What amplifier does the Wharfedale Elysian 2 need?

Pick a speaker and tell us how loud you listen and how big the room is. We work out the power it actually needs, check which amplifiers can safely drive its impedance, and rank 281 amplifiers against it.

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Passive speakers only — a powered speaker already has its amplifier inside.
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Wharfedale Elysian 2
Wharfedale Elysian 2
Bookshelf
89 dB · 4 ohm
$6,996 a pair
Full specs →
Power needed
19–250 W
per channel, into 4 ohms

To hit 95 dB peaks at 3 m from a pair of Wharfedale Elysian 2, you need at least 19 W a channel. More than 250 W is wasted here — that is all Wharfedale rates the speaker to take.

Show the working
  • 95 dB target at the seat
  • +4.8 dB for 3.0 m of distance
  • -3 dB for a stereo pair
  • -84.0 dB effective sensitivity
  • 3.0 dB taken off to convert the 4 ohm 2.83V rating to dB per watt
  • 2 dB allowed for optimistic published sensitivity
  • Published sensitivity 89 dB, used as 84.0 dB per watt.

Naim NAP 250 with the Wharfedale Elysian 2

Excellent match
10 dB of headroom over what this speaker needs - peaks stay clean.
Rated down to 2 ohms - stable into anything this speaker will throw at it.
Power nearly doubles into 4 ohms (100 W to 190 W) - a stiff supply that copes with hard loads.
A power amplifier: you will need a preamplifier, or a streamer with a volume control, as well.
Full Naim NAP 250 specs · Clear this amp
 
