In this review, we will be comparing EVO4.4 and EVO5.4, two Passive Floor-standing speakers by Wharfedale.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of Wharfedale EVO4.4 and Wharfedale EVO5.4 first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
| Key Specs | Wharfedale EVO4.4 | Wharfedale EVO5.4 |
|---|
| Design | 3-way | 3-way |
|---|
| Tweeter | 1.18x2.36" AMT (Ribbon) | 1.375" AMT (Ribbon) |
|---|
| Midrange | 2" | 2" |
|---|
| Woofer | 2 x 6.5" Kevlar | 2 x 6.5" woven Kevlar |
|---|
| Frequency response | 44-22k Hz | 42-24k Hz |
|---|
| Sensitivity | 89 dB | 90 dB |
|---|
| Impedance | 8 ohms | 4 ohms |
|---|
| Power range | 30-200 watts | 30-200 watts |
|---|
| Weight | 25.60kg / 56.3lbs | 31.27kg / 68.8lbs |
|---|
| Dimensions (H x W x D) | 41.7" x 9.8" x 14.2"
1060.0 x 250.0 x 360.0mm | 40.5" x 11.9" x 15.4"
1028.0 x 302.0 x 391.0mm |
|---|
What size room are the Wharfedale EVO4.4 and Wharfedale EVO5.4 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 EVO4.4 |
Wharfedale EVO5.4 |
| 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.
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Drivers
Both EVO4.4 and EVO5.4 are 3-way speakers.
Wharfedale EVO4.4Wharfedale EVO5.4
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 EVO4.4 |
Wharfedale EVO5.4 |
|
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 6.5-inch
|
2 x 6.5-inch
|
EVO4.4 features a 1.18x2.36" AMT (Ribbon) Tweeter, a 2" Midrange and 2 x 6.5" Kevlar Woofer. On the other hand, the EVO5.4 features a 1.375" SilentWeave cotton and felt damping fiber AMT (Ribbon) Tweeter, a 2" Midrange and 2 x 6.5" woven Kevlar Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 1.1 kHz and 4 kHz.
Frequency Response
EVO4.4 has a frequency range of 44-22k Hz whereas EVO5.4 has a frequency range of 42-24k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 42Hz, the EVO5.4 can go slightly deeper then the EVO4.4's min frequency of 44Hz.
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
EVO4.4 is a 8 ohms speaker compared to the EVO5.4 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 EVO5.4 can provide this impedance level.
These two speakers also have different sensitivity levels. EVO4.4 sensitivity is rated at 89 dB and the EVO5.4's is rated at 90 dB. This 1 dB difference makes the Wharfedale EVO5.4 a more sensitive speaker compared to Wharfedale EVO4.4, 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.
EVO4.4 and EVO5.4 have the same power range of 30-200 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
EVO4.4 features Binding post posts which make bi-amping or bi-wiring possible. EVO5.4 has a Binding post which doesn't feature bi-amping/bi-wiring.
Wharfedale EVO4.4's Binding post terminals allows Bi-amping or bi-wiring
Wharfedale EVO5.4's Binding post terminals
Cabinet Type and Port Position
Both EVO4.4 and EVO5.4 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 EVO4.4's and Wharfedale EVO5.4's external dimensions. Wharfedale EVO4.4 has external dimensions of 1060.0 x 250.0 x 360.0mm (41.7 x 9.8 x 14.2inch) whereas Wharfedale EVO5.4 has external dimensions of 1028.0 x 302.0 x 391.0mm (40.5" × 11.9" × 15.4").
Wharfedale EVO4.4 is 52mm narrower and 31mm less deeper than Wharfedale EVO5.4 but it is also 32mm taller.
Below you can see the front view size comparison of Wharfedale EVO4.4 and Wharfedale EVO5.4 in scale.
Comparison image of Wharfedale EVO4.4 and Wharfedale EVO5.4 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 EVO4.4 is approximately 900.0cm2 / 139.5inch2 and base area of the Wharfedale EVO5.4 is approximately 1180.8cm2 / 183.0inch2. The EVO4.4 requires 24% less surface area than the EVO5.4 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 EVO4.4 weighs 25.60kg / 56.3lbs and the Wharfedale EVO5.4 weighs 31.27kg / 68.8lbs. This makes the EVO5.4 22% heavier than the EVO4.4.
