Floorstanding loudspeakers — Wharfedale Crystal 4.3

The Crystal 4.3 belongs to the Crystal 4 Series, a range of three-way towers and other models by the British maker Wharfedale. It is the budget floorstanding option in the current Wharfedale range, which runs upward through the Diamond, EVO, Aura and ELYSIAN lines, and the maker describes it as suited to small and medium rooms. The cabinet comes in black, walnut or white, all vinyl wrapped.

Key specs that matter

Three separate drivers cover the band. A 165 mm polypropylene cone handles bass, a 125 mm woven Kevlar cone takes the midrange and a 25 mm soft dome looks after treble. Crossover points sit at 500 Hz and 2 kHz. Wharfedale quotes a response of 50 Hz to 20 kHz within 3 dB, with bass extension reaching 45 Hz at the -6 dB point. Sensitivity is 88 dB for 2.83 V at 1 m, and the rated peak level is 96 dB SPL. Nominal impedance is 8 ohm, dipping to a minimum of 3.7 ohm, and Wharfedale suggests between 25 and 120 W of amplifier power.

Engineering and use context

Inside, the bass reflex cabinet is divided into two internal volumes of 7.5 litres and 21 litres, so the midrange works in its own sealed-off section apart from the bass driver. Height with the plinth fitted is 922 mm, width is 205 mm and depth including grille and terminals is 255 mm. Each speaker weighs 14.5 kg net. Packed, one unit ships in a carton of 1020 x 360 x 315 mm at a gross weight of 16.2 kg. The box includes a user manual, while an AV shield is not part of the package. Keeping the bass on a polypropylene cone and the midrange on woven Kevlar splits the two duties between materials chosen for each band, and the three-way layout means the tweeter only has to work above the upper crossover. Wharfedale chose Kevlar for low frequency cones across its leading products because the fibre is light, stiff and strong, and the Crystal 4 range brings that woven weave into an entry-level series. The drive units pair it with motor systems built in Wharfedale's own manufacturing, and the series was aimed at both music and home cinema use.

Pairing

Because impedance drops so far, the chosen amplifier or AV receiver should stay stable when the load falls well below the nominal figure. Within the recommended power window, a modest integrated stereo amplifier or a mainstream receiver in a home cinema front pair both fall inside the maker's guidance.

Alternatives

The Wharfedale Diamond 12.3i is the entry-level floorstander of the Diamond line, placed one step above the Crystal 4.3 in the maker's floorstanding range.