In this review, we will be comparing Elysian 4 and VELA FS 409, two Passive Floor-standing speakers from Wharfedale and ELAC.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of Wharfedale Elysian 4 and ELAC VELA FS 409 first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
| Key Specs | Wharfedale Elysian 4 | ELAC VELA FS 409 |
|---|
| Brand | Wharfedale
United Kingdom · founded 1932 | ELAC
Germany · founded 1926 |
|---|
| Design | 3-way | 3-way |
|---|
| Tweeter | 27x90mm" AMT (Ribbon) | handmade JET 5 folded ribbon |
|---|
| Midrange | 6" | 6" |
|---|
| Woofer | 2 x 8.5" Coated Fiberglass | 2 x 7" Aluminum/Paper |
|---|
| Frequency response | 30-22k Hz | 28-50k Hz |
|---|
| Sensitivity | 92 dB | 89 dB |
|---|
| Impedance | 4 ohms | 4 ohms |
|---|
| Power range | 15-250 watts | 40-200 watts |
|---|
| Weight | 49.60kg / 109.1lbs | 32.18kg / 70.8lbs |
|---|
| Dimensions (H x W x D) | 46-3/4" x 15-13/16" x 18-3/16"
1188.0 x 402.0 x 462.0mm | 52-3/8" x 10-15/16" x 13-9/16"
1331.0 x 278.0 x 345.0mm |
|---|
What size room are the Wharfedale Elysian 4 and ELAC VELA FS 409 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 4 |
ELAC VELA FS 409 |
| Near-field |
Bad |
Bad |
| Small Room |
Poor |
Poor |
| Mid-size Room |
Average |
Good |
| Large Room |
Good |
Good |
| 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.
Drivers
Both Elysian 4 and VELA FS 409 are 3-way speakers.
Wharfedale Elysian 4ELAC VELA FS 409
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 4 |
ELAC VELA FS 409 |
|
Driver Setup
|
3-way
|
3-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
27x90mm-inch
|
-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
1 x 6-inch |
1 x 6-inch |
|
Woofer
|
2 x 8.5-inch
|
2 x 7-inch
|
Elysian 4 features a 27x90mm" AMT (Ribbon) Tweeter, a 6" Midrange and 2 x 8.5" Coated Fiberglass Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 340Hz and 3100Hz. On the other hand, the VELA FS 409 features a " handmade JET 5 folded ribbon Tweeter, a 6" Midrange and 2 x 7" Aluminum/Paper Woofer.
Frequency Response
Elysian 4 has a frequency range of 30-22k Hz whereas VELA FS 409 has a frequency range of 28-50k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 28Hz, the VELA FS 409 can go slightly deeper then the Elysian 4's min frequency of 30Hz.
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
Elysian 4 and VELA FS 409 have the same Impedance of 4 ohms but where they differ is the sensitivity levels. Elysian 4 sensitivity is rated at 92 dB and the VELA FS 409's is at 89 dB. This 3 dB difference makes the Wharfedale Elysian 4 a more sensitive speaker compared to ELAC VELA FS 409, 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 4 and the Elysian 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.
Elysian 4 can handle a max power of 250 watts RMS, whereas VELA FS 409 has a max power handling value of 200 watts RMS, 50 watts less than the Elysian 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
Both Elysian 4 and VELA FS 409 features dual binding post speaker terminals for 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 Elysian 4's and ELAC VELA FS 409's external dimensions. Wharfedale Elysian 4 has external dimensions of 1188.0 x 402.0 x 462.0mm (46-3/4 x 15-13/16 x 18-3/16inch) whereas ELAC VELA FS 409 has external dimensions of 1331.0 x 278.0 x 345.0mm (52-3/8 x 10-15/16 x 13-9/16inch).
ELAC VELA FS 409 is 124mm narrower and 117mm less deeper than Wharfedale Elysian 4 but it is also 143mm taller.
Below you can see the front view size comparison of Wharfedale Elysian 4 and ELAC VELA FS 409 in scale.
Comparison image of Wharfedale Elysian 4 and ELAC VELA FS 409 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 4 is approximately 1857.2cm2 / 287.9inch2 and base area of the ELAC VELA FS 409 is approximately 959.1cm2 / 148.7inch2. The Elysian 4 requires 94% more surface area than the VELA FS 409 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 4 weighs 49.60kg / 109.1lbs and the ELAC VELA FS 409 weighs 32.18kg / 70.8lbs. This makes the Elysian 4 54% heavier than the VELA FS 409.
Here is a comparison of how Elysian 4 and VELA FS 409's weights compare with the average, max and min weights in Passive Floor-standing class.
