Speaker Shootout: ELAC Debut F5.2 vs. Wharfedale Crystal 4.3

[@ThomasAndStereo]

This is so well done. There is a lot of time and love put into making this video, I am into photography so I was looking carefully at the lighting and how you handle the camera. Top notch. Love the board idea and great edit. So much I can learn from this video. Keep it up.

[@joentell]

Hey my audiophile buddy! So happy to see you commenting here. I'm glad you liked it. You seem like you could be a Leica guy considering your taste on audio gear. Please don't tell me you have a Leica M rangefinder or I will be extremely jealous. 😁

[@ThomasAndStereo]

Yeah, I was sharing your videos with my audiophile buddies. Your production value is off the charts. Sadly, I can't afford Leica....just a Nikon guy. I shoot weddings for fun. For example, this is a wedding I shot at Jamaica. facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10152846919254806&type=1&l=6aae6a1be0

[@joentell]

I really liked the one with the dramatic lighting! I a have Nikon D610 that I don't use as much as I should. If I had an extra $10k that I didn't know what to do with, I would definitely get a Leica M10 or used M9 + lens. Performance-wise, it may seem silly considering some of the Sony cameras have much better specs and features. For me, it's more about the shooting experience with a Leica rangefinder, the way Leica images have that "look" and the way the cameras look and feel. I assume that is part of the appeal for some of the high-end audio gear you and your friends purchase, right? A lot of it might be the experience and aesthetics as well as performance. I have a vintage Marantz receiver that I am restoring and just the look and the feel of it makes it more enjoyable.

[@ChristianRThomas]

@@joentell FWIW, I like both of your videos, even if I happen to disagree with Joe's conclusion on this one. I wouldn't be surprised if, with time, he changes his mind. For me, I suspect the gap between the two would widen with time, and after a couple of hours I would be getting very annoyed with the Wharfedales. I also think the Wharfedales have made a mistake in crossing over the bass as low as 90Hz. You would ideally want to minimise the excursion of the mids and 90Hz is not only near the peak spectral output of most recordings but being that close to resonance, may well not be doing much to reduce excursion (depending on the slope). They could have reduced midrange distortion quite substantially, had they brought the crossover up an octave or more. It could probably save them some money on fat inductors, too.

[@joentell]

It's good to disagree sometimes

[@kevinmccormick419]

Based on what I heard, the Elac is more "open" in the mid-range and detailed on the high end. I would choose Elac

[@nunobernardolopes5938]

Elac is far more detailed for me. Want more bass, buy a dedicated woffer. But one cannot buy more detail.

[@shadouxg7150]

@@nunobernardolopes5938 what would be 800, u can get a better floorstanders with that

[@deyh5664]

@@shadouxg7150 wich ones are better?

[@bringbackhumanity781]

@@nunobernardolopes5938 Which woofer would you recommend to pair up with Elac?

[@nishamnazar7005]

I bought wharfedale 4.3 for my cambridge 640A. The perfect british combo i would say. Midrange just takes over the room space! Had to Waste lot of money on the so called 2.5 way speakers to end up in a conclusion that a ‘true’ 3 way speaker with perfect driver balance would rule out the fancy 2.5’s in the market. Thank you joe for your hard time spent behind the video. It helped me to give a try with the forgotten crystal series.

[@riteshdhoot7]

I preferred, ELAC in almost every situation .. I felt, Wharfdale sounded too much muffled while ELAC wasn't .. May be it's the mic which could not capture the exact real scenario that you have experienced .. Again, great job Joe. Love your work. Thanks.

[@ivandragicevic6786]

Couldn't agree more man. Elacs were far superior. Wharfedales just sound cheaper...

[@joentell]

I got a calibrated mic since then

[@richh650]

Very well done. With few locations to actually hear speakers in stores any longer, I feel you are providing a very needed and useful way of obtaining a good baseline of what each speaker's overall sound signature is. It is much appreciated.

[@timwilson3435]

Great video Joe, seeing quotes of my comment on screen really cracked me up. Can't wait to see your next review.

