**This post contains affiliate links, and we will be compensated if you make a purchase after clicking
through our links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
Drivers
Both Kanta No.3 and Elysian 4 are 3-way speakers.
Focal Kanta No.3Wharfedale 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 |
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.
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
Neither pair reaches down to 20Hz, the usual definition of full-range, which is normal for speakers of this size. If you want the bottom octave for movies or bass-heavy music, add a subwoofer to whichever you choose. 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. Staying
within that range gives nominal performance; driving the speaker beyond its maximum wattage can damage it.
Kanta No.3 can handle a max power of 400 watts RMS, whereas Elysian 4 has a max power handling value of 250 watts RMS, 150 watts less than the Kanta No.3.
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
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
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 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.
Below you can see the front view size comparison of Focal Kanta No.3 and Wharfedale Elysian 4 in scale.
Comparison image of Focal Kanta No.3 and Wharfedale Elysian 4 Size and External Dimensions
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.
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 Focal Kanta No.3 weighs 46.09kg / 101.4lbs and the Wharfedale Elysian 4 weighs 49.60kg / 109.1lbs. This makes the Elysian 4 8% heavier than the Kanta No.3.
Here is a comparison of how Kanta No.3 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 Focal Kanta No.3?
Here are the items that are included inside the box of Kanta No.3:
- Floorstanding loudspeaker
- Large grille
- Small grille
- Outrigger feet
- 4 Spikes
- 4 Protective discs
- User Manual
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 |
400 watts
vs
250 watts
|
Handle more power from your amplifier |
 Nominal Impedance |
8 ohms
vs
4 ohms
|
Less selective with amplifiers |
 High Frequency Response |
40k Hz
vs
22k Hz
|
Generates higher frequency |
 Sensitivity |
92 dB
vs
91 dB
|
Play louder with same amount of amplification power |
 Woofer Size |
8.5 inches
vs
8 inches
|
Larger woofer |
|
Low Frequency Response |
30 Hz
vs
33 Hz
|
Generates deeper bass |
 Bi-Amping and Bi-Wiring |
Yes
vs
No
|
Allows bi-amping and bi-wiring connections |
 Height |
1188mm
vs
1280mm
|
Easier to fit in smaller spaces |
 Base Surface Area |
1857cm2
vs
2011cm2
|
Takes less floor space |
 Price per pair* |
9996USD
vs
10998USD
|
costs less (*prices may change depending on the seller, location and time) |
| General |
Focal Kanta No.3 |
Wharfedale Elysian 4 |
| Brand |
Focal |
Wharfedale |
| Speaker Type |
Floor-standing speaker |
Floor-standing speaker |
| Power Range |
40-400 watts |
15-250 watts |
| Sensitivity |
91 dB |
92 dB |
| Impedance |
8 ohms |
4 ohms |
| Impedance |
3.0 ohms |
n/a |
| Frequency Response |
33-40k Hz |
30-22k Hz |
Drivers |
|
|
| Woofer Quantity |
2 |
2 |
| Woofer Size |
8" |
8.5" |
| Woofer Composition |
Flax |
Coated Fiberglass |
| Woofer Surround Material |
Rubber |
Foamed Rubber |
| Tweeter Size |
1.1" |
27x90mm" |
| Tweeter Type |
Hard-Dome |
AMT (Ribbon) |
| Aimable Tweeter |
No |
No |
| Midrange Driver |
6.5" |
6" |
| Crossover Frequency |
250 Hz - 2500 Hz |
340Hz and 3100Hz |
| Firing Direction |
Front |
bottom |
Physical Specs |
|
|
| Height |
1280.0mm (50.4") |
1188.0mm (46.8") |
| Width |
386.0mm (15.2") |
402.0mm (15.8") |
| Depth |
521.0mm (20.5") |
462.0mm (18.2") |
| Weight |
46.09kg (101.4lbs) |
49.60kg (109.1lbs) |
| Enclosure |
Bass Reflex |
Bass Reflex |
| Finish |
Multi-ply/Polymer/Veneer |
MDF/Lacquer |
| Available Colors |
High-Gloss Carrara White, High-Gloss Black/Deep Black, Matte Walnut/Dark Grey,Matte Walnut/Ivory |
Piano Black, Piano Walnut,White |
| Grille |
Yes |
Yes |
| Moisture Resistancy |
No |
No |
Connections |
|
|
| Biamp Inputs |
No |
Yes |
Other |
|
|
| Parts Warranty |
5 Years |
5 Years |
| Labor Warranty |
5 Years |
5 Years |
No single best speaker here - they are built to different priorities, and the right one depends on your room, your amplifier and what you listen to.
| Area | Better | Why |
|---|
| Bass | B | Wharfedale Elysian 4 digs deeper - 30Hz against 33Hz. A subwoofer would even that out. |
| Amplifier needs | evenly matched | Similar sensitivity (91dB vs 92dB) - both want much the same power. |
| Amplifier match | A | Focal Kanta No.3 is the easier load at 8 ohms; the other is 4 ohms and wants an amplifier rated for it. |
| Headroom | A | Focal Kanta No.3 takes more power (400W vs 250W) - more in hand in a big room. |
| Size | depends | Similar cabinet size - neither is easier to fit. |
| Expandability | B | Wharfedale Elysian 4: bi-amping. |
| Price | evenly matched | Much the same money ($10,998 vs $9,996 a pair). |
A Focal Kanta No.3 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?
Neither runs away with it - they trade advantages. Let the "depends" rows and your own room settle it. Match it to your room: we rate Focal Kanta No.3 the better fit for a very large room; elsewhere the two are rated the same. If your amplifier is modest, vintage or valve-based, Focal Kanta No.3 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.