I power my Evo 4.2s with a Marantz PM8006 both purchased at the same time and so run in together. The sound is superb for the money , sounds better than my friends Elacs with same amp.
ELAC UniFi UBR62: it can go with any kind of music....THAT IS EXACTLY WHY I BOUGHT MINE AND I AGREE! Soo good all arounder for any kind of genre. They sound perfect to me.
Now that you’ve had the Elac’s for a while what are your long term thoughts. What are they like at low volumes, and what amplification are you using? Thanks
Sold! When you said the Elac can rock Anthrax it sealed the deal for me. Not that speed metal is complex or difficult music to reproduce, but the recordings are usually bad and the wrong speaker will make it worse.
I am surprised to see so many comments here positive towards Evo 4.2..and I agree too after listening to the sound comparison. The Evo seems to give more detail into the music whereas the UBR62 sounds a little bit bloated in the bass region through my sennheiser. Perhaps it may differ in live audition.
I just auditioned the elac UF52, floor stander and I was inlove with the sound. I want to compare it with the UBR62, UFR52 and the evo series... Thanks, Tharbamar I been waiting for this review...
after many searchings I needed something to use for mixing at home .my Snell J2 monitors were good but not enough extension in lower ranges for me to do a job without having to go to the studio and listen to it on the VMPS 's RM 40's ..beeng in the hifi trade then the studio trade I find a lot of new transistor products vastly inferior to older transistor products .I use Michelson audio valve amplification radford valves amps ,krell transistor, sonic link transistor ,heybrook and Denon mono's ..generally these are my bench mark products to work with ,however ,to the point .. I tried the ATC's not as good as the snells PM
The Wharfedale EVO range has some great sounding speakers. The EVO 4.4 floorstanding speakers are great. Especially if you have a bit of room so they can shine.
I was looking for a mixed DJ and HiFi speaker which were front ported. The promise of thick yet quicker bass has me putting the Elac on my list for sure!
Man! That Denon integrated amp is incredible. Every time I see it I'm like: end game amplifier. Thanks for the vid. Love pulling out the headphones for the comparison.
To me, based on the song comparison I would choose Wharfedale hands down. The bass it tighter. Mids are much better and the vocals are more clear. The Elac sounds hollow and the vocals sounds somehow distorted. I prefer the “Wharfedale” sound.
Excellent insights. Just got yourself another sub... Haven't bought it yet, but getting the Wharfedale Evo 4.2. Can't wait to hear my favorite Electronic Ambient artist on this speaker... Bet the Evo's would sound excellent with Jonn Serries' M-Theory track from his DayStar album. Amazing spatial elements. Thanks for taking the time to help us go through the maze of finding the speakers we want.
Nice job on capturing the sound differences presented here.... I have a pretty good desk top system (Kef/Schiit DAC/Tube Amp etc) and there is a very distinct difference between these 2 speakers. I use the new ELAC Debut Reference in in my larger room system so I am familiar, somewhat, with the ELAC sound. The bottom line on this comparison (for me) is that the Warfedales sound more open, less congested and simply more to my taste. I am totally surprised but then there are many factors such as room, speaker break-in etc that could be influencing this. The one speaker I would love to see compared to these 2 speakers would be the new Buchardt S400 Mark 2s. Yes, definitely more money but from what I've learned these Buchardts are serious contenders for my larger system. Coupled with a Schiit Ragnarok 2 ..... dreamy.
Altough I own Evo 4.2, I must say that I prefere Elac in this comparison. Surprisingly , what everybody praise as Evo’s advantage, female voice, I prefered on Elac! For me, Evo put little bit to much, like adding the resonance in middle range.
I could hear the difference on my iphone speaker. And then with headphones, I could really hear the air around the drums better on the wharfedales. However from your description, I think overall I would choose the elac, as my musical tastes are pretty varied, although pop/rock is one of my main listening interests. Thanks!
I've given serious consideration to the EVO 4.2 . They are slot of speaker for the money . However I have read a couple of professional reviews that say they really need 60wpc ,+ to drive them as well in the bass as heard in the short demo here The Elacs are higher minimum impedance so easier to drive with my Marantz 45 at 8 ohm / 60 at 4 ohm amp . In fact there are no dealer packages advertised with Marantz PM6007 & Evo 4.2 or even 4.1 (which drops even lower to 3.5 impedance )
Elacs overated and the bass extension is bloated. There is better in the price range. But as a basic overall speaker they are okey. A certain reviever compared and rated them higher then Buchardt s400mk2. Thats when you know the reviewer is paid by supplier or need hearing aid. Tested and measured both. Different leagues and dont be fooled. Elacs is a okey for the price, but test some xtz 99.26 flr. Same price range 😉
I'd like to hear your thoughts on the new Polk R200! I am really enjoying my pair, they have a wonderful neutral sound with lots of detail and articulate bass.
IMHO the mids of the Wharfedales are a bit more prominent and the deep bass is lacking a tad .Therefore they need a ''warm'' sounding amplifier .The Elacs are less sensitive and need an amplifier with bigger power reserves and ''fast sounding'' signature ,their sound is more cohesive though . Nevertheless, they both are top tier standmounters .
