In this review, we will be comparing EVO4.C and EVO5.C, two Passive Center Channel speakers by Wharfedale.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of Wharfedale EVO4.C and Wharfedale EVO5.C first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
| Key Specs | Wharfedale EVO4.C | Wharfedale EVO5.C |
|---|
| Brand | Wharfedale
United Kingdom · founded 1932 | Wharfedale
United Kingdom · founded 1932 |
|---|
| Design | 3-way | 2-way |
|---|
| Tweeter | 30 x 60mm" Air Motion Transformer (AMT) | 1.375" AMT (Ribbon) |
|---|
| Midrange | 2" | — |
|---|
| Woofer | 2 x 6.5" woven Kevlar cone | 2 x 5" woven Kevlar |
|---|
| Frequency response | 48-22k Hz | 56-24k Hz |
|---|
| Sensitivity | 90 dB | 89 dB |
|---|
| Impedance | 8 ohms | 4 ohms |
|---|
| Power range | 25-150 watts | 25-120 watts |
|---|
| Weight | 15.82kg / 34.8lbs | 12.55kg / 27.6lbs |
|---|
| 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 | 7.4" x 20.5" x 12"
188.0 x 520.0 x 305.0mm |
|---|
What size room are the Wharfedale EVO4.C and Wharfedale EVO5.C 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 EVO5.C |
| Near-field |
Poor |
Poor |
| Small Room |
Average |
Average |
| Mid-size Room |
Good |
Good |
| Large Room |
Average |
Average |
| 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
One of the fundamental differences between these two speakers is that EVO4.C is a 3-way design whereas the EVO5.C 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 EVO5.C
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 |
Wharfedale EVO5.C |
|
Driver Setup
|
3-way
|
2-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
30 x 60mm-inch
|
1.375-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 EVO5.C features a 1.375" SilentWeave cotton and felt damping fiber AMT (Ribbon) Tweeter and 2 x 5" woven Kevlar Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 2300Hz.
Frequency Response
EVO4.C has a frequency range of 48-22k Hz whereas EVO5.C has a frequency range of 56-24k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 48Hz, the EVO4.C can go significantly deeper on the low side and provide stronger bass compared to the EVO5.C's min frequency of 56Hz.
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 is a 8 ohms speaker compared to the EVO5.C 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.C can provide this impedance level.
These two speakers also have different sensitivity levels. EVO4.C sensitivity is rated at 90 dB and the EVO5.C's is rated at 89 dB. This 1 dB difference makes the Wharfedale EVO4.C a more sensitive speaker compared to Wharfedale EVO5.C, 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 EVO5.C has a max power handling value of 120 watts RMS, 30 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
EVO4.C features Binding post posts which make bi-amping or bi-wiring possible. EVO5.C has a Binding post which doesn't feature bi-amping/bi-wiring.
Wharfedale EVO4.C's Binding post terminals allows Bi-amping or bi-wiring
Cabinet Type and Port Position
Both EVO4.C and EVO5.C 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 EVO5.C'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 EVO5.C has external dimensions of 188.0 x 520.0 x 305.0mm (7.4" × 20.5" × 12.0").
Wharfedale EVO4.C is clearly the larger of the two speakers. Its body is 231mm wider, 65mm taller and 84mm deeper than Wharfedale EVO5.C.
Below you can see the front view size comparison of Wharfedale EVO4.C and Wharfedale EVO5.C in scale.
Comparison image of Wharfedale EVO4.C and Wharfedale EVO5.C 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.C is approximately 2921.4cm2 / 452.8inch2 and base area of the Wharfedale EVO5.C is approximately 1586.0cm2 / 245.8inch2. The EVO4.C requires 84% more surface area than the EVO5.C 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 EVO5.C weighs 12.55kg / 27.6lbs. This makes the EVO4.C 26% heavier than the EVO5.C.