[@progressiveguy9959]

For my ears, the Wharfedales has more bass and tight and has crystal highs.The music, singer and the helicopter sounded as if they were live.As if I was there. The Elacs sound was veiled.Sounded like a recording as compared to sounding live.The bass and highs were lacking..The volume at the same level setting were louder on the Wharfedales. My vote has to go to the Wharfedales. They have the sound signature that I like. Thank you for presenting these,Joe.

[@ivandragicevic6786]

For me it's exactly the opposite.

[@cezarjipa72]

@@ivandragicevic6786 Neah, the man is right.

[@craccky]

This is gotta be the best comparison on KZbin. You can actually hear the difference. Bravo!

[@joentell]

That's awesome! Glad you found it somewhat useful or at least entertaining.

[@cybergod77]

thks for video. The WD sounds fuller due to the bass but a tad boomy while the bass on the Elacs sounds tighter On mids, WD sounds slightly veiled. It's the Elacs for me

[@yongno6116]

Great work! I personally would use ELAC for vocals, but I love how Wharfdales handle the instruments. Tough choice.

[@joentell]

That's a good way to describe the difference actually.

[@brahmoone]

aha that makes sense. swans hivi seems to be following elac then

[@flashhog01]

I find sound demos very useful. Of course the real deal will sound different but that isn't the point. The point is that differences between speakers or equipment will be highlighted. Great review!

[@joentell]

Thank you. I'm glad you found it useful.

[@otherwillsmith]

Based on what I can hear in this video, I would have to go with the Wharfedales. The Elacs have a lot of sizzle on the top end that reveals a lot of clarity, but I suspect would become very fatiguing. The Wharfedales sound full and warm and detailed without the extra top end hype. Thanks for another great review!

[@joentell]

You're welcome! Thank you.

[@venturarodriguezvallejo1567]

With the exception of the "surrounding" test, I've preferred in all tracks the Wharfedales. Elacs are great value, too, but if I had to spend in speakers, my decission (based on this video) would be the Wharfs, no doubt.

[@rlwings]

As soon as the bass kicked in I was able to hear the difference on my Elac UB5s. WD had better meatier bass and wider more open sound stage. Elac had better midrange.... Great video! ... (PS, once I got my UB5s with 10" Elc sub I can never get these speakers. )

[@macgustafson7319]

Crazy, its been two months and the Elacs, per your link, are showing $220 each. I don't understand how their price dropped so quickly after sounding so amazing. Once again, fantastic video. I loved the professionalism in every aspect. For example your cinematography has the certain "Joe and tell" feel of soft yellow lights with a dark yet crystal clear video feed. Then it was fun to see a more live action take of you rating the speakers at the end. It felt natural to see the deliberation- I got to see you agonize over the decision so it feels well thought out as opposed to being arbitrary. And heck, it was fun. Anyways great job, see ya next vid

[@joentell]

Thanks for the feedback. I appreciate it and it helps me understand what people like or dislike

[@sting64az]

I know some of ELAC line of speakers were on the Black Friday deals. I picked up the ELAC DB62 for $149 pair at Best Buy. Great price and speakers.

[@joentell]

That's awesome. Hope you're enjoying them!

[@sting64az]

@@joentell I run them on my 2 channel Onkyo TX-8050 that powers them pretty good. My other pair book shelf speakers are the Klipsch R-51 that sound nice a bit too high. But since I been reading good results on these Elac DB62 I decided to buy a pair and being 1/2 price was awesome. They have a warmth sound and vocals sound so life like with the good presence of the mid range.

[@69Muscle]

Great video! I bought a pair of Wharfedale 220 Diamond Bookshelf Speaakers 4 years ago. Amazing speakers. I was very tempted to buy the Elac towers 2 months ago, but I ended up buying Focal 726's. They are sublime. Incredible sound.

[@joentell]

I still want to hear the Wharfedale 200 series. I have the new Diamond 11.1's in for review.

[@pabloosvaldopenizzotto1098]

I do prefer the wharfedale crystal. Congratulations for such a great comparison in this video

[@matt88169]

Best speaker review ever - extremely well done dude thanks! The discussion, the demoes etc. made it a little easier to catch the "signature". More of these types of reviews! Sweet! Don't be too much of a sucker for a fat bass hump - it makes a good impression, but overtime a flatter response will "work" with a wider range of music. Or at least that seems to be the case in my experience.

