In this review, we will be comparing AURA 3 and Concord, two Passive Floor-standing speakers from Wharfedale and KLH.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of Wharfedale AURA 3 and KLH Concord 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 )
KLH Concord Key Specs
- 2-way Design
- 1" Tweeter
- 2 x 6.5" Kevlar Woofer
- 28-23k Hz Frequency Response
- 94 dB Sensitivity
- Impedance: 8ohms
- Power Range:up to 225watts
- Weight:20.45kg
- Dimensions (H x W x D): 1026.0" x 8-5/16" x 14-15/16"( 1026.0 x 212.0 x 380.0mm )
In the following sections, we will get into more detail in order to better understand how the Wharfedale AURA 3 and KLH Concord 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 AURA 3 is a 3-way design whereas the Concord is a 2-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 |
Wharfedale AURA 3 |
KLH Concord |
|
Driver Setup
|
3-way
|
2-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
1.0625 x 3.5-inch
|
1-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
1 x 4-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 Concord features a 1" anodized aluminum Tweeter and 2 x 6.5" Kevlar Woofer .
Frequency Response
AURA 3 has a frequency range of 39-22k Hz whereas Concord has a frequency range of 28-23k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 28Hz, the Concord can go significantly deeper on the low side and provide stronger bass compared to the AURA 3's min frequency of 39Hz.
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 Concord which has a nominal impedance of 8 ohms.
These two speakers also have different sensitivity levels. AURA 3 sensitivity is rated at 88 dB and the Concord's is rated at 94 dB. This 6 dB difference makes the KLH Concord a more sensitive speaker compared to Wharfedale AURA 3, hence will play louder with the same amount of watts.
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 150 watts RMS from the amp the whereas Concord has a max power handling value of watts RMS, 150 watts less than the AURA 3.
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
AURA 3 features Binding post posts which make bi-amping or bi-wiring possible. Concord has a 5-Way post which doesn't feature bi-amping/bi-wiring.
Wharfedale AURA 3's Binding post terminals allows Bi-amping or bi-wiring
KLH Concord's 5-Way post terminals
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 KLH Concord'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 KLH Concord has external dimensions of 1026.0 x 212.0 x 380.0mm ( 40-3/8 x 8-5/16 x 14-15/16inch) .
KLH Concord is 128mm narrower and 10mm shorter than Wharfedale AURA 3 but it is also 29mm deeper.
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 KLH Concord is approximately 805.6cm2 / 124.9inch2. The AURA 3 requires 48% more surface area than the Concord which gives it a small disadvantage on placement in tight spaces.