In this review, we will be comparing Crystal 4.1 and Crystal 4.2, two Passive Bookshelf speakers by Wharfedale.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of Wharfedale Crystal 4.1 and Wharfedale Crystal 4.2 first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
| Key Specs | Wharfedale Crystal 4.1 | Wharfedale Crystal 4.2 |
|---|
| Brand | Wharfedale
United Kingdom · founded 1932 | Wharfedale
United Kingdom · founded 1932 |
|---|
| Design | 2-way | 2-way |
|---|
| Tweeter | 1" Soft-Dome | 1" Soft-dome |
|---|
| Woofer | 4" Woven Kevlar | 5" Woven Kevlar |
|---|
| Frequency response | 75-20k Hz | 60-20k Hz |
|---|
| Sensitivity | 86 dB | 88 dB |
|---|
| Impedance | 8 ohms | 8 ohms |
|---|
| Power range | 20-60 watts | 20-100 watts |
|---|
| Weight | 2.00kg / 4.4lbs | 4.20kg / 9.2lbs |
|---|
| Dimensions (H x W x D) | 7-5/8" x 5-9/16" x 6-3/16"
194.0 x 141.0 x 157.0mm | 10-7/16" x 7-1/8" x 8-5/8"
266.0 x 181.0 x 220.0mm |
|---|
Crystal 4.1 and Crystal 4.2 are members of Wharfedale's Crystal series of speakers. Below you can find the loudspeakers from this series.
Wharfedale Crystal Series
History
What size room are the Wharfedale Crystal 4.1 and Wharfedale Crystal 4.2 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 Crystal 4.1 |
Wharfedale Crystal 4.2 |
| Near-field |
Good |
Average |
| Small Room |
Good |
Good |
| Mid-size Room |
Average |
Average |
| Large Room |
Poor |
Poor |
| Very Large Room |
No way |
Bad |
(* 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 Crystal 4.1 and Crystal 4.2 are 2-way speakers.
Wharfedale Crystal 4.1Wharfedale Crystal 4.2
TweeterWoofer
Front view, drawn to scale - cabinets and drivers share one scale, so sizes are directly comparable. Hover a driver for its size.
| Driver |
Wharfedale Crystal 4.1 |
Wharfedale Crystal 4.2 |
|
Driver Setup
|
2-way
|
2-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
1-inch
|
1-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
- |
- |
|
Woofer
|
1 x 4-inch
|
1 x 5-inch
|
Crystal 4.1 features a 1" Soft-Dome Tweeter and 1 x 4" Woven Kevlar Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 3400Hz. On the other hand, the Crystal 4.2 features a 1" Soft-dome Tweeter and 1 x 5" Woven Kevlar Woofer.
Frequency Response
Crystal 4.1 has a frequency range of 75-20k Hz whereas Crystal 4.2 has a frequency range of 60-20k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 60Hz, the Crystal 4.2 can go significantly deeper on the low side and provide stronger bass compared to the Crystal 4.1's min frequency of 75Hz.
The graph below depicts how these two speakers compare with the max, min and average Low Frequency values of other speakers in the Bookshelf class in our database.
Low Frequency
Bookshelf 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
Crystal 4.1 and Crystal 4.2 have the same Impedance of 8 ohms but where they differ is the sensitivity levels. Crystal 4.1 sensitivity is rated at 86 dB and the Crystal 4.2's is at 88 dB. This 2 dB difference makes the Wharfedale Crystal 4.2 a more sensitive speaker compared to Wharfedale Crystal 4.1, hence will play louder with the same amount of watts.
Sensitivity
Bookshelf 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.
Crystal 4.2 can handle a max power of 100 watts RMS, whereas Crystal 4.1 has a max power handling value of 60 watts RMS, 40 watts less than the Crystal 4.2.
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 Crystal 4.1 and Crystal 4.2 features dual binding post speaker terminals for bi-amping or bi-wiring.
Cabinet Type and Port Position
Both Crystal 4.1 and Crystal 4.2 have rear firing ports. Rear ported speakers generally need more room between the backside of the speaker and the wall compared to sealed and front/bottom ported speakers. Placing the speakers too close to the walls may cause the bass to sound boomy.
If you are limited in space and can't get the speakers away from the backwall, check our Speakers with Front Firing Ports page.
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 Crystal 4.1's and Wharfedale Crystal 4.2's external dimensions. Wharfedale Crystal 4.1 has external dimensions of 194.0 x 141.0 x 157.0mm (7-5/8 x 5-9/16 x 6-3/16inch) whereas Wharfedale Crystal 4.2 has external dimensions of 266.0 x 181.0 x 220.0mm (10-7/16 x 7-1/8 x 8-5/8inch).
Wharfedale Crystal 4.2 is clearly the larger of the two speakers. Its body is 40mm wider, 72mm taller and 63mm deeper than Wharfedale Crystal 4.1.
Size, drawn to scale
Both speakers and both views share one scale, so everything here is directly comparable. Hover a box for its dimensions.