Hi, trying to decide between these 2. One odd thing you may be able to explain to me is the crossover frequencies: 260/1.8k for the Elac, 1.4k/3.9k for the Evo. I checked another 3-way: Wharfedale Elysian 2: 360/2.9k. Looks to me like the tweeter in the Evo doesn't get to do much, midrange as well. Woofer seems to be doing most of the work.
Wow! two radically different speakers we have here! thanks Tharbamar for sharing your experience. I thought that the Elac totally lacks bass definition and found it sounding dark... and where's the midrange? Needless to say I preferred the evo; it did let you hear more throughout the frequency range, and it gives you bass quality, not quantity of forced-out low bass. I have not listen through my sony 7506, but through my stirling ls3/6.
Prefer the EVO, the bass is a tad heavier from the UBR, seem like the EVO more colorful to me, more forgiving to wider range of music, though I would say the EVO still has a bit of tonal balance issue, at certain treble region either vocal or instrument I'm surprised it sounded a bit tad warmer than I want if compare to Denton 80th.
Based on the set-up, the Wharfedale EVO 4.2 gave the better depth, imaging and focus to the track being played. Thanks for this wonderful review and comparison. 🙌
i would not say compressed. Depending on headphone (sony MDR7506 and Beyer DT880), Evo 4.2 can seems a bit V shaped with an oversmooth bass (like a boost on sub bass) and ELAC a bit "boxed" with forwarded low-mids (much mids can create the impression of high volume or compression). If the variable is the room and not the musc, when you place the system in an environment that reflect much bass or much mids, one speaker can be better than the other in an overall way.
@@mentalrey1 there are no measurements that indicate the 4.2 is V shaped in any way so if it sounds V shaped to you with whatever headphones you have, it is not the speaker. If you have seen one that does, do point me to it.
@@AbsoluteFidelity please Read the words "seems" and "a bit" = impression I talked about "a bit", not about clearly exaggerated curves and as I said it depended on the headphones I used in this video. (and his room response too) With the 880 the effect is more evident than with the 7506s (but after all even if they are studio headphones, neither of them is perfectly neutral, that's exactly the same with the evo 4.2 and elac)
Buchardt is a league up. Even the p300. I'd add xtz 99.26 flr in here too. Look at arendal series too. One gives full end sound from a monitor, one got details and one will give you a overall quality. S400mk2 puts a smile on my face everyday. Arendal monitor thx was amazing but sooo big 😂. Its like putting a floorstander on your stands. Xtz always keeps surprising me with how well they stil keeo up. Have fun 👍
I have to disagree with the “similar build quality” comment. The Elac is a square vinyl wrapped box, while the Wharfedale is a sculptured, real wood hand finish veneered cabinet available in 3 finishes…
People in the comments keep referring to the sound comparisons and hearing vocals but the only sound clips in this video that I heard were the drum tracks at the start of the video. Am I missing something?
Hi great interesting video, been looking at both of these , only got the 62 as were only £499 open box , I think sounds more warm and not so bright as b&w 606s2 anniversary, regards mark
Prefer the Evo 4.2. Listening thru my Evo 4.1, driven by Moon 340i. With Focal Bluetooth receiver. Source is iPhone 12 Pro. To me both Elac and Wharfedale are very competent speakers. If I only have any one pair. Just tweak it til you get the best in your room. Cheers
Thanks for the comparison. I'm hearing the oppositie. Very boomy bass from the Elacs and dry uninspiring sound. I prefer the Wharfedales Very much. The music is much more alive.
Yes ELAC is more neutral than Wharfedale for sure but I’m not sure how you listen to, my demo will be more accurate with Sony MDR-7506 headphones, thanks
I was not a fan of the Elac sound when I heard it in person because it was just based off of the debut series. I ended up blindly getting the elac Uni Reference and was much happier, but realized it indeed was lacking bass. I ended up getting subwoofers from Elac that were from the higher line above the Reference. It turned out to be a great choice because of its synergy. It rounded out the sound for me. It took some fine tuning. I am much happier than when I started. I can clearly hear the Wharfdale is slightly better in your demo. But, for me I'm still happy with the Elac especially because I got them before they went up in price 😄.
We know this, but it's the closest thing to it just like when you speak to somebody on the phone instead of having them in front of you. We have idea and are satisfied with what we're hearing.
I have some songs that sound muddy on my ELAC Debut 2.0 B6.2 Bookshelf Speakers, for example Shegnificant on Empire of Love album performed by Violet Cold. How to figure out if it's speaker or amplifier issue? Could you listen that song on ELAC UniFi UBR62 vs Wharfedale Evo 4.2 and tell us which one sounds better? Thanks in advance!
I highly recommend the bookshelf speakers "Nuvero 60" from the german company "Nubert"! They are building speakers for 45 years now and sell them directly without any retailers.They cost 1640 euros a pair and i' m shure they are outstanding the Elac and the Wharfedale both!!! Nice Video though!!!
