Floorstanding loudspeakers — Wharfedale Evo4.3

The EVO4.3 is the more compact of the pair of floorstanders in the EVO4 series from Wharfedale, a line that came out of the research behind the Elysian speakers and shares much of their technology. The series went on sale in October 2019, when the EVO4.3 cost GBP 999 per pair, against GBP 1,199 for the EVO4.4. It remained in the catalogue until the EVO 5 range took over in 2025.

Key specs that matter

The EVO4.3 splits the band three ways among four units - two 130 mm black woven Kevlar bass cones, a 50 mm soft dome midrange and a 30 x 60 mm Air Motion Transformer, with crossover frequencies of 1.3 kHz and 4.3 kHz. Response is specified as 48 Hz to 22 kHz within 3 dB, with the -6 dB point at 42 Hz. Sensitivity is 88 dB at 2.83 V and 1 m, the impedance is 8 ohm nominal with a 4.4 ohm minimum, and peak output is 105 dB. Wharfedale recommends an amplifier of 25 to 150 W. The cabinet stands 875 mm tall, 210 mm wide and 285 mm deep plus 10 mm for terminals, and each speaker weighs 22.8 kg. Finishes are black oak, walnut and white oak.

Engineering and use context

The AMT treble unit comes from Elysian development - a folded diaphragm pushed by rows of magnets, which moves more air than a dome of similar frontal area. As in every model of the series except the two-way EVO4.1, a dedicated midrange covers the band between bass and treble. It is a soft fabric dome damped with a plasticiser coating and vented aperiodically into its own rear chamber, so the pressure behind it is relieved rather than reflected back. Two Kevlar bass cones with low-loss rubber surrounds and an advanced motor system share the lower octaves. The enclosure follows Elysian practice, with a sandwich of woods of different densities, radiused baffle edges and hand-finished veneer. Bass loading uses the Slot Loaded Profiled Port, which exits through a slot at the foot of the cabinet. The crossover was computer modelled and built with polypropylene capacitors and a combination of laminated silicon-iron and air-core inductors.

Pairing

An impedance that never dips below 4 ohm makes it a manageable load for most integrated amplifiers within the rated power range. In home cinema the EVO4.3 can anchor a system built from the same series, which includes the EVO4.C and EVO4.CS centre speakers and the EVO4.S surround model.

Alternatives

The EVO4.4 is the other, more expensive floorstanding model in the EVO4 line.