In this review, we will be comparing EVO4.3 and EVO5.3, two Passive Floor-standing speakers by Wharfedale.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of Wharfedale EVO4.3 and Wharfedale EVO5.3 first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
| Key Specs | Wharfedale EVO4.3 | Wharfedale EVO5.3 |
|---|
| Brand | Wharfedale
United Kingdom · founded 1932 | Wharfedale
United Kingdom · founded 1932 |
|---|
| Design | 3-way | 3-way |
|---|
| Tweeter | 1.18x2.36" AMT (Ribbon) | 1.375" AMT (Ribbon) |
|---|
| Midrange | 2" | 2" |
|---|
| Woofer | 2 x 5" Kevlar | 2 x 5" woven Kevlar |
|---|
| Frequency response | 48-22k Hz | 46-24k Hz |
|---|
| Sensitivity | 89 dB | 88 dB |
|---|
| Impedance | 8 ohms | 4 ohms |
|---|
| Power range | 25-150 watts | 25-150 watts |
|---|
| Weight | — | 21.55kg / 47.4lbs |
|---|
| Dimensions (H x W x D) | 34-1/2" x 9-1/4" x 13-1/4"
877.0 x 235.0 x 337.0mm | 36.7" x 10.5" x 12.8"
933.0 x 266.0 x 325.0mm |
|---|
What size room are the Wharfedale EVO4.3 and Wharfedale EVO5.3 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 EVO4.3 |
Wharfedale EVO5.3 |
| Near-field |
Bad |
Bad |
| Small Room |
Poor |
Poor |
| Mid-size Room |
Good |
Good |
| Large Room |
Good |
Good |
| 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.)
The sections below take each area in turn: drivers, frequency response, physical size and what you get in the box.
Drivers
Both EVO4.3 and EVO5.3 are 3-way speakers.
Wharfedale EVO4.3Wharfedale EVO5.3
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 EVO4.3 |
Wharfedale EVO5.3 |
|
Driver Setup
|
3-way
|
3-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
1.18x2.36-inch
|
1.375-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
1 x 2-inch |
1 x 2-inch |
|
Woofer
|
2 x 5-inch
|
2 x 5-inch
|
EVO4.3 features a 1.18x2.36" AMT (Ribbon) Tweeter, a 2" Midrange and 2 x 5" Kevlar Woofer. On the other hand, the EVO5.3 features a 1.375" SilentWeave cotton and felt damping fiber AMT (Ribbon) Tweeter, a 2" Midrange and 2 x 5" woven Kevlar Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 825 Hz and 4 kHz.
Frequency Response
EVO4.3 has a frequency range of 48-22k Hz whereas EVO5.3 has a frequency range of 46-24k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 46Hz, the EVO5.3 can go slightly deeper then the EVO4.3's min frequency of 48Hz.
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
EVO4.3 is a 8 ohms speaker compared to the EVO5.3 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 EVO5.3 can provide this impedance level.
These two speakers also have different sensitivity levels. EVO4.3 sensitivity is rated at 89 dB and the EVO5.3's is rated at 88 dB. This 1 dB difference makes the Wharfedale EVO4.3 a more sensitive speaker compared to Wharfedale EVO5.3, 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.
EVO4.3 and EVO5.3 have the same power range of 25-150 watts.
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
EVO4.3 features Binding post posts which make bi-amping or bi-wiring possible. EVO5.3 has a Binding post which doesn't feature bi-amping/bi-wiring.
Wharfedale EVO5.3's Binding post terminals
Cabinet Type and Port Position
Both EVO4.3 and EVO5.3 have bottom firing ports.
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 EVO4.3's and Wharfedale EVO5.3's external dimensions. Wharfedale EVO4.3 has external dimensions of 877.0 x 235.0 x 337.0mm (34-1/2 x 9-1/4 x 13-1/4inch) whereas Wharfedale EVO5.3 has external dimensions of 933.0 x 266.0 x 325.0mm (36.7" × 10.5" × 12.8").
Wharfedale EVO4.3 is 31mm narrower and 56mm shorter than Wharfedale EVO5.3 but it is also 12mm deeper.
Below you can see the front view size comparison of Wharfedale EVO4.3 and Wharfedale EVO5.3 in scale.
Comparison image of Wharfedale EVO4.3 and Wharfedale EVO5.3 Size and External Dimensions
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 EVO4.3 is approximately 792.0cm2 / 122.8inch2 and base area of the Wharfedale EVO5.3 is approximately 864.5cm2 / 134.0inch2. The EVO4.3 requires 8% less surface area than the EVO5.3 which gives it a small advantage on placement in tight spaces.
What's in the Box of Wharfedale EVO4.3?
Here are the items that are included inside the box of EVO4.3:
- Floorstanding loudspeaker
- Grille
- 4 Outrigger feet (pre-installed)
- 4 Spikes (pre-installed)
- 4 Isolation pucks
- 2 Jumper-bars (pre-installed)
- Pair of white cloth gloves
- User Manual
What's in the Box of Wharfedale EVO5.3?
Here are the items that come with the EVO5.3:
- Floorstanding loudspeaker
- Grille
- 4 Outrigger feet (pre-installed)
- 4 Spikes (pre-installed)
- 4 Isolation pucks
- 2 Jumper-bars (pre-installed)
- Pair of white cloth gloves
- User Manual