The Elac doesn't have as deep bass as the Warf, but the Elac's sound is more immersive, they occupy my ears with music. Warf just has good sound, but not music in general. To see what I mean, just listen to the guitar riff at the beginning of the song - Elac made it perfectly accurate and deep to the heart.
Listening to the sound samples, two thing seem to jump out at me. 1: the midrange (upper mids) on the Elac are darker and less detailed. maybe less enjoyable at watching movies? 2: the bass is more textured, you can hear it's a bass guitar playing rather than just low notes ringing out.
If you were looking for an end game speaker. I am wondering if the EVO 4.4 vs the KLH Model5 would be worth a discussion? I am looking for great sound. Your values in what you hear fit me very well. I have an older Simaudio moon i-3 amp and their CD-1. Both are older but good. I love your love of music...I sang opera for 15 years, so I am interested to hear from you. The dynamics of the speaker are important.
Yes they are both great speakers, should sound very nice with your components. I would also advise you to try Polk Reserve R700 which will take you to next level in similar price point, Thanks
Hi, interesting review, I'm curious how the Elacs would do in my setup. Are the Elac's capable of creating a 3D soundstage? Do they also have sufficient depth and height or is it more of a flat soundstage?
They can be anything you want it to be, very well responded to paring components. 3D soundstage all right in my room with slightly toeing them in and about 6.5ft apart, 3.5ft from the wall behind them, thanks
The Evo's bass still sounds more neutral to me compared to the ELAc's. ELAC's definitely has more bass but not too tight. Mids to highs still seem better on the Evos. Maybe because of that air that the AMTs project
Good review. I know that the Evo 4.2s are about the only affordable high end 3 ways of this moment. I wonder if you could compare them once to another affordable 3 way from the early 2000s, the B&W DM602/3. As well as maybe some similar 3 ways from other decades. Just to see the differences in standards by time. :)
Hi Tharbamar... thank you for your great review... i notice you had given 5 star to EVO 4.2 and 4.8 to UBR62... personally which of these two you will keep for your own use (i understand all depend on personal taste and type of music).. thank you
Hi, if I remember it right the difference in rating was due bass response, Evo has slightly more pronounced mid bass with richer tones, UBR62 is more neutral, I still have have UBR62 not Evo 4.2 but I would suggest you to check out Musician Knight 1 speakers, so much better speaker for a bit more money, see my review, thanks
It is hard to tell. I can hear differences in the mic placement per each set of speakers. I'm sure both are good speakers and excel at certain things well.
I thought I heard a difference in mic placement as well. I thought it might've been a difference between the speakers. The Wharfdale seem to have a wider stage and more depth and the base was tighter. But maybe the difference was due to mike placement.
I would suggest to compare with UBR62 because it’s better speaker compared to older design, ELAC is more neutral sounding than Evo 4.2 but if you like forward midrange area Evo is better choice, thanks
It’s funny that you have my Powerball speakers already (Elysian 2) and I’ve just got my endgame speakers, Evo 4.2. I’m absolutely in love with these speakers, warts and all. I feel awful asking this but can you tell me what your ultimate speakers are? I listened several times but couldn’t quite catch it. Kap khun mak krap
I mean no offense whatsoever with this comment as I do greatly appreciate your reviews Tharbamar, I have watched and appreciated quite a few, but I think the sound demos here basically sound the complete opposite of what your audio commentary stated when comparing the speakers. If I could beg a question after posting such a statement, I wonder how each of these would compare to the Aperion Audio Grand Verus III bookshelf speakers you've reviewed in the past?
Online sound demo is base on how you listen to, so what you are hearing is nothing to do with my real world experience. I still have UBR62 but no the other and for the money Aperion is much better in build quality, sound is subjective and personal taste, Thanks
@@Tharbamar thanks for the Quick answer. I have settled on getting the evo 4.2's after watching your videos. Im excited to listen to Them in person. Since i already have a head system, i would like to find something on the cheaper side That compliments the sound signature of the evo's
@@Tharbamar I've just bought EVO 4.2 this morning because i listen to a lot of heavy metal. I will see how it goes. Can you make a video which speaker are good for metal music?
I have never heard an ELAC that I liked. They sure make the Evo 4.2's sound amazing. They have to be one of the best bang for your buck speakers to date.
To me, the Wharfdales sound smoother and more balanced, if a bit artificial, maybe lacking just a bit in tone quality and real-life sound as compared to the Elacs. But while the Elacs sound more natural, to me they are also kind of empty in the midrange with more pronounced highs and lows. I suppose I'm not supposed to say this, especially since the Elacs are the speaker I came here to hear, but I think I prefer the Wharfdales, despite whatever flaws and drawbacks they may have.
No not really, the IO measures badly (have a search online) and the Evo's like power more than their specifications suggest, they have a good dig about in 4ohm for an 8ohm speaker. Audiolab 6000A has more heft in a similar price range to the Rega, though I ended up getting an Arcam SA20 as the power and control made a big difference to transparency. The IO is a bit weedy tbh.
