In this review, we will be comparing EVO5.2 and Passif 50, two Passive Bookshelf speakers from Wharfedale and PSB.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of Wharfedale EVO5.2 and PSB Passif 50 first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
| Key Specs | Wharfedale EVO5.2 | PSB Passif 50 |
|---|
| Brand | Wharfedale
United Kingdom · founded 1932 | PSB
Canada · founded 1972 |
|---|
| Design | 3-way | 2-way |
|---|
| Tweeter | 1.375" AMT (Ribbon) | 1" Dome |
|---|
| Midrange | 2" | — |
|---|
| Woofer | 6.5" woven Kevlar | 6.5" cast aluminum basket, paper cone |
|---|
| Frequency response | 44-24k Hz | 50-20k Hz |
|---|
| Sensitivity | 88 dB | 87 dB |
|---|
| Impedance | 4 ohms | 6 ohms |
|---|
| Power range | 25-120 watts | 30-200 Watts watts |
|---|
| Weight | 15.05kg / 33.1lbs | 13.70kg / 30.1lbs |
|---|
| Dimensions (H x W x D) | 19.6" x 10.2" x 15.4"
497.0 x 260.0 x 391.0mm | 26" x 11" x 10"
660 × 280 × 254mm |
|---|
What size room are the Wharfedale EVO5.2 and PSB Passif 50 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 EVO5.2 |
PSB Passif 50 |
| 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 EVO5.2 is a 3-way design whereas the Passif 50 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 EVO5.2PSB Passif 50
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 EVO5.2 |
PSB Passif 50 |
|
Driver Setup
|
3-way
|
2-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
1.375-inch
|
1-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
1 x 2-inch |
- |
|
Woofer
|
1 x 6.5-inch
|
1 x 6.5-inch
|
EVO5.2 features a 1.375" SilentWeave cotton and felt damping fiber AMT (Ribbon) Tweeter, a 2" Midrange and 1 x 6.5" woven Kevlar Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 800 Hz and 4.3 kHz. On the other hand, the Passif 50 features a 1" titanium dome with ferrofluid and neodymium magnet Dome Tweeter and 1 x 6.5" cast aluminum basket, paper cone Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 1800Hz.
Frequency Response
EVO5.2 has a frequency range of 44-24k Hz whereas Passif 50 has a frequency range of 50-20k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 44Hz, the EVO5.2 can go significantly deeper on the low side and provide stronger bass compared to the Passif 50'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 Bookshelf class in our database.
Low Frequency
Bookshelf 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
EVO5.2 is a 4 ohms speaker compared to the Passif 50 which has a nominal impedance of 6 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 EVO5.2 can provide this impedance level.
These two speakers also have different sensitivity levels. EVO5.2 sensitivity is rated at 88 dB and the Passif 50's is rated at 87 dB. This 1 dB difference makes the PSB Passif 50 a more sensitive speaker compared to Wharfedale EVO5.2, hence will play louder with the same amount of watts.
Sensitivity
Bookshelf 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.
Passif 50 can handle a max power of 200 watts RMS, whereas EVO5.2 has a max power handling value of 120 watts RMS, 80 watts less than the Passif 50.
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
Passif 50 features 5-Way post posts which make bi-amping or bi-wiring possible. EVO5.2 has a Binding post which doesn't feature bi-amping/bi-wiring.
Wharfedale EVO5.2's Binding post terminals
PSB Passif 50's 5-Way post terminals allows Bi-amping or bi-wiring
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 EVO5.2's and PSB Passif 50's external dimensions. Wharfedale EVO5.2 has external dimensions of 497.0 x 260.0 x 391.0mm (19.6" × 10.2" × 15.4") whereas PSB Passif 50 has external dimensions of 660 × 280 × 254mm (26 x 11 x 10-inch).
Wharfedale EVO5.2 is 20mm narrower and 163mm shorter than PSB Passif 50 but it is also 137mm deeper.
Below you can see the front view size comparison of Wharfedale EVO5.2 and PSB Passif 50 in scale.
Comparison image of Wharfedale EVO5.2 and PSB Passif 50 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 EVO5.2 is approximately 1016.6cm2 / 157.6inch2 and base area of the PSB Passif 50 is approximately 712.0cm2 / 110.4inch2. The EVO5.2 requires 43% more surface area than the Passif 50 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 EVO5.2 weighs 15.05kg / 33.1lbs and the PSB Passif 50 weighs 13.70kg / 30.1lbs. This makes the EVO5.2 10% heavier than the Passif 50.
Here is a comparison of how EVO5.2 and Passif 50's weights compare with the average, max and min weights in Passive Bookshelf class.
Weight
All Bookshelf Speakers
What's in the Box of Wharfedale EVO5.2?
