In this review, we will be comparing two different types of speakers by Wharfedale. Wharfedale Elysian 1R is a Bookshelf speaker whereas the ELYSIAN 4R is a Floor-standing speaker.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of Wharfedale Elysian 1R and Wharfedale Elysian 4R first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
| Key Specs | Wharfedale Elysian 1R | Wharfedale Elysian 4R |
|---|
| Brand | Wharfedale
United Kingdom · founded 1932 | Wharfedale
United Kingdom · founded 1932 |
|---|
| Design | 2-way | 3-way |
|---|
| Tweeter | AMT (Ribbon) | AMT (Ribbon) |
|---|
| Midrange | — | 6" |
|---|
| Woofer | 7" Coated glass fibre matrix | 2 x 8.5" Coated glass fibre matrix |
|---|
| Frequency response | 49-22k Hz | 30-22k Hz |
|---|
| Sensitivity | 89 dB | 92 dB |
|---|
| Impedance | 4 ohms | 4 ohms |
|---|
| Power range | 25-175 watts | 15-250 watts |
|---|
| Weight | 15.00kg / 33lbs | 49.50kg / 108.9lbs |
|---|
| Dimensions (H x W x D) | 19-5/16" x 10-3/8" x 12-3/8"
490.0 x 263.0 x 315.0mm | 46-3/4" x 15-13/16" x 18-3/16"
1188.0 x 402.0 x 462.0mm |
|---|
ELYSIAN 1R and ELYSIAN 4R are members of Wharfedale's Elysian R series of speakers. Below you can find the loudspeakers from this series.
Wharfedale Elysian R Series
History
What size room are the Wharfedale Elysian 1R and Wharfedale Elysian 4R 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 Elysian 1R |
Wharfedale Elysian 4R |
| Near-field |
Poor |
Are you nuts? |
| Small Room |
Average |
Poor |
| Mid-size Room |
Good |
Average |
| Large Room |
Average |
Good |
| Very Large Room |
Poor |
Good |
(* 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 ELYSIAN 1R is a 2-way design whereas the ELYSIAN 4R is a 3-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 Elysian 1RWharfedale Elysian 4R
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 Elysian 1R |
Wharfedale Elysian 4R |
|
Driver Setup
|
2-way
|
3-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
-inch
|
-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
- |
1 x 6-inch |
|
Woofer
|
1 x 7-inch
|
2 x 8.5-inch
|
ELYSIAN 1R features a " AMT (Ribbon) Tweeter and 1 x 7" Coated glass fibre matrix Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 2600Hz. On the other hand, the ELYSIAN 4R features a " AMT (Ribbon) Tweeter, a 6" Midrange and 2 x 8.5" Coated glass fibre matrix Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 340Hz and 3100Hz.
Frequency Response
ELYSIAN 1R has a frequency range of 49-22k Hz whereas ELYSIAN 4R has a frequency range of 30-22k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 30Hz, the ELYSIAN 4R can go significantly deeper on the low side and provide stronger bass compared to the ELYSIAN 1R's min frequency of 49Hz.
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
ELYSIAN 1R and ELYSIAN 4R have the same Impedance of 4 ohms but where they differ is the sensitivity levels. ELYSIAN 1R sensitivity is rated at 89 dB and the ELYSIAN 4R's is at 92 dB. This 3 dB difference makes the Wharfedale Elysian 4R a more sensitive speaker compared to Wharfedale Elysian 1R, 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 ELYSIAN 1R and the ELYSIAN 1R can provide this impedance level.
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.
ELYSIAN 4R can handle a max power of 250 watts RMS, whereas ELYSIAN 1R has a max power handling value of 175 watts RMS, 75 watts less than the ELYSIAN 4R.
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 ELYSIAN 1R and ELYSIAN 4R features dual binding post speaker terminals for bi-amping or bi-wiring.
Cabinet Type and Port Position
Both ELYSIAN 1R and ELYSIAN 4R 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 Elysian 1R's and Wharfedale Elysian 4R's external dimensions. Wharfedale Elysian 1R has external dimensions of 490.0 x 263.0 x 315.0mm (19-5/16 x 10-3/8 x 12-3/8inch) whereas Wharfedale Elysian 4R has external dimensions of 1188.0 x 402.0 x 462.0mm (46-3/4 x 15-13/16 x 18-3/16inch).
Wharfedale Elysian 4R is clearly the larger of the two speakers. Its body is 139mm wider, 698mm taller and 147mm deeper than Wharfedale Elysian 1R.
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 Elysian 4R needs about 124% more floor or shelf area. Wharfedale Elysian 4R is 147mm deeper, so it stands that much further out from the wall. Wharfedale Elysian 4R is 698mm 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 Elysian 1R is approximately 828.5cm2 / 128.4inch2 and base area of the Wharfedale Elysian 4R is approximately 1857.2cm2 / 287.9inch2. The ELYSIAN 1R requires 55% less surface area than the ELYSIAN 4R which gives it a small advantage on placement in tight spaces.