In this review, we will be comparing two different type of speakers by Wharfedale. Wharfedale AURA 3 is a Floor-standing speaker whereas the AURA 1 is a Bookshelf speaker.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of Wharfedale AURA 3 and Wharfedale AURA 1 first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
AURA 3 and AURA 1 are members of Wharfedale's AURA series of speakers. Below you can find the loudspeakers from this series.
Wharfedale AURA Series History
What size room are the Wharfedale AURA 3 and Wharfedale AURA 1 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:
In the following sections, we will get into more detail in order to better understand how the Wharfedale AURA 3 and Wharfedale AURA 1 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 AURA 1 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 |
Wharfedale AURA 1 |
|
Driver Setup
|
3-way
|
2-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
1.0625 x 3.5-inch
|
1.0625 x 3.5-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
1 x 4-inch |
- |
|
Woofer
|
2 x 5-inch
|
1 x 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 AURA 1 features a 1.0625 x 3.5" AMT (Ribbon) Tweeter and 1 x 5" Glass Fiber Matrix Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 2.9kHz.
Frequency Response
AURA 3 has a frequency range of 39-22k Hz whereas AURA 1 has a frequency range of 48-22k 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 AURA 1'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 and AURA 1 have the same Impedance of 6 ohms but where they differ is the sensitivity levels. AURA 3 sensitivity is rated at 88 dB and the AURA 1's is at 86 dB. This 2 dB difference makes the Wharfedale AURA 3 a more sensitive speaker compared to Wharfedale AURA 1, 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 AURA 1 has a max power handling value of 100 watts RMS, 50 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
Both AURA 3 and AURA 1 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
Wharfedale AURA 1's Binding post terminals allows Bi-amping or bi-wiring
Cabinet Type and Port Position
Both AURA 3 and AURA 1 have bottom firing ports.
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 Wharfedale AURA 1'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 Wharfedale AURA 1 has external dimensions of 367.0 x 248.0 x 350.0mm ( 14-7/16inch x 9-3/4inch x 13-3/4inch ) .
Wharfedale AURA 3 is clearly the larger of the two speakers. Its body is 92mm wider, 669mm taller and 1mm deeper than Wharfedale AURA 1.
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 Wharfedale AURA 1 is approximately 868.0cm2 / 134.5inch2. The AURA 3 requires 37% more surface area than the AURA 1 which gives it a small disadvantage on placement in tight spaces.
What's in the Box of Wharfedale AURA 3?
Here are the items that are included inside the box of AURA 3:
2 Floorstanding loudspeakers2 Grilles4 Terminal-jumpers8 Spike feet8 Collars 8 Knobs8 Protective discsPair of white glovesUser Manual
What's in the Box of Wharfedale AURA 1?
Here are the items that come with the AURA 1:
2 Bookshelf loudspeakers2 Grilles4 Jumper wires8 Rubber feetPair of white glovesUser Manual