$90 $25,000

189 integrated amplifiers suit the Wharfedale Elysian 2

Also show the 46 we do not recommend
1
Cambridge Audio Edge A
Cambridge Audio Edge A
Integrated Amplifier · Class XA · 100 W into 8 ohms · $6,499
Excellent match
10 dB of headroom over what this speaker needs - peaks stay clean.
Rated down to 4 ohms, comfortable with a 4 ohm speaker.
Power nearly doubles into 4 ohms (100 W to 200 W) - a stiff supply that copes with hard loads.
Balanced against the price of the speakers.
2
Denon AE PMA-A110
Denon AE PMA-A110
Integrated Amplifier · Class A/B · 80 W into 8 ohms · $3,999
Excellent match
9 dB of headroom over what this speaker needs - peaks stay clean.
Rated down to 4 ohms, comfortable with a 4 ohm speaker.
Power nearly doubles into 4 ohms (80 W to 160 W) - a stiff supply that copes with hard loads.
Sensible value pick against these speakers.
3
Denon PMA-3000NE
Denon PMA-3000NE
Integrated Amplifier · Class A/B · 80 W into 8 ohms · $3,799
Excellent match
9 dB of headroom over what this speaker needs - peaks stay clean.
Rated down to 4 ohms, comfortable with a 4 ohm speaker.
Power nearly doubles into 4 ohms (80 W to 160 W) - a stiff supply that copes with hard loads.
Sensible value pick against these speakers.
4
Mark Levinson No.5802
Mark Levinson No.5802
Integrated Amplifier · Class A/B · 125 W into 8 ohms · $8,500
Excellent match
11 dB of headroom over what this speaker needs - peaks stay clean.
Rated down to 2 ohms - stable into anything this speaker will throw at it.
Power nearly doubles into 4 ohms (125 W to 250 W) - a stiff supply that copes with hard loads.
Balanced against the price of the speakers.
5
NAD Masters Series M33
NAD Masters Series M33
Integrated Amplifier · Class D · 200 W into 8 ohms · $5,999
Workable with care
13 dB of headroom, far more than needed. No harm in it. Well above the 250 W the maker rates the speaker for, so keep an eye on the volume knob.
Rated down to 4 ohms, comfortable with a 4 ohm speaker.
Power nearly doubles into 4 ohms (200 W to 380 W) - a stiff supply that copes with hard loads.
Balanced against the price of the speakers.
6
Advance Paris NOVA A-i130
Advance Paris NOVA A-i130
Integrated Amplifier · Class AB-T · 125 W into 8 ohms · $6,499
Good match
10 dB of headroom over what this speaker needs - peaks stay clean.
Rated down to 4 ohms, comfortable with a 4 ohm speaker.
Power rises usefully into 4 ohms (125 W to 185 W).
Balanced against the price of the speakers.
7
McIntosh MA5300
McIntosh MA5300
Integrated Amplifier · Class A/B · 100 W into 8 ohms · $6,000
Good match
9 dB of headroom over what this speaker needs - peaks stay clean.
Rated down to 4 ohms, comfortable with a 4 ohm speaker.
Power rises usefully into 4 ohms (100 W to 160 W).
Balanced against the price of the speakers.
8
Anthem STR
Anthem STR
Integrated Amplifier · Class A/B · 200 W into 8 ohms · $5,000
Workable with care
13 dB of headroom, far more than needed. No harm in it. Well above the 250 W the maker rates the speaker for, so keep an eye on the volume knob.
Rated down to 2 ohms - stable into anything this speaker will throw at it.
Power nearly doubles into 4 ohms (200 W to 400 W) - a stiff supply that copes with hard loads.
Balanced against the price of the speakers.
9
McIntosh MA252
McIntosh MA252
Integrated Amplifier · Class HD · 100 W into 8 ohms · $5,000
Good match
9 dB of headroom over what this speaker needs - peaks stay clean.
Rated down to 4 ohms, comfortable with a 4 ohm speaker.
Power rises usefully into 4 ohms (100 W to 160 W).
Balanced against the price of the speakers.
10
Advance Paris A12 APEX
Advance Paris A12 APEX
Integrated Amplifier · Class AB-T · 180 W into 8 ohms · $4,999
Good match
12 dB of headroom over what this speaker needs - peaks stay clean.
Rated down to 4 ohms, comfortable with a 4 ohm speaker.
Power rises usefully into 4 ohms (180 W to 270 W).
Balanced against the price of the speakers.
11
NAD Masters Series M33 V2
NAD Masters Series M33 V2
Integrated Amplifier · Class D · 200 W into 8 ohms · $7,399
Workable with care
13 dB of headroom, far more than needed. No harm in it. Well above the 250 W the maker rates the speaker for, so keep an eye on the volume knob.
Rated down to 4 ohms, comfortable with a 4 ohm speaker.
Power nearly doubles into 4 ohms (200 W to 380 W) - a stiff supply that copes with hard loads.
Balanced against the price of the speakers.
12
Arcam SA45
Arcam SA45
Integrated Amplifier · Class G · 180 W into 8 ohms · $5,500
Good match
12 dB of headroom, far more than needed. No harm in it.
Rated down to 4 ohms, comfortable with a 4 ohm speaker.
Power rises usefully into 4 ohms (180 W to 300 W).
Balanced against the price of the speakers.
13
Marantz Model 30
Marantz Model 30
Integrated Amplifier · Class D · 100 W into 8 ohms · $2,999
Excellent match
10 dB of headroom over what this speaker needs - peaks stay clean.
Rated down to 4 ohms, comfortable with a 4 ohm speaker.
Power nearly doubles into 4 ohms (100 W to 200 W) - a stiff supply that copes with hard loads.
Sensible value pick against these speakers.
14
Advance Paris A12 Classic
Advance Paris A12 Classic
Integrated Amplifier · Class AB-T · 190 W into 8 ohms · $4,499
Good match
12 dB of headroom over what this speaker needs - peaks stay clean.
Rated down to 4 ohms, comfortable with a 4 ohm speaker.
Power rises usefully into 4 ohms (190 W to 280 W).
Balanced against the price of the speakers.
15
Yamaha A-S2200
Yamaha A-S2200
Integrated Amplifier · Class A/B · 90 W into 8 ohms · $4,500
Good match
9 dB of headroom over what this speaker needs - peaks stay clean.
Rated down to 4 ohms, comfortable with a 4 ohm speaker.
Power rises usefully into 4 ohms (90 W to 150 W).
Balanced against the price of the speakers.
16
PrimaLuna EVO 300 Hybrid Integrated
PrimaLuna EVO 300 Hybrid Integrated
Integrated Amplifier · Class A/B · 100 W into 8 ohms · $6,995
Good match
9 dB of headroom over what this speaker needs - peaks stay clean.
Rated down to 4 ohms, comfortable with a 4 ohm speaker.
Power rises usefully into 4 ohms (100 W to 150 W).
Balanced against the price of the speakers.
17
Luxman L-505Z
Luxman L-505Z
Integrated Amplifier · Class A/B · 100 W into 8 ohms · $6,995
Good match
9 dB of headroom over what this speaker needs - peaks stay clean.
Rated down to 4 ohms, comfortable with a 4 ohm speaker.
Power rises usefully into 4 ohms (100 W to 150 W).
Balanced against the price of the speakers.
18
Luxman L-507Z
Luxman L-507Z
Integrated Amplifier · Class A/B · 110 W into 8 ohms · $10,495
Excellent match
11 dB of headroom over what this speaker needs - peaks stay clean.
Rated down to 4 ohms, comfortable with a 4 ohm speaker.
Power nearly doubles into 4 ohms (110 W to 220 W) - a stiff supply that copes with hard loads.
Costs more than the speakers - worth it only if you plan to upgrade them later.
19
Mark Levinson No.5805
Mark Levinson No.5805
Integrated Amplifier · Class A/B · 125 W into 8 ohms · $10,500
Excellent match
11 dB of headroom over what this speaker needs - peaks stay clean.
Rated down to 2 ohms - stable into anything this speaker will throw at it.
Power nearly doubles into 4 ohms (125 W to 250 W) - a stiff supply that copes with hard loads.
Costs more than the speakers - worth it only if you plan to upgrade them later.
20
McIntosh MSA5500
McIntosh MSA5500
Integrated Amplifier · Class A/B · 100 W into 8 ohms · $8,000
Good match
9 dB of headroom over what this speaker needs - peaks stay clean.
Rated down to 4 ohms, comfortable with a 4 ohm speaker.
Power rises usefully into 4 ohms (100 W to 160 W).
Balanced against the price of the speakers.

