In this review, we will be comparing Synchrony T800 and Elysian 4, two Passive Floor-standing speakers from PSB and Wharfedale.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of PSB Synchrony T800 and Wharfedale Elysian 4 first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
| Key Specs | PSB Synchrony T800 | Wharfedale Elysian 4 |
|---|
| Brand | PSB
Canada · founded 1972 | Wharfedale
United Kingdom · founded 1932 |
|---|
| Design | 3-way | 3-way |
|---|
| Tweeter | 1" Dome | 27x90mm" AMT (Ribbon) |
|---|
| Midrange | 5.25" | 6" |
|---|
| Woofer | 3 x 8" Cast Basket Carbon Fibre Cone | 2 x 8.5" Coated Fiberglass |
|---|
| Frequency response | 21-23k Hz | 30-22k Hz |
|---|
| Sensitivity | 89 dB | 92 dB |
|---|
| Impedance | 4 ohms | 4 ohms |
|---|
| Power range | 20-300 watts | 15-250 watts |
|---|
| Weight | 45.40kg / 99.9lbs | 49.60kg / 109.1lbs |
|---|
| Dimensions (H x W x D) | 47 3/4" x 14 7/8" x 15 5/8"
1212 x 377 x 396mm | 46-3/4" x 15-13/16" x 18-3/16"
1188.0 x 402.0 x 462.0mm |
|---|
What size room are the PSB Synchrony T800 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* |
PSB Synchrony T800 |
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 Synchrony T800 and Elysian 4 are 3-way speakers.
PSB Synchrony T800Wharfedale 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 |
PSB Synchrony T800 |
Wharfedale Elysian 4 |
|
Driver Setup
|
3-way
|
3-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
1-inch
|
27x90mm-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
1 x 5.25-inch |
1 x 6-inch |
|
Woofer
|
3 x 8-inch
|
2 x 8.5-inch
|
Synchrony T800 features a 1" titanium with ferrofluid cooling and neodymium magnet Dome Tweeter, a 5.25" Midrange and 3 x 8" Cast Basket Carbon Fibre Cone Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 450Hz and 1800Hz. 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
Synchrony T800 has a frequency range of 21-23k Hz whereas Elysian 4 has a frequency range of 30-22k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 21Hz, the Synchrony T800 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
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
Synchrony T800 and Elysian 4 have the same Impedance of 4 ohms but where they differ is the sensitivity levels. Synchrony T800 sensitivity is rated at 89 dB and the Elysian 4's is at 92 dB. This 3 dB difference makes the Wharfedale Elysian 4 a more sensitive speaker compared to PSB Synchrony T800, hence will play louder with the same amount of watts.
One thing to keep in mind that the lower impedance speakers, especially the ones that are rated at 4 ohms may put more pressure on the amplifier unit comared to higher impedance speakers especially at high volume levels, so make sure the amp you pair with the Synchrony T800 and the Synchrony T800 can provide this impedance level.
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.
Synchrony T800 can handle a max power of 300 watts RMS, whereas Elysian 4 has a max power handling value of 250 watts RMS, 50 watts less than the Synchrony T800.
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 Synchrony T800 and Elysian 4 features dual binding post speaker terminals for bi-amping or bi-wiring.
PSB Synchrony T800's Binding post terminals allows Bi-amping or bi-wiring
Cabinet Type and Port Position
Synchrony T800 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 PSB Synchrony T800 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 PSB Synchrony T800's and Wharfedale Elysian 4's external dimensions. PSB Synchrony T800 has external dimensions of 1212 x 377 x 396mm (47 3/4 x 14 7/8 x 15 5/8-inch) 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).
PSB Synchrony T800 is 25mm narrower and 66mm less deeper than Wharfedale Elysian 4 but it is also 24mm taller.
Below you can see the front view size comparison of PSB Synchrony T800 and Wharfedale Elysian 4 in scale.