Here are the items that are included inside the box of EVO5.2:
- 2 Bookshelf loudspeakers
- 2 Grilles
- 4 Jumper-bars (pre-installed)
- 8 Self-adhesive rubber feet
- Pair of white cloth gloves
- User Manual
 Driver Setup |
3-way
vs
2-way
|
Have a dedicated mid-range driver |
 Low Frequency Response |
44 Hz
vs
50 Hz
|
Generates deeper bass |
 High Frequency Response |
24k Hz
vs
20k Hz
|
Generates higher frequency |
 Height |
497mm
vs
660mm
|
Easier to fit in smaller spaces |
 Price per pair* |
1799USD
vs
2499USD
|
costs less (*prices may change depending on the seller, location and time) |
 Max Input Power |
200 watts
vs
120 watts
|
Handle more power from your amplifier |
 Sensitivity |
89 dB
vs
88 dB
|
Play louder with same amount of amplification power |
 Nominal Impedance |
6 ohms
vs
4 ohms
|
Less selective with amplifiers |
 Minimum Impedance |
4 ohms
vs
3.2 ohms
|
Very low impedance levels puts more pressure on amplifier |
 Bi-Amping and Bi-Wiring |
Yes
vs
No
|
Allows bi-amping and bi-wiring connections |
|
Passive Radiator |
one 8-inch
vs
None
|
Increases the bass performance |
 Base Surface Area |
712cm2
vs
1016cm2
|
Takes less floor space |
| General |
Wharfedale EVO5.2 |
PSB Passif 50 |
| Brand |
Wharfedale |
PSB |
| Speaker Type |
Bookshelf speakers |
Bookshelf speakers |
| Power Range |
25-120 watts |
30-200 Watts watts |
| Sensitivity |
88 dB |
87 dB |
| Impedance |
4 ohms |
6 ohms |
| Impedance |
3.2 ohms |
4 ohms |
| Frequency Response |
44-24k Hz |
50-20k Hz |
Drivers |
|
|
| Woofer Quantity |
1 |
1 |
| Woofer Size |
6.5" |
6.5" |
| Woofer Composition |
woven Kevlar |
cast aluminum basket, paper cone |
| Woofer Surround Material |
Rubber |
cast aluminum basket, paper cone |
| Tweeter Size |
1.375" |
1" |
| Tweeter Type |
AMT (Ribbon) |
Dome |
| Aimable Tweeter |
No |
No |
| Midrange Driver |
2" |
No |
| Crossover Frequency |
800 Hz and 4.3 kHz |
1800Hz |
| Firing Direction |
bottom |
n/a |
Physical Specs |
|
|
| Height |
497.0mm (19.6") |
660.0mm (26") |
| Width |
260.0mm (10.2") |
280.0mm (11") |
| Depth |
391.0mm (15.4") |
254.0mm (10") |
| Weight |
15.05kg (33.1lbs) |
13.70kg (30.1lbs) |
| Enclosure |
Bass Reflex |
Passive Radiator |
| Finish |
MDF/Wood-veneer |
open-grain walnut veneer |
| Available Colors |
Walnut, Grey. Black, White |
Open-Grain Walnut |
| Mounting Bracket |
No |
No |
| Recommended Stand Height |
18-22" |
n/a |
| Grille |
Yes |
Yes |
| Moisture Resistancy |
No |
No |
Connections |
|
|
| Biamp Inputs |
No |
Yes |
Other |
|
|
| Parts Warranty |
5 Years |
5 Years |
| Labor Warranty |
5 Years |
5 Years |
No single best speaker here - they are built to different priorities, and the right one depends on your room, your amplifier and what you listen to.
| Area | Better | Why |
|---|
| Bass | A | Wharfedale EVO5.2 digs deeper - 44Hz against 50Hz. A subwoofer would even that out. |
| Amplifier needs | evenly matched | Similar sensitivity (88dB vs 89dB) - both want much the same power. |
| Amplifier match | B | PSB Passif 50 is the easier load at 6 ohms; the other is 4 ohms and wants an amplifier rated for it. |
| Headroom | B | PSB Passif 50 takes more power (200W vs 120W) - more in hand in a big room. |
| Size | depends | Similar cabinet size - neither is easier to fit. |
| Cabinet | depends | Ported vs Passive Radiator. |
| Expandability | B | PSB Passif 50: bi-amping. |
| Price | A | Wharfedale EVO5.2 is cheaper - $1,799 against $2,499, about 28% less. |
A Wharfedale EVO5.2 B PSB Passif 50
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: PSB Passif 50 measures better, Wharfedale EVO5.2 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 50Hz anyway, so judge these on the other rows instead. If your amplifier is modest, vintage or valve-based, PSB Passif 50 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.