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 CS is a Center Channel speaker.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of Wharfedale AURA 3 and Wharfedale AURA CS 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 )
Wharfedale AURA CS Key Specs
- 2-way Design
- 1.0625 x 3.5" AMT (Ribbon) Tweeter
- 2 x 5" Glass Fiber Matrix Woofer
- 56-22k Hz Frequency Response
- 89 dB Sensitivity
- Impedance: 4ohms
- Power Range:25-150watts
- Weight:18.64kg
- Dimensions (H x W x D): 253.0" x 24-1/4" x 13-7/8"( 253.0 x 616.0 x 353.0mm )
AURA 3 and AURA CS 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 CS 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 |
Wharfedale AURA CS |
| Near-field |
Bad |
Poor |
| Small Room |
Poor |
Average |
| Mid-size Room |
Good |
Good |
| Large Room |
Good |
Average |
| Very Large Room |
Poor |
Poor |
(* 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 Wharfedale AURA CS 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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through my links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
Drivers
One of the fundamental differences between these two speakers is that AURA 3 is a 3-way design whereas the AURA CS 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 CS |
|
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
|
2 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 CS features a 1.0625 x 3.5" AMT (Ribbon) Tweeter and 2 x 5" Glass Fiber Matrix Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 2.4kHz.
Frequency Response
AURA 3 has a frequency range of 39-22k Hz whereas AURA CS has a frequency range of 56-22k 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 CS's min frequency of 56Hz.
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 AURA CS 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 AURA CS can provide this impedance level.
These two speakers also have different sensitivity levels. AURA 3 sensitivity is rated at 88 dB and the AURA CS's is rated at 89 dB. This 1 dB difference makes the Wharfedale AURA CS 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.
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 CS 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
Cabinet Type and Port Position
AURA 3 has a bottom firing port whereas AURA CS has a side 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 CS'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 CS has external dimensions of 253.0 x 616.0 x 353.0mm ( 24-1/4) .
Wharfedale AURA 3 is 276mm narrower and 2mm less deeper than Wharfedale AURA CS but it is also 783mm 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 Wharfedale AURA 3 is approximately 1193.4cm2 / 185.0inch2 and base area of the Wharfedale AURA CS is approximately 2174.5cm2 / 337.0inch2. The AURA 3 requires 45% less surface area than the AURA CS which gives it a small advantage 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 CS?
Here are the items that come with the AURA CS:
Center-channel loudspeakerGrilleBase2 Jumper wires4 Self-adhesive rubber feetPair of white glovesUser Manual
Driver Setup 
Nominal Impedance 
Low Frequency Response 
Base Surface Area 
Sensitivity 
Minimum Impedance 
Height 
Price per pair*