In this review, we will be comparing AURA 4 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 4 and SVS Ultra Tower first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
Wharfedale AURA 4 Key Specs
- 3-way Design
- 1.0625 x 3.5" AMT (Ribbon) Tweeter
- 4" Midrange
- 2 x 6.5" Glass Fiber Matrix Woofer
- 37-22k Hz Frequency Response
- 89 dB Sensitivity
- Impedance: 4ohms
- Power Range:up to 200watts
- Weight:24.55kg
- Dimensions (H x W x D): 1105.0" x 14-1/2" x 15-5/8"( 1105.0 x 369.0 x 397.0mm )
SVS Ultra Tower Key Specs
- 3-way Design
- 1.0" Dome Tweeter
- 6.5" Midrange
- 2 x 8.0" Polypropylene Woofer
- 6.5" Midrange
- 28-32k Hz Frequency Response
- 88 dB Sensitivity
- Impedance: 8ohms
- Power Range:20-300watts
- Weight:34.27kg
- Dimensions (H x W x D): 1159.0" x 13-15/16" x 17-1/2"( 1159.0 x 355.0 x 445.0mm )
What size room are the Wharfedale AURA 4 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 4 |
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.)
In the following sections, we will get into more detail in order to better understand how the Wharfedale AURA 4 and SVS Ultra Tower 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 4 and Ultra Tower are 3-way speakers.
| Driver |
Wharfedale AURA 4 |
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 6.5-inch
|
2 x 8.0-inch
|
AURA 4 features a 1.0625 x 3.5" AMT (Ribbon) Tweeter , a 4" Midrange and 2 x 6.5" Glass Fiber Matrix Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 475Hz, 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 4 has a frequency range of 37-22k 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 4's min frequency of 37Hz.
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 4 is a 4 ohms speaker compared to the Ultra Tower which has a nominal impedance of 8 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 4 can provide this impedance level.
These two speakers also have different sensitivity levels. AURA 4 sensitivity is rated at 89 dB and the Ultra Tower's is rated at 88 dB. This 1 dB difference makes the Wharfedale AURA 4 a more sensitive speaker compared to SVS Ultra Tower, 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 4 can handle a max power of 300 watts RMS from the amp the whereas AURA 4 has a max power handling value of 200 watts RMS , 100 watts less than the Ultra Tower.
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 4 and Ultra Tower features dual binding post speaker terminals for bi-amping or bi-wiring.
Wharfedale AURA 4'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
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 4's and SVS Ultra Tower's external dimensions. Wharfedale AURA 4 has external dimensions of 1105.0 x 369.0 x 397.0mm ( 43-1/2inch x 14-1/2inch x 15-5/8inch ) 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) .
Wharfedale AURA 4 is 54mm shorter and 48mm less deeper than SVS Ultra Tower but it is also 14mm 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 4 is approximately 1464.9cm2 / 227.1inch2 and base area of the SVS Ultra Tower is approximately 1579.8cm2 / 244.9inch2. The AURA 4 requires 7% less surface area than the Ultra Tower which gives it a small advantage on placement in tight spaces.