[@joentell]

Thank you. More coming your way. Stay tuned!

[@joshm5514]

Love the way you did the AB demo! I'd like to get into doing reviews of speakers and equipment on KZbin and your videos are definitely inspiring. Great work man.

[@joentell]

Thank you. Another one coming soon.

[@joentell]

That's ok for me because I want to watch cool videos too! 😂

[@TheLtData]

I have a set of Wharfedale V speakers for almost 30 years now and still love them. A great brand that is often missed by audiofiles.

[@Cherrytea558]

Finally I find someone who actually does a decent speaker review. Instant subscription from me.

[@joentell]

Oh man! Thank you!🙏

[@8825able1]

I've listened to several audio reviews, & in my opinion your the best. Thanks also for telling the prices & where to find them!

[@joentell]

Hey, thanks for that! I appreciate that.

[@GranMastaDee]

This is the best online speaker review site that I have yet to find! I used my studio Sony MDR-V6's closed my eyes and opened them when I thought I knew the Wharfedales were playing and vice versa and was right virtually every time once I played through a couple of the soundtracks with my eyes opened. GOOD JOB! I also agree with your enactment. I am running Klipsch Ref series with two towers and center and I paid, as I recall close to $1000 ea. for the towers. I don't know how they comp[are to these but your system would give me the best online answer I can imagine without having to get off my Stressless lounger and dive all over town! - Man; bang for the buck has come a long was in the 15 years since I was last in the market. Thanks for the hard work!

[@riteshdhoot7]

Awesome !! I can imagine what kind of efforts you've put for this video .. Great work Joe

[@kimsiewjung]

Hi Joe. I just bought the Wharfedale based on your review. I must say is a fantastic pair of speakers. Thanks for the recommendation.

[@joentell]

Hey Franklyn! Honestly, this is the best compliment you could give me. I strive to make reviews that help you, the viewer, make a more informed decision for yourself. I'm glad I could help.

[@davidhoover2446]

The Wharfedales sound a lot better to me. Like you said, I noticed a better phantom center image. I also noticed a greater 3D sound in the reverbs and quieter details in the background. The Elacs have some audible distortion in the deeper bass that I heard right away. It almost sounds like the cabinets need braced more internally because the bass is also kind of sloppy. The Wharfedales sound pretty solid in the bass. I also like the flatter high frequency response. The Elacs sounded harsh to me and scooped in the midrange.

[@omtech]

Great test, appreciate it. Years ago, Wharfedale speakers were an enclosure within a box, with the gap between the boxes filled with sand.

[@raulitocataquiz5165]

From the music samples presented, I would say the elac sound best with vocal music due to better center imaging than the wharfs (toe-in may help). But on the rest, the wharfs is the winner.

[@Enemji]

Joe - You have got to test the Elac F6.2 against these Wharfedale and Jamo floorstanders. The moment I played Alan Walker Fade on my F6.2, I was sold, and my selection confirmed with Adele 25, amd Lorde - Royals.

[@joentell]

Will try

[@RedBeardedRabbit]

I find it funny that you said the Elacs have a more relaxed and forgiving sound ... honestly don't think I could disagree more; a quick listening through my LSR 305 (with a room correction parametric EQ, measured with a UMIK-1) the Elacs sound ear-piercing to me (gotta be that rising treble and peak) and at the same time kinda hollow. There was no track that the Elacs didn't bother me at least a little - they never got out of the way of the music. I also wonder what the off-axis response looks like for these speakers. Conversely, found the Wharfedale to be overall fairly neutral with a nice bit of warmth and nothing stood out as bothersome. Those measurements look exceedingly good. Thanks again for the hard work!

[@igortarassenko8990]

I definitely can tell the difference between the two speakers. Both are good! But the best thing is that I listen to them on my DIY speakers and proud of them! Don't create an idol! Love what you make and have!

[@tomfrank2707]

Great video, Joe! Not in the market for floorstanders cause my apartment is too small, so I bought the Fluance Ai40s and am really happy with them so far. As for this test, I also preferred the Wharfdales. I just found I enjoyed the more forward sound more than the kinda laid back sound of the Elacs.

