In this review, we will be comparing AURA 3 and R7, two Passive Floor-standing speakers from Wharfedale and KEF.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of Wharfedale AURA 3 and KEF R7 first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
Wharfedale AURA 3 Key Specs
- 3-way Design
- 1.0625 x 3.5" AMT (Ribbon) Tweeter
- 4" Midrange
- 2 x 5" Glass Fiber Matrix Woofer
- 39-22k Hz Frequency Response
- 88 dB Sensitivity
- Impedance: 6ohms
- Power Range:up to 150watts
- Weight:23.05kg
- Dimensions (H x W x D): 1036.0" x 13-3/8" x 13-13/16"( 1036.0 x 340.0 x 351.0mm )
KEF R7 Key Specs
- 3-way Design
- 1" Dome Tweeter
- 5" Midrange
- 2 x 6.5" Hybrid Aluminum Woofer
- 5" Midrange
- 48-28k Hz Frequency Response
- 88 dB Sensitivity
- Impedance: 8ohms
- Power Range:15-250watts
- Weight:31.40kg
- Dimensions (H x W x D): 1113.0" x 8" x 15-5/16"( 1113.0 x 200.0 x 389.0mm )
What size room are the Wharfedale AURA 3 and KEF R7 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* |
Wharfedale AURA 3 |
KEF R7 |
| Near-field |
Bad |
Bad |
| Small Room |
Poor |
Poor |
| Mid-size Room |
Good |
Average |
| Large Room |
Good |
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.)
In the following sections, we will get into more detail in order to better understand how the Wharfedale AURA 3 and KEF R7 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
Both AURA 3 and R7 are 3-way speakers.
| Driver |
Wharfedale AURA 3 |
KEF R7 |
|
Driver Setup
|
3-way
|
3-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
1.0625 x 3.5-inch
|
1-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
1 x 4-inch |
1 x 5-inch |
|
Woofer
|
2 x 5-inch
|
2 x 6.5-inch
|
AURA 3 features a 1.0625 x 3.5" AMT (Ribbon) Tweeter , a 4" Midrange and 2 x 5" Glass Fiber Matrix Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 460Hz, 3.3kHz. On the other hand, the R7 features a 1" aluminum Dome Tweeter , a 5" Midrange and 2 x 6.5" Hybrid Aluminum Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 400Hz and 2900Hz.
Frequency Response
AURA 3 has a frequency range of 39-22k Hz whereas R7 has a frequency range of 48-28k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 39Hz, the AURA 3 can go significantly deeper on the low side and provide stronger bass compared to the R7's min frequency of 48Hz.
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 Floor-standing class in our database.
Low Frequency
Floor-standing Speakers
High Frequency
Floor-standing 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
AURA 3 is a 6 ohms speaker compared to the R7 which has a nominal impedance of 8 ohms.
On the other hand, they have the same sensitivity of 88 dBdB.
Sensitivity
Floor-standing 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.
AURA 3 can handle a max power of 250 watts RMS from the amp the whereas AURA 3 has a max power handling value of 150 watts RMS , 100 watts less than the R7.
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
Both AURA 3 and R7 features dual binding post speaker terminals for bi-amping or bi-wiring.
Wharfedale AURA 3's Binding post terminals allows Bi-amping or bi-wiring
KEF R7's Binding post terminals allows Bi-amping or bi-wiring
Cabinet Type and Port Position
AURA 3 has a bottom firing port whereas R7 has a rear firing ports. Wharfedale AURA 3's bottom-firing port gives more flexibility in placement in regards to proximity to walls compared to KEF R7 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 Wharfedale AURA 3's and KEF R7's external dimensions. Wharfedale AURA 3 has external dimensions of 1036.0 x 340.0 x 351.0mm ( 40-3/4inch x 13-3/8inch x 13-13/16inch ) whereas KEF R7 has external dimensions of 1113.0 x 200.0 x 389.0mm ( 43-13/16 x 8 x 15-5/16inch) .
Wharfedale AURA 3 is 77mm shorter and 38mm less deeper than KEF R7 but it is also 140mm wider.
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 Wharfedale AURA 3 is approximately 1193.4cm2 / 185.0inch2 and base area of the KEF R7 is approximately 778.0cm2 / 120.6inch2. The AURA 3 requires 53% more surface area than the R7 which gives it a small disadvantage on placement in tight spaces.