Wharfedale Evo 4.2 (Couple) Black Speakers Pair

Product Information

I feel like the EVO 4.2 dissected music for effectively breaking it down for the listener to be able to hear more deeply into the music. In contrast the Linton speakers disabled the analytical side of my audiophile brain which helped me relax into the music as a musical whole and this definitely stirs some deeper emotions and is a very foot tapping experience. 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.

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. The more time you spend with it, the more you become aware of the fabulous detail retrieval it offers.” ’Hi-Fi Choice’ – Recommended. That said, this is not a party speaker. The bass has a nice punch that allows it to play relatively fast, but the low end is not as deep as a sub. So don’t expect it to have a lot of rumble.AMTs typically offer excellent high-frequency performance, but don’t traditionally work down to the same crossover point that a conventional dome tweeter is comfortable at, meaning the handling of midbass frequencies can be less than ideal. In the Evo4.2, the dome midrange handles frequencies between 1.4kHz and 3.9kHz and keeps all the drivers within their operational comfort zones. The trade off comes in the form of a more complex crossover and notional reduction in efficiency.

That’s your EVO 4 series as a whole, really. A six-speaker series that uses technologies live and direct from the Elysian series of Wharfedale speakers. 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.

Listening to the Wharfedale EVO4.2

The other thing to think about with this speaker is the soundstage. It’s not super wide. I found the presentation mostly between the speakers, which to me was not an issue since the imaging and depth had such good separation.

I did decide to buy a pair of EVO 4.2 to have as a review tool for comparison purposes, their sound presentation is more familiar to me and is more inline with the sound I enjoy from HiFi, however if these were to be my main and only speakers and the budget permitted I would have likely bought the EVO 4.4 because their extra bass driver and inevitable increased bass output compared to the 4.2 would better suit my overall listening preferences. 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. This SLPP (Slot Loaded Profiled Port) receives the lowest frequency energy, profiled, says the company to, “…equalise the high internal pressure to the low pressure in the room.” 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.One of the big strengths of the Lintons are their very engaging vocals and mid range delivery which is very smooth and effortlessly large, the EVO 4.2 cant quite match the scale but the benefits of the soft dome mid range driver for speed means they have better vocal resolution. The EVO4 series The EVO4 series is located between the Wharfedales Award-winning Diamond 11 series and our future flagship, the Elysian speakers. This series has been developed next to the Elysian project and comes from the same extensive research and development. With characteristics that are rarely seen on products on this price, such as the significant, well-built cupboards, the beautifully curved sides and the refined driver arrangement. There is also impressively little sense of constraint or colouration from the cabinets. Provided that a modicum of care has been taken when it comes to placing and positioning in the listening room, it manages to disappear from my perception and is impressively difficult to pinpoint inside a big and very consistent soundstage. It benefits from being used with decent partnering equipment, but this is more a reflection of its ability to show the benefits of whatever its attached to is capable of – thanks to its admirable transparency – rather than being a difficult design to drive. Keep moving downwards and there’s a slot-loaded port that’s at the base of the unit. It’s easily missed by the eye so I’ve offered you an image here (below) so you can see what I’m babbling on about. Straight Out The Box: My first reaction as I undressed them from their protective white gowns was that the walnut appeared duller than it looked in the pictures but that they still look beautiful and seem very well made. Their shape and design look very at home in my living room. The first test that had to pass was the wife test, I was nervous. They are larger and have a more imposing presence than the HB1’s but thankfully she liked them and said they look expensive (phew).