Bookshelf Speakers — Wharfedale Evo4.1

The EVO4.1 is the entry model and only two-way design in the EVO4 series from Wharfedale, a range engineered alongside the Elysian loudspeakers and on sale from October 2019. It borrows its tweeter technology, cabinet construction and port system from that higher line. The launch price in Britain stood at GBP 449 per pair, below the EVO4.2 standmount at GBP 599. The series also included the EVO4.3 and EVO4.4 floorstanders, the EVO4.C centre and EVO4.S surround, with the compact EVO4.CS centre added later in 2019. The whole series was replaced by EVO 5 in 2025.

Key specs that matter

Everything below the crossover goes to a single 130 mm black woven Kevlar cone, and a 30 x 60 mm Air Motion Transformer takes over above 2.9 kHz. The quoted response is 64 Hz to 22 kHz within 3 dB, with the reflex tuning giving a -6 dB point of 55 Hz. Sensitivity is 87 dB for 2.83 V at 1 m, impedance 8 ohm nominal and 3.5 ohm minimum, and peak output 104 dB. Wharfedale specifies amplifiers of 25 to 100 W. Each cabinet is 335 mm high, 210 mm wide and 285 mm deep, plus 10 mm for the terminals, and weighs 7.8 kg. Veneers come in black oak, walnut and white oak, and the 3 year warranty can be extended to 6 years with registration.

Engineering and use context

Rather than a dome, the treble unit is an AMT with a large pleated diaphragm driven across its surface by rows of magnets, first developed for Elysian. Unlike the three-way EVO4 models, the 4.1 has no separate midrange dome, which keeps the cabinet smaller and suits it to small and medium rooms. The Kevlar cone uses a low-loss rubber surround and an advanced motor system. Cabinet walls combine layers of wood with differing densities to reduce panel resonance, with radiused edges on the front baffle and hand-finished veneer. Low frequencies are loaded by the Slot Loaded Profiled Port, a vent at the base of the cabinet that equalises internal pressure. The crossover was modelled by computer and uses polypropylene capacitors together with inductors of both air-core and laminated silicon-iron type.

Pairing

With a load that drops well below 4 ohm, the EVO4.1 calls for transistor amplification that copes with low-impedance loads, and the upper limit of the recommended power range should be respected. Its bottom port means a flat, solid surface or a dedicated stand is needed below it rather than a soft or open support.

Alternatives

The EVO4.2 is the larger three-way standmount of the same series.