[@OGB063]

Wharfedale has soft effects with heavy base and Elac seems sharp slight filterd .And it's all together individual interest on effects.I would go Wharfedale for all effects..Mr.Joe you have really organised the blog very lovely.The efforts you made is wonderful ' worked like awesome .Great job loved the way you put .God bless keep it going.👍

[@joentell]

Thank you Omkar!

[@KeikoFXDesigns]

I think the Wharfedale is a tad bit broader and noticeable. However they both match up very close to each other. I think I will save up for the Wharfedale. Seems like a good deal for such a quality speakers. I own a pair of Klipsch towers Fort'e that was made back in 1986 and has never failed me. Thanx for sharing your video especially in 4k!

[@gasbike100mpg]

well done video, I like the accuracy of the Elac, my ears do not have to work so hard to hear the voice , which reflects on me personally because my entire life I have been annoyed by trying to talk to people in noisy environments. The Wharfs bass was obscuring the mids for sure.....but thats me.

[@joentell]

That's a fair assessment for sure!

[@subaruxrxsti78]

at first part of the lisening I tougth that I prefere Wharfedale but still Elac seams to be more better per all (more clear mids and heigth, more complete sounding), but I like better the price of the Wharfedale :) . God Job!

[@buttonman1831]

I agree you, you can tell the general sound signature of a speaker from you tube videos.

[@dugggins]

I'm currently using some Paradigm Monitor 7's up front and 5se mk3's for the rear in all channel stereo. Room corrected, I like the sound better than headphones. What I find when listening to speakers through youtube, and where it is the most helpful, is seeing what speakers sound as good as my current setup. If something sounds worse, you'll hear it. If it sounds the same, it may be better. So, listening to speakers on your speakers can be very helpful in deciding if something is worth listening to IRL as an upgrade. Of course, there are a lot of other factors, but it's a good starting point.

[@joentell]

That's an interesting way to look at it. So basically, if it sounds good, then it may be that your system is the bottleneck.

[@dugggins]

Absolutely, and a much better and condensed way to phrase it. BTW, I love my Paradigm 5seMk3's. I've had them for 20 years now and they still sound great.

[@NoferTrunions]

Thanks for plotting frequency response! Sensitivity would be nice to know along with power handling capacity (to determine max SPL. You could consider distortion plots too. Nice review.

[@cliffordcostley9798]

There is a dip in the midrange frequencies of the ELAC that is probably intentional. It gives the speaker a more natural timbre and makes it less fatiguing to listen to over long sessions. This is known as the BBC dip (ref. PS Audio). The Wharfedale appears to be flat or slightly elevated in that region. This would give the speaker a more lively persona. I did find the low end of the Wharfedale more prominent and not as detailed as the ELAC and would suggest damping the port with an open-cell foam plug to tighten it up. Light weight soft foam balls may function well. And also lifting them above the floor on stands (paving bricks would be a good place to start. They are inexpensive and you can adjust the height). You could also try dampening the cabinet walls where you feel vibrations with your hand.

[@Mrcloc]

I have done the wrong thing. I have started watching more of your vids again. Now I need to get working on my sound room again, a project I've been putting off for a while for various reasons. At least I got some sort of fix when I sorted out my HT amp by removing an auxiliary transformer and killing the hum it used to have.

[@joentell]

Oh no!!! I've been staying home so I love my system. It brings me a ton of joy listening to music or watching movies.

[@ChrisClaes13]

Thanks for another versus video, they’re very helpful. I noticed a more pronounced disparity in your last comparison, these sound quite similar, at least in my Jetta. For 30% less, Wharfedale seems to have the edge.

[@emils4285]

Try to review some Monitor Audio products, I have been using my Bronze 6's and am very impressed with the build quality and sound. Keep up the great vids, so nice to see a youtuber who actually goes in depth about testing speakers. So refreshing after seeing videos of people just recording their audio through their Iphones lol.

[@joentell]

I put Monitor Audio on my list of companies to contact. If you could let them know also, that would be helpful because it isn't coming from me. I'm glad you like my work. I figure: If I'm going to be doing reviews about audio products, and if I want people to take me seriously, shouldn't the audio on my videos be good? Good audio starts with the source right?

