In this review, we will be comparing AURA 3 and Ultra Tower, two Passive Floor-standing speakers from Wharfedale and SVS.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of Wharfedale AURA 3 and SVS Ultra Tower first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
| Key Specs | Wharfedale AURA 3 | SVS Ultra Tower |
|---|
| Brand | Wharfedale
United Kingdom · founded 1932 | SVS
United States · founded 1998 |
|---|
| Design | 3-way | 3-way |
|---|
| Tweeter | 1.0625 x 3.5" AMT (Ribbon) | 1.0" Dome |
|---|
| Midrange | 4" | 2 x 6.5" |
|---|
| Woofer | 2 x 5" Glass Fiber Matrix | 2 x 8.0" Polypropylene |
|---|
| Frequency response | 39-22k Hz | 28-32k Hz |
|---|
| Sensitivity | 88 dB | 88 dB |
|---|
| Impedance | 6 ohms | 8 ohms |
|---|
| Power range | up to 150 watts | 20-300 watts |
|---|
| Weight | 23.05kg / 50.7lbs | 34.27kg / 75.4lbs |
|---|
| Dimensions (H x W x D) | 40-3/4" x 13-3/8" x 13-13/16"
1036.0 x 340.0 x 351.0mm | 45-5/8" x 13-15/16" x 17-1/2"
1159.0 x 355.0 x 445.0mm |
|---|
What size room are the Wharfedale AURA 3 and SVS Ultra Tower 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 |
SVS Ultra Tower |
| 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.)
The sections below take each area in turn: drivers, frequency response, physical size and what you get in the box.
Drivers
Both AURA 3 and Ultra Tower are 3-way speakers.
Wharfedale AURA 3SVS Ultra Tower
TweeterMidrangeWoofer
Front view, drawn to scale - cabinets and drivers share one scale, so sizes are directly comparable. Hover a driver for its size.
| Driver |
Wharfedale AURA 3 |
SVS Ultra Tower |
|
Driver Setup
|
3-way
|
3-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
1.0625 x 3.5-inch
|
1.0-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
1 x 4-inch |
2 x 6.5-inch |
|
Woofer
|
2 x 5-inch
|
2 x 8.0-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 Ultra Tower features a 1.0" aluminum Dome Tweeter, a 6.5" Midrange and 2 x 8.0" Polypropylene Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 160HZ and 2000Hz.
Frequency Response
AURA 3 has a frequency range of 39-22k Hz whereas Ultra Tower has a frequency range of 28-32k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 28Hz, the Ultra Tower can go significantly deeper on the low side and provide stronger bass compared to the AURA 3's min frequency of 39Hz.
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
AURA 3 is a 6 ohms speaker compared to the Ultra Tower 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. Staying
within that range gives nominal performance; driving the speaker beyond its maximum wattage can damage it.
Ultra Tower can handle a max power of 300 watts RMS, whereas AURA 3 has a max power handling value of 150 watts RMS, 150 watts less than the Ultra Tower.
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 AURA 3 and Ultra Tower 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
SVS Ultra Tower's Binding post terminals allows Bi-amping or 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 Wharfedale AURA 3's and SVS Ultra Tower'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 SVS Ultra Tower has external dimensions of 1159.0 x 355.0 x 445.0mm (45-5/8 x 13-15/16 x 17-1/2inch).
SVS Ultra Tower is clearly the larger of the two speakers. Its body is 15mm wider, 123mm taller and 94mm deeper than Wharfedale AURA 3.
Below you can see the front view size comparison of Wharfedale AURA 3 and SVS Ultra Tower in scale.
Comparison image of Wharfedale AURA 3 and SVS Ultra Tower 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 Wharfedale AURA 3 is approximately 1193.4cm2 / 185.0inch2 and base area of the SVS Ultra Tower is approximately 1579.8cm2 / 244.9inch2. The AURA 3 requires 24% less surface area than the Ultra Tower 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 Wharfedale AURA 3 weighs 23.05kg / 50.7lbs and the SVS Ultra Tower weighs 34.27kg / 75.4lbs. This makes the Ultra Tower 49% heavier than the AURA 3.
Here is a comparison of how AURA 3 and Ultra Tower'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 AURA 3?
Here are the items that are included inside the box of AURA 3:
- 2 Floorstanding loudspeakers
- 2 Grilles
- 4 Terminal-jumpers
- 8 Spike feet
- 8 Collars 8 Knobs
- 8 Protective discs
- Pair of white gloves
- User Manual
What's in the Box of SVS Ultra Tower?