Elac sounded more like a very neutral speaker for near field audio monitoring in studios. Evo is more musical and has a tint of reverb which is very enjoyable and engaging. Elac has a flat sound and not very enjoyable. To me Evo wins. The clarity in the mid to upper range and the punch at the low end amazing for Evo.
Hey, this is off topic, but what do you think of the Yamaha A-S801 vs. Cambridge CXA81? Which would you say is a better value for the money and will most likely favor more speakers? They are about $300-400 difference. Appreciate it.
Personally not a fan of amps with built in DACs, for the money AS-801 is good choice but if you need XLR connection CXA81 come with it, they both should have similar performance aside from sound signature, AS-801 is more neutral which makes them easier to use with anything, may be try to audition then if you can, thanks
I f you like you can test the new Mission LX-3 MΚII 350 euros.Mission is sister company with wharfedale and this new speaker was designed by Peter Comeau who also design the wrfs 225s!!
@@Tharbamar Happy New Year!Too pity about the mission.What about wrfs 12.2s, offspring of 225s and 11.2s..Some say the new designer (who also design Q acoustics 3030i) altered the warm/non fatiguing sound (mids and highs) of 225s and 11.2s.
![BLACK BAG - Official Trailer [HD] - Only in Theaters March 14](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/Du0Xp8WX_7I/mqdefault.jpg)
I power my Evo 4.2s with a Marantz PM8006 both purchased at the same time and so run in together. The sound is superb for the money , sounds better than my friends Elacs with same amp.
ELAC UniFi UBR62: it can go with any kind of music....THAT IS EXACTLY WHY I BOUGHT MINE AND I AGREE! Soo good all arounder for any kind of genre. They sound perfect to me.
Now that you’ve had the Elac’s for a while what are your long term thoughts. What are they like at low volumes, and what amplification are you using? Thanks
Sold! When you said the Elac can rock Anthrax it sealed the deal for me. Not that speed metal is complex or difficult music to reproduce, but the recordings are usually bad and the wrong speaker will make it worse.
I am surprised to see so many comments here positive towards Evo 4.2..and I agree too after listening to the sound comparison. The Evo seems to give more detail into the music whereas the UBR62 sounds a little bit bloated in the bass region through my sennheiser. Perhaps it may differ in live audition.
And for the Price of the EVO4.2 + Stance, you are close to the price of the Evo 4.3 what puts Bass on another level
I just auditioned the elac UF52, floor stander and I was inlove with the sound. I want to compare it with the UBR62, UFR52 and the evo series... Thanks, Tharbamar I been waiting for this review...
You can't go wrong with this price on either speaker... Both are great. I like the Wharfdale better personally
Me too. I was thinking about getting the Elacs, but after hearing this, not so much.
They look great I agree
after many searchings I needed something to use for mixing at home .my Snell J2 monitors were good but not enough extension in lower ranges for me to do a job without having to go to the studio and listen to it on the VMPS 's RM 40's ..beeng in the hifi trade then the studio trade I find a lot of new transistor products vastly inferior to older transistor products .I use Michelson audio valve amplification radford valves amps ,krell transistor, sonic link transistor ,heybrook and Denon mono's ..generally these are my bench mark products to work with ,however ,to the point .. I tried the ATC's not as good as the snells PM
Both sound good. It’s a matter of taste which one you like.Tharbamar, this recording of yours is much better than the previous ones.
The Wharfedale EVO range has some great sounding speakers. The EVO 4.4 floorstanding speakers are great. Especially if you have a bit of room so they can shine.
I was looking for a mixed DJ and HiFi speaker which were front ported. The promise of thick yet quicker bass has me putting the Elac on my list for sure!
Man! That Denon integrated amp is incredible. Every time I see it I'm like: end game amplifier. Thanks for the vid. Love pulling out the headphones for the comparison.
endgame for me these days for me is purifi or the new hypex coming out. class d are ruling the waves
To me, based on the song comparison I would choose Wharfedale hands down. The bass it tighter. Mids are much better and the vocals are more clear. The Elac sounds hollow and the vocals sounds somehow distorted. I prefer the “Wharfedale” sound.
I agree with your comments. I heard those things too.
I also agree 👍
My thoughts exactly, hollow is the defining word for the Elacs on this recording.
Excellent insights. Just got yourself another sub... Haven't bought it yet, but getting the Wharfedale Evo 4.2. Can't wait to hear my favorite Electronic Ambient artist on this speaker... Bet the Evo's would sound excellent with Jonn Serries' M-Theory track from his DayStar album. Amazing spatial elements.
Thanks for taking the time to help us go through the maze of finding the speakers we want.
Nice job on capturing the sound differences presented here....
I have a pretty good desk top system (Kef/Schiit DAC/Tube Amp etc) and there is a
very distinct difference between these 2 speakers. I use the new ELAC Debut Reference
in in my larger room system so I am familiar, somewhat, with the ELAC sound. The
bottom line on this comparison (for me) is that the Warfedales sound more open, less
congested and simply more to my taste. I am totally surprised but then there are many
factors such as room, speaker break-in etc that could be influencing this. The one speaker
I would love to see compared to these 2 speakers would be the new Buchardt S400 Mark 2s.
