In this review, we will be comparing Elysian C and Performa3 C208, 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 Performa3 C208 first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
| Key Specs | Wharfedale Elysian C | Revel Performa3 C208 |
|---|
| 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" | 4" |
|---|
| Woofer | 2 x 8.5" coated fiberglass matrix | 2 x 8" anodized aluminum cone with cast frames |
|---|
| Frequency response | 35-22k Hz | 50Hz- 20kHz |
|---|
| Sensitivity | 91 dB | 89 dB |
|---|
| Impedance | 6 ohms | 8 ohms |
|---|
| Power range | 50-250 watts | 50-350 watts |
|---|
| Weight | 30.23kg / 66.5lbs | 23.41kg / 51.5lbs |
|---|
| 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 | 12-1/16" x 29" x 13-11/16"
307.0 x 737.0 x 348.0mm |
|---|
What size room are the Wharfedale Elysian C and Revel Performa3 C208 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 Performa3 C208 |
| Near-field |
Poor |
Are you nuts? |
| Small Room |
Average |
Bad |
| Mid-size Room |
Good |
Poor |
| Large Room |
Average |
Good |
| Very Large Room |
Poor |
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 C and Performa3 C208 are 3-way speakers.
Wharfedale Elysian CRevel Performa3 C208
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 Performa3 C208 |
|
Driver Setup
|
3-way
|
3-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
27 x 45mm-inch
|
1-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
1 x 6-inch |
1 x 4-inch |
|
Woofer
|
2 x 8.5-inch
|
2 x 8-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 Performa3 C208 features a 1" aluminum dome with proprietary acoustic lens and waveguide Tweeter, a 4" Midrange and 2 x 8" anodized aluminum cone with cast frames Woofer.
Frequency Response
Elysian C has a frequency range of 35-22k Hz whereas Performa3 C208 has a frequency range of 50Hz- 20kHz. With a minimum frequency of 35Hz, the Elysian C can go significantly deeper on the low side and provide stronger bass compared to the Performa3 C208's min frequency of 50Hz.
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 Performa3 C208 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 Performa3 C208's is rated at 89 dB. This 2 dB difference makes the Wharfedale Elysian C a more sensitive speaker compared to Revel Performa3 C208, 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.
Performa3 C208 can handle a max power of 350 watts RMS, whereas Elysian C has a max power handling value of 250 watts RMS, 100 watts less than the Performa3 C208.
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. Performa3 C208 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 Performa3 C208'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 Performa3 C208'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 Performa3 C208 has external dimensions of 307.0 x 737.0 x 348.0mm (12-1/16 x 29 x 13-11/16inch).
Wharfedale Elysian C is clearly the larger of the two speakers. Its body is 94mm wider, 14mm taller and 22mm deeper than Revel Performa3 C208.
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 Performa3 C208 is approximately 2564.8cm2 / 397.5inch2. The Elysian C requires 20% more surface area than the Performa3 C208 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 C weighs 30.23kg / 66.5lbs and the Revel Performa3 C208 weighs 23.41kg / 51.5lbs. This makes the Elysian C 29% heavier than the Performa3 C208.
Here is a comparison of how Elysian C and Performa3 C208'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 Performa3 C208?
Here are the items that come with the Performa3 C208:
- Center-channel loudspeaker
- Grille
- 2 Short feet
- 2 Long feet
- 2 Terminal jumpers (pre-installed)
- Owners Manual
 Sensitivity |
91 dB
vs
89 dB
|
Play louder with same amount of amplification power |
 Woofer Size |
8.5 inches
vs
8 inches
|
Larger woofer |
|
Low Frequency Response |
35 Hz
vs
50 Hz
|
Generates deeper bass |
 High Frequency Response |
22k Hz
vs
20k Hz
|
Generates higher frequency |
 Passive Radiator |
Foamed Rubber
vs
None
|
Increases the bass performance |
 Max Input Power |
350 watts
vs
250 watts
|
Handle more power from your amplifier |
 Nominal Impedance |
8 ohms
vs
6 ohms
|
Less selective with amplifiers |
 Height |
307mm
vs
321mm
|
Easier to fit in smaller spaces |
 Base Surface Area |
2564cm2
vs
3074cm2
|
Takes less floor space |
 Price per pair* |
2200USD
vs
4995USD
|
costs less (*prices may change depending on the seller, location and time) |
| General |
Wharfedale Elysian C |
Revel Performa3 C208 |
| Brand |
Wharfedale |
Revel |
| Speaker Type |
Center channel speaker |
Center channel speaker |
| Power Range |
50-250 watts |
50-350 watts |
| Sensitivity |
91 dB |
89 dB |
| Impedance |
6 ohms |
8 ohms |
| Impedance |
3.5 ohms |
n/a |
| Frequency Response |
35-22k Hz |
50Hz- 20kHz |
Drivers |
|
|
| Woofer Quantity |
2 |
2 |
| Woofer Size |
8.5" |
8" |
| Woofer Composition |
coated fiberglass matrix |
anodized aluminum cone with cast frames |
| 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" |
4" |
| Crossover Frequency |
360Hz and 2900HZ |
n/a |
| Firing Direction |
rear |
n/a |
Physical Specs |
|
|
| Height |
321.0mm (12.6") |
307.0mm (12.1") |
| Width |
831.0mm (32.7") |
737.0mm (29") |
| Depth |
370.0mm (14.6") |
348.0mm (13.7") |
| Weight |
30.23kg (66.5lbs) |
23.41kg (51.5lbs) |
| Enclosure |
Bass Reflex |
Passive Radiator |
| Finish |
MDF/Lacquer |
n/a |
| Available Colors |
Piano Black, Piano Walnut,White |
Gloss Black |
| 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 |
These sit in different price classes - Wharfedale Elysian C costs roughly 2.3x what Revel Performa3 C208 does. Expect it to lead on paper; the question is whether the gap is audible enough in your room to be worth it.
| Area | Better | Why |
|---|
| Bass | A | Wharfedale Elysian C digs deeper - 35Hz against 50Hz. |
| Amplifier needs | A | Wharfedale Elysian C is more sensitive (91dB vs 89dB), so it goes louder on the same amplifier. |
| Amplifier match | B | Revel Performa3 C208 is the easier load at 8 ohms. |
| Headroom | B | Revel Performa3 C208 takes more power (350W vs 250W) - more in hand in a big room. |
| Size | depends | Revel Performa3 C208 is easier to place; Wharfedale Elysian C is bigger, which usually goes with fuller bass. Your room decides. |
| Cabinet | depends | Ported vs Passive Radiator. |
| Expandability | A | Wharfedale Elysian C: bi-amping. |
| Price | B | Revel Performa3 C208 is cheaper - $2,200 against $4,995, about 56% less; arguably a different class. |
A Wharfedale Elysian C B Revel Performa3 C208
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 is ahead, but only on 1 of the measured areas, and it costs about 127% more. That is a lot of money for a narrow margin on paper - Revel Performa3 C208 looks like the sensible buy unless something else about the Wharfedale Elysian C appeals to you. If a subwoofer is in your plans, the bass gap largely stops mattering - you would be crossing over above 50Hz anyway, which makes the cheaper Revel Performa3 C208 much easier to justify. Match it to your room: we rate Wharfedale Elysian C the better fit for a small room and a mid-size room, and Revel Performa3 C208 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.