{"id":2777,"date":"2021-03-23T11:30:09","date_gmt":"2021-03-23T03:30:09","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/famous-av.com\/?p=2777"},"modified":"2021-03-23T11:30:09","modified_gmt":"2021-03-23T03:30:09","slug":"wharfedale-elysian-4-review","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/famous-av.com\/?p=2777","title":{"rendered":"Wharfedale Elysian 4 review"},"content":{"rendered":"

Proof that Wharfedale can design great high-end speakers too\u00a0Tested at \u00a36495<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n

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Wharfedale\u2019s Diamond range has been one of the leading contenders at budget price points for more years than we care to remember. The success of this affordable series has spanned almost four decades and, understandably, tended to overshadow the company\u2019s more premium efforts. We don\u2019t think that’s fair, given the excellence of the current Award-winning\u00a0Evo 4.4<\/a>\u00a0floorstanders and now the hugely ambitious Elysian 4.<\/p>\n

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These towers are one half of Wharfedale\u2019s new high-end Elysian range \u2013 the other is the Elysian 2 standmounters \u2013 and were developed in tandem with the Evo series. While there are common engineering threads between these two ranges, it doesn\u2019t take long to realise that the Elysians represent the full expression of those principles.<\/p>\n

Build<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n

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Standing 119cm tall and 40cm wide, the Elysian 4 are big speakers \u2013 unusually broad by current standards. They are a three-way design with a 27 x 90mm AMT (Air Motion Transformer) tweeter, 15cm midrange unit and a pair of meaty 22cm bass units. All three of the larger units use a cone made of a woven glass fibre matrix, a proprietary material that is claimed to combine low mass with high strength. In this installation, it\u2019s also covered with a high-plasticity coating for improved damping of internal resonances.<\/p>\n

The bass units are tuned by a downward-firing port arrangement of the type we\u2019ve seen on a number of Wharfedale\u2019s speakers in recent years. The port vents through a gap between the base of the main speaker cabinet and the plinth. This arrangement makes the transition from the high air pressure inside the enclosure to the low pressure of the listening room smoother and is claimed to reduce bass distortion, increase efficiency and spread the bass energy more evenly around the room. In practical terms, this makes the Elysian 4 less fussy about room placement than they otherwise might be.<\/p>\n

The Wharfedale\u2019s cabinet is more than just a simple wooden box. The front baffle and internal braces are made of high-density fibreboard (HDF), while the rest of the enclosure uses layered MDF and particleboard panels in a bid to control resonances. The cabinet volume is split internally so that the bass units have their own separate space to work in and don\u2019t disturb the midrange\u2019s operation.<\/p>\n

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The enclosure sits on widely spaced floor spikes, giving the Elysian 4 a solid and stable stance on a level surface, though oddly they can\u2019t be adjusted and locked into position \u2013 something to note if you have uneven hard floors.<\/p>\n

Wharfedale has finished these speakers beautifully. The towers are available in three classy-looking colour options \u2013 walnut, black and white \u2013 and covered in a deep, hand-polished piano gloss. While such a gloss finish is hardly rare, this level of quality certainly is. The gloss is wonderfully deep and luxurious, and in our experience unmatched at this level.<\/p>\n

It comes as no surprise to find that such big speakers need a decently large space to shine. We manage to get a good balanced sound in our relatively humble listening room, but even then it\u2019s clear that the Elysian 4 would relish more space to breathe.<\/p>\n

Compatibility<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n
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We suggest starting with them at least a metre from the rear wall and as far from the sides as possible. It\u2019s worth playing around with the amount of angling towards the listening position, too. We end up pointing the tweeters so that they cross a little behind our heads, but thanks to the AMT\u2019s relatively even horizontal dispersion there\u2019s enough leeway to experiment.<\/p>\n

These are revealing speakers and any compromise with the partnering source or amplification is readily heard. That said, a sensitivity of 92dB\/W\/m and a nominal impedance that\u2019s rather vaguely described as \u20188ohm compatible\u2019 suggests that lower-powered amplifiers shouldn\u2019t be discounted. Indeed, we get great results with Leben\u2019s CS600X integrated amplifier, with its valve-driven circuitry and modest 28W per channel output.<\/p>\n

The bulk of our testing is done with our reference\u00a0Burmester 088\/911 Mk3\u00a0pre\/power combination fed by\u00a0Naim\u2019s ND555\/555 PS DR\u00a0music streamer and the\u00a0Technics SL-1000R\u00a0record player fitted with a Kiseki Purple Heart MC cartridge. While these components would typically be partnered with pricier speakers than the Wharfedale, we never feel their performance is unduly limited by the Elysian 4.<\/p>\n

