In this review, we will be comparing GoldenEar Aon 3 Bookshelf Monitor and EVO4.2, two Passive Bookshelf speakers from GoldenEar and Wharfedale. Let's have a brief look at the main features of GoldenEar Aon 3 Bookshelf Monitor and Wharfedale EVO4.2 first before getting into our more detailed comparison.
In the following sections, we will get into details in order to better understand how GoldenEar Aon 3 Bookshelf Monitor and Wharfedale EVO4.2 compares and hopefully end up with enough arguments to decide which one of these loudspeakers is the better choice for you.
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Drivers
One of the fundamental differences between these two speakers is that GoldenEar Aon 3 Bookshelf Monitor is a 2-way design whereas EVO4.2 is a 3-way speaker. 3-way designs utilize a midrange driver in addition to the tweeter and woofer on 2-way designs. Designing a crossover for a 3-way speaker is a complicated process and generally increases the overall cost of the speaker. GoldenEar Aon 3 Bookshelf Monitor features a " Folded Ribbon Tweeter and 1 x 7" Polypropylene Woofer . On the other hand, EVO4.2 features a 1.18x2.36" AMT (Ribbon) Tweeter , a 2" Midrange and 1 x 6.5" Kevlar Woofer .
Frequency Response
GoldenEar Aon 3 Bookshelf Monitor has a frequency range of 38-35k Hz whereas EVO4.2 has a frequency range of 54-22k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 38Hz, the GoldenEar Aon 3 Bookshelf Monitor can go significantly deeper on the low side and provide stronger bass compared to the EVO4.2's min frequency of 54Hz.
Below graphs depict how these two speakers compare with the max, min and average values of the Min and Max Frequencies of other speakers under Bookshelf class in our database.
Low Frequency
Bookshelf Speakers
GoldenEar Aon 3 Bookshelf Monitor
High Frequency
Bookshelf Speakers
GoldenEar Aon 3 Bookshelf Monitor
Impedance and Sensitivity
GoldenEar Aon 3 Bookshelf Monitor and EVO4.2 has the same Impedance of 8 ohms but where they differ is the sensitivity levels. GoldenEar Aon 3 Bookshelf Monitor sensitivity is rated at 90 dB and EVO4.2's is at 88 dB. This 2 dB difference makes GoldenEar Aon 3 Bookshelf Monitor a more sensitive speaker compared to Wharfedale EVO4.2, hence will play louder with the same amount of watts.
Sensitivity
Bookshelf Speakers
GoldenEar Aon 3 Bookshelf Monitor
Power Range
GoldenEar Aon 3 Bookshelf Monitor has a power range of 10-250 watts RMS whereas EVO4.2 has a power range of 25-120 watts.
Input Type and Bi-Amping / Bi-Wiring
EVO4.2 features Post posts which makes bi-amping or bi-wiring possible. GoldenEar Aon 3 Bookshelf Monitor has a 5-way post which doesn't feature bi-amping/bi-wiring.
GoldenEar Aon 3 Bookshelf Monitor's 5-way post terminals
Cabinet Type and Port Position
GoldenEar Aon 3 Bookshelf Monitor has a rear firing port whereas EVO4.2 has a bottom firing ports. Wharfedale EVO4.2's bottom-firing port gives more flexibility in placement in regards to proximity to walls compared to GoldenEar Aon 3 Bookshelf Monitor with its rear-firing port.
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 GoldenEar Aon 3 Bookshelf Monitor's and Wharfedale EVO4.2's external dimensions. GoldenEar Aon 3 Bookshelf Monitor has external dimensions of 356.0 x 229.0 x 281.0mm ( 14 x 9 x 11-1/16inch) whereas Wharfedale EVO4.2 has external dimensions of 455.0 x 250.0 x 350.0mm ( 17.9 x 9.8 x 13.7inch) .
Wharfedale EVO4.2 is clearly the larger of the two speakers. Its body is 21mm wider, 99mm taller and 69mm deeper than GoldenEar Aon 3 Bookshelf Monitor.