In this review, we will be comparing Elysian 4 and Triton One.R, two Passive Floor-standing speakers from Wharfedale and GoldenEar.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of Wharfedale Elysian 4 and GoldenEar Triton One.R first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
| Key Specs | Wharfedale Elysian 4 | GoldenEar Triton One.R |
|---|
| Brand | Wharfedale
United Kingdom · founded 1932 | GoldenEar
United States · founded 2010 |
|---|
| Design | 3-way | 3-way |
|---|
| Tweeter | 27x90mm" AMT (Ribbon) | High-Velocity Folded Ribbon |
|---|
| Midrange | 6" | 5.25" |
|---|
| Woofer | 2 x 8.5" Coated Fiberglass | 5" Polymer |
|---|
| Frequency response | 30-22k Hz | 13-35k Hz |
|---|
| Sensitivity | 92 dB | 92 dB |
|---|
| Impedance | 4 ohms | 8 ohms |
|---|
| Power range | 15-250 watts | 20-650 watts |
|---|
| Weight | 49.60kg / 109.1lbs | 36.36kg / 80lbs |
|---|
| 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 | 54-1/8" x 12-3/8" x 20-5/16"
1375.0 x 315.0 x 516.0mm |
|---|
What size room are the Wharfedale Elysian 4 and GoldenEar Triton One.R 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 |
GoldenEar Triton One.R |
| Near-field |
Bad |
Are you nuts? |
| Small Room |
Poor |
Poor |
| Mid-size Room |
Average |
Average |
| Large Room |
Good |
Good |
| Very Large Room |
Average |
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
Both Elysian 4 and Triton One.R are 3-way speakers.
Wharfedale Elysian 4GoldenEar Triton One.R
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 |
GoldenEar Triton One.R |
|
Driver Setup
|
3-way
|
3-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
27x90mm-inch
|
-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
1 x 6-inch |
1 x 5.25-inch |
|
Woofer
|
2 x 8.5-inch
|
1 x 5-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 Triton One.R features a " High-Velocity Folded Ribbon Tweeter, a 5.25" Midrange and 1 x 5" Polymer Woofer.
Frequency Response
Elysian 4 has a frequency range of 30-22k Hz whereas Triton One.R has a frequency range of 13-35k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 13Hz, the Triton One.R can go significantly deeper on the low side and provide stronger bass compared to 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
Impedance and Sensitivity
Elysian 4 is a 4 ohms speaker compared to the Triton One.R 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 4 can provide this impedance level.
On the other hand, they have the same sensitivity of 92 dBdB.
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.
Triton One.R can handle a max power of 650 watts RMS, whereas Elysian 4 has a max power handling value of 250 watts RMS, 400 watts less than the Triton One.R.
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
Elysian 4 features Binding post posts which make bi-amping or bi-wiring possible. Triton One.R has a 5-Way post which doesn't feature bi-amping/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 GoldenEar Triton One.R'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 GoldenEar Triton One.R has external dimensions of 1375.0 x 315.0 x 516.0mm (54-1/8 x 12-3/8 x 20-5/16inch).
Wharfedale Elysian 4 is 187mm shorter and 54mm less deeper than GoldenEar Triton One.R but it is also 87mm wider.
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 4 needs about 14% more floor or shelf area. GoldenEar Triton One.R is 54mm deeper, so it stands that much further out from the wall. GoldenEar Triton One.R is 187mm 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 4 is approximately 1857.2cm2 / 287.9inch2 and base area of the GoldenEar Triton One.R is approximately 1625.4cm2 / 251.9inch2. The Elysian 4 requires 14% more surface area than the Triton One.R 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 GoldenEar Triton One.R weighs 36.36kg / 80lbs. This makes the Elysian 4 36% heavier than the Triton One.R.
Here is a comparison of how Elysian 4 and Triton One.R'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 GoldenEar Triton One.R?
