In this review, we will be comparing EVO4.C and EVO4.CS, two Passive Center Channel speakers by Wharfedale.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of Wharfedale EVO4.C and Wharfedale EVO4.CS first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
| Key Specs | Wharfedale EVO4.C | Wharfedale EVO4.CS |
|---|
| Brand | Wharfedale
United Kingdom · founded 1932 | Wharfedale
United Kingdom · founded 1932 |
|---|
| Design | 3-way | 2-way |
|---|
| Tweeter | 30 x 60mm" Air Motion Transformer (AMT) | 30 x 60mm" Air Motion Transformer (AMT) |
|---|
| Midrange | 2" | — |
|---|
| Woofer | 2 x 6.5" woven Kevlar cone | 2 x 5" woven Kevlar cone |
|---|
| Frequency response | 48-22k Hz | 50-22k Hz |
|---|
| Sensitivity | 90 dB | 89 dB |
|---|
| Impedance | 8 ohms | 8 ohms |
|---|
| Power range | 25-150 watts | 25-100 watts |
|---|
| Weight | 15.82kg / 34.8lbs | 11.62kg / 25.6lbs |
|---|
| 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 | 7-5/16" x 23-1/16" x 12-1/4"
186.0 x 586.0 x 312.0mm |
|---|
EVO4.C and EVO4.CS are members of Wharfedale's EVO4 series of speakers. Below you can find the loudspeakers from this series.
Wharfedale EVO4 Series
History
What size room are the Wharfedale EVO4.C and Wharfedale EVO4.CS 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 |
Wharfedale EVO4.CS |
| Near-field |
Poor |
Average |
| Small Room |
Average |
Good |
| Mid-size Room |
Good |
Average |
| 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 EVO4.C is a 3-way design whereas the EVO4.CS 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 EVO4.CWharfedale EVO4.CS
MidrangeWoofer
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 |
Wharfedale EVO4.CS |
|
Driver Setup
|
3-way
|
2-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
30 x 60mm-inch
|
30 x 60mm-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
1 x 2-inch |
- |
|
Woofer
|
2 x 6.5-inch
|
2 x 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 EVO4.CS features a 30 x 60mm" Air Motion Transformer (AMT) Tweeter and 2 x 5" woven Kevlar cone Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 2700Hz.
Frequency Response
EVO4.C has a frequency range of 48-22k Hz whereas EVO4.CS has a frequency range of 50-22k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 48Hz, the EVO4.C can go slightly deeper then the EVO4.CS'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 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 EVO4.CS 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 EVO4.CS's is at 89 dB. This 1 dB difference makes the Wharfedale EVO4.C a more sensitive speaker compared to Wharfedale EVO4.CS, 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.
EVO4.C can handle a max power of 150 watts RMS, whereas EVO4.CS has a max power handling value of 100 watts RMS, 50 watts less than the EVO4.C.
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 EVO4.CS 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
Wharfedale EVO4.CS's Binding post terminals allows Bi-amping or bi-wiring
Cabinet Type and Port Position
Both EVO4.C and EVO4.CS 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 Wharfedale EVO4.CS'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 Wharfedale EVO4.CS has external dimensions of 186.0 x 586.0 x 312.0mm (7-5/16 x 23-1/16 x 12-1/4inch).
Wharfedale EVO4.C is clearly the larger of the two speakers. Its body is 165mm wider, 67mm taller and 77mm deeper than Wharfedale EVO4.CS.
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 60% more floor or shelf area. Wharfedale EVO4.C is 77mm deeper, so it stands that much further out from the wall. Wharfedale EVO4.C is 67mm 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 Wharfedale EVO4.CS is approximately 1828.3cm2 / 283.4inch2. The EVO4.C requires 60% more surface area than the EVO4.CS 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 Wharfedale EVO4.CS weighs 11.62kg / 25.6lbs. This makes the EVO4.C 36% heavier than the EVO4.CS.
Here is a comparison of how EVO4.C and EVO4.CS'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 Wharfedale EVO4.CS?
Here are the items that come with the EVO4.CS:
- 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
 Max Input Power |
150 watts
vs
100 watts
|
Handle more power from your amplifier |
 Driver Setup |
3-way
vs
2-way
|
Have a dedicated mid-range driver |
 Sensitivity |
90 dB
vs
89 dB
|
Play louder with same amount of amplification power |
 Woofer Size |
6.5 inches
vs
5 inches
|
Larger woofer |
|
Low Frequency Response |
48 Hz
vs
50 Hz
|
Generates deeper bass |
 Minimum Impedance |
4.4 ohms
vs
4.3 ohms
|
Very low impedance levels puts more pressure on amplifier |
 Height |
186mm
vs
253mm
|
Easier to fit in smaller spaces |
 Base Surface Area |
1828cm2
vs
2921cm2
|
Takes less floor space |
 Price per pair* |
699USD
vs
899USD
|
costs less (*prices may change depending on the seller, location and time) |
| General |
Wharfedale EVO4.C |
Wharfedale EVO4.CS |
| Brand |
Wharfedale |
Wharfedale |
| Speaker Type |
Center channel speaker |
Center channel speaker |
| Power Range |
25-150 watts |
25-100 watts |
| Sensitivity |
90 dB |
89 dB |
| Impedance |
8 ohms |
8 ohms |
| Impedance |
4.3 ohms |
4.4 ohms |
| Frequency Response |
48-22k Hz |
50-22k Hz |
Drivers |
|
|
| Woofer Quantity |
2 |
2 |
| Woofer Size |
6.5" |
5" |
| Woofer Composition |
woven Kevlar cone |
woven Kevlar cone |
| Tweeter Size |
30 x 60mm" |
30 x 60mm" |
| Tweeter Type |
Air Motion Transformer (AMT) |
Air Motion Transformer (AMT) |
| Aimable Tweeter |
No |
No |
| Midrange Driver |
2" |
No |
| Crossover Frequency |
1500Hz and 3900HZ |
2700Hz |
| Firing Direction |
rear |
rear |
Physical Specs |
|
|
| Height |
253.0mm (10") |
186.0mm (7.3") |
| Width |
751.0mm (29.6") |
586.0mm (23.1") |
| Depth |
389.0mm (15.3") |
312.0mm (12.3") |
| Weight |
15.82kg (34.8lbs) |
11.62kg (25.6lbs) |
| Enclosure |
Bass Reflex |
Bass Reflex |
| Finish |
MDF/Wood-veneer |
MDF/Wood-veneer |
| Available Colors |
White, Walnut, Black |
White, 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 |
Siblings in Wharfedale's EVO4 series, so they share a family sound. It comes down to size, output and price.
| Area | Better | Why |
|---|
| Bass | evenly matched | Much the same reach (48Hz vs 50Hz). |
| Amplifier needs | evenly matched | Similar sensitivity (90dB vs 89dB) - both want much the same power. |
| Headroom | A | Wharfedale EVO4.C takes more power (150W vs 100W) - more in hand in a big room. |
| Size | depends | Wharfedale EVO4.CS 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; Wharfedale EVO4.CS: bi-amping. |
| Price | B | Wharfedale EVO4.CS is cheaper - $699 against $899, about 22% less. |
A Wharfedale EVO4.C B Wharfedale EVO4.CS
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 EVO4.C measures better, Wharfedale EVO4.CS costs about about 29% 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 EVO4.C the better fit for a mid-size room and a large room, and Wharfedale EVO4.CS for near-field listening and a small 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, Wharfedale EVO4.CS 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.