Here is a comparison of how EVO4.4 and EVO5.4'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 Wharfedale EVO4.4?
Here are the items that are included inside the box of EVO4.4:
- 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 EVO5.4?
Here are the items that come with the EVO5.4:
- 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
 Nominal Impedance |
8 ohms
vs
4 ohms
|
Less selective with amplifiers |
 Bi-Amping and Bi-Wiring |
Yes
vs
No
|
Allows bi-amping and bi-wiring connections |
 Base Surface Area |
900cm2
vs
1180cm2
|
Takes less floor space |
 Price per pair* |
2198USD
vs
2199USD
|
costs less (*prices may change depending on the seller, location and time) |
 Sensitivity |
90 dB
vs
89 dB
|
Play louder with same amount of amplification power |
 Low Frequency Response |
42 Hz
vs
44 Hz
|
Generates deeper bass |
 High Frequency Response |
24k Hz
vs
22k Hz
|
Generates higher frequency |
 Height |
1028mm
vs
1060mm
|
Easier to fit in smaller spaces |
| General |
Wharfedale EVO4.4 |
Wharfedale EVO5.4 |
| Brand |
Wharfedale |
Wharfedale |
| Speaker Type |
Floor-standing speaker |
Floor-standing speaker |
| Power Range |
30-200 watts |
30-200 watts |
| Sensitivity |
89 dB |
90 dB |
| Impedance |
8 ohms |
4 ohms |
| Impedance |
4.3 ohms |
4.3 ohms |
| Frequency Response |
44-22k Hz |
42-24k Hz |
Drivers |
|
|
| Woofer Quantity |
2 |
2 |
| Woofer Size |
6.5" |
6.5" |
| Woofer Composition |
Kevlar |
woven Kevlar |
| Woofer Surround Material |
Rubber |
Rubber |
| Tweeter Size |
1.18x2.36" |
1.375" |
| Tweeter Type |
AMT (Ribbon) |
AMT (Ribbon) |
| Aimable Tweeter |
No |
No |
| Midrange Driver |
2" |
2" |
| Crossover Frequency |
n/a |
1.1 kHz and 4 kHz |
| Firing Direction |
bottom |
bottom |
Physical Specs |
|
|
| Height |
1060.0mm (41.7") |
1028.0mm (40.5") |
| Width |
250.0mm (9.8") |
302.0mm (11.9") |
| Depth |
360.0mm (14.2") |
391.0mm (15.4") |
| Weight |
25.60kg (56.3lbs) |
31.27kg (68.8lbs) |
| Enclosure |
Bass Reflex |
Bass Reflex |
| Finish |
MDF/Wood-veneer |
MDF/Wood-veneer |
| Available Colors |
Walnut |
Walnut, Grey. Black, White |
| 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 |
A generation apart: Wharfedale EVO5.4 is the newer design, against a 2019 model. Newer is not automatically better, but the older one is more likely to be discounted or near run-out.
| Area | Better | Why |
|---|
| Bass |
evenly matched |
Much the same reach (44Hz vs 42Hz). |
| Amplifier needs |
evenly matched |
Similar sensitivity (89dB vs 90dB) - both want much the same power. |
| Amplifier match |
A |
Wharfedale EVO4.4 is the easier load at 8 ohms; the other is 4 ohms and wants an amplifier rated for it. |
| Headroom |
evenly matched |
Similar power handling (200W vs 200W). |
| Size |
depends |
Wharfedale EVO4.4 is easier to place; Wharfedale EVO5.4 is bigger, which usually goes with fuller bass. Your room decides. |
| Expandability |
A |
Wharfedale EVO4.4: bi-amping. |
| Price |
evenly matched |
Much the same money ($2,198 vs $2,199 a pair). |
A Wharfedale EVO4.4
B Wharfedale EVO5.4
depends neither is better in the abstract - it turns on your room, placement 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 EVO4.4 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 your amplifier is modest, vintage or valve-based, Wharfedale EVO4.4 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.