Wharfedale Evo 4.2 (Couple) Black Speakers Pair

Product Information

Blues, Jazz, Acoustic, Vocals, Dub Reggae, Instruments and low-mid tempo music types are presented fantastically.

I found that a slight toe-in gave me the best balance of image focus and soundstage. Most speakers I point almost directly at the listening position, but with the Wharfedales, I found them to play more open that way. Based on the multi-award-winning 4.4 model, the EVO 4.2 delivers stunning, 3-way sound from a compact enclosure. Having three speaker drive units instead of the more usual two, means each area of the frequency response gets a dedicated driver for more detailed and precise sound. They can either be used as they are, in stereo, or as part of an EVO AV speaker system, with matching centre and rear speakers available. small ones. The AMT is a folded ribbon in effect and reaches down to 3.9kHz Wharfedale say. The problem this poses is of finding a drive unit that works up to 3.9kHz to match it – and this demands use of a midrange unit. A cone or a dome are options and in the Evo 4.2 Wharfedale use a dome, ‘cos they reach higher.In a post-apocalyptic desert beset by giant worms and dubious farming practices there’s an authenticity and ease to the soundscape as it's rendered by the Evos, making this unhurried sci-fi saga a touch more captivating than when heard on a lesser system. This symbiosis is immediately evident from the inclusion of Air Motion Transformer tweeters across all the models in the Evo series, a technology usually found in pricier products. I started by listening to some music streamed from TIDAL, and the first thing that impressed me was the EVO4.2’s excellent focus and separation. Listening to “Joy and Pain” by MAZE, I was amazed at how the speakers just disappeared, and Frankie Beverly’s voice appeared so naturally between the speakers. Bass extends down to a low 40Hz, the port (red trace) being tuned to 45Hz to add some extra weight in the low bass region. Cut off below 40Hz is sharp as expected for a stand-mount, with no sub-sonics. Also, bass output is restrained for near-wall placement in a medium sized room, helping avoid room boom; this is not a bass heavy design. However, the large format of the EVO4.2 gives it a little more oomph on the bottom end than a mini-monitor, which I like. It also plays with a larger scale. To me, it’s the best of both worlds.

With a size of 17.9 x 9.8 x 13.8 inches (HWD) and a weight of more than 29 pounds, EVO4.2 claims a 90DB sensitivity that invites you to coupling with a wide range of amplifiers. Experience Evo 4.2 yourself with the certainty of our 100% Music Direct Warranty . These 8 Ohms speakers offer a decent sensitivity rating of 90db so you’ll only need an amp upwards of around 25W to drive them. It won’t come as a surprise that relatively big speakers produce a large-scale sound with plenty of authority. We listen to Dvorak’s New World Symphony and are impressed by the Wharfedale’s dynamic reach and ability to cope with a mass of instrumentation with composure. They go loud with an ease that suggests plenty of headroom and remain organised when the recording gets demanding.

Wharfedale Evo4.2

Nevertheless, bass was everywhere. It was infused in every part of the soundstage. It occupied the space like a furnished room. The wallpaper, the carpets, the soft furnishings? All bass. The lighter stuff? The upper frequencies and the finesse offered by these Wharfedales lay upon the bass, coating the 4.2 speakers. Moving further upscale into the treble, cymbal hits and bell taps provided the delicacy you would hope for with reverb tails here and there to please but the bass focus added a sense of weight to each cymbal proving a certainty to each tap. Vocals & instruments come through brilliantly and overall is a very smooth and enjoyable listen. D’angelo’s Voodoo album sounds fantastic. Well, it gave music a strength but also a real confidence. As I say, bass didn’t dominate to any great extreme here. It never bloomed or strayed too far from where it should be but it acted like the foundation of a house. The sonic structure was given authority by the bass. Bass enabled the music to roam and venture forth with more self assurance than you might normally hear.

This provides clearance for a down-firing port, the narrow gap providing a measure of acoustic damping. Disclaimer: The EVO4.2 was sent to us by the U.S. Distributor in exchange for an honest review. It will be returned once the review is complete. This works up to point, although the Evo4.2 sports a set of dimensions that are a long way outside the norm considering the price. Standing at 450mm tall, it is significantly larger than any rival I can think of and this has some implications on how it is best positioned. I initially try it on a 60cm high stand, but this places the AMT tweeter above the height of my ear when sat in the usual listening position so I switch to Atacama’s shorter SE24 stand. You will need to budget for new stands if you’ve previously had a more traditionally proportioned standmount in place. The more time you spend with it, the more you become aware of the fabulous detail retrieval it offers.” ’Hi-Fi Choice’ – Recommended. Wharfedale’s Evo4.2 is not the complete all-rounder, but I am not sure that’s what the company intends. What this gentle giant can do is deliver certain types of music in a manner that is largely beyond most rivals at the price and if you are happy with its style and can work with its demands it will delight, making it definitely worthy of a thorough audition at the price. JP

What To Think About

Of course, integrating three different drivers made of different materials takes some skill and expertise, and Wharfedale employs Computer-Aided Optimization to tune the crossover. This results in an excellent tonal balance, which is one of EVO4.2’s major strengths. The Wharfedale Evo4.2 bookshelf speakers incorporate technology derived from the flagship Elysian series, featuring a 3-way speaker design. A newly designed AMT (Air Motion Transformer) high frequency transducer replicates point-source audio, and is capable of moving large amounts of air for lower distortion and highly accurate musical reproduction. The sound of this speaker reminds me a lot of a British mini-monitor with its natural midrange and pinpoint imaging. It also has a smooth, detailed treble with no trace of edginess. The chassis itself, made from a multi-density wood sandwich, has been damped. The sandwich construction helps to reduce panel resonance while preventing sound leakage. Methinks that here Wharfedale have come to terms with the fact that their potential audience prefer ‘the BBC sound’ to anything associated with Red Bull and Vodka shots. Additionally, the smooth high end doesn’t draw attention to distortion from CD, making silver disc an easier listen.