Yes, definitely more money but from what I've learned these Buchardts are serious contenders
for my larger system. Coupled with a Schiit Ragnarok 2 ..... dreamy.
Altough I own Evo 4.2, I must say that I prefere Elac in this comparison. Surprisingly , what everybody praise as Evo’s advantage, female voice, I prefered on Elac! For me, Evo put little bit to much, like adding the resonance in middle range.
Thank You for the review... both are very good sounding speakers; however, for my taste I prefer the Wharfedale Evo. Keep up the good work Tharbamar.
Thank you.
I really respect your work with content improving with time, please keep up the good work!
Thanks
Enjoyed the Comparison ,but the Wharfedales are old favourites ...
I could hear the difference on my iphone speaker. And then with headphones, I could really hear the air around the drums better on the wharfedales. However from your description, I think overall I would choose the elac, as my musical tastes are pretty varied, although pop/rock is one of my main listening interests. Thanks!
I've given serious consideration to the EVO 4.2 . They are slot of speaker for the money . However I have read a couple of professional reviews that say they really need 60wpc ,+ to drive them as well in the bass as heard in the short demo here
The Elacs are higher minimum impedance so easier to drive with my Marantz 45 at 8 ohm / 60 at 4 ohm amp .
In fact there are no dealer packages advertised with Marantz PM6007 & Evo 4.2 or even 4.1 (which drops even lower to 3.5 impedance )
You sold me on the Elacs and love that Denon piece 👍
Great choice!
Elacs overated and the bass extension is bloated. There is better in the price range. But as a basic overall speaker they are okey. A certain reviever compared and rated them higher then Buchardt s400mk2. Thats when you know the reviewer is paid by supplier or need hearing aid. Tested and measured both. Different leagues and dont be fooled. Elacs is a okey for the price, but test some xtz 99.26 flr. Same price range 😉
@wegardfjeld3789 I would like to get the Buchardt S400 MKII's. Heard nothing but praise. I never ended up getting the Elacs.
I'd like to hear your thoughts on the new Polk R200! I am really enjoying my pair, they have a wonderful neutral sound with lots of detail and articulate bass.
Always enjoy your videos @tharbamar! You just enjoy music, love speakers and have a laid back vibe. Keep it up :-)
The wharfedale sounds like the better speaker. Including the bass!
Hm....:) You need to listen some really good sounding speakers (systems) to understand that Warf's are very mediocre performers.
@@s.sumenkov7920 for instance?
@@s.sumenkov7920 so you want to compare a Focal Grande to the Evo? Dumb, plain dumb.
IMHO the mids of the Wharfedales are a bit more prominent and the deep bass is lacking a tad .Therefore they need a ''warm'' sounding amplifier .The Elacs are less sensitive and need an amplifier with bigger power reserves and ''fast sounding'' signature ,their sound is more cohesive though . Nevertheless, they both are top tier standmounters .
Great review!! "What is musicality..." well done!
Well, for the price of a EVO4.2 + stance , you are close to the Evo4.3, what pushes the Bass to another level
Wharfedales sounds sounds much more open and airy to me.
I agree, Peter Comeau's Wharfedale design just delivers better midrange performance than Jones' UBR62 design.
Compare UBR62 vs KEF R3 please
Hi, trying to decide between these 2. One odd thing you may be able to explain to me is the crossover frequencies: 260/1.8k for the Elac, 1.4k/3.9k for the Evo. I checked another 3-way: Wharfedale Elysian 2: 360/2.9k. Looks to me like the tweeter in the Evo doesn't get to do much, midrange as well. Woofer seems to be doing most of the work.
Wow! two radically different speakers we have here! thanks Tharbamar for sharing your experience.
I thought that the Elac totally lacks bass definition and found it sounding dark... and where's the midrange?
Needless to say I preferred the evo; it did let you hear more throughout the frequency range, and it gives you bass quality, not quantity of forced-out low bass.
I have not listen through my sony 7506, but through my stirling ls3/6.
Prefer the EVO, the bass is a tad heavier from the UBR, seem like the EVO more colorful to me, more forgiving to wider range of music, though I would say the EVO still has a bit of tonal balance issue, at certain treble region either vocal or instrument I'm surprised it sounded a bit tad warmer than I want if compare to Denton 80th.
Based on the set-up, the Wharfedale EVO 4.2 gave the better depth, imaging and focus to the track being played. Thanks for this wonderful review and comparison. 🙌
Wharfedale. Drums sound better, overall much clearer sound. ELAC sounds compressed.
i would not say compressed. Depending on headphone (sony MDR7506 and Beyer DT880), Evo 4.2 can seems a bit V shaped with an oversmooth bass (like a boost on sub bass) and ELAC a bit "boxed" with forwarded low-mids (much mids can create the impression of high volume or compression).
If the variable is the room and not the musc, when you place the system in an environment that reflect much bass or much mids, one speaker can be better than the other in an overall way.
