Wharfedale Evo 4.1 Bookshelf Speakers Walnut

Product Information

This symbiosis is immediately evident from the inclusion of Air Motion Transformer tweeters across all the models in the Evo series, a technology usually found in pricier products.

The bass energy in the enclosure is under high pressure. In conventional port designs, when the bass waves abruptly exit into the low-pressure room, air turbulence occurs. This turbulence wastes bass and often causes annoying "chuffing" or popping sounds, sometimes referred to as port noise.

The EVO4 line of Wharfedale uses technology and design elements that have been developed for the company's flagship, the Elysian line. The 4.1s are equipped with an advanced folded ribbon tasting that produces silky high frequencies, and a 5 "woven Kevlar Woofer offers a solid bass display. The drivers are housed in a few curved bass reflex cabinets that are carefully designed with internal reinforcements to dampen the vibrations. The EVO4 series The EVO4 series is located between the Wharfedales Award-winning Diamond 11 series and our future flagship, the Elysian speakers. This series has been developed next to the Elysian project and comes from the same extensive research and development. With characteristics that are rarely seen on products at this price, such as the significant, well-built cupboards, the beautifully curved sides and the refined driver arrangement. Instead of a cone or dome-shaped driver, AMTs use a light, pleated diaphragm with electrical circuit traces within a magnetic field that expands and contracts like a concertina as a music signal is applied, pushing sound out towards the listener. The light mass of the thin, folded film means it has the potential to be more responsive and immediate than drivers made with heavier materials, while the large surface area makes it particularly efficient and less prone to distortion. The Evo4 series truly represents the pinnacle of Wharfedale’s dedication into research and development for the most advancing acoustic technologies. Research into the most premium materials for enhancing acoustics resulted in the use of Kevlar for the bass drivers. Kevlar is super lightweight aramid fibre known for its rigid, self-damping properties. Utilising Kevlar cones, allows the bass frequencies to be articulated with exception accuracy, with resonance virtually non-existent.

Wharfedale Evo 4 range of loudspeakers offer powerful high fidelity for an affordable price. One of the most recent ranges from the highly regarded brand, EVO4 represent the new benchmark for Wharfedale. Undoubtedly handsome, and built for purpose, the EVO4 loudspeakers are aided with groundbreaking technologies for an uncompromising musical performance. Slot-Loaded Distributed Port Design: The EVO 4.1 uses a slot-loaded distributed port design, wherein the internal gate tube opens in a slot that is formed between the speaker cabinet and the base. This reduces turbulence and audible "chuffing" of conventional gate systems, caused by the sudden burst of high-pressure air in low pressure in space. Another advantage is the increased efficiency of the energy transfer of the bass reflex tuning to the space. Both ends of the gate are provided with a semi-parabolic input and output curve that controls the air flow through the gate tube and allows a higher air volume into the system loaded with slots for a further improvement of the low-frequency output performance of the speaker. Reference axis was the center of AMT driver (aligned by eye). It is getting colder with the measurement room temp at 15 degrees C. Like ELYSIAN, EVO4 models use the most advanced version of the unique Wharfedale Slot Loaded Profiled Port (SLPP) system. As with all other bass port designs, the woofer's rear radiation is not wasted but vented into the room. But that is where the similarities end. Let me say as always that this kind of "showroom sound" does have a short term preferential effect. The sound is hyper detailed and since it only impacts lower treble, it is not overly hissy and lispy. But you do "hear into the recording" like nobody's business. On female vocals the focus on their voice becomes extreme as if their face is poking through the middle of the speaker. It requires a lot of discipline and understanding the unnaturalness of this sound to get you want to tame it and tame I did:For a finely tuning the crossover section between the drivers, EVO4 speakers are enhanced with Computer Aided Optimisation Technology. This sophisticated crossover array is the product of scrupulous listening testing to ensure a seamless crossover, improved transparency and great phase consistency. Kevlar Cones

The attractive EVO 4.1 bookshelf speakers of Wharfedale offer quality sound as a stand-alone stereo couple, or as a front speakers in a surround sound system. A good couple of tripods helps improve the sound of your speakers by giving them a stable, vibration-free platform. It also places them at ideal listening height. I should point out that I tried the Evos on both the Rotel and new Audiolab amps with bi-wire. Each setup revealed the same characteristics. I used the Audiolab CDT as a source plus FLAC files played from my PC via optical to the Audiolab 6000a Play. For the Rotel Amp I used a Marantz CDR 6000 plus an echo input. EVO4 represents the advancement of rationally priced audiophile-grade loudspeakers. Developed in parallel with the flagship Elysian range, EVO4 shares many of the same technologies, the tonal accuracy, and superb build quality with its larger cousin – at a fraction of the cost. EVO4 marries the low distortion motor system developed for the ELYSIAN bass units to a Kevlar cone. Woven Kevlar (the material of bullet-proof vests) is a superior material for woofer cones. It is both stiff, ensuring ideal piston motion up to frequencies above its crossover point well-damped. The cone is fitted with a low loss rubber surround that absorbs resonance modes that may build up in the cone. EVO4’s woofers blend perfectly with the dome midrange to produce a desirable lower-midrange response. Bass voices and lower register instruments have the weight, warmth, and articulation of a live performance, without the muddiness and loss of clarity of lesser designs. Simultaneously, EVO4’s bass is deep, impactful, and powerful yet tuneful, musical, and precise.The Wharfedale Evo4.1 bookshelf speakers incorporate technology derived from the flagship Elysian series, featuring a 2-way speaker design. A newly designed AMT (Air Motion Transformer) high frequency transducer replicates point-source audio, and is capable of moving large amounts of air for lower distortion and highly accurate musical reproduction. 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. Currently, I’m not using the Evos as my main speakers but damn…they are too good for the price. It’s hard to believe how much value you get these days. Conclusions Once in a while it is good to have a "control" to see if these ears are operating to spec. I started playing the EVO 4.1 and was surprised that I heard no brightness at all! If anything there was good bit of bass emphasis. I walked up to the speaker and put my ear next to AMT tweeter and as I expected, it was not playing. In the process of moving the speaker from measurement lab to listening room and tightening the bi-wire post, one had moved out of position so tweeter was disconnected. The woofer plays high enough frequency that the tweeter not being there did not have an immediate effect. But man, did putting it in the circuit did. There was dramatic amount of high frequency content and brightness. Stereo placement: The EVO 4.1 can be used in a 2ch stereo music application. Try to place the speakers at the same distance (6.5 'to 13') from each other and the main listening position. The loudspeakers should ideally be placed so that the bemons are approximately at an ear height up to a seated listener. The speakers must be "stripped" or at an angle (15 ° to 40 °) in the headlayper position.

I was mightily impressed with what I received for the money. I went with the white wood veneer version to fit in seemlessly with my IKEA furniture :) The build quality is reminescent of older generation B&W Nautilus 805 speakers(!). Yes, it’s that good. The MDF enclosure is well-damped and basically dead. On the rear end, you’ll find gold plated bi-wiring terminals. Everything feels premium about this little speaker. I also loved the magnetic dust covers. A slight disappointment is the cheapish metal bridge for the bi-wiring terminal. But hey, we’re talking about a 400 Euro bookshelf speaker here.Wharfedale engineers were smart enough to know that this speaker would most likely be used in smaller listening rooms or on book shelves. Thus they chose to let the bass reflex port fire downwards. Great idea which allows the speakers to be placed nearer to your front walls. Less bass problems, more musical enjoyment.