In this review, we will be comparing EVO4.C and Ultra Center, two Passive Center Channel speakers from Wharfedale and SVS.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of Wharfedale EVO4.C and SVS Ultra Center first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
| Key Specs | Wharfedale EVO4.C | SVS Ultra Center |
|---|
| Brand | Wharfedale
United Kingdom · founded 1932 | SVS
United States · founded 1998 |
|---|
| Design | 3-way | 3-way |
|---|
| Tweeter | 30 x 60mm" Air Motion Transformer (AMT) | 1" Dome |
|---|
| Midrange | 2" | 4" |
|---|
| Woofer | 2 x 6.5" woven Kevlar cone | 2 x 6.5" composite glass-fiber |
|---|
| Frequency response | 48-22k Hz | 45-32k Hz |
|---|
| Sensitivity | 90 dB | 87 dB |
|---|
| Impedance | 8 ohms | 8 ohms |
|---|
| Power range | 25-150 watts | 20-225 watts |
|---|
| Weight | 15.82kg / 34.8lbs | 14.09kg / 31lbs |
|---|
| Dimensions (H x W x D) | 9-15/16" x 29-9/16" x 15-5/16"
253.0 x 751.0 x 389.0mm | 8-1/8" x 22-1/16" x 11-3/16"
207.0 x 561.0 x 285.0mm |
|---|
What size room are the Wharfedale EVO4.C and SVS Ultra Center 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.C |
SVS Ultra Center |
| Near-field |
Poor |
Poor |
| Small Room |
Average |
Poor |
| Mid-size Room |
Good |
Good |
| Large Room |
Average |
Good |
| Very Large Room |
Poor |
Average |
(* 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.C and Ultra Center are 3-way speakers.
Wharfedale EVO4.CSVS Ultra Center
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.C |
SVS Ultra Center |
|
Driver Setup
|
3-way
|
3-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
30 x 60mm-inch
|
1-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
1 x 2-inch |
1 x 4-inch |
|
Woofer
|
2 x 6.5-inch
|
2 x 6.5-inch
|
EVO4.C features a 30 x 60mm" Air Motion Transformer (AMT) Tweeter, a 2" Midrange and 2 x 6.5" woven Kevlar cone Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 1500Hz and 3900HZ. On the other hand, the Ultra Center features a 1" aluminum Dome Tweeter, a 4" Midrange and 2 x 6.5" composite glass-fiber Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 500Hz and 2200Hz.
Frequency Response
EVO4.C has a frequency range of 48-22k Hz whereas Ultra Center has a frequency range of 45-32k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 45Hz, the Ultra Center can go slightly deeper then the EVO4.C'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 Center Channel class in our database.
Low Frequency
Center Channel 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.C and Ultra Center have the same Impedance of 8 ohms but where they differ is the sensitivity levels. EVO4.C sensitivity is rated at 90 dB and the Ultra Center's is at 87 dB. This 3 dB difference makes the Wharfedale EVO4.C a more sensitive speaker compared to SVS Ultra Center, hence will play louder with the same amount of watts.
Sensitivity
Center Channel 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.
Ultra Center can handle a max power of 225 watts RMS, whereas EVO4.C has a max power handling value of 150 watts RMS, 75 watts less than the Ultra Center.
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 EVO4.C and Ultra Center features dual binding post speaker terminals for bi-amping or bi-wiring.
Wharfedale EVO4.C's Binding post terminals allows Bi-amping or bi-wiring
SVS Ultra Center's 5-Way post terminals allows Bi-amping or bi-wiring
Cabinet Type and Port Position
Both EVO4.C and Ultra Center 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 EVO4.C's and SVS Ultra Center's external dimensions. Wharfedale EVO4.C has external dimensions of 253.0 x 751.0 x 389.0mm (9-15/16 x 29-9/16 x 15-5/16inch) whereas SVS Ultra Center has external dimensions of 207.0 x 561.0 x 285.0mm (8-1/8 x 22-1/16 x 11-3/16inch).
Wharfedale EVO4.C is clearly the larger of the two speakers. Its body is 190mm wider, 46mm taller and 104mm deeper than SVS Ultra Center.
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 EVO4.C needs about 83% more floor or shelf area. Wharfedale EVO4.C is 104mm deeper, so it stands that much further out from the wall. Wharfedale EVO4.C is 46mm 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 EVO4.C is approximately 2921.4cm2 / 452.8inch2 and base area of the SVS Ultra Center is approximately 1598.9cm2 / 247.8inch2. The EVO4.C requires 83% more surface area than the Ultra Center 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 EVO4.C weighs 15.82kg / 34.8lbs and the SVS Ultra Center weighs 14.09kg / 31lbs. This makes the EVO4.C 12% heavier than the Ultra Center.
