In this review, we will be comparing Crystal 4.3 and RP-4000F, two Passive Floor-standing speakers from Wharfedale and Klipsch.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of Wharfedale Crystal 4.3 and Klipsch RP-4000F first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
| Key Specs | Wharfedale Crystal 4.3 | Klipsch RP-4000F |
|---|
| Brand | Wharfedale
United Kingdom · founded 1932 | Klipsch
United States · founded 1946 |
|---|
| Design | 3-way | 2-way |
|---|
| Tweeter | 1" Soft-Dome | 1" Tractrix Horn |
|---|
| Midrange | 5" | — |
|---|
| Woofer | 6.5" Polypropylene | 2 x 4" Cerametallic |
|---|
| Frequency response | 50-20k Hz | 37-25k Hz |
|---|
| Sensitivity | 88 dB | 95 dB |
|---|
| Impedance | 8 ohms | 8 ohms |
|---|
| Power range | 25-120 watts | up to 75 watts |
|---|
| Weight | 14.50kg / 31.9lbs | 13.18kg / 29lbs |
|---|
| 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 | 34-1/4" x 7-3/8" x 11-3/8"
870.0 x 188.0 x 289.0mm |
|---|
What size room are the Wharfedale Crystal 4.3 and Klipsch RP-4000F 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 |
Klipsch RP-4000F |
| Near-field |
Poor |
Poor |
| Small Room |
Average |
Average |
| Mid-size Room |
Good |
Good |
| Large Room |
Average |
Average |
| Very Large Room |
Poor |
No way |
(* 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 RP-4000F 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 4.3Klipsch RP-4000F
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 |
Klipsch RP-4000F |
|
Driver Setup
|
3-way
|
2-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
1-inch
|
1-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
1 x 5-inch |
- |
|
Woofer
|
1 x 6.5-inch
|
2 x 4-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 RP-4000F features a 1" Tractrix Horn Tweeter and 2 x 4" Cerametallic Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 1500 Hz.
Frequency Response
Crystal 4.3 has a frequency range of 50-20k Hz whereas RP-4000F has a frequency range of 37-25k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 37Hz, the RP-4000F can go significantly deeper on the low side and provide stronger bass compared to 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 RP-4000F have the same Impedance of 8 ohms but where they differ is the sensitivity levels. Crystal 4.3 sensitivity is rated at 88 dB and the RP-4000F's is at 95 dB. This 7 dB difference makes the Klipsch RP-4000F a more sensitive speaker compared to Wharfedale Crystal 4.3, 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. 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 RP-4000F has a max power handling value of 75 watts RMS, 45 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
Both Crystal 4.3 and RP-4000F features dual binding post speaker terminals for bi-amping or bi-wiring.
Cabinet Type and Port Position
Both Crystal 4.3 and RP-4000F 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 4.3's and Klipsch RP-4000F'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 Klipsch RP-4000F has external dimensions of 870.0 x 188.0 x 289.0mm (34-1/4 x 7-3/8 x 11-3/8inch).
Klipsch RP-4000F is 17mm narrower and 52mm shorter than Wharfedale Crystal 4.3 but it is also 34mm deeper.
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.
Near-identical footprints. Klipsch RP-4000F is 34mm deeper, so it stands that much further out from the wall. Wharfedale Crystal 4.3 is 52mm 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 Klipsch RP-4000F is approximately 543.3cm2 / 84.2inch2. The Crystal 4.3 requires 4% less surface area than the RP-4000F 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 4.3 weighs 14.50kg / 31.9lbs and the Klipsch RP-4000F weighs 13.18kg / 29lbs. This makes the Crystal 4.3 10% heavier than the RP-4000F.
Here is a comparison of how Crystal 4.3 and RP-4000F'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 Klipsch RP-4000F?
Here are the items that come with the RP-4000F:
- Floorstanding loudspeaker
- Stabilizer feet (installed)
- Grille (installed)
- 2 Terminal jumpers (installed)
- User Manual
- Important Safety Instructions
- Warranty Information
 Max Input Power |
120 watts
vs
75 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
4 inches
|
Larger woofer |
 Base Surface Area |
522cm2
vs
543cm2
|
Takes less floor space |
 Sensitivity |
95 dB
vs
88 dB
|
Play louder with same amount of amplification power |
|
Number of Woofers |
2
vs
1
|
More woofers |
|
Low Frequency Response |
37 Hz
vs
50 Hz
|
Generates deeper bass |
 High Frequency Response |
25k Hz
vs
20k Hz
|
Generates higher frequency |
 Height |
870mm
vs
922mm
|
Easier to fit in smaller spaces |
 Price per pair* |
698USD
vs
699USD
|
costs less (*prices may change depending on the seller, location and time) |
| General |
Wharfedale Crystal 4.3 |
Klipsch Reference Premiere RP-4000F |
| Brand |
Wharfedale |
Klipsch |
| Speaker Type |
Floor-standing speaker |
Floor-standing speaker |
| Power Range |
25-120 watts |
up to 75 watts |
| Sensitivity |
88 dB |
95 dB |
| Impedance |
8 ohms |
8 ohms |
| Impedance |
3.7 ohms |
n/a |
| Frequency Response |
50-20k Hz |
37-25k Hz |
Drivers |
|
|
| Woofer Quantity |
1 |
2 |
| Woofer Size |
6.5" |
4" |
| Woofer Composition |
Polypropylene |
Cerametallic |
| Woofer Surround Material |
n/a |
Rubber |
| Tweeter Size |
1" |
1" |
| Tweeter Type |
Soft-Dome |
Tractrix Horn |
| Aimable Tweeter |
No |
No |
| Midrange Driver |
5" |
No |
| Crossover Frequency |
500Hz and 2000Hz |
1500 Hz |
| Firing Direction |
rear |
rear |
Physical Specs |
|
|
| Height |
922.0mm (36.3") |
870.0mm (34.3") |
| Width |
205.0mm (8.1") |
188.0mm (7.4") |
| Depth |
255.0mm (10") |
289.0mm (11.4") |
| Weight |
14.50kg (31.9lbs) |
13.18kg (29lbs) |
| Enclosure |
Bass Reflex |
Bass Reflex |
| Finish |
n/a |
MDF/Wood-grain vinyl |
| Available Colors |
n/a |
Walnut, Black |
| 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 |
No single best speaker here - they are built to different priorities, and the right one depends on your room, your amplifier and what you listen to.
| Area | Better | Why |
|---|
| Bass | B | Klipsch RP-4000F digs deeper - 37Hz against 50Hz. |
| Amplifier needs | B | Klipsch RP-4000F is more sensitive (95dB vs 88dB), so it goes louder on the same amplifier. |
| Headroom | A | Wharfedale Crystal 4.3 takes more power (120W vs 75W) - more in hand in a big room. |
| Size | depends | Similar cabinet size - neither is easier to fit. |
| Expandability | depends | Wharfedale Crystal 4.3: bi-amping; Klipsch RP-4000F: bi-amping. Klipsch RP-4000F sits in a wider range (17 models), so a matched surround system is easier later. |
| Price | evenly matched | Much the same money ($699 vs $698 a pair). |
A Wharfedale Crystal 4.3 B Klipsch RP-4000F
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?
Klipsch RP-4000F has the edge on paper, though the margin is not large. The rows marked "depends" may matter more to you than the score does. If a subwoofer is in your plans, the bass gap largely stops mattering - you would be crossing over above 50Hz anyway, so judge these on the other rows instead. If your amplifier is modest, vintage or valve-based, Klipsch RP-4000F is the safer partner - the other will want more current or more watts to sound its best.
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.