In this review, we will be comparing Elysian 2 and BW 606, two Passive Bookshelf speakers from Wharfedale and Bowers Wilkins.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of Wharfedale Elysian 2 and B&W 606 first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
| Key Specs | Wharfedale Elysian 2 | B&W 606 |
|---|
| Design | 3-way | 2-way |
|---|
| Tweeter | 27x90mm" AMT (Ribbon) | 1" Hard-Dome |
|---|
| Midrange | 6" | — |
|---|
| Woofer | 8.5" Coated Fiberglass | 6.5" Continuum |
|---|
| Frequency response | 35-22k Hz | 52-28k Hz |
|---|
| Sensitivity | 89 dB | 88 dB |
|---|
| Impedance | 4 ohms | 8 ohms |
|---|
| Power range | 25-250 watts | 30-120 watts |
|---|
| Weight | 30.50kg / 67.1lbs | 6.90kg / 15.2lbs |
|---|
| Dimensions (H x W x D) | 27.5" x 13.1" x 18.1"
700.0 x 334.0 x 462.0mm | 13.6" x 7-1/2" x 12-13/16"
345.0 x 190.0 x 324.0mm |
|---|
What size room are the Wharfedale Elysian 2 and B&W 606 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 2 |
B&W 606 |
| Near-field |
Poor |
Poor |
| Small Room |
Poor |
Average |
| Mid-size Room |
Good |
Good |
| Large Room |
Good |
Average |
| Very Large Room |
Average |
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.
**This post contains affiliate links, and we will be compensated if you make a purchase after clicking
through our links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
Drivers
One of the fundamental differences between these two speakers is that Elysian 2 is a 3-way design whereas the BW 606 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 Elysian 2B&W 606
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 Elysian 2 |
B&W 606 |
|
Driver Setup
|
3-way
|
2-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
27x90mm-inch
|
1-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
1 x 6-inch |
- |
|
Woofer
|
1 x 8.5-inch
|
1 x 6.5-inch
|
Elysian 2 features a 27x90mm" AMT (Ribbon) Tweeter, a 6" Midrange and 1 x 8.5" Coated Fiberglass Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 360Hz and 2900Hz. On the other hand, the BW 606 features a 1" Decoupled Carbon Hard-Dome Tweeter and 1 x 6.5" Continuum Woofer.
Frequency Response
Elysian 2 has a frequency range of 35-22k Hz whereas BW 606 has a frequency range of 52-28k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 35Hz, the Elysian 2 can go significantly deeper on the low side and provide stronger bass compared to the BW 606's min frequency of 52Hz.
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 2 is a 4 ohms speaker compared to the BW 606 which has a nominal impedance of 8 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 Elysian 2 can provide this impedance level.
These two speakers also have different sensitivity levels. Elysian 2 sensitivity is rated at 89 dB and the BW 606's is rated at 88 dB. This 1 dB difference makes the Wharfedale Elysian 2 a more sensitive speaker compared to B&W 606, 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.
Elysian 2 can handle a max power of 250 watts RMS, whereas BW 606 has a max power handling value of 120 watts RMS, 130 watts less than the Elysian 2.
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 2 and BW 606 features dual binding post speaker terminals for bi-amping or bi-wiring.
Wharfedale Elysian 2's Post terminals allows Bi-amping or bi-wiring
B&W 606's Post terminals allows Bi-amping or bi-wiring
Cabinet Type and Port Position
Elysian 2 has a bottom firing port whereas BW 606 has a rear firing ports. Wharfedale Elysian 2's bottom-firing port gives more flexibility in placement in regards to proximity to walls compared to B&W 606 with its rear-firing port.
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 2's and B&W 606's external dimensions. Wharfedale Elysian 2 has external dimensions of 700.0 x 334.0 x 462.0mm (27.5 x 13.1 x 18.1inch) whereas B&W 606 has external dimensions of 345.0 x 190.0 x 324.0mm (13.5 x 7.4 x 12.7inch).
Wharfedale Elysian 2 is clearly the larger of the two speakers. Its body is 144mm wider, 355mm taller and 138mm deeper than B&W 606.
Below you can see the front view size comparison of Wharfedale Elysian 2 and B&W 606 in scale.
Comparison image of Wharfedale Elysian 2 and B&W 606 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 Elysian 2 is approximately 1543.1cm2 / 239.2inch2 and base area of the B&W 606 is approximately 615.6cm2 / 95.4inch2. The Elysian 2 requires 151% more surface area than the BW 606 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 Elysian 2 weighs 30.50kg / 67.1lbs and the B&W 606 weighs 6.90kg / 15.2lbs. This makes the Elysian 2 342% heavier than the BW 606.
Here is a comparison of how Elysian 2 and BW 606'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 Elysian 2?
Here are the items that are included inside the box of Elysian 2:
- Stand-mount loudspeaker
- Grille
- 2 Terminal-jumpers (pre-installed)
- User Manual
What's in the Box of B&W 606?
