Полочная акустика — Wharfedale Crystal 4.1

The Crystal 4.1 is the smallest and least expensive loudspeaker in the Crystal 4 series from Wharfedale, the British brand whose loudspeaker work goes back to 1932. The range was conceived as an entry-level route into a full home cinema system for film and music, and it consists of two standmount models, the 4.1 and 4.2, one floorstander, the 4.3, and a 4.C centre channel. In Australia the pair costs AUD 349.99, and Wharfedale presents the 4.1 as a speaker for small rooms, desktops and second systems.

Key specs that matter

The 4.1 works as a passive two-way design loaded by a bass reflex port. A 100 mm bass driver with a woven Kevlar cone works below a 3.4 kHz crossover point, and a 25 mm soft dome tweeter handles everything above it. Wharfedale rates the response at 75 Hz to 20 kHz within 3 dB, with output still reaching 70 Hz at the 6 dB down point. Sensitivity is 86 dB measured with 2.83 V at 1 m, and the maker gives a peak SPL figure of 95 dB. The nominal load is 8 ohm, dropping to a minimum of 4.3 ohm. Each cabinet holds 2.3 litres, stands 194 mm tall on its plinth, 141 mm wide and 147 mm deep plus 10 mm for grille and terminals, and weighs 2 kg. A boxed pair ships at 4.8 kg. Black, walnut and white vinyl wraps are offered.

Engineering and use context

Woven Kevlar is the cone material Wharfedale uses across the whole Crystal 4 family, with the 4.2 moving to a 125 mm unit and the floorstander using the same fibre in its mid driver. With only a small cone to handle the bass, the crossover sits comparatively high, so the tweeter takes over earlier than in the bigger 4.2. The reflex port is on the back panel, which means the cabinet needs some free air behind it rather than being pushed hard into a shelf. A rear plate with a wall mounting fixture is fitted, so the 4.1 can hang on a wall as a front or surround channel instead of sitting on a stand or desk. The small footprint and low weight also make it practical as a rear effects speaker in a 5.0 layout built around the 4.3 towers and the 4.C centre.

Pairing

Wharfedale suggests amplifiers of 20 to 60 W per channel. The modest sensitivity and a minimum impedance above 4 ohm suit a typical AV receiver or compact integrated amplifier within that power window, and a subwoofer will be needed if content below the rated bass limit matters in a room of around 20 m2.

Alternatives

Wharfedale's Crystal 4.2 is the bigger standmount of this series, with a larger cabinet.