I agree 👍
@@mentalrey1 there are no measurements that indicate the 4.2 is V shaped in any way so if it sounds V shaped to you with whatever headphones you have, it is not the speaker. If you have seen one that does, do point me to it.
@@AbsoluteFidelity please Read the words "seems" and "a bit" = impression
I talked about "a bit", not about clearly exaggerated curves and as I said
it depended on the headphones I used in this video. (and his room response too)
With the 880 the effect is more evident than with the 7506s
(but after all even if they are studio headphones, neither of them is perfectly neutral, that's exactly the same with the evo 4.2 and elac)
@@mentalrey1 if the 4.2 is neutral and 'seems a bit' v shaped, that would make the Elac 'a bit' upside down v shaped yeah?
And yet another great video….enjoy your content so much, keep it up man… love ya my dude!
Appreciate it!
14:55 vs 16:08
15:17 vs 16:30
I have a Denon integrated and these are a couple of brands I've been looking at. These and buchardts. Wish it was easier to demo speakers.
Buchardt is a league up. Even the p300. I'd add xtz 99.26 flr in here too. Look at arendal series too. One gives full end sound from a monitor, one got details and one will give you a overall quality. S400mk2 puts a smile on my face everyday. Arendal monitor thx was amazing but sooo big 😂. Its like putting a floorstander on your stands. Xtz always keeps surprising me with how well they stil keeo up. Have fun 👍
I have to disagree with the “similar build quality” comment. The Elac is a square vinyl wrapped box, while the Wharfedale is a sculptured, real wood hand finish veneered cabinet available in 3 finishes…
Newer generation is vinyl wrap, Bass driver also changed.
I love your channel. You do good work.
The NHT C3 would be an interesting comparison.
People in the comments keep referring to the sound comparisons and hearing vocals but the only sound clips in this video that I heard were the drum tracks at the start of the video. Am I missing something?
Hi great interesting video, been looking at both of these , only got the 62 as were only £499 open box , I think sounds more warm and not so bright as b&w 606s2 anniversary, regards mark
Yes, the EVO's sounded better, but also louder? Maybe levels were off...
Level matched with analog SPL meter, you are hearing mid forward sound signature from Evo but many people fail to notice it as well. Thanks
Prefer the Evo 4.2.
Listening thru my Evo 4.1, driven by Moon 340i. With Focal Bluetooth receiver. Source is iPhone 12 Pro.
To me both Elac and Wharfedale are very competent speakers.
If I only have any one pair.
Just tweak it til you get the best in your room.
Cheers
How do you like Evo 4.1 vs 4.2?
Thanks for the comparison. I'm hearing the oppositie. Very boomy bass from the Elacs and dry uninspiring sound. I prefer the Wharfedales Very much. The music is much more alive.
Yes ELAC is more neutral than Wharfedale for sure but I’m not sure how you listen to, my demo will be more accurate with Sony MDR-7506 headphones, thanks
@@Tharbamar I also have these Sony's which I like, certainly for the price. I mostly listen with Fostex TH610 and PSI audio 14M.
It's crazy how we can hear the difference over something like the phone!
I was not a fan of the Elac sound when I heard it in person because it was just based off of the debut series. I ended up blindly getting the elac Uni Reference and was much happier, but realized it indeed was lacking bass. I ended up getting subwoofers from Elac that were from the higher line above the Reference. It turned out to be a great choice because of its synergy. It rounded out the sound for me. It took some fine tuning. I am much happier than when I started. I can clearly hear the Wharfdale is slightly better in your demo. But, for me I'm still happy with the Elac especially because I got them before they went up in price 😄.
Just because you can hear a difference doesn't mean you are hearing how they actually sound.
We know this, but it's the closest thing to it just like when you speak to somebody on the phone instead of having them in front of you. We have idea and are satisfied with what we're hearing.
Would using the Altra center speakers standing up as lefts and rights sound better than the Ultra book shelf’s them selves.
The Evo midrange dome is 2-3dB too loud compared to the woofer and the AMT
Thank you , great review
I have some songs that sound muddy on my ELAC Debut 2.0 B6.2 Bookshelf Speakers, for example Shegnificant on Empire of Love album performed by Violet Cold. How to figure out if it's speaker or amplifier issue? Could you listen that song on ELAC UniFi UBR62 vs Wharfedale Evo 4.2 and tell us which one sounds better? Thanks in advance!
I highly recommend the bookshelf speakers "Nuvero 60" from the german company "Nubert"! They are building speakers for 45 years now and sell them directly without any retailers.They cost 1640 euros a pair and i' m shure they are outstanding the Elac and the Wharfedale both!!!
Nice Video though!!!
ELAC is a little bit more relaxing and I like that better. I am a Wharfedale fan however.
The Elac doesn't have as deep bass as the Warf, but the Elac's sound is more immersive, they occupy my ears with music. Warf just has good sound, but not music in general. To see what I mean, just listen to the guitar riff at the beginning of the song - Elac made it perfectly accurate and deep to the heart.
Listening to the sound samples, two thing seem to jump out at me.
1: the midrange (upper mids) on the Elac are darker and less detailed. maybe less enjoyable at watching movies?
