In this review, we will be comparing Aon 3 Bookshelf Monitor and Elysian 2, two Passive Bookshelf speakers from GoldenEar and Wharfedale.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of GoldenEar Aon 3 and Wharfedale Elysian 2 first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
GoldenEar Aon 3 Key Specs
- 2-way Design
- " Folded Ribbon Tweeter
- 7" Polypropylene Woofer
- 38-35k Hz Frequency Response
- 90 dB Sensitivity
- Impedance: 8ohms
- Power Range:10-250watts
- Weight:6.82kg
- Dimensions (H x W x D): 356.0" x 9" x 11-1/16"( 356.0 x 229.0 x 281.0mm )
Wharfedale Elysian 2 Key Specs
- 3-way Design
- 27x90mm" AMT (Ribbon) Tweeter
- 6" Midrange
- 8.5" Coated Fiberglass Woofer
- 6" Midrange
- 35-22k Hz Frequency Response
- 89 dB Sensitivity
- Impedance: 4ohms
- Power Range:25-250watts
- Weight:30.50kg
- Dimensions (H x W x D): 700.0" x 13.1" x 18.1"( 700.0 x 334.0 x 462.0mm )
What size room are the GoldenEar Aon 3 and Wharfedale Elysian 2 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* |
GoldenEar Aon 3 |
Wharfedale Elysian 2 |
| Near-field |
Poor |
Poor |
| Small Room |
Poor |
Poor |
| Mid-size Room |
Good |
Good |
| 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.)
In the following sections, we will get into more detail in order to better understand how the GoldenEar Aon 3 and Wharfedale Elysian 2 compare 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 Aon 3 Bookshelf Monitor is a 2-way design whereas the Elysian 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.
| Driver |
GoldenEar Aon 3 |
Wharfedale Elysian 2 |
|
Driver Setup
|
2-way
|
3-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
-inch
|
27x90mm-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
- |
1 x 6-inch |
|
Woofer
|
1 x 7-inch
|
1 x 8.5-inch
|
Aon 3 Bookshelf Monitor features a " Folded Ribbon Tweeter and 1 x 7" Polypropylene Woofer . On the other hand, the Elysian 2 features a 27x90mm" AMT (Ribbon) Tweeter , a 6" Midrange and 1 x 8.5" Coated Fiberglass Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 360Hz and 2900Hz.
Frequency Response
Aon 3 Bookshelf Monitor has a frequency range of 38-35k Hz whereas Elysian 2 has a frequency range of 35-22k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 35Hz, the Elysian 2 can go slightly deeper then the Aon 3 Bookshelf Monitor's min frequency of 38Hz.
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 Bookshelf class in our database.
Low Frequency
Bookshelf Speakers
High Frequency
Bookshelf 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
Aon 3 Bookshelf Monitor is a 8 ohms speaker compared to the Elysian 2 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 2 can provide this impedance level.
These two speakers also have different sensitivity levels. Aon 3 Bookshelf Monitor sensitivity is rated at 90 dB and the Elysian 2's is rated at 89 dB. This 1 dB difference makes the GoldenEar Aon 3 a more sensitive speaker compared to Wharfedale Elysian 2, hence will play louder with the same amount of watts.
Sensitivity
Bookshelf 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.
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 2 features Post posts which make bi-amping or bi-wiring possible. Aon 3 Bookshelf Monitor has a 5-way post which doesn't feature bi-amping/bi-wiring.
GoldenEar Aon 3's 5-way post terminals
Wharfedale Elysian 2's Post terminals allows Bi-amping or bi-wiring
Cabinet Type and Port Position
Aon 3 Bookshelf Monitor has a rear firing port whereas Elysian 2 has a bottom firing ports. Wharfedale Elysian 2's bottom-firing port gives more flexibility in placement in regards to proximity to walls compared to GoldenEar Aon 3 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's and Wharfedale Elysian 2's external dimensions. GoldenEar Aon 3 has external dimensions of 356.0 x 229.0 x 281.0mm ( 14 x 9 x 11-1/16inch) whereas Wharfedale Elysian 2 has external dimensions of 700.0 x 334.0 x 462.0mm ( 27.5 x 13.1 x 18.1inch) .
Wharfedale Elysian 2 is clearly the larger of the two speakers. Its body is 105mm wider, 344mm taller and 181mm deeper than GoldenEar Aon 3.
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 GoldenEar Aon 3 is approximately 643.5cm2 / 99.7inch2 and base area of the Wharfedale Elysian 2 is approximately 1543.1cm2 / 239.2inch2. The Aon 3 Bookshelf Monitor requires 58% less surface area than the Elysian 2 which gives it a small advantage on placement in tight spaces.