Here are the items that come with the BW 606:
- 2 Bookshelf loudspeakers
- 2 Grilles
- 2 Two-piece foam port plugs
- 8 Self-adhesive rubber feet
- 4 Jumper-straps (pre-installed)
- Manual
- Bowers & Wilkins brochure
- Warranty Information
 Max Input Power |
250 watts
vs
120 watts
|
Handle more power from your amplifier |
 Driver Setup |
3-way
vs
2-way
|
Have a dedicated mid-range driver |
 Sensitivity |
89 dB
vs
88 dB
|
Play louder with same amount of amplification power |
 Woofer Size |
8.5 inches
vs
6.5 inches
|
Larger woofer |
|
Low Frequency Response |
35 Hz
vs
52 Hz
|
Generates deeper bass |
 Nominal Impedance |
8 ohms
vs
4 ohms
|
Less selective with amplifiers |
 High Frequency Response |
28k Hz
vs
22k Hz
|
Generates higher frequency |
 Height |
345mm
vs
700mm
|
Easier to fit in smaller spaces |
 Base Surface Area |
615cm2
vs
1543cm2
|
Takes less floor space |
 Price per pair* |
899USD
vs
6996USD
|
costs less (*prices may change depending on the seller, location and time) |
| General |
Wharfedale Elysian 2 |
Bowers & Wilkins 606 |
| Brand |
Wharfedale |
Bowers Wilkins |
| Speaker Type |
Bookshelf speakers |
Bookshelf speakers |
| Power Range |
25-250 watts |
30-120 watts |
| Sensitivity |
89 dB |
88 dB |
| Impedance |
4 ohms |
8 ohms |
| Impedance |
n/a |
3.7 ohms |
| Frequency Response |
35-22k Hz |
52-28k Hz |
Drivers |
|
|
| Woofer Quantity |
1 |
1 |
| Woofer Size |
8.5" |
6.5" |
| Woofer Composition |
Coated Fiberglass |
Continuum |
| Woofer Surround Material |
Foamed Rubber |
Rubber |
| Tweeter Size |
27x90mm" |
1" |
| Tweeter Type |
AMT (Ribbon) |
Hard-Dome |
| Aimable Tweeter |
No |
No |
| Midrange Driver |
6" |
No |
| Crossover Frequency |
360Hz and 2900Hz |
n/a |
| Firing Direction |
bottom |
rear |
| Suggested Break-in Period |
n/a |
allow up to a week for the temperature effects to stabilise and 15 hours of average use for the parts to attain their intended design characteristics. |
Physical Specs |
|
|
| Height |
700.0mm (27.6") |
345.0mm (13.6") |
| Width |
334.0mm (13.1") |
190.0mm (7.5") |
| Depth |
462.0mm (18.2") |
324.0mm (12.8") |
| Weight |
30.50kg (67.1lbs) |
6.90kg (15.2lbs) |
| Enclosure |
Bass Reflex |
Bass Reflex |
| Finish |
MDF/Wood-veneer |
MDF/Vinyl |
| Available Colors |
Piano Black, Piano Walnut,White |
Black, White, Oak |
| Mounting Bracket |
No |
No |
| Recommended Stand Height |
16-22" |
24-26" |
| 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 |
These sit in different price classes - Wharfedale Elysian 2 costs roughly 7.8x what B&W 606 does. Expect it to lead on paper; the question is whether the gap is audible enough in your room to be worth it.
| Area | Better | Why |
|---|
| Bass |
A |
Wharfedale Elysian 2 digs deeper - 35Hz against 52Hz. |
| Amplifier needs |
evenly matched |
Similar sensitivity (89dB vs 88dB) - both want much the same power. |
| Amplifier match |
B |
B&W 606 is the easier load at 8 ohms; the other is 4 ohms and wants an amplifier rated for it. |
| Headroom |
A |
Wharfedale Elysian 2 takes more power (250W vs 120W) - more in hand in a big room. |
| Size |
depends |
B&W 606 is easier to place; Wharfedale Elysian 2 is bigger, which usually goes with fuller bass. Your room decides. |
| Expandability |
depends |
Wharfedale Elysian 2: bi-amping; B&W 606: bi-amping. Wharfedale Elysian 2 sits in a wider range (6 models), so a matched surround system is easier later. |
| Price |
B |
B&W 606 is cheaper - $899 against $6,996, about 87% less; arguably a different class. |
A Wharfedale Elysian 2
B B&W 606
depends neither is better in the abstract - it turns on your room, placement 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?
Wharfedale Elysian 2 is ahead, but only on 1 of the measured areas, and it costs about 87% more. That is a lot of money for a narrow margin on paper - B&W 606 looks like the sensible buy unless something else about the Wharfedale Elysian 2 appeals to you. If a subwoofer is in your plans, the bass gap largely stops mattering - you would be crossing over above 52Hz anyway, which makes the cheaper B&W 606 much easier to justify. Match it to your room: we rate Wharfedale Elysian 2 the better fit for a large room and a very large room, and B&W 606 for a small room.
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.