[@jrushen4235]

Just found this. You put a great deal of work in to the presentation. Absolutely brilliant . Thanks so much.

[@joentell]

🙏

[@JohnBog]

BTW you said exactly what i had noticed about the Wharfedale speakers - keep up the good work Joe.

[@07wrxtr1]

Wharedales easily sound more like a proper 3-way....Elacs sound like there's a gap in the mids

[@wa2368]

I honestly find gaps in many of the Andrew jones speakers going back to the TAD 1s he put out years ago. Bothersome.

[@comfortlivinghh]

i had the same feeling about the Elac in this video

[@deanroddey2881]

But that's why these types of comparisons are useless. There's no way to know if that's true unless you know what original signal sounded like. So you have no idea which if them is more accurate.

[@joentell]

There is a way. You include the source track and you use microphones that are calibrated and verified flat from 20hz to 20khz. You can record near-field to greatly reduced room interaction. This will tell you the tonal characteristics of a speaker. It won't tell you imaging characteristics as that requires binaural mics. The speaker that sounds more similar to the source track is more accurate.

[@rklmbd2934]

I know this is an old review but I really have to compliment the work you have done. Excellent selection of tracks to showcase breadth and I have never seen anyone do an imaging test like that on KZbin. I think I would go for the Elacs here. I initially liked the Wharfedale's substance but I was there's an uneasy uncomfortable feeling with its recessed or muffled mid-highs. The Elacs are more expressive. I think in the long run I would sacrifice a little heft for the greater articulation. As for audio over youtube - I do agree its useful for an AB test but its really is no use for a pure evaluation of either equipment or recordings.

[@yogeshsakhare8299]

I like the Wharfedale sound much engaging and sweet.

[@CC25Y]

I felt Wharfedale sounded better. It sounds like it would not overdoit if I connected to a whole 5.1 set up or more. Like for me it sounds like it would blend nicely and not over take the sound. As a stand alone set up though I would go with ELAC but I like adding multiple speakers and blending into one sound without any speaker overtaking the sound. So I'd go with Wharfedale.

[@McBeast22]

My opinion would be that Elacs indeed sound more expressive but Wharfedales sound more realistic and spaceous. Each can benefit to music choice preference. But sure wharfedales can also create the effect of ''where the heck this this sound come from''. Was looking for Elac B5 and couldn't find them here so I went with Wharfedale Diamond 220's. Fantastic speaker for the price aswell.

[@m4nc1n1]

I just bought the whole 7.1 Elac Debut 2.0 set. They are coming tomorrow. Paired them with a Marantz SR6014. Got the F6.2 for fronts and the F5.2 for the rears with the C6.2 for center and the 3010 Sub (will add a second 3010 next month)

[@schuylermontgomery3396]

Thanks for doing such a great comparison! I preferred the sound of the Warfedales. They sounded more open and more present, compared to the ELACs, which sounded a little harsh in the treble range. Obviously they both probably sound a little different in person, but that is my impression from this test.

[@denmarkjose]

I like the way wharfedale sound but i feel more sound detail on elac

[@tachedragos8043]

The warfdale's are on another level.

[@drewabe1410]

Elac is a bit harsh in the top end for my taste. Some fans will appreciate it though as it may seem more detailed. Overall the Warfdales were more natural. It will come down to personal preference. Cables and components would change the sound as well so it will sounds different in another person's room. For the price I'd go with the Warfdales.

[@joentell]

I agree with your assessment of the ELAC's.

[@ronvelez4663]

My only critique is why Joe tested the Elac 5.2 Towers, when Elac made major improvements on the 5.2's, and released the Elac Debut 2.0 F6.2 Towers over a year ago! I compared the 5.2's and 6.2's in a live listening test at my local high-end audio store, and the 6.2's blew the 5.2's away! The comparison wasn't even close. (The 6.2 Towers are $379 each)

[@joentell]

These are the Debut 2.0 F5.2's. When the model ends in .2, that means it's the new 2.0 model. The F6.2's have the 6.5" drivers as opposed to the 5.25" of the F5.2.