2: the bass is more textured, you can hear it's a bass guitar playing rather than just low notes ringing out.
Thanks for the vid-I enjoyed it.
If you were looking for an end game speaker. I am wondering if the EVO 4.4 vs the KLH Model5 would be worth a discussion?
I am looking for great sound. Your values in what you hear fit me very well. I have an older Simaudio moon i-3 amp and their CD-1. Both are older but good.
I love your love of music...I sang opera for 15 years, so I am interested to hear from you. The dynamics of the speaker are important.
Yes they are both great speakers, should sound very nice with your components. I would also advise you to try Polk Reserve R700 which will take you to next level in similar price point, Thanks
Excellent review as always. I wonder, I can get open box Kef R3 for $1500 I'm assuming that would be a better performing speaker then these 2?
Hi, interesting review, I'm curious how the Elacs would do in my setup. Are the Elac's capable of creating a 3D soundstage? Do they also have sufficient depth and height or is it more of a flat soundstage?
They can be anything you want it to be, very well responded to paring components. 3D soundstage all right in my room with slightly toeing them in and about 6.5ft apart, 3.5ft from the wall behind them, thanks
Chill. No they can not. At best a decent speaker in its price range. Thats it.
Got a chance to listen to the Evo’s in person, but I wasn’t impressed with the sound
The 4.2 sounds awesome! So what bookshelf would be a substantial upgrade from this evo?
Hello Tharbamar!You lost weight sir!You look fit and strong!Keep your good work!Respect!
Yes I have, thanks
Is there a sound demo except for the few seconds in the beginning?
Sound sample was removed due to copyright problem but you can hear each demo in their review videos, thanks
Initially, the Wharfedale catch my ear, but I am sure they would bother me after a while.
The Evo's bass still sounds more neutral to me compared to the ELAc's. ELAC's definitely has more bass but not too tight. Mids to highs still seem better on the Evos. Maybe because of that air that the AMTs project
Can you do a test between Evo 4.2 vs KLH Model 3?
Thanks
My Winner is Evo 4.2, it have a sound more clear more natural.........Gretings Froms Mexico.
Good review. I know that the Evo 4.2s are about the only affordable high end 3 ways of this moment. I wonder if you could compare them once to another affordable 3 way from the early 2000s, the B&W DM602/3. As well as maybe some similar 3 ways from other decades. Just to see the differences in standards by time. :)
They are still one of my favorite, thanks
NHT C3 is an affordable high end 3 -way. It hasn't been reviewed yet here perhaps one day it will be.
Hi Tharbamar... thank you for your great review... i notice you had given 5 star to EVO 4.2 and 4.8 to UBR62... personally which of these two you will keep for your own use (i understand all depend on personal taste and type of music).. thank you
Hi, if I remember it right the difference in rating was due bass response, Evo has slightly more pronounced mid bass with richer tones, UBR62 is more neutral, I still have have UBR62 not Evo 4.2 but I would suggest you to check out Musician Knight 1 speakers, so much better speaker for a bit more money, see my review, thanks
Could You tell Us what kind of new speakers You will be testing in the near future? Any suprises? Thanks
If I have any news I will let you guys know, thanks
It is hard to tell. I can hear differences in the mic placement per each set of speakers. I'm sure both are good speakers and excel at certain things well.
I thought I heard a difference in mic placement as well. I thought it might've been a difference between the speakers. The Wharfdale seem to have a wider stage and more depth and the base was tighter. But maybe the difference was due to mike placement.
Same mic placcement. The effects of dispersion is what is causing you to hear such a thing.
ELAC is the better overall speaker in my system and to my ears
Thanks. Can you get your hands on Emotiva Towers? The pair are $1,000.
May be in the future, thanks
What speakers' stand height should be use for these two pairs of speakers? Thanks 👍
It’s listed in video description.
Hi, nice video, how do you compare the Elac with the Polk Audio Reserve R200? I'm considering buying one of them. Thanks
If you like three way speaker ELAC is great but R200 is better performer for price and sound quality ratio, thanks
@@Tharbamar , thanks for your answer!
Thank you for the detailed review. I am considering buying either Evo 4.2 or Elac uni-fi UB52. Let me know which is better from your perspective
I would suggest to compare with UBR62 because it’s better speaker compared to older design, ELAC is more neutral sounding than Evo 4.2 but if you like forward midrange area Evo is better choice, thanks
Thank you Tharbamar for your prompt response. It really helps.
It’s funny that you have my Powerball speakers already (Elysian 2) and I’ve just got my endgame speakers, Evo 4.2. I’m absolutely in love with these speakers, warts and all.
I feel awful asking this but can you tell me what your ultimate speakers are? I listened several times but couldn’t quite catch it. Kap khun mak krap
it would be TAD Reference One, Thanks
I have Totem Rainmakers. Would the ELAC be a good upgrade?
Yes, three way in similar cabinet size will outperform in sound quality like instrument separation, detail sound reproduction and power handling.
