In this review, we will be comparing two different types of speakers by Wharfedale. Wharfedale Elysian 4 is a Floor-standing speaker whereas the Elysian 1 is a Bookshelf speaker.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of Wharfedale Elysian 4 and Wharfedale Elysian 1 first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
| Key Specs | Wharfedale Elysian 4 | Wharfedale Elysian 1 |
|---|
| Design | 3-way | 2-way |
|---|
| Tweeter | 27x90mm" AMT (Ribbon) | 27x90mm" AMT (Ribbon) |
|---|
| Midrange | 6" | — |
|---|
| Woofer | 2 x 8.5" Coated Fiberglass | 7" Coated Fiberglass |
|---|
| Frequency response | 30-22k Hz | 49-22k Hz |
|---|
| Sensitivity | 92 dB | 89 dB |
|---|
| Impedance | 4 ohms | 4 ohms |
|---|
| Power range | 15-250 watts | 25-175 watts |
|---|
| Weight | 49.60kg / 109.1lbs | 15.03kg / 33.1lbs |
|---|
| 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 | 18-24" x 10-3/8" x 12-7/16"
458.0 x 264.0 x 316.0mm |
|---|
Elysian 4 and Elysian 1 are members of Wharfedale's Elysian series of speakers. Below you can find the loudspeakers from this series.
Wharfedale Elysian Series
History
What size room are the Wharfedale Elysian 4 and Wharfedale Elysian 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 Elysian 4 |
Wharfedale Elysian 1 |
| Near-field |
Bad |
Poor |
| Small Room |
Poor |
Average |
| Mid-size Room |
Average |
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.
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Drivers
One of the fundamental differences between these two speakers is that Elysian 4 is a 3-way design whereas the Elysian 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 Elysian 4Wharfedale Elysian 1
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 |
Wharfedale Elysian 1 |
|
Driver Setup
|
3-way
|
2-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
27x90mm-inch
|
27x90mm-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
1 x 6-inch |
- |
|
Woofer
|
2 x 8.5-inch
|
1 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 Elysian 1 features a 27x90mm" AMT (Ribbon) Tweeter and 1 x 7" Coated Fiberglass Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 2500Hz.
Frequency Response
Elysian 4 has a frequency range of 30-22k Hz whereas Elysian 1 has a frequency range of 49-22k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 30Hz, the Elysian 4 can go significantly deeper on the low side and provide stronger bass compared to the Elysian 1'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 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 Elysian 1 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 Elysian 1's is at 89 dB. This 3 dB difference makes the Wharfedale Elysian 4 a more sensitive speaker compared to Wharfedale Elysian 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 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 Elysian 1 has a max power handling value of 175 watts RMS, 75 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 Elysian 1 features dual binding post speaker terminals for bi-amping or bi-wiring.
Wharfedale Elysian 1's Binding post terminals allows Bi-amping or bi-wiring
Cabinet Type and Port Position
Both Elysian 4 and Elysian 1 have bottom firing ports.
New
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 Wharfedale Elysian 1'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 Wharfedale Elysian 1 has external dimensions of 458.0 x 264.0 x 316.0mm (18-24 x 10-3/8 x 12-7/16inch).
Wharfedale Elysian 4 is clearly the larger of the two speakers. Its body is 138mm wider, 730mm taller and 146mm deeper than Wharfedale Elysian 1.
Below you can see the front view size comparison of Wharfedale Elysian 4 and Wharfedale Elysian 1 in scale.
Comparison image of Wharfedale Elysian 4 and Wharfedale Elysian 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 Elysian 4 is approximately 1857.2cm2 / 287.9inch2 and base area of the Wharfedale Elysian 1 is approximately 834.2cm2 / 129.3inch2. The Elysian 4 requires 123% more surface area than the Elysian 1 which gives it a small disadvantage on placement in tight spaces.
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 Wharfedale Elysian 1?
Here are the items that come with the Elysian 1:
- 2 Stand-mount loudspeakers
- 2 Grilles
- 4 Terminal-jumpers (pre-installed)
- User Manual