Here is a comparison of how EVO4.C and EVO5.C'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 EVO5.C?
Here are the items that come with the EVO5.C:
 Max Input Power |
150 watts
vs
120 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 |
 Nominal Impedance |
8 ohms
vs
4 ohms
|
Less selective with amplifiers |
 Minimum Impedance |
4.3 ohms
vs
4.1 ohms
|
Very low impedance levels puts more pressure on amplifier |
 Woofer Size |
6.5 inches
vs
5 inches
|
Larger woofer |
|
Low Frequency Response |
48 Hz
vs
56 Hz
|
Generates deeper bass |
 Bi-Amping and Bi-Wiring |
Yes
vs
No
|
Allows bi-amping and bi-wiring connections |
 High Frequency Response |
24k Hz
vs
22k Hz
|
Generates higher frequency |
 Height |
188mm
vs
253mm
|
Easier to fit in smaller spaces |
 Base Surface Area |
1586cm2
vs
2921cm2
|
Takes less floor space |
 Price per pair* |
649USD
vs
899USD
|
costs less (*prices may change depending on the seller, location and time) |
| General |
Wharfedale EVO4.C |
Wharfedale EVO5.C |
| Brand |
Wharfedale |
Wharfedale |
| Speaker Type |
Center channel speaker |
Center channel speaker |
| Power Range |
25-150 watts |
25-120 watts |
| Sensitivity |
90 dB |
89 dB |
| Impedance |
8 ohms |
4 ohms |
| Impedance |
4.3 ohms |
4.1 ohms |
| Frequency Response |
48-22k Hz |
56-24k Hz |
Drivers |
|
|
| Woofer Quantity |
2 |
2 |
| Woofer Size |
6.5" |
5" |
| Woofer Composition |
woven Kevlar cone |
woven Kevlar |
| Woofer Surround Material |
n/a |
Rubber |
| Tweeter Size |
30 x 60mm" |
1.375" |
| Tweeter Type |
Air Motion Transformer (AMT) |
AMT (Ribbon) |
| Aimable Tweeter |
No |
No |
| Midrange Driver |
2" |
No |
| Crossover Frequency |
1500Hz and 3900HZ |
2300Hz |
| Firing Direction |
rear |
rear |
Physical Specs |
|
|
| Height |
253.0mm (10") |
188.0mm (7.4") |
| Width |
751.0mm (29.6") |
520.0mm (20.5") |
| Depth |
389.0mm (15.3") |
305.0mm (12") |
| Weight |
15.82kg (34.8lbs) |
12.55kg (27.6lbs) |
| Enclosure |
Bass Reflex |
Bass Reflex |
| Finish |
MDF/Wood-veneer |
MDF/Wood-veneer |
| Available Colors |
White, Walnut, Black |
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.C 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 | A | Wharfedale EVO4.C digs deeper - 48Hz against 56Hz. A subwoofer would even that out. |
| Amplifier needs | evenly matched | Similar sensitivity (90dB vs 89dB) - both want much the same power. |
| Amplifier match | A | Wharfedale EVO4.C is the easier load at 8 ohms; the other is 4 ohms and wants an amplifier rated for it. |
| Headroom | A | Wharfedale EVO4.C takes more power (150W vs 120W) - more in hand in a big room. |
| Size | depends | Wharfedale EVO5.C is easier to place; Wharfedale EVO4.C is bigger, which usually goes with fuller bass. Your room decides. |
| Expandability | A | Wharfedale EVO4.C: bi-amping. |
| Price | B | Wharfedale EVO5.C is cheaper - $649 against $899, about 28% less. |
A Wharfedale EVO4.C B Wharfedale EVO5.C
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 EVO5.C costs about about 39% 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. If a subwoofer is in your plans, the bass gap largely stops mattering - you would be crossing over above 56Hz anyway, which makes the cheaper Wharfedale EVO5.C much easier to justify. 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 EVO5.C 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.