In this review, we will be comparing Crystal 4.3 and S 805, two Passive Floor-standing speakers from Wharfedale and Jamo.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of Wharfedale Crystal 4.3 and Jamo S 805 first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
| Key Specs | Wharfedale Crystal 4.3 | Jamo S 805 |
|---|
| Brand | Wharfedale
United Kingdom · founded 1932 | Jamo
Denmark · founded 1966 |
|---|
| Design | 3-way | 2-way |
|---|
| Tweeter | 1" Soft-Dome | 1" |
|---|
| Midrange | 5" | — |
|---|
| Woofer | 6.5" Polypropylene | 5" Aluminized Polyfiber |
|---|
| Frequency response | 50-20k Hz | 49-26k Hz |
|---|
| Sensitivity | 88 dB | 88 dB |
|---|
| Impedance | 8 ohms | 8 ohms |
|---|
| Power range | 25-120 watts | up to 80 watts |
|---|
| Weight | 14.50kg / 31.9lbs | 8.60kg / 18.9lbs |
|---|
| Dimensions (H x W x D) | 36-5/16" x 8-1/16" x 10-1/16"
922.0 x 205.0 x 255.0mm | 31" x 7-1/2" x 9-15/16"
787 x 191 x 252 mm |
|---|
What size room are the Wharfedale Crystal 4.3 and Jamo S 805 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 4.3 |
Jamo S 805 |
| Near-field |
Poor |
Poor |
| Small Room |
Average |
Average |
| Mid-size Room |
Good |
Good |
| Large Room |
Average |
Poor |
| Very Large Room |
Poor |
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
One of the fundamental differences between these two speakers is that Crystal 4.3 is a 3-way design whereas the S 805 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.
Wharfedale Crystal 4.3Jamo S 805
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 Crystal 4.3 |
Jamo S 805 |
|
Driver Setup
|
3-way
|
2-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
1-inch
|
1-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
1 x 5-inch |
- |
|
Woofer
|
1 x 6.5-inch
|
1 x 5-inch
|
Crystal 4.3 features a 1" Soft-Dome Tweeter, a 5" Midrange and 1 x 6.5" Polypropylene Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 500Hz and 2000Hz. On the other hand, the S 805 features a 1" Tweeter and 1 x 5" Aluminized Polyfiber Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 2000Hz.
Frequency Response
Crystal 4.3 has a frequency range of 50-20k Hz whereas S 805 has a frequency range of 49-26k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 49Hz, the S 805 can go slightly deeper then the Crystal 4.3's min frequency of 50Hz.
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
Crystal 4.3 and S 805 have the same Impedance of 8 ohms and their sensitivity is also same at 88 dB.
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.
Crystal 4.3 can handle a max power of 120 watts RMS, whereas S 805 has a max power handling value of 80 watts RMS, 40 watts less than the Crystal 4.3.
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
Crystal 4.3 features Binding post posts which make bi-amping or bi-wiring possible. S 805 has a Binding post which doesn't feature bi-amping/bi-wiring.
Jamo S 805's Binding post terminals
Cabinet Type and Port Position
Crystal 4.3 has a rear firing port whereas S 805 has a front firing ports. Jamo S 805's front-firing port gives more flexibility in placement in regards to proximity to walls compared to Wharfedale Crystal 4.3 with its rear-firing port.
Jamo S 805 Port
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 4.3's and Jamo S 805's external dimensions. Wharfedale Crystal 4.3 has external dimensions of 922.0 x 205.0 x 255.0mm (36-5/16 x 8-1/16 x 10-1/16inch) whereas Jamo S 805 has external dimensions of 787 x 191 x 252 mm (31 x 7-1/2 x 9-15/16 inch).
Wharfedale Crystal 4.3 is clearly the larger of the two speakers. Its body is 14mm wider, 135mm taller and 3mm deeper than Jamo S 805.
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 4.3 needs about 9% more floor or shelf area. Wharfedale Crystal 4.3 is 135mm 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 4.3 is approximately 522.8cm2 / 81.0inch2 and base area of the Jamo S 805 is approximately 481.3cm2 / 74.6inch2. The Crystal 4.3 requires 9% more surface area than the S 805 which gives it a small disadvantage 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 4.3 weighs 14.50kg / 31.9lbs and the Jamo S 805 weighs 8.60kg / 18.9lbs. This makes the Crystal 4.3 69% heavier than the S 805.
Here is a comparison of how Crystal 4.3 and S 805'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 Jamo S 805?