Here are the items that come with the Ultra Tower:
- Floorstanding loudspeaker
- Cloth grille
- 2 Metal grilles
- Foam port plug
- 4 Elastomer isolation feet (pre-installed)
- 4 Spike feet
- 4 Nuts
- 4 Protective discs
- 2 Terminal jumpers (pre-installed)
- Owners Manual
- SVS brochure
- Online Product Registration Card
 Height |
1036mm
vs
1159mm
|
Easier to fit in smaller spaces |
 Base Surface Area |
1193cm2
vs
1579cm2
|
Takes less floor space |
 Max Input Power |
300 watts
vs
150 watts
|
Handle more power from your amplifier |
 Nominal Impedance |
8 ohms
vs
6 ohms
|
Less selective with amplifiers |
 Woofer Size |
8.0 inches
vs
5 inches
|
Larger woofer |
|
Low Frequency Response |
28 Hz
vs
39 Hz
|
Generates deeper bass |
 High Frequency Response |
32k Hz
vs
22k Hz
|
Generates higher frequency |
 Price per pair* |
2600USD
vs
3999USD
|
costs less (*prices may change depending on the seller, location and time) |
| General |
Wharfedale AURA 3 |
SVS Ultra Tower |
| Brand |
Wharfedale |
SVS |
| Speaker Type |
Floor-standing speaker |
Floor-standing speaker |
| Power Range |
up to 150 watts |
20-300 watts |
| Sensitivity |
88 dB |
88 dB |
| Impedance |
6 ohms |
8 ohms |
| Impedance |
3.1 ohms |
n/a |
| Frequency Response |
39-22k Hz |
28-32k Hz |
Drivers |
|
|
| Woofer Quantity |
2 |
2 |
| Woofer Size |
5" |
8.0" |
| Woofer Composition |
Glass Fiber Matrix |
Polypropylene |
| Woofer Surround Material |
Rubber |
Rubber |
| Tweeter Size |
1.0625 x 3.5" |
1.0" |
| Tweeter Type |
AMT (Ribbon) |
Dome |
| Aimable Tweeter |
No |
No |
| Midrange Driver |
4" |
6.5" |
| Crossover Frequency |
460Hz, 3.3kHz |
160HZ and 2000Hz |
| Firing Direction |
bottom |
n/a |
Physical Specs |
|
|
| Height |
1036.0mm (40.8") |
1159.0mm (45.6") |
| Width |
340.0mm (13.4") |
355.0mm (14") |
| Depth |
351.0mm (13.8") |
445.0mm (17.5") |
| Weight |
23.05kg (50.7lbs) |
34.27kg (75.4lbs) |
| Enclosure |
Bass Reflex |
Bass Reflex |
| Finish |
Multi-layer wood |
MDF/Oak veneer |
| Available Colors |
Piano Black,Piano Walnut,White Gloss |
Black Oak,Piano Gloss Black,Piano Gloss 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 |
A generation apart: Wharfedale AURA 3 is the newer design, against a 2013 model. Newer is not automatically better, but the older one is more likely to be discounted or near run-out.
| Area | Better | Why |
|---|
| Bass | B | SVS Ultra Tower digs deeper - 28Hz against 39Hz. |
| Amplifier needs | evenly matched | Similar sensitivity (88dB vs 88dB) - both want much the same power. |
| Amplifier match | B | SVS Ultra Tower is the easier load at 8 ohms. |
| Headroom | B | SVS Ultra Tower takes more power (300W vs 150W) - more in hand in a big room. |
| Size | depends | Wharfedale AURA 3 is easier to place; SVS Ultra Tower is bigger, which usually goes with fuller bass. Your room decides. |
| Expandability | depends | Wharfedale AURA 3: bi-amping; SVS Ultra Tower: bi-amping. |
| Price | B | SVS Ultra Tower is cheaper - $2,600 against $3,999, about 35% less. |
A Wharfedale AURA 3 B SVS Ultra Tower
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?
SVS Ultra Tower is the easier recommendation: it leads on most of the measured areas and costs less. Take Wharfedale AURA 3 if its size, looks or fit in your room suit you better. If a subwoofer is in your plans, the bass gap largely stops mattering - you would be crossing over above 39Hz anyway, so judge these on the other rows instead. Match it to your room: we rate Wharfedale AURA 3 the better fit for a mid-size room, and SVS Ultra Tower for a very large room.
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.