You should try ascend acoustics new sierra lx. I Think you would really enjoy it
I mean no offense whatsoever with this comment as I do greatly appreciate your reviews Tharbamar, I have watched and appreciated quite a few, but I think the sound demos here basically sound the complete opposite of what your audio commentary stated when comparing the speakers.
If I could beg a question after posting such a statement, I wonder how each of these would compare to the Aperion Audio Grand Verus III bookshelf speakers you've reviewed in the past?
Online sound demo is base on how you listen to, so what you are hearing is nothing to do with my real world experience.
I still have UBR62 but no the other and for the money Aperion is much better in build quality, sound is subjective and personal taste, Thanks
00:07 the cymbal hit was muchhhhhhhhhhhhh more pronounced here than on the elac
Would it be possible for me to connect the wharfedales to an Ifi zen can?
You need proper amplifier not a headphone amp.
@@Tharbamar thanks for the Quick answer. I have settled on getting the evo 4.2's after watching your videos. Im excited to listen to Them in person. Since i already have a head system, i would like to find something on the cheaper side That compliments the sound signature of the evo's
@@Tharbamar there is a good deal on the Audiolab 6000A
in my country. Do you think it will match the evo's?
@@bispeskov1123 Yes they will work nicely together.
Very informative review. Wharfedale is still a better all around speaker per $$. Regards.
Do you have any experience with the Wharfedale Denton 85 in comparison to these two speakers (regardless to the price)?
Yes but not a big fan of the sound compared to these.
Between the UBR62 and EVO 4.2, which of the two do you think has less listener fatigue?
Both can be with right components, I would say Evo 4.2 if they’re in neutral set up.
@@Tharbamar thank you Tharbamar. Getting the Evo this weekend.
In your other video you said EVO 4.2 plays heavy metal very well?
Yes in general but not a perfect match for sole purpose. Thanks
@@Tharbamar I've just bought EVO 4.2 this morning because i listen to a lot of heavy metal. I will see how it goes. Can you make a video which speaker are good for metal music?
Can I pair the Elac ubr62 with audiolab 6000A?
I have never heard an ELAC that I liked. They sure make the Evo 4.2's sound amazing. They have to be one of the best bang for your buck speakers to date.
You missed Cabasse Antigua MC170...
3 way sounds more better overall because it handles a broader range without overlap
To me, the Wharfdales sound smoother and more balanced, if a bit artificial, maybe lacking just a bit in tone quality and real-life sound as compared to the Elacs. But while the Elacs sound more natural, to me they are also kind of empty in the midrange with more pronounced highs and lows. I suppose I'm not supposed to say this, especially since the Elacs are the speaker I came here to hear, but I think I prefer the Wharfdales, despite whatever flaws and drawbacks they may have.
Because Evo 4.2 is middle forward sound signature.
Is the rega io amp good match for the ego 4.2?
No not really, the IO measures badly (have a search online) and the Evo's like power more than their specifications suggest, they have a good dig about in 4ohm for an 8ohm speaker.
Audiolab 6000A has more heft in a similar price range to the Rega, though I ended up getting an Arcam SA20 as the power and control made a big difference to transparency.
The IO is a bit weedy tbh.
Elac sounded more like a very neutral speaker for near field audio monitoring in studios. Evo is more musical and has a tint of reverb which is very enjoyable and engaging. Elac has a flat sound and not very enjoyable. To me Evo wins. The clarity in the mid to upper range and the punch at the low end amazing for Evo.
Got my Evo4.2 delivered today. What a delight. Earlier I had Elac Debut Reference, Elac Unifi 6.2 and Elac Debut 6.2.
Overall which one to buy
Sound is subjective and system pairing but I would say UBR62 is better in quality of the drivers and transparency.
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WF is a scary naturality despite of a technical non ideality.
Hey, this is off topic, but what do you think of the Yamaha A-S801 vs. Cambridge CXA81? Which would you say is a better value for the money and will most likely favor more speakers? They are about $300-400 difference. Appreciate it.
Personally not a fan of amps with built in DACs, for the money AS-801 is good choice but if you need XLR connection CXA81 come with it, they both should have similar performance aside from sound signature, AS-801 is more neutral which makes them easier to use with anything, may be try to audition then if you can, thanks
Great review as always, thanks. One question… How will you compare this speakers with the CSS criton?
CSS 1TDX Superior is in the different league in bass quality and scale, thanks
Which is better for the musical musicality of my musical system? I like speakers that have musical musicality of the musical music.
Hard to choose
EVO 👌🏼👌🏼👌🏼👌🏼🎶🎵🎼🎼🎼🎼🎼🎼💃🏻🎙🎙🎙🎙🎼
I f you like you can test the new Mission LX-3 MΚII 350 euros.Mission is sister company with wharfedale and this new speaker was designed by Peter Comeau who also design the wrfs 225s!!
Mission band is not available in USA, thanks
@@Tharbamar Happy New Year!Too pity about the mission.What about wrfs 12.2s, offspring of 225s and 11.2s..Some say the new designer (who also design Q acoustics 3030i) altered the warm/non fatiguing sound (mids and highs) of 225s and 11.2s.