One scale for both, standing on the same surface and pushed back to the same wall, so the deeper one visibly sticks out further.
Wharfedale Crystal 4.2 needs about 80% more floor or shelf area. Wharfedale Crystal 4.2 is 63mm deeper, so it stands that much further out from the wall. Wharfedale Crystal 4.2 is 72mm 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 Crystal 4.1 is approximately 221.4cm2 / 34.3inch2 and base area of the Wharfedale Crystal 4.2 is approximately 398.2cm2 / 61.7inch2. The Crystal 4.1 requires 44% less surface area than the Crystal 4.2 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 Crystal 4.1 weighs 2.00kg / 4.4lbs and the Wharfedale Crystal 4.2 weighs 4.20kg / 9.2lbs. This makes the Crystal 4.2 110% heavier than the Crystal 4.1.
Here is a comparison of how Crystal 4.1 and Crystal 4.2's weights compare with the average, max and min weights in Passive Bookshelf class.
Weight
All Bookshelf Speakers
What's in the Box of Wharfedale Crystal 4.2?
Here are the items that come with the Crystal 4.2:
- 2 Bookshelf loudspeakers
- 2 Grilles (pre-installed)
- User-feets Manual
- Installation Guide
 Height |
194mm
vs
266mm
|
Easier to fit in smaller spaces |
 Base Surface Area |
221cm2
vs
398cm2
|
Takes less floor space |
 Price per pair* |
299USD
vs
349USD
|
costs less (*prices may change depending on the seller, location and time) |
 Max Input Power |
100 watts
vs
60 watts
|
Handle more power from your amplifier |
 Sensitivity |
88 dB
vs
86 dB
|
Play louder with same amount of amplification power |
 Woofer Size |
5 inches
vs
4 inches
|
Larger woofer |
|
Low Frequency Response |
60 Hz
vs
75 Hz
|
Generates deeper bass |
| General |
Wharfedale Crystal 4.1 |
Wharfedale Crystal 4.2 |
| Brand |
Wharfedale |
Wharfedale |
| Speaker Type |
Bookshelf speakers |
Bookshelf speakers |
| Power Range |
20-60 watts |
20-100 watts |
| Sensitivity |
86 dB |
88 dB |
| Impedance |
8 ohms |
8 ohms |
| Impedance |
4.3 ohms |
n/a |
| Frequency Response |
75-20k Hz |
60-20k Hz |
Drivers |
|
|
| Woofer Quantity |
1 |
1 |
| Woofer Size |
4" |
5" |
| Woofer Composition |
Woven Kevlar |
Woven Kevlar |
| Woofer Surround Material |
n/a |
Rubber |
| Tweeter Size |
1" |
1" |
| Tweeter Type |
Soft-Dome |
Soft-dome |
| Aimable Tweeter |
No |
No |
| Midrange Driver |
No |
No |
| Crossover Frequency |
3400Hz |
n/a |
| Firing Direction |
rear |
rear |
Physical Specs |
|
|
| Height |
194.0mm (7.6") |
266.0mm (10.5") |
| Width |
141.0mm (5.6") |
181.0mm (7.1") |
| Depth |
157.0mm (6.2") |
220.0mm (8.7") |
| Weight |
2.00kg (4.4lbs) |
4.20kg (9.2lbs) |
| Enclosure |
Bass Reflex |
Bass reflex |
| Finish |
n/a |
Wood-grain vinyl |
| Available Colors |
n/a |
Walnut |
| Mounting Bracket |
|
No |
| Recommended Stand Height |
n/a |
24-28" |
| 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 |
Siblings in Wharfedale's Crystal series, so they share a family sound. It comes down to size, output and price.
| Area | Better | Why |
|---|
| Bass | B | Wharfedale Crystal 4.2 digs deeper - 60Hz against 75Hz. |
| Amplifier needs | B | Wharfedale Crystal 4.2 is more sensitive (88dB vs 86dB), so it goes louder on the same amplifier. |
| Headroom | B | Wharfedale Crystal 4.2 takes more power (100W vs 60W) - more in hand in a big room. |
| Size | depends | Wharfedale Crystal 4.1 is easier to place; Wharfedale Crystal 4.2 is bigger, which usually goes with fuller bass. Your room decides. |
| Expandability | depends | Wharfedale Crystal 4.1: bi-amping; Wharfedale Crystal 4.2: bi-amping. |
| Price | A | Wharfedale Crystal 4.1 is cheaper - $299 against $349, about 14% less. |
A Wharfedale Crystal 4.1 B Wharfedale Crystal 4.2
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?
Wharfedale Crystal 4.2 leads across most of the measured areas for a fairly modest premium, which makes it the easier pick if the budget stretches. Wharfedale Crystal 4.1 is the one to take if it does not. If a subwoofer is in your plans, the bass gap largely stops mattering - you would be crossing over above 75Hz anyway, which makes the cheaper Wharfedale Crystal 4.1 much easier to justify. Match it to your room: we rate Wharfedale Crystal 4.1 the better fit for near-field listening; elsewhere the two are rated the same.
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.