In this review, we will be comparing two different types of speakers by Wharfedale. Wharfedale EVO5.4 is a Floor-standing speaker whereas the EVO5.1 is a Bookshelf speaker.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of Wharfedale EVO5.4 and Wharfedale EVO5.1 first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
| Key Specs | Wharfedale EVO5.4 | Wharfedale EVO5.1 |
|---|
| Brand | Wharfedale
United Kingdom · founded 1932 | Wharfedale
United Kingdom · founded 1932 |
|---|
| Design | 3-way | 2-way |
|---|
| Tweeter | 1.375" AMT (Ribbon) | 1.375" AMT (Ribbon) |
|---|
| Midrange | 2" | — |
|---|
| Woofer | 2 x 6.5" woven Kevlar | 5" woven Kevlar |
|---|
| Frequency response | 42-24k Hz | 56-24k Hz |
|---|
| Sensitivity | 90 dB | 87 dB |
|---|
| Impedance | 4 ohms | 4 ohms |
|---|
| Power range | 30-200 watts | 25-100 watts |
|---|
| Weight | 31.27kg / 68.8lbs | 8.00kg / 17.6lbs |
|---|
| Dimensions (H x W x D) | 40.5" x 11.9" x 15.4"
1028.0 x 302.0 x 391.0mm | 13.4" x 8.7" x 12.8"
340.0 x 220.0 x 325.0mm |
|---|
EVO5.4 and EVO5.1 are members of Wharfedale's EVO5 series of speakers. Below you can find the loudspeakers from this series.
Wharfedale EVO5 Series
History
What size room are the Wharfedale EVO5.4 and Wharfedale EVO5.1 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 EVO5.4 |
Wharfedale EVO5.1 |
| Near-field |
Bad |
Average |
| Small Room |
Poor |
Good |
| Mid-size Room |
Good |
Average |
| Large Room |
Good |
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 EVO5.4 is a 3-way design whereas the EVO5.1 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 EVO5.4Wharfedale EVO5.1
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 EVO5.4 |
Wharfedale EVO5.1 |
|
Driver Setup
|
3-way
|
2-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
1.375-inch
|
1.375-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
1 x 2-inch |
- |
|
Woofer
|
2 x 6.5-inch
|
1 x 5-inch
|
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. On the other hand, the EVO5.1 features a 1.375" SilentWeave cotton and felt damping fiber AMT (Ribbon) Tweeter and 1 x 5" woven Kevlar Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 2700Hz.
Frequency Response
EVO5.4 has a frequency range of 42-24k Hz whereas EVO5.1 has a frequency range of 56-24k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 42Hz, the EVO5.4 can go significantly deeper on the low side and provide stronger bass compared to the EVO5.1'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 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
EVO5.4 and EVO5.1 have the same Impedance of 4 ohms but where they differ is the sensitivity levels. EVO5.4 sensitivity is rated at 90 dB and the EVO5.1's is at 87 dB. This 3 dB difference makes the Wharfedale EVO5.4 a more sensitive speaker compared to Wharfedale EVO5.1, hence will play louder with the same amount of watts.
One thing to keep in mind that the lower impedance speakers, especially the ones that are rated at 4 ohms may put more pressure on the amplifier unit comared to higher impedance speakers especially at high volume levels, so make sure the amp you pair with the EVO5.4 and the EVO5.4 can provide this impedance level.
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.
EVO5.4 can handle a max power of 200 watts RMS, whereas EVO5.1 has a max power handling value of 100 watts RMS, 100 watts less than the EVO5.4.
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
EVO5.4 features Binding post type posts and EVO5.1 has a Binding post type posts. None of these speakers feature bi-amping/bi-wiring.
Wharfedale EVO5.4's Binding post terminals
Wharfedale EVO5.1's Binding post terminals
Cabinet Type and Port Position
Both EVO5.4 and EVO5.1 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 EVO5.4's and Wharfedale EVO5.1's external dimensions. Wharfedale EVO5.4 has external dimensions of 1028.0 x 302.0 x 391.0mm (40.5" × 11.9" × 15.4") whereas Wharfedale EVO5.1 has external dimensions of 340.0 x 220.0 x 325.0mm (13.4" × 8.7" × 12.8").
Wharfedale EVO5.4 is clearly the larger of the two speakers. Its body is 82mm wider, 688mm taller and 66mm deeper than Wharfedale EVO5.1.
Below you can see the front view size comparison of Wharfedale EVO5.4 and Wharfedale EVO5.1 in scale.
Comparison image of Wharfedale EVO5.4 and Wharfedale EVO5.1 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 EVO5.4 is approximately 1180.8cm2 / 183.0inch2 and base area of the Wharfedale EVO5.1 is approximately 715.0cm2 / 110.8inch2. The EVO5.4 requires 65% more surface area than the EVO5.1 which gives it a small disadvantage on placement in tight spaces.
What's in the Box of Wharfedale EVO5.4?
Here are the items that are included inside the box of 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
What's in the Box of Wharfedale EVO5.1?
Here are the items that come with the EVO5.1:
- 2 Bookshelf loudspeakers
- 2 Grilles
- 4 Jumper-bars (pre-installed)
- 8 Self-adhesive rubber feet
- Pair of white cloth gloves
- User Manual