In this review, we will be comparing Kensington and Elysian 4, two Passive Floor-standing speakers from Tannoy and Wharfedale.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of Tannoy Kensington and Wharfedale Elysian 4 first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
| Key Specs | Tannoy Kensington | Wharfedale Elysian 4 |
|---|
| Brand | Tannoy
United Kingdom · founded 1926 | Wharfedale
United Kingdom · founded 1932 |
|---|
| Design | 2-way | 3-way |
|---|
| Tweeter | — | 27x90mm" AMT (Ribbon) |
|---|
| Midrange | — | 6" |
|---|
| Woofer | — | 2 x 8.5" Coated Fiberglass |
|---|
| Frequency response | 29-27k Hz | 30-22k Hz |
|---|
| Sensitivity | 93 dB | 92 dB |
|---|
| Impedance | 8 ohms | 4 ohms |
|---|
| Power range | — | 15-250 watts |
|---|
| Weight | 37.00kg / 81.4lbs | 49.60kg / 109.1lbs |
|---|
| Dimensions (H x W x D) | 43.3" x 15.9" x 13.3"
1099.8 x 403.9 x 337.8mm | 46-3/4" x 15-13/16" x 18-3/16"
1188.0 x 402.0 x 462.0mm |
|---|
What size room are the Tannoy Kensington 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* |
Tannoy Kensington |
Wharfedale Elysian 4 |
| Near-field |
Poor |
Bad |
| Small Room |
Average |
Poor |
| Mid-size Room |
Good |
Average |
| Large Room |
Average |
Good |
| Very Large Room |
Poor |
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
One of the fundamental differences between these two speakers is that Kensington is a 2-way design whereas the Elysian 4 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 |
Tannoy Kensington |
Wharfedale Elysian 4 |
|
Driver Setup
|
2-way
|
3-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
-inch
|
27x90mm-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
- |
1 x 6-inch |
|
Woofer
|
x -inch
|
2 x 8.5-inch
|
Kensington features a " Tweeter and x " Woofer. 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
Kensington has a frequency range of 29-27k Hz whereas Elysian 4 has a frequency range of 30-22k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 29Hz, the Kensington can go slightly deeper then 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
Kensington 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. Kensington sensitivity is rated at 93 dB and the Elysian 4's is rated at 92 dB. This 1 dB difference makes the Tannoy Kensington a more sensitive speaker compared to Wharfedale Elysian 4, hence will play louder with the same amount of watts.
Sensitivity
Floor-standing Speakers
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. Kensington has a Binding post which doesn't feature bi-amping/bi-wiring.
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 Tannoy Kensington's and Wharfedale Elysian 4's external dimensions. Tannoy Kensington has external dimensions of 1099.8 x 403.9 x 337.8mm (43.3 x 15.9 x 13.3inch) 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).
Tannoy Kensington is 88.2mm shorter and 124.2mm less deeper than Wharfedale Elysian 4 but it is also 1.9mm wider.
Size, drawn to scale
Both speakers and both views share one scale, so everything here is directly comparable. Hover a box for its dimensions.
One scale for both, standing on the same surface and pushed back to the same wall, so the deeper one visibly sticks out further.
Wharfedale Elysian 4 needs about 36% more floor or shelf area. Wharfedale Elysian 4 is 124mm deeper, so it stands that much further out from the wall. Wharfedale Elysian 4 is 88mm taller.
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 Tannoy Kensington is approximately 1364.3cm2 / 211.5inch2 and base area of the Wharfedale Elysian 4 is approximately 1857.2cm2 / 287.9inch2. The Kensington requires 27% 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 Tannoy Kensington weighs 37.00kg / 81.4lbs and the Wharfedale Elysian 4 weighs 49.60kg / 109.1lbs. This makes the Elysian 4 34% heavier than the Kensington.