Here are the items that come with the Triton One.R:
- Floorstanding loudspeaker
- 9-feet AC power cord
- 4 Rubber feet (pre-installed)
- 4 Spikes (with locking nuts)
- 4 Protective discs
- Owners Manual
- Very Important Note
 Woofer Size |
8.5 inches
vs
5 inches
|
Larger woofer |
|
Number of Woofers |
2
vs
1
|
More woofers |
 Bi-Amping and Bi-Wiring |
Yes
vs
No
|
Allows bi-amping and bi-wiring connections |
 Height |
1188mm
vs
1375mm
|
Easier to fit in smaller spaces |
 Max Input Power |
650 watts
vs
250 watts
|
Handle more power from your amplifier |
 Nominal Impedance |
8 ohms
vs
4 ohms
|
Less selective with amplifiers |
|
Low Frequency Response |
13 Hz
vs
30 Hz
|
Generates deeper bass |
 High Frequency Response |
35k Hz
vs
22k Hz
|
Generates higher frequency |
 Passive Radiator |
four 7-inch
vs
None
|
Increases the bass performance |
 Base Surface Area |
1625cm2
vs
1857cm2
|
Takes less floor space |
 Price per pair* |
7498USD
vs
9996USD
|
costs less (*prices may change depending on the seller, location and time) |
| General |
Wharfedale Elysian 4 |
GoldenEar Triton One.R |
| Brand |
Wharfedale |
GoldenEar |
| Speaker Type |
Floor-standing speaker |
Floor-standing speaker |
| Power Range |
15-250 watts |
20-650 watts |
| Sensitivity |
92 dB |
92 dB |
| Impedance |
4 ohms |
8 ohms |
| Frequency Response |
30-22k Hz |
13-35k Hz |
Drivers |
|
|
| Woofer Quantity |
2 |
1 |
| Woofer Size |
8.5" |
5" |
| Woofer Composition |
Coated Fiberglass |
Polymer |
| Woofer Surround Material |
Foamed Rubber |
Rubber |
| Tweeter Size |
27x90mm" |
- |
| Tweeter Type |
AMT (Ribbon) |
High-Velocity Folded Ribbon |
| Aimable Tweeter |
No |
No |
| Midrange Driver |
6" |
5.25" |
| Crossover Frequency |
340Hz and 3100Hz |
n/a |
| Firing Direction |
bottom |
n/a |
Physical Specs |
|
|
| Height |
1188.0mm (46.8") |
1375.0mm (54.1") |
| Width |
402.0mm (15.8") |
315.0mm (12.4") |
| Depth |
462.0mm (18.2") |
516.0mm (20.3") |
| Weight |
49.60kg (109.1lbs) |
36.36kg (80lbs) |
| Enclosure |
Bass Reflex |
Passive Radiator |
| Finish |
MDF/Lacquer |
MDF/Lacquer |
| Available Colors |
Piano Black, Piano Walnut,White |
Gloss Black |
| Grille |
Yes |
n/a |
| Moisture Resistancy |
No |
No |
Connections |
|
|
| Biamp Inputs |
Yes |
No |
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 | B | GoldenEar Triton One.R digs deeper - 13Hz against 30Hz. |
| Amplifier needs | evenly matched | Similar sensitivity (92dB vs 92dB) - both want much the same power. |
| Amplifier match | B | GoldenEar Triton One.R is the easier load at 8 ohms; the other is 4 ohms and wants an amplifier rated for it. |
| Headroom | B | GoldenEar Triton One.R takes more power (650W vs 250W) - more in hand in a big room. |
| Size | depends | Similar cabinet size - neither is easier to fit. |
| Cabinet | depends | Ported vs Passive Radiator. |
| Expandability | A | Wharfedale Elysian 4: bi-amping. |
| Price | B | GoldenEar Triton One.R is cheaper - $7,498 against $9,996, about 25% less. |
A Wharfedale Elysian 4 B GoldenEar Triton One.R
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?
GoldenEar Triton One.R is the easier recommendation: it leads on most of the measured areas and costs less. Take Wharfedale Elysian 4 if its size, looks or fit in your room suit you better. If a subwoofer is in your plans, the bass gap largely stops mattering - you would be crossing over above 30Hz anyway, so judge these on the other rows instead. Match it to your room: we rate GoldenEar Triton One.R the better fit for a very large room; elsewhere the two are rated the same.
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.