Think of Wharfedale and we can pretty much guarantee the next word to enter your mind is Diamond. So successful have the various budget Diamond ranges been over the decades that it’s easy to forget that the company also makes premium products, such as the new Evo 4.4 floorstanders on test here.
These are the biggest and priciest offerings in the company’s new Evo range and are packed full of so much technology that we had to double-check the speaker’s price tag to make sure it was for a pair of speakers, rather than just one.
Build
What kind of technology? Well, there’s the Air Motion Transformer tweeter for starters. While there are a few similarly priced speakers that use such a unit, it’s a type of design more usually seen at far higher prices.
An AMT works by having a light, pleated diaphragm driven across its surface by a row of carefully placed magnets. The pleats contract or expand according to the music signal, squeezing the air between them in the process to create the sound wave. The sound from this kind of unit is claimed to be fast because of the light diaphragm, and accurate due to the complete surface area being driven.
The 55 x 80 mm AMT hands over to another unusual drive unit, a dome midrange, at a relatively high 4.7kHz. Few speakers use a dome midrange because of the cost and difficulty of development, but the one used in the 4.4 has a 50mm soft dome coated with a damping compound to control resonances. There’s also a specially shaped chamber behind the dome that scatters and absorbs the diaphragm’s rearward sound, so reducing distortion and improving detail.
This dome midrange unit has a wide frequency response ranging from 800Hz to 5kHz. This response along with the powerful motor system helps it integrate with the AMT tweeter as well as the twin woven Kevlar bass drivers that sit below it on the front panel. The crossover point between the midrange and bass drivers is 1.2 kHz.
If you’re thinking that any speaker that stands 106cm tall and has twin 15cm bass drivers should deliver plenty in the way of bass, you’d be right.
The output of those two bass drivers is helped by a downward-facing port arrangement where the low frequency sound fires out through a gap between the base of the speaker cabinet and the floor plinth. This is a technique that Wharfedale has refined in recent years and is claimed to better match the acoustic output of the port to the room.
The Evo 4.4’s build quality is good for the price. We like the way the elegantly curved cabinet is put together. It’s strategically braced and damped to provide a solid, low resonance platform for the drive units to work from. There are three finish options – black, white and walnut. The standard of fit and finish on our review samples is good.
Compatibility
These are pretty big speakers, and sound best well away from the rear and side walls in our medium-sized test room. Place the speakers too close to either room boundary and that powerful low end starts to dominate.
Get it right though, and add suitably talented electronics into equation, and you’ll find the Evo 4.4s to be superb speakers for the money. We think something like a Cyrus CDi CD player coupled with Rega’s Elex-R would be a good starting point for a system.
The Evo 4.4 has a nominal impedance of 4 ohms, but it barely dips below that point at its minimum, so shouldn’t be a particularly hard speaker for an amplifier to drive. That means the absolute quality of the amplifier is going to be the decider rather than its outright grunt.
Sound
It won’t come as a surprise that relatively big speakers produce a large-scale sound with plenty of authority. We listen to Dvorak’s New World Symphony and are impressed by the Wharfedale’s dynamic reach and ability to cope with a mass of instrumentation with composure. They go loud with an ease that suggests plenty of headroom and remain organised when the recording gets demanding.
The transparency and subtlety these Wharfedales display is far less expected. There’s a real feeling that these speakers are digging deep into the recording and presenting that information in an honest way. They track the complete envelope of a note well, clearly defining leading and trailing edges without sounding overly etched.
Rivals such as the excellent Fyne Audio F501s sound more forward, and perhaps more exciting because of that, but over a longer listen the Evo 4.4’s easier-going presentation is more natural and convincing. It’s the kind of sound that appeals over the long term rather than during a short audition at a dealer.
The combination of the AMT tweeter and dome midrange delivers much in the way of resolution and transparency. These speakers sound impressively articulate through these frequencies and deliver vocal-led music such as Mount The Air from The Unthanks brilliantly. There’s nuance and texture in voices that helps to communicate emotions really well.
Tying everything together is a fine sense of timing that results in surefooted rhythms and the ability to present a mass of instrumentation as a cohesive and musical whole. The longer we listen, the less we find ourselves analysing the sound, and the more we simply enjoy the results.