Here is a comparison of how Kensington 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 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
 Sensitivity |
93 dB
vs
92 dB
|
Play louder with same amount of amplification power |
 Nominal Impedance |
8 ohms
vs
4 ohms
|
Less selective with amplifiers |
 Low Frequency Response |
29 Hz
vs
30 Hz
|
Generates deeper bass |
 High Frequency Response |
27k Hz
vs
22k Hz
|
Generates higher frequency |
 Height |
1099mm
vs
1188mm
|
Easier to fit in smaller spaces |
 Base Surface Area |
1364cm2
vs
1857cm2
|
Takes less floor space |
 Driver Setup |
3-way
vs
2-way
|
Have a dedicated mid-range driver |
|
Woofer Size |
8.5 inches
vs
inches
|
Larger woofer |
 Price per pair* |
9996USD
vs
24000USD
|
costs less (*prices may change depending on the seller, location and time) |
| General |
Tannoy Kensington |
Wharfedale Elysian 4 |
| Brand |
Tannoy |
Wharfedale |
| Speaker Type |
Floor-standing speaker |
Floor-standing speaker |
| Sensitivity |
93 dB |
92 dB |
| Impedance |
8 ohms |
4 ohms |
| Frequency Response |
29-27k Hz |
30-22k Hz |
Drivers |
|
|
| Woofer Quantity |
|
2 |
| Woofer Size |
" |
8.5" |
| Woofer Composition |
|
Coated Fiberglass |
| Woofer Surround Material |
n/a |
Foamed Rubber |
| Tweeter Size |
- |
27x90mm" |
| Tweeter Type |
n/a |
AMT (Ribbon) |
| Aimable Tweeter |
No |
No |
| Midrange Driver |
No |
6" |
| Crossover Frequency |
n/a |
340Hz and 3100Hz |
| Firing Direction |
n/a |
bottom |
Physical Specs |
|
|
| Height |
1099.8mm (43.3") |
1188.0mm (46.8") |
| Width |
403.9mm (15.9") |
402.0mm (15.8") |
| Depth |
337.8mm (13.3") |
462.0mm (18.2") |
| Weight |
37.00kg (81.4lbs) |
49.60kg (109.1lbs) |
| Enclosure |
Bass Reflex |
Bass Reflex |
| Finish |
n/a |
MDF/Lacquer |
| Available Colors |
n/a |
Piano Black, Piano Walnut,White |
| Grille |
Yes |
Yes |
| Moisture Resistancy |
No |
No |
Connections |
|
|
| Biamp Inputs |
n/a |
Yes |
Other |
|
|
| Parts Warranty |
|
5 Years |
| Labor Warranty |
|
5 Years |
These sit in different price classes - Tannoy Kensington costs roughly 2.4x what Wharfedale Elysian 4 does. Expect it to lead on paper; the question is whether the gap is audible enough in your room to be worth it.
| Area | Better | Why |
|---|
| Bass | evenly matched | Much the same reach (29Hz vs 30Hz). |
| Amplifier needs | evenly matched | Similar sensitivity (93dB vs 92dB) - both want much the same power. |
| Amplifier match | A | Tannoy Kensington is the easier load at 8 ohms; the other is 4 ohms and wants an amplifier rated for it. |
| Size | depends | Tannoy Kensington is easier to place; Wharfedale Elysian 4 is bigger, which usually goes with fuller bass. Your room decides. |
| Expandability | B | Wharfedale Elysian 4: bi-amping. |
| Price | B | Wharfedale Elysian 4 is cheaper - $9,996 against $24,000, about 58% less; arguably a different class. |
A Tannoy Kensington 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 Tannoy Kensington the better fit for a small room and a mid-size room, and Wharfedale Elysian 4 for a large room and a very large room. In a large or open-plan room, Wharfedale Elysian 4 has the cabinet volume to fill it more easily; in a small room, near a wall or at desk distance, Tannoy Kensington is the easier speaker to get right.
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.