Here is a comparison of how EVO4.C and Ultra Center's weights compare with the average, max and min weights in Passive Center Channel class.
Weight
All Center Channel Speakers
What's in the Box of Wharfedale EVO4.C?
Here are the items that are included inside the box of EVO4.C:
- Center-channel loudspeaker
- Grille
- 2 Foam port plugs (pre-installed)
- 2 Jumper-bars (pre-installed)
- 4 Self-adhesive rubber feet
- Pair of white cloth gloves
- User Manual
What's in the Box of SVS Ultra Center?
Here are the items that come with the Ultra Center:
- Center channel loudspeaker
- Grille
- 2 Terminal jumpers (pre-installed)
- 4 Rubber feet
- Owners Manual
- SVS brochure
- Online Product Registration Card
 Sensitivity |
90 dB
vs
87 dB
|
Play louder with same amount of amplification power |
 Max Input Power |
225 watts
vs
150 watts
|
Handle more power from your amplifier |
 Low Frequency Response |
45 Hz
vs
48 Hz
|
Generates deeper bass |
 High Frequency Response |
32k Hz
vs
22k Hz
|
Generates higher frequency |
 Height |
207mm
vs
253mm
|
Easier to fit in smaller spaces |
 Base Surface Area |
1598cm2
vs
2921cm2
|
Takes less floor space |
 Price per pair* |
799USD
vs
899USD
|
costs less (*prices may change depending on the seller, location and time) |
| General |
Wharfedale EVO4.C |
SVS Ultra Center |
| Brand |
Wharfedale |
SVS |
| Speaker Type |
Center channel speaker |
Center channel speaker |
| Power Range |
25-150 watts |
20-225 watts |
| Sensitivity |
90 dB |
87 dB |
| Impedance |
8 ohms |
8 ohms |
| Impedance |
4.3 ohms |
n/a |
| Frequency Response |
48-22k Hz |
45-32k Hz |
Drivers |
|
|
| Woofer Quantity |
2 |
2 |
| Woofer Size |
6.5" |
6.5" |
| Woofer Composition |
woven Kevlar cone |
composite glass-fiber |
| Woofer Surround Material |
n/a |
Rubber |
| Tweeter Size |
30 x 60mm" |
1" |
| Tweeter Type |
Air Motion Transformer (AMT) |
Dome |
| Aimable Tweeter |
No |
No |
| Midrange Driver |
2" |
4" |
| Crossover Frequency |
1500Hz and 3900HZ |
500Hz and 2200Hz |
| Firing Direction |
rear |
rear |
Physical Specs |
|
|
| Height |
253.0mm (10") |
207.0mm (8.1") |
| Width |
751.0mm (29.6") |
561.0mm (22.1") |
| Depth |
389.0mm (15.3") |
285.0mm (11.2") |
| Weight |
15.82kg (34.8lbs) |
14.09kg (31lbs) |
| Enclosure |
Bass Reflex |
Bass Reflex |
| Finish |
MDF/Wood-veneer |
n/a |
| Available Colors |
White, Walnut, Black |
Black Oak,Piano Gloss Black,Piano Gloss White |
| 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 |
A generation apart: Wharfedale EVO4.C is the newer design, against a 2013 model. Newer is not automatically better, but the older one is more likely to be discounted or near run-out.
| Area | Better | Why |
|---|
| Bass | B | SVS Ultra Center digs deeper - 45Hz against 48Hz. A subwoofer would even that out. |
| Amplifier needs | A | Wharfedale EVO4.C is more sensitive (90dB vs 87dB), so it goes louder on the same amplifier. |
| Headroom | B | SVS Ultra Center takes more power (225W vs 150W) - more in hand in a big room. |
| Size | depends | SVS Ultra Center is easier to place; Wharfedale EVO4.C is bigger, which usually goes with fuller bass. Your room decides. |
| Expandability | depends | Wharfedale EVO4.C: bi-amping; SVS Ultra Center: bi-amping. |
| Price | B | SVS Ultra Center is cheaper - $799 against $899, about 11% less. |
A Wharfedale EVO4.C B SVS Ultra Center
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?
SVS Ultra Center has the edge on paper, though the margin is not large. The rows marked "depends" may matter more to you than the score does. Match it to your room: we rate Wharfedale EVO4.C the better fit for a small room, and SVS Ultra Center for a large room and a very large room. In a large or open-plan room, Wharfedale EVO4.C has the cabinet volume to fill it more easily; in a small room, near a wall or at desk distance, SVS Ultra Center is the easier speaker to get right.
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.