In this review, we will be comparing Elysian C and C426Be, two Passive Center Channel speakers from Wharfedale and Revel.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of Wharfedale Elysian C and Revel C426Be first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
| Key Specs | Wharfedale Elysian C | Revel C426Be |
|---|
| Brand | Wharfedale
United Kingdom · founded 1932 | Revel
United States · founded 1996 |
|---|
| Design | 3-way | 3-way |
|---|
| Tweeter | 27 x 45mm" Air Motion Transformer (AMT) | 1" dome with proprietary acoustic lens and waveguide |
|---|
| Midrange | 6" | 5-1/4" |
|---|
| Woofer | 2 x 8.5" coated fiberglass matrix | 4 x 6.5" aluminum with Deep Ceramic Composite coating |
|---|
| Frequency response | 35-22k Hz | 38-40k Hz |
|---|
| Sensitivity | 91 dB | 90 dB |
|---|
| Impedance | 6 ohms | 8 ohms |
|---|
| Power range | 50-250 watts | 50-300 watts |
|---|
| Weight | 30.23kg / 66.5lbs | 33.05kg / 72.7lbs |
|---|
| Dimensions (H x W x D) | 12-5/8" x 32-11/16" x 14-9/16"
321.0 x 831.0 x 370.0mm | 12-5/16" x 38-5/8" x 14-1/16"
313.0 x 982.0 x 358.0mm |
|---|
What size room are the Wharfedale Elysian C and Revel C426Be 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 C |
Revel C426Be |
| Near-field |
Poor |
Poor |
| Small Room |
Average |
Poor |
| Mid-size Room |
Good |
Good |
| Large Room |
Average |
Good |
| Very Large Room |
Poor |
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.)
The sections below take each area in turn: drivers, frequency response, physical size and what you get in the box.
Drivers
Both Elysian C and C426Be are 3-way speakers.
Wharfedale Elysian CRevel C426Be
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 C |
Revel C426Be |
|
Driver Setup
|
3-way
|
3-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
27 x 45mm-inch
|
1-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
1 x 6-inch |
1 x 5-1/4-inch |
|
Woofer
|
2 x 8.5-inch
|
4 x 6.5-inch
|
Elysian C features a 27 x 45mm" Air Motion Transformer (AMT) Tweeter, a 6" Midrange and 2 x 8.5" coated fiberglass matrix Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 360Hz and 2900HZ. On the other hand, the C426Be features a 1" beryllium dome with proprietary acoustic lens and waveguide Tweeter, a 5-1/4" Midrange and 4 x 6.5" aluminum with Deep Ceramic Composite coating Woofer.
Frequency Response
Elysian C has a frequency range of 35-22k Hz whereas C426Be has a frequency range of 38-40k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 35Hz, the Elysian C can go slightly deeper then the C426Be's min frequency of 38Hz.
The graph below depicts how these two speakers compare with the max, min and average Low Frequency values of other speakers in the Center Channel class in our database.
Low Frequency
Center Channel 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 C is a 6 ohms speaker compared to the C426Be which has a nominal impedance of 8 ohms.
These two speakers also have different sensitivity levels. Elysian C sensitivity is rated at 91 dB and the C426Be's is rated at 90 dB. This 1 dB difference makes the Wharfedale Elysian C a more sensitive speaker compared to Revel C426Be, hence will play louder with the same amount of watts.
Sensitivity
Center Channel 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.
C426Be can handle a max power of 300 watts RMS, whereas Elysian C has a max power handling value of 250 watts RMS, 50 watts less than the C426Be.
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 C features Binding post posts which make bi-amping or bi-wiring possible. C426Be has a Binding post which doesn't feature bi-amping/bi-wiring.
Wharfedale Elysian C's Binding post terminals allows Bi-amping or bi-wiring
Revel C426Be's Binding post terminals
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 C's and Revel C426Be's external dimensions. Wharfedale Elysian C has external dimensions of 321.0 x 831.0 x 370.0mm (12-5/8 x 32-11/16 x 14-9/16inch) whereas Revel C426Be has external dimensions of 313.0 x 982.0 x 358.0mm (12-5/16 x 38-5/8 x 14-1/16inch).
Revel C426Be is 8mm shorter and 12mm less deeper than Wharfedale Elysian C but it is also 151mm wider.