The Wharfedale’s refined tonal presentation is nicely judged, treading that fine line between attack and smoothness well. Over our review sessions we listen to everything from Bob Marley and Bruce Springsteen right the way through to Orff’s Carmina Burana and never feel that these Evos are dictating our choice.
Verdict
These floorstanders prove that Wharfedale has the ability to mix it with the very best at more premium prices. The Evo 4.4s are entertaining and detailed with enough in the way of refinement to make them an excellent long-term choice. If you’re looking for floorstanders at this level, put these towers high on your shortlist. You won’t regret it.
SCORES
- Sound 5
- Compatibility 4
- Build 5
聆聽時先播放了 Tracy Chapman 在 1988年推出的首張同名專輯，這張唱片是張老板之前就曾與我分享的片子，他說以前在音響展上這是很多展房會播放的發燒片，因為年代比較遠，我也比較不熟悉，不過首次聽到時就非常喜歡這位黑人女歌手的聲音，非常有魅力。這次來鼎捷音響我就豪不客氣請張老板再播放一次，果不其然歌手魅力非常有靈魂，完全地扣人心弦。第四首清唱的〈Behind The Wall〉呈現了完全無毛邊的人聲，聲音凝聚力和漆黑背景形成強烈的對比，整個聆聽空間中就剩下這一個歌手的聲音，呈現純粹與自然。在空間裡，人聲音像大小與聲音高度非常剛好，閉上眼睛就有歌手就站在前面唱歌的錯覺。音響系統好唱片又好就是這種純粹的享受。
再放一張熟悉的玉置浩二《酒紅色的心》，這套系統的聲音是非常中性的音色，因為處理得很好所以音樂背景真的是很干淨，讓音樂的動態對比呈現得更加清楚，歌手演唱時的細節非常清晰，這在演唱過程中很快就能發現。音樂播放的過程中，音箱基本是消失的，即便腦袋裡知道他們活生生地站在那，但很快就能忽視他們。這套系統的音響性難以挑剔，動態對比、中性清晰、聲音質感也是一等一的好，解析力更是讓演唱細節無所遁形，而且很均衡，難以忽視掉任何一個段落或樂器，雖然人聲是主key，但這種均衡度就好像讓整首歌曲處處是重點，成為非常豐富的演出。
接著放一張張老板的收藏，由 Aaron Rosand 演奏小提琴，John Covelli 演奏鋼琴的協奏曲專輯《Respighi, Sibelius, Walton – Violin Sonatas》，由 AudioFon 在 1992年發行推出，光看封面就知道錄音很老的片子，而 Aaron Rosand 也在今年 7月初於紐約以 92歲高齡離世。這張錄音不能稱上是高解析，但是充滿自然的音色與優美的旋律。這套系統讓其在上下兩端的聲音延伸非常自然，鋼琴多在中低音部演奏，既有厚度、重量感，並仍然保持充足的解析力。小提琴的線條與節奏是非常優美的，感情充沛，音樂性非常好。兩者協奏之下既是各自風採獨立又彼此協調，展現了歲月累積的老練演奏經驗，比起現代更多強調技巧展現的片子，這張專輯有時更能讓人醉心於音樂當中。用鼎捷音響的系統播放就是信手捻來，無論在音響性或音樂性上，似乎不費一點力氣就能完整地呈現音樂之美。