Here are the items that come with the S 805:
- 2 Floorstanding loudspeakers
- 2 Grilles
- 8 Mounting feet
- 16 Screws
- User Manual
- Important Safety Instructions
- Warranty Information
 Max Input Power |
120 watts
vs
80 watts
|
Handle more power from your amplifier |
 Driver Setup |
3-way
vs
2-way
|
Have a dedicated mid-range driver |
 Woofer Size |
6.5 inches
vs
5 inches
|
Larger woofer |
 Bi-Amping and Bi-Wiring |
Yes
vs
No
|
Allows bi-amping and bi-wiring connections |
|
Low Frequency Response |
49 Hz
vs
50 Hz
|
Generates deeper bass |
 High Frequency Response |
26k Hz
vs
20k Hz
|
Generates higher frequency |
 Port Position |
Front
vs
Rear
|
Gives more flexibility placing close to walls |
 Height |
787mm
vs
922mm
|
Easier to fit in smaller spaces |
 Base Surface Area |
481cm2
vs
522cm2
|
Takes less floor space |
 Price per pair* |
344USD
vs
699USD
|
costs less (*prices may change depending on the seller, location and time) |
| General |
Wharfedale Crystal 4.3 |
Jamo Studio S 805 |
| Brand |
Wharfedale |
Jamo |
| Speaker Type |
Floor-standing speaker |
Floor-standing |
| Power Range |
25-120 watts |
up to 80 watts |
| Sensitivity |
88 dB |
88 dB |
| Impedance |
8 ohms |
8 ohms |
| Impedance |
3.7 ohms |
n/a |
| Frequency Response |
50-20k Hz |
49-26k Hz |
Drivers |
|
|
| Woofer Quantity |
1 |
1 |
| Woofer Size |
6.5" |
5" |
| Woofer Composition |
Polypropylene |
Aluminized Polyfiber |
| Woofer Surround Material |
n/a |
Rubber |
| Tweeter Size |
1" |
1" |
| Tweeter Type |
Soft-Dome |
n/a |
| Aimable Tweeter |
No |
No |
| Midrange Driver |
5" |
No |
| Crossover Frequency |
500Hz and 2000Hz |
2000Hz |
| Firing Direction |
rear |
front |
Physical Specs |
|
|
| Height |
922.0mm (36.3") |
787.0mm (31") |
| Width |
205.0mm (8.1") |
191.0mm (7.5") |
| Depth |
255.0mm (10") |
252.0mm (9.9") |
| Weight |
14.50kg (31.9lbs) |
8.60kg (18.9lbs) |
| Enclosure |
Bass Reflex |
Bass Reflex |
| Finish |
n/a |
MDF/Vinyl |
| Available Colors |
n/a |
Walnut |
| Grille |
Yes |
Yes |
| Moisture Resistancy |
No |
No |
Connections |
|
|
| Biamp Inputs |
Yes |
No |
Other |
|
|
| Parts Warranty |
5 Years |
5 Years |
| Labor Warranty |
5 Years |
5 Years |
These sit in different price classes - Wharfedale Crystal 4.3 costs roughly 2x what Jamo S 805 does. Expect it to lead on paper; the question is whether the gap is audible enough in your room to be worth it.
| Area | Better | Why |
|---|
| Bass | evenly matched | Much the same reach (50Hz vs 49Hz). |
| Amplifier needs | evenly matched | Similar sensitivity (88dB vs 88dB) - both want much the same power. |
| Headroom | A | Wharfedale Crystal 4.3 takes more power (120W vs 80W) - more in hand in a big room. |
| Size | depends | Jamo S 805 is easier to place; Wharfedale Crystal 4.3 is bigger, which usually goes with fuller bass. Your room decides. |
| Expandability | A | Wharfedale Crystal 4.3: bi-amping. |
| Price | B | Jamo S 805 is cheaper - $344 against $699, about 51% less; arguably a different class. |
A Wharfedale Crystal 4.3 B Jamo S 805
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?
The usual trade-off: Wharfedale Crystal 4.3 measures better, Jamo S 805 costs about about 103% more% less. Whether that gap is worth the money is the call only you can make - and in a normal room it is often smaller than the numbers suggest. Match it to your room: we rate Wharfedale Crystal 4.3 the better fit for a large room; elsewhere the two are rated the same. Think about the whole system, not just the speakers: the roughly $355 saved by taking the cheaper pair would buy a subwoofer or a better amplifier, and either usually does more for the sound than the difference between these two.
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.