Weight
All Floor-standing Speakers
What's in the Box of Wharfedale Elysian 4?
Here are the items that are included inside the box of Elysian 4:
- Floorstanding loudspeaker
- Grille
- 2 Terminal-jumpers (pre-installed)
- 4 Spike feet
- User Manual
What's in the Box of ELAC VELA FS 409?
Here are the items that come with the VELA FS 409:
- Floorstanding loudspeaker
- Base plate
- 2 Jumper straps (pre-installed)
- 4 Spikes
- 4 Pucks
- 4 Rubber pads
- 4 Machine screws
- 4 Washers
- Hex-key
- Operating And Safety Instructions
 Max Input Power |
250 watts
vs
200 watts
|
Handle more power from your amplifier |
 Sensitivity |
92 dB
vs
89 dB
|
Play louder with same amount of amplification power |
 Woofer Size |
8.5 inches
vs
7 inches
|
Larger woofer |
 Height |
1188mm
vs
1331mm
|
Easier to fit in smaller spaces |
|
Low Frequency Response |
28 Hz
vs
30 Hz
|
Generates deeper bass |
 High Frequency Response |
50k Hz
vs
22k Hz
|
Generates higher frequency |
 Base Surface Area |
959cm2
vs
1857cm2
|
Takes less floor space |
 Price per pair* |
7400USD
vs
9996USD
|
costs less (*prices may change depending on the seller, location and time) |
| General |
Wharfedale Elysian 4 |
ELAC VELA FS 409 |
| Brand |
Wharfedale |
ELAC |
| Speaker Type |
Floor-standing speaker |
Floor-standing speaker |
| Power Range |
15-250 watts |
40-200 watts |
| Sensitivity |
92 dB |
89 dB |
| Impedance |
4 ohms |
4 ohms |
| Frequency Response |
30-22k Hz |
28-50k Hz |
Drivers |
|
|
| Woofer Quantity |
2 |
2 |
| Woofer Size |
8.5" |
7" |
| Woofer Composition |
Coated Fiberglass |
Aluminum/Paper |
| Woofer Surround Material |
Foamed Rubber |
Rubber |
| Tweeter Size |
27x90mm" |
- |
| Tweeter Type |
AMT (Ribbon) |
handmade JET 5 folded ribbon |
| Aimable Tweeter |
No |
No |
| Midrange Driver |
6" |
6" |
| Crossover Frequency |
340Hz and 3100Hz |
n/a |
| Firing Direction |
bottom |
n/a |
Physical Specs |
|
|
| Height |
1188.0mm (46.8") |
1331.0mm (52.4") |
| Width |
402.0mm (15.8") |
278.0mm (10.9") |
| Depth |
462.0mm (18.2") |
345.0mm (13.6") |
| Weight |
49.60kg (109.1lbs) |
32.18kg (70.8lbs) |
| Enclosure |
Bass Reflex |
Bass Reflex |
| Finish |
MDF/Lacquer |
MDF/Aluminum |
| Available Colors |
Piano Black, Piano Walnut,White |
Gloss Black |
| Grille |
Yes |
n/a |
| Moisture Resistancy |
No |
No |
Connections |
|
|
| Biamp Inputs |
Yes |
Yes |
Other |
|
|
| Parts Warranty |
5 Years |
3 Years |
| Labor Warranty |
5 Years |
3 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 | evenly matched | Much the same reach (30Hz vs 28Hz). |
| Amplifier needs | A | Wharfedale Elysian 4 is more sensitive (92dB vs 89dB), so it goes louder on the same amplifier. |
| Headroom | A | Wharfedale Elysian 4 takes more power (250W vs 200W) - more in hand in a big room. |
| Size | depends | ELAC VELA FS 409 is easier to place; Wharfedale Elysian 4 is bigger, which usually goes with fuller bass. Your room decides. |
| Expandability | depends | Wharfedale Elysian 4: bi-amping; ELAC VELA FS 409: bi-amping. |
| Price | B | ELAC VELA FS 409 is cheaper - $7,400 against $9,996, about 26% less. |
A Wharfedale Elysian 4 B ELAC VELA FS 409
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 Elysian 4 measures better, ELAC VELA FS 409 costs about about 35% 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. Match it to your room: we rate Wharfedale Elysian 4 the better fit for a very large room, and ELAC VELA FS 409 for a mid-size room. In a large or open-plan room, Wharfedale Elysian 4 has the cabinet volume to fill it more easily; in a small room, near a wall or at desk distance, ELAC VELA FS 409 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.