In this review, we will be comparing ELYSIAN 4R and F328Be, two Passive Floor-standing speakers from Wharfedale and Revel.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of Wharfedale Elysian 4R and Revel PerformaBe F328Be first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
Wharfedale Elysian 4R Key Specs
- 3-way Design
- " AMT (Ribbon) Tweeter
- 6" Midrange
- 2 x 8.5" Coated glass fibre matrix Woofer
- 30-22k Hz Frequency Response
- 92 dB Sensitivity
- Impedance: 4ohms
- Power Range:15-250watts
- Weight:49.50kg
- 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 )
Revel PerformaBe F328Be Key Specs
- 3-way Design
- 1" Tweeter
- 5.25" Midrange
- 3 x 8.0" Aluminum Woofer
- 5.25" Midrange
- 26-40k Hz Frequency Response
- 91 dB Sensitivity
- Impedance: 8ohms
- Power Range:50-300watts
- Weight:51.18kg
- Dimensions (H x W x D): 50-15/16" x 13-1/2" x 17-5/8" ( 1294.0 x 343.0 x 448.0mm )
What size room are the Wharfedale Elysian 4R and Revel PerformaBe F328Be 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 4R |
Revel PerformaBe F328Be |
| Near-field |
Are you nuts? |
Bad |
| Small Room |
Poor |
Poor |
| Mid-size Room |
Average |
Average |
| Large Room |
Good |
Good |
| Very Large Room |
Good |
Average |
(* 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.)
In the following sections, we will get into more detail in order to better understand how the Wharfedale Elysian 4R and Revel PerformaBe F328Be compare and hopefully end up with enough arguments to decide which one of these loudspeakers is the better choice for you.
**This post contains affiliate links, and I will be compensated if you make a purchase after clicking
through my links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
Drivers
Both ELYSIAN 4R and F328Be are 3-way speakers.
| Driver |
Wharfedale Elysian 4R |
Revel PerformaBe F328Be |
|
Driver Setup
|
3-way
|
3-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
-inch
|
1-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
1 x 6-inch |
1 x 5.25-inch |
|
Woofer
|
2 x 8.5-inch
|
3 x 8.0-inch
|
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. On the other hand, the F328Be features a 1" Tweeter , a 5.25" Midrange and 3 x 8.0" Aluminum Woofer .
Frequency Response
ELYSIAN 4R has a frequency range of 30-22k Hz whereas F328Be has a frequency range of 26-40k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 26Hz, the F328Be can go slightly deeper then the ELYSIAN 4R's min frequency of 30Hz.
Below graphs depict how these two speakers compare with the max, min and average values of the Min and Max Frequencies of other speakers in the Floor-standing class in our database.
Low Frequency
Floor-standing Speakers
High Frequency
Floor-standing Speakers
None of these speakers achieves full range experience which is commonly agreed as 20Hz-20kHz. In order to achieve lower lows / deeper bass, we recommend you pair these with a subwoofer. Visit our Powered Subwoofers section to find out more about the available options.
Impedance and Sensitivity
ELYSIAN 4R is a 4 ohms speaker compared to the F328Be 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 4R can provide this impedance level.
These two speakers also have different sensitivity levels. ELYSIAN 4R sensitivity is rated at 92 dB and the F328Be's is rated at 91 dB. This 1 dB difference makes the Wharfedale Elysian 4R a more sensitive speaker compared to Revel PerformaBe F328Be, hence will play louder with the same amount of watts.
Sensitivity
Floor-standing Speakers
Power Range
Power
range is the range of input power in watts RMS that a loudspeaker is designed to handle. While using
an amplifier within this range ensures the nominal performance , inputting a power that is higher than the
max wattage can result in a damaged speaker.
ELYSIAN 4R can handle a max power of 300 watts RMS from the amp the whereas ELYSIAN 4R has a max power handling value of 250 watts RMS , 50 watts less than the F328Be.
Keep in mind that a higher max power handling value doesn't necessarily make that a louder speaker
compared to a lower max handling speaker. Loudness or the sound level is also impacted by parameters
such as Impedance, sensitivity and system efficiencies.
Input Type and Bi-Amping / Bi-Wiring
F328Be features 5-way posts posts which make bi-amping or bi-wiring possible. ELYSIAN 4R has a Binding post which doesn't feature bi-amping/bi-wiring.
Cabinet Type and Port Position
Both ELYSIAN 4R and F328Be 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
Size of a speaker can sometimes become 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 4R's and Revel PerformaBe F328Be's external dimensions. 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) whereas Revel PerformaBe F328Be has external dimensions of 1294.0 x 343.0 x 448.0mm ( 50-15/16 x 13-1/2 x 17-5/8inch) .
Revel PerformaBe F328Be is 59mm narrower and 14mm less deeper than Wharfedale Elysian 4R but it is also 106mm 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 4R is approximately 1857.2cm2 / 287.9inch2 and base area of the Revel PerformaBe F328Be is approximately 1536.6cm2 / 238.2inch2. The ELYSIAN 4R requires 21% more surface area than the F328Be which gives it a small disadvantage on placement in tight spaces.