Showing the best 20 of 189. Narrow it with the price range below, or a different budget split.

46 power amplifiers that would also drive them

Listed separately because they are not a complete system: a power amplifier has no volume control and no inputs to speak of, so you need a preamplifier or a streaming preamp as well. Worth it if you already own one, or if you want to buy the two halves separately.

1
MOON 330A
MOON 330A
Power Amplifier · Class A/B · 125 W into 8 ohms · $4,400
Excellent match
11 dB of headroom over what this speaker needs - peaks stay clean.
Rated down to 4 ohms, comfortable with a 4 ohm speaker.
Power nearly doubles into 4 ohms (125 W to 250 W) - a stiff supply that copes with hard loads.
Balanced against the price of the speakers.
2
Naim NAP 250
Naim NAP 250
Power Amplifier · Class A/B · 100 W into 8 ohms · $8,999
Excellent match
10 dB of headroom over what this speaker needs - peaks stay clean.
Rated down to 2 ohms - stable into anything this speaker will throw at it.
Power nearly doubles into 4 ohms (100 W to 190 W) - a stiff supply that copes with hard loads.
Balanced against the price of the speakers.
3
T+A M 200
T+A M 200
Power Amplifier · Class D · 210 W into 8 ohms · $5,995
Workable with care
13 dB of headroom, far more than needed. No harm in it. Well above the 250 W the maker rates the speaker for, so keep an eye on the volume knob.
Rated down to 4 ohms, comfortable with a 4 ohm speaker.
Power nearly doubles into 4 ohms (210 W to 420 W) - a stiff supply that copes with hard loads.
Balanced against the price of the speakers.
4
Naim NAP 350
Naim NAP 350
Power Amplifier · Class A/B · 175 W into 8 ohms · $8,499
Excellent match
13 dB of headroom, far more than needed. No harm in it.
Rated down to 2 ohms - stable into anything this speaker will throw at it.
Power nearly doubles into 4 ohms (175 W to 345 W) - a stiff supply that copes with hard loads.
Balanced against the price of the speakers.
5
PrimaLuna EVO 300 Hybrid Power
PrimaLuna EVO 300 Hybrid Power
Power Amplifier · Class A/B · 100 W into 8 ohms · $7,195
Good match
9 dB of headroom over what this speaker needs - peaks stay clean.
Rated down to 4 ohms, comfortable with a 4 ohm speaker.
Power rises usefully into 4 ohms (100 W to 150 W).
Balanced against the price of the speakers.
6
Parasound JCM250
Parasound JCM250
Power Amplifier · Class A/AB · 250 W into 8 ohms · $4,250
Workable with care
14 dB of headroom, far more than needed. No harm in it. Well above the 250 W the maker rates the speaker for, so keep an eye on the volume knob.
Rated down to 1 ohms - stable into anything this speaker will throw at it.
Power nearly doubles into 4 ohms (250 W to 450 W) - a stiff supply that copes with hard loads.
Balanced against the price of the speakers.
7
NAD Masters Series M23 V2
NAD Masters Series M23 V2
Power Amplifier · Class D · 200 W into 8 ohms · $4,999
Good match
10 dB of headroom over what this speaker needs - peaks stay clean.
Rated down to 4 ohms, comfortable with a 4 ohm speaker.
No 4 ohm power rating on file. On a 4 ohm speaker that is the figure that matters, so this one is unproven on the load.
Balanced against the price of the speakers.
8
Rogue Audio Stereo 100
Rogue Audio Stereo 100
Power Amplifier · Class A/B · 100 W into 8 ohms · $4,195
Excellent match
7 dB of headroom - enough, but at the modest end for this speaker, which takes up to 250 W.
Has a 4 ohm tap, which is exactly what this 4 ohm speaker wants. Taps: 4 / 8 ohm.
A valve amplifier makes the same power on each tap, so what matters is sensitivity - and at 84.0 dB this speaker is efficient enough that 100 W is comfortable.
Sensible value pick against these speakers.
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Sensitivity and impedance figures are the manufacturer's own. We read sensitivity as dB at 2.83 V/1 m and take 2 dB off it, because published figures run high. Treat the result as a well-founded starting point, not a measurement. Full Wharfedale Elysian 2 specs.