Comparison image of PSB Synchrony T800 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 PSB Synchrony T800 is approximately 1492.0cm2 / 231.3inch2 and base area of the Wharfedale Elysian 4 is approximately 1857.2cm2 / 287.9inch2. The Synchrony T800 requires 20% 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 PSB Synchrony T800 weighs 45.40kg / 99.9lbs and the Wharfedale Elysian 4 weighs 49.60kg / 109.1lbs. This makes the Elysian 4 9% heavier than the Synchrony T800.
Here is a comparison of how Synchrony T800 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 PSB Synchrony T800?
Here are the items that are included inside the box of Synchrony T800:
- Floorstanding loudspeakr
- Grille
- 2 Binding-post jumpers (pre-installed)
- 4 Isolation feet
- 2 Port plugs
- Owners Manual
- Warranty Card
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 |
300 watts
vs
250 watts
|
Handle more power from your amplifier |
 Number of Woofers |
3
vs
2
|
More woofers |
|
Low Frequency Response |
21 Hz
vs
30 Hz
|
Generates deeper bass |
 High Frequency Response |
23k Hz
vs
22k Hz
|
Generates higher frequency |
 Base Surface Area |
1492cm2
vs
1857cm2
|
Takes less floor space |
 Sensitivity |
92 dB
vs
89 dB
|
Play louder with same amount of amplification power |
|
Woofer Size |
8.5 inches
vs
8 inches
|
Larger woofer |
 Height |
1188mm
vs
1212mm
|
Easier to fit in smaller spaces |
 Price per pair* |
9996USD
vs
11999USD
|
costs less (*prices may change depending on the seller, location and time) |
| General |
PSB Synchrony T800 |
Wharfedale Elysian 4 |
| Brand |
PSB |
Wharfedale |
| Speaker Type |
Floor-standing speaker |
Floor-standing speaker |
| Power Range |
20-300 watts |
15-250 watts |
| Sensitivity |
89 dB |
92 dB |
| Impedance |
4 ohms |
4 ohms |
| Impedance |
4 ohms |
n/a |
| Frequency Response |
21-23k Hz |
30-22k Hz |
Drivers |
|
|
| Woofer Quantity |
3 |
2 |
| Woofer Size |
8" |
8.5" |
| Woofer Composition |
Cast Basket Carbon Fibre Cone |
Coated Fiberglass |
| Woofer Surround Material |
Rubber |
Foamed Rubber |
| Tweeter Size |
1" |
27x90mm" |
| Tweeter Type |
Dome |
AMT (Ribbon) |
| Aimable Tweeter |
No |
No |
| Midrange Driver |
5.25" |
6" |
| Crossover Frequency |
450Hz and 1800Hz |
340Hz and 3100Hz |
| Firing Direction |
rear |
bottom |
Physical Specs |
|
|
| Height |
1212.0mm (47.7") |
1188.0mm (46.8") |
| Width |
377.0mm (14.8") |
402.0mm (15.8") |
| Depth |
396.0mm (15.6") |
462.0mm (18.2") |
| Weight |
45.40kg (99.9lbs) |
49.60kg (109.1lbs) |
| Enclosure |
Bass Reflex |
Bass Reflex |
| Finish |
MDF/Lacquer |
MDF/Lacquer |
| Available Colors |
Gloss Black, Satin Walnut |
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 |
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 | A | PSB Synchrony T800 digs deeper - 21Hz against 30Hz. A subwoofer would even that out. |
| Amplifier needs | B | Wharfedale Elysian 4 is more sensitive (92dB vs 89dB), so it goes louder on the same amplifier. |
| Headroom | evenly matched | Similar power handling (300W vs 250W). |
| Size | depends | Similar cabinet size - neither is easier to fit. |
| Expandability | depends | PSB Synchrony T800: bi-amping; Wharfedale Elysian 4: bi-amping. Wharfedale Elysian 4 sits in a wider range (6 models), so a matched surround system is easier later. |
| Price | B | Wharfedale Elysian 4 is cheaper - $9,996 against $11,999, about 17% less. |
A PSB Synchrony T800 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. 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.