Sound<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n

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These floorstanders deliver a combination of scale, authority and dynamic punch that most (invariably smaller) price rivals can\u2019t match. This is apparent when we play Tchaikovsky\u2019s\u00a01812 Overture;\u00a0<\/em>the Wharfedale\u2019s high volume capability and impressive muscularity come to the fore. They give the music a palpable presence in our listening room and deliver a sense of power that most rivals barely hint at.<\/p>\n

Large-scale crescendos are dispatched with confidence, the Elysians punching out sound with real venom. They can play at high volume levels without stress too, but also have the less common attribute of still sounding interesting at whisper levels. This is something to take note of if you listen late at night and don\u2019t want to disturb the neighbours.<\/p>\n

Those two 22cm bass drivers do just what we would expect and generate the kind of impressive low-end heft their appearance suggests, giving the presentation a wonderfully solid foundation to work from. If all this talk of muscle and physicality suggests a lack of finesse or subtlety, you\u2019re mistaken. If anything it\u2019s the Elysian 4\u2019s impressively civil nature that appeals to us most.<\/p>\n

They have the insight and delicacy to bring \u00d3lafur Arnalds\u2019\u00a0Found Songs<\/em>\u00a0album \u2013 a beloved go-to in our collection \u2013 to life. The Wharfedale\u2019s sound is full of detail, which is organised in a natural and intuitive way. We like the way these monster floorstanders express the album\u2019s dynamic nuances and the skill with which they communicate instrumental textures. It\u2019s an unforced presentation that\u2019s comfortable and easy-going without sounding bland. There\u2019s a great deal of analysis on offer, but the musical experience always comes first.<\/p>\n

These towers capture the album\u2019s various moods brilliantly, making us feel sad, hopeful or peaceful depending on the track we\u2019re playing. Only the best products manage to communicate the emotions in music this well.<\/p>\n

\"\"Tonally, these Wharfedales\u00a0are smooth and admirably refined. Feed them a bright and aggressive recording such as Bruce Springsteen\u2019s\u00a0Terry\u2019s Song<\/em>\u00a0and they won\u2019t hide the rough edges. But neither do they go out of their way to emphasise the shortcomings. That AMT tweeter is a good one: it combines resolution with smoothness, delivering the highs sweetly without lacking bite. And that\u2019s a difficult balance to strike.<\/p>\n

Stereo imaging is impressive, too. Like most big speakers these towers don\u2019t quite manage to disappear within the soundstage, but they still render a nicely focused and layered image. It\u2019s not the most intimate of presentations, but that\u2019s not a big issue given the Wharfedale\u2019s formidable array of strengths.<\/p>\n

Switching between Nina Simone\u2019s\u00a0Strange Fruit<\/em>, Kanye West\u2019s\u00a0Yeezus<\/em>\u00a0set and Debussy\u2019s\u00a0Clare De Lune<\/em>, we are struck by the Elysian\u2019s transparency. They clearly differentiate between the various recordings, their presentation shifting accordingly. It\u2019s all overlayed with an overriding smoothness and slightly laid-back nature, but that\u2019s easy to hear through.<\/p>\n

As we listen, we\u2019re taken by Simone\u2019s passionate delivery, the way each vocal phrase cuts with hurt. The horror and drama in the song comes through without dilution, the Elysian\u2019s clarity through the midrange making it all possible. Kanye West\u2019s album proves these floorstanders can dance if they want to, even if it feels as though they\u2019re a little reserved at times.\u00a0Clare De Lune<\/em>\u00a0highlights the Elysian 4\u2019s lovely treble performance and the way these towers track dynamic shifts so diligently.\u00a0 We\u2019re hooked and have no choice but to listen right to the end, hanging on every last note as we do so.<\/p>\n

Verdict<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n

In our view, good value doesn\u2019t come down to how cheap something is; for us it\u2019s about how much you get for the money. In those terms, these big Wharfedales represent excellent value. When it comes to build, engineering content and performance, they have little to fear from any rival.<\/p>\n

Provided you have a room large enough to accommodate them, and a suitably talented system, we highly recommend you have a listen. It\u2019s clear that Wharfedale now has another jewel in its crown.<\/p>\n

SCORES<\/strong><\/p>\n