播放熟悉的《Tutti !》，在鼎捷音響的空間中音場之寬深度從來不是問題，以前在舊店面時，整體寬度和深度窄了很多，和現在根本無法模擬，跟小家庭中的客廳相比大不了多少，當時張老板的調整就能讓整個音場向兩側與系統后方延伸，而且能在很大音壓下卻不顯駐波與淤積，聲音總是顯得開闊，我到現在還是覺得神奇。新店面裡的試聽室那就寬敞數倍之多，不但音響系統可以擺放的橫寬與縱深都非常充裕，在聆聽位后方更有直達門口 10公尺以上的吞吐空間，可以想見能讓張老板玩得更為盡興。播這張唱片時，音場不必懷疑，相當寬敞，每個樂器在演奏時音像位置非常明確，且完全不虛，非常有實體感的，連細微動態都很明顯，也因為音場寬廣，有如近看大屏幕電影一樣，我甚至能移動頭部盯著某樂器的演出。對張老板來說，希望能做到的就是像這樣的親臨現場，當然理性上音響系統不可能像現場，隻能盡量帶入現場某些類似的感動，例如龐大的樂團規模感，寬敞的音場或是靜態與動態的對比再生，而張老板在這方面已經是少數做到接近的音響店家，真的值得大家都來實際聽聽。
Spendor 現時的三個系列，有一個共通點，就是採用新設計的 EP77 Polymer 中音單元。市場上，有能力自行設計所有單元的品牌並不多，Spendor 是其中之一， 而如何運用 Polymer 是 Spendor 的強項，早在不少品牌仍然採用紙盆時，他們經已埋首於 Polymer，原因是認為這種物料比紙盆穩定，而且耐用得多。 多年來，廠方從 Polymer 的原料到單元設計，經歷許多年的研究及更新，才成 就出現時的 EP77 版本。EP77 有 150mm 和 180mm 兩個直徑，D9 所用的是後者。 這款中音除了 Polymer 振膜之外，還有另一個重點，就是相位錐。廠方花上大 量時間進行研究，希望為相位錐定出一個最佳形狀及大小，以發揮最有效的相位修 正、控制擴散作用，同時令頻率響應變得平直。
當代揚聲器主流設計，除了向收窄前障板、加深聲箱方向發展之外，還有加固箱體，令它難以起振。但了解 Spendor 的讀者朋友都會知道，他們一直信奉另一個方向， 也是部分英國老牌揚聲器廠家都奉行的，給聲箱在受控情況下起振。 雖然都是讓它受控地起振，不過目的不同，想要的共振模式亦不會一樣。 Spendor 認為，依賴厚重聲箱加上阻尼物，只會造成能量積存，而非轉換、清除，這些未能清散的能量還是令聲音變得混濁。廠方的做法是令聲箱在受控的情況下出現共振，加上特別阻尼物，令能量盡快轉換成熱能，然後消散，盡可能減少積存。廠方將應用在 D-Line 揚聲器聲箱的共振轉能設計，稱之為 Spendor Dynamic Damping 技術。 不要誤以為箱體能夠起振，就一定要削薄其外壁，以及較為輕盈，事實上， D9 重達 35kg，聲箱實淨之餘，造工亦非常出色，從它的亮面打磨平整度，已可見一斑。
D9 的聲箱設計特點，除了 Spendor Dynamic Damping 之外，還有特殊低音反射孔設計。這個反射孔在背板下面，內裏裝設梭形氣流控制裝置，將反射孔一分為二，同時引導、整理氣流。這種設計想當然是效法方程式賽車的流體力學，希望加快空氣流動以及減少回壓，令低音反應加快，而且更加清晰。 至於分音器部分， D9 的分頻點是 500Hz、4.2kHz，中音與高音的銜接點高於人耳極為敏感的頻段，希望令聽感更加自然。靈敏度則是 90dB，阻抗在 8Ω 上下，變動幅度不大，味意着 D9 不會對後級過分苛刻。 這款擁有大量技術特點、外觀典雅、造工出色的揚聲器，仍然是英國製造，從研發、製作到聲音走向，都沒有背離 Spendor 的根源。
第一張參考專輯是《LaScala: Overtures, Preludes& Intermezzi》(Filarmonica Della Scala, Riccardo Chailly)，經 D9 播出來的聲音充滿暖意，這種溫暖固然有部分來自 Accuphase，不過主要還是出自 Spendor D9，而兩個暖和、厚聲的品牌加起來， 卻沒有性格重疊、拖慢腳步、低音肥膩等問題，反而把兩者的優點在不脫離忠實的前提下加以強化，又保留靈活身手。
這款揚聲器是嘆音樂、感受音樂情緒的好選擇，而且不挑剔音樂種類與錄音質素。就 如同不少英國揚聲器那般，既可恰如其分地重播古典音樂， 又可以盡情開大音量播放搖滾 樂，試音末段就聽着 Kings of Leon的《Aha Shake Heartbreak》，炸得非常之爽。更重要是它在大音量是沒有一絲走樣、高音不會開叉。有力量、有火氣，卻不會為聆聽者帶來過多壓力。