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 C is approximately 3074.7cm2 / 476.6inch2 and base area of the Revel C426Be is approximately 3515.6cm2 / 544.9inch2. The Elysian C requires 13% less surface area than the C426Be which gives it a small advantage 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 C weighs 30.23kg / 66.5lbs and the Revel C426Be weighs 33.05kg / 72.7lbs. This makes the C426Be 9% heavier than the Elysian C.
Here is a comparison of how Elysian C and C426Be's weights compare with the average, max and min weights in Passive Center Channel class.
Weight
All Center Channel Speakers
What's in the Box of Wharfedale Elysian C?
Here are the items that are included inside the box of Elysian C:
- Center channel loudspeaker
- Grille
- 2 Terminal-jumpers
- User Manual
What's in the Box of Revel C426Be?
Here are the items that come with the C426Be:
- Center-channel loudspeaker
- Grille
- Feet assembly
- 2 Port plugs
- Owners Manual
 Sensitivity |
91 dB
vs
90 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
38 Hz
|
Generates deeper bass |
 Passive Radiator |
Foamed Rubber
vs
None
|
Increases the bass performance |
 Base Surface Area |
3074cm2
vs
3515cm2
|
Takes less floor space |
 Max Input Power |
300 watts
vs
250 watts
|
Handle more power from your amplifier |
 Nominal Impedance |
8 ohms
vs
6 ohms
|
Less selective with amplifiers |
|
Number of Woofers |
4
vs
2
|
More woofers |
 High Frequency Response |
40k Hz
vs
22k Hz
|
Generates higher frequency |
 Height |
313mm
vs
321mm
|
Easier to fit in smaller spaces |
 Price per pair* |
4950USD
vs
4995USD
|
costs less (*prices may change depending on the seller, location and time) |
| General |
Wharfedale Elysian C |
Revel C426Be |
| Brand |
Wharfedale |
Revel |
| Speaker Type |
Center channel speaker |
Center channel speaker |
| Power Range |
50-250 watts |
50-300 watts |
| Sensitivity |
91 dB |
90 dB |
| Impedance |
6 ohms |
8 ohms |
| Impedance |
3.5 ohms |
n/a |
| Frequency Response |
35-22k Hz |
38-40k Hz |
Drivers |
|
|
| Woofer Quantity |
2 |
4 |
| Woofer Size |
8.5" |
6.5" |
| Woofer Composition |
coated fiberglass matrix |
aluminum with Deep Ceramic Composite coating |
| Tweeter Size |
27 x 45mm" |
1" |
| Tweeter Type |
Air Motion Transformer (AMT) |
dome with proprietary acoustic lens and waveguide |
| Aimable Tweeter |
No |
No |
| Midrange Driver |
6" |
5-1/4" |
| Crossover Frequency |
360Hz and 2900HZ |
n/a |
| Firing Direction |
rear |
n/a |
Physical Specs |
|
|
| Height |
321.0mm (12.6") |
313.0mm (12.3") |
| Width |
831.0mm (32.7") |
982.0mm (38.7") |
| Depth |
370.0mm (14.6") |
358.0mm (14.1") |
| Weight |
30.23kg (66.5lbs) |
33.05kg (72.7lbs) |
| Enclosure |
Bass Reflex |
Bass Reflex |
| Finish |
MDF/Lacquer |
n/a |
| Available Colors |
Piano Black, Piano Walnut,White |
Walnut |
| Grille |
Yes |
Yes |
| Moisture Resistancy |
No |
No |
Connections |
|
|
| Biamp Inputs |
Yes |
n/a |
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 | A | Wharfedale Elysian C digs deeper - 35Hz against 38Hz. A subwoofer would even that out. |
| Amplifier needs | evenly matched | Similar sensitivity (91dB vs 90dB) - both want much the same power. |
| Amplifier match | B | Revel C426Be is the easier load at 8 ohms. |
| Headroom | evenly matched | Similar power handling (250W vs 300W). |
| Size | depends | Similar cabinet size - neither is easier to fit. |
| Expandability | A | Wharfedale Elysian C: bi-amping. |
| Price | evenly matched | Much the same money ($4,995 vs $4,950 a pair). |
A Wharfedale Elysian C B Revel C426Be
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?
Wharfedale Elysian C has the edge on paper, though the margin is not large. The rows marked "depends" may matter more to you than the score does. Match it to your room: we rate Wharfedale Elysian C the better fit for a small room, and Revel C426Be for a large room and a very large 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.