[@McBeast22]

By the way love the video and the effort you gave to do the measurements correctly with proper gear. Great review!

[@Mrcloc]

Yes, the Wharfedales are indeed warmer (not a sound I prefer in earphones, but will sound great in-room), but the massive standout difference for me was the upper-midrange. The Elac's sound a bit dead in comparison (and a bit thin). I noticed this on Faded, but the second track made it crystal clear. For live music, I like to push the 1k - 2k range down a bit, but for home stereo, I like that range to be clear. My speakers I designed to have about a 2 dB bump in exactly that range, with a 3 dB peak at about 1.4 kHz.

[@lineform07]

Thanks for that great review. I feel like the Wharfdales are lacking in the mids. I have Revels with a very similar driver configuration to the Elacs, so I'm probably biased, but the Piano and Guitar seemed to be missing the detail of the Elacs. My two cents.

[@flippy2332]

Awesome review! The audio test sample really illustrate the difference in sound signatures. The Elacs sound very balanced and clean. The WD's definitely bass-heavy and just a tad muffled. Man are the WDs gorgeous though! I know looks is not nearly as important as sound but if I'm going to live with and get joy from seeing something every day it would def be the WDs. Kind of like the diff between driving a Honda vs Jaguar. The Honda is a better car, the Jag is more fun.

[@joentell]

Thank you! I know exactly what you're saying.

[@belovedconsole]

2:43, THIS. THANK YOU. For doing it and explaining it, it's true!

[@joentell]

You're welcome!

[@zephyr4262]

Spoiler: I was using $4 Samsung in-ear headphones for the A/B tests ha ha. I'm looking forward to the Amazon Echo subwoofer review. Keep up the good work Joe!

[@redforrori]

Sound demos are INCREDIBLY useful and helpful! Especially now, and especially for noobs like me! Thank you for doing them :D

[@joentell]

I used to do them more. I need to get back to doing them again.

[@maxrockbin]

Very nicely done review! Weird that the Elacs have such a drop off from 10-20k in your measurements and the Wharfdales are much flatter going higher. But I wonder if your system is losing out on measuring highs? Maybe double check that your mic is sampling at 48K minimum? The ELAC gets so much hype, it's nice to see them head to head with speakers of similar price.

[@joentell]

I will double check that, but I do a lot of measurements and it's consistent with speakers that Andrew Jones designs.

[@OverclockN]

Fantastic video and comparison. Very well done. Thanks!

[@joentell]

Thank you Matt!

[@damienralentass7551]

After a while I was able to name the speakers being played without watching the slide. The Elac Debut sounded much clearer then Wharfedale Crystal in almost every aspect. On some cases the Wharfedale Crystal felt like they were played inside a box. My choice would be the Eleac Debut.

[@tg8260]

ok

[@strannostrannovasrr]

Great comparison. Well done. And yeah, I agree with your final thoughts.

[@peterbaugh51]

Elac sounded better on my system, only because Warfdale bass was more boomy than deep. Bass affected the midrange. Elac is more balanced. But if you have no hifi speakers at all, yes either brand would be a great choice. Thanks for the video!

[@subaruxrxsti78]

nice to hear the differences between them! keep up the good work

[@joentell]

Thank you

[@laxr5rs]

Elacs all the way. if you like non-distinct booming low end, at least in this situation. Get the Warfedales. Look at the curve. I'll take a "lesser" flat low end, any day.

[@DonBernhardo]

Yeah that 200Hz dip on the Wharfies... ouch.

[@johnsanders9688]

Amplification is everything! What amp were you using to drive the Elacs and Wharfedales? I currently have the affordable Elac B6 2.0 bookshelfs with my more than capable Naim Nait 5si using my source Arcam Ir dac with Kimber Silver Streak interconnects, keeping my Naim speaker cables and power cord upgrade in place, its a killer system! I will upgrade to the F5.2's and be done with it as you know the pursuit of the high end is addictive and never satisfying in the long run, just enjoy the music! Thank you for sharing!

[@babaktaherian]

Just listened to your first track and Elac speakers sound much better in my opinion. The Wharfedale speakers sounded a bit distorted at times. Thank you for your truly nice review. Your review made me pull the trigger on Elac.

[@joentell]

Glad it helped!

[@babaktaherian]

It Certainly Did! I am very excited that I bought them tonight. Also Subscribed to your channel @@joentell

[@joentell]

Give me an update when it's all setup.

[@babaktaherian]

I certainly will. I am planning to set a 5.1.4 system up.I bought 4x F6.2 towers, one center C 6.2, and 4 x A4.2 Atmos modules. I am not sure if I did the right thing for not going for the Bookshelf route for the rear surrounds.@@joentell

[@joentell]

Whoo! 4 towers! You're a boss! If you ever want to get bookshelf speakers for the back, you can always do that.

[@Phillelias]

I just found this channel. It is AMAZING. Thank you

[@joentell]

Glad you like it! 🙏

[@dozerrott7924]

Thanks Joe! So far ppl say a SVS or HSU. I'll have to check out the Rhythmi

[@joentell]

PSA is another one people seem to like.

[@nightcoredemon2729]

when i hear the wharfedale it sounds to me like all the drivers are in perfect balance

[@humboldtoregonian9400]

This channel is like a top gear for speakers. I like it. If only Clarkson though.

[@hlurpseed]

The ELACs are flatter but have a smoother low end, while the Wharfdale’s are lively sounding but have a muddy low end.

[@dumitru_sirbu]

+1 for recording demos, thank you for your great workî!

[@in4chandru]

Superb, Joe. What did you use to test the low frequencies? The woofers were wobbling like crazy. What's the volume level when you tested them at low frequencies?

[@joentell]

UMIK-1 and REW software. The wobbling you see is from my camera's rolling shutter.

[@thomaswachter7782]

The sound demo bears out the measurements. Nice job.

[@reginaldburnbridge2217]

Best review, quite excellent. Thank you.

[@Bradimus1]

Around 12 minutes really flips me to the ELAC. The plucks seem more more clearly defined. That acoustic music really tends to give things away for me. That and the ability to image and show depth of field shows great crossover design and driver selection.

[@johnadams6569]

Very helpful and comprehensive comparison. Thanks!

[@joentell]

Thanks.

[@BlueTJay]

Great compariosn. I still have a pair of Whaferdale speakers from 1970! Still good, but getting a bit old, cant compare with the latest. But, still working! Glad to see the make stil lin business!

[@joentell]

Have you seen my review of the Wharfedale Denton 85th anniversary or the video I did of the upcoming Wharfedale Linton? They sound awesome!

[@brahmoone]

from 1970s? the speakers foam don't break down?

[@BlueTJay]

@@brahmoone They need replacement now to improve the digital sound!

[@brahmoone]

@@BlueTJay wharfedales are great speakers. I drive my diamonds with rotel amp and dacmagic. great to hear that the speakers are still intact, that's quite some life. I had speaker foam broken down in 4-20 years from various brands. sony was 20 years. wonder how long my wharf will last

[@BlueTJay]

@@brahmoone I am about to start a project and make 4 speakers. I will use Morrell drivers, solid hard timber, no nails just glue and dowels. Modern music on LP needs good speakers, reliable to deliver the correct sound. I like classical a lot and i mix in a bit of country and blues.. Looking forward to my project.

[@richardcarr6493]

WHY DOES the sound track for the jazz piano always cut out ?? ELAC is brighter sounding and Wharfedale s have more mid range which in some sound tracks sounds better to me.

[@YamilLlanos]

For my taste: I would pick Wharfedale for home theater. Elac for stereo setups (but I would add a sub woofer here)

[@FVDaudio]

The Wharfedale looks like with a x-over (acoustically and electronically) design with a need into 180hz region to dsp (all pass filter) work to adjust. The Elac just with RTA minor adjustment around 1k sonically it will be more consistent, Obviously the equalization adjustment is necessary to reduce the zone of 2-3k. For my taste, I still prefer the Wharfedale.

[@kavieka]

Really good job doing this video. I really liked the recording comparisons. The Wharfedale clearly stood out on the headphones. Problem is they are discontinued now and I can’t find any used. What replaced them? I got research to do. Would be good to compare some Klipsch towers to these. I am a heritage fan and have the Chorus but looking for a nice bedroom speaker to pair up to my Primaluna Prologue II. No room for big speakers.

[@AVNSpider]

Great video, i liked the comparason in live music you can hear the difference. i clicked on the worfdale and there is no stock on amazon canada.

[@remiandrepedersen868]

Wharfedale Crystal 4.3 makes the best job to be happy, which is the point of listening to music. Coming from someone who is not a sound expert, but only listening to music of pure joy.

[@joentell]

Yes it is fun and it makes me happy.

[@LordMungos]

I think the ELAC have a stronger and very sharp high notes and it dont sound so good. but the Wharfedales have a nicer smoth sound. so for that prise its realy nice.

[@changedahanddlessss]

i think its cool you record the speakers with the mics... dont mind the haters sir, keep on keeping on

[@joentell]

Thank you. Will do

[@stevechapman1060]

Firstly, I'm a Wharfedale fan. I've owned and loved their Jade series stuff. However, from what I'm hearing from this video, I wouldn't recommend either one of these speakers. The Wharfedale's bass sounds somewhat bloated and tubby (which is shown in it's frequency plot between 60 to 125 Hz plot). The Elac's suffer the common issue shared with MANY inexpensive "box" systems, nasally vocals. Both of these systems are pretty flawed tonally. Anyway, great review as always!

[@joentell]

These are some very inexpensive Wharfedales so I think they're awesome at this price point. I've since changed to a calibrated mic so the sound from my new recordings are better

[@stevechapman1060]

@@joentell I don't doubt the value of either of these speakers. It's amazing how much good sound can come from so little investment nowadays. For me, $400-500 would be spent on a better pair of bookshelves and then add a sub-woofer as one's budget would allow. BOTH Elac and Wharfedale make very nice bookshelf systems at this price point, that in my humble opinion, give you better sound for your money. Granted, this isn't the point of this review, but I think it's something to consider for those in the market. Again, your reviews are top notch and show a lot of dedication. Keep up the great work!

[@cliffordcostley9798]

Btw, did I mention that this is the way I like speakers to be reviewed. Best review I have seen and heard to date (my date).

[@joentell]

Thank you!🙏

[@chasevineland1508]

Dude you have the best audio review channel. Mic drop! The live audio recording is great. What is the recording setup?

[@joentell]

Stereo condenser mics (matched pair) going into my Tascam DR-70D.

[@DougMen1]

Wharfedale makes great speakers, but unfortunately the Crytal line is very hard to find in the US, and the only one I've seen for sale is the 4.1 and 4.3 on Amazon, although your link show them unavailable, but if I search for "Wharfedale Crystal", I see the 4.1 for $149 a pair, and the 4.3 for $369 each. The Crystal series isn't even shown on Wharfedale's US website, only their UK one. I think they're afraid they cut into sales of the Diamonds too much, which is why they discontinued the D series, because the $250 D320 was far better sounding than the $350 and $450 Diamond 12.0 and 12.1.

[@nizodizo9549]

I like your reference track it helps me identify the shortcomings of my hearing. With that said I prefer the Warfdales but maybe a little bit boomy.

[@joentell]

I'm glad it was useful.

[@hifitommy]

joe, on my grado ps1000s driven by a monolith thx dac amp, i found the wharfedales to be muffled in the bottom. the ELACs allowed the deep bass to be discerned without the fuller bass in the wharfs obscuring it. it was consistent throughout the entire music presentation.

[@taxi615]

wow those crystals sound so much richer day and night

[@DucksDeLucks]

Thanks for the frequency response graph! It helps. The Elac at 30hz is nearly at midrange level. This can be a problem since its little woofers are probably generating mostly harmonics when fed a 30 hz signal. Those harmonics muddy up the midrange. But Wharfedale deep bass sounds out-of-control.

[@b1ffd]

Great comparison and the sounds tests are wonderful! Have you had the ability to test the F6.2 vs. the F5.2? I'm guessing the bigger drivers of the 6.2 would solve much of the missing back-end of the 5.2s.

[@joentell]

You're possibly right about the 6.2's and the bass response.