Wharfedale Evo 5 series (5.4)

[Architectorus]

Hi! Want to discuss a new speaker line.
I personally bought 5.4 for my suburban dacha. Works together with Audiolab 9000a amp and SMSL sux DAC. While I lack the courage to write a full review, my initial impressions are far better than I anticipated! (For context, I have the Aura 3 in my apartment and previously owned the Evo 4.4 and Linton 85.). To succinctly describe the difference between the Evo 4.4 and the 5.4 in one sentence: The 5.4 is more refined.

Aesthetics: For a speaker at this price point, the 5.4 is truly impressive! I appreciate its modern-retro design, which strikes a perfect balance—neither as contemporary as KEF nor as classic as Klipsch Heritage. The magnetically attached grilles and the absence of visible screws add a touch of luxury. The speaker terminals are now housed in a sturdy, small plastic plate, a significant improvement over the flimsy plates found in the Aura and 4 series. The overall design is very reminiscent of the Aura, with similar cabinet shapes and plinth architecture. However, I find the removal of bi-wiring capabilities puzzling. Why eliminate this feature? Now we have two crossover plates, so bi-wiring would only require an additional pair of terminals. And, of course - nano giga resoframe is just a peace of rubber around the drivers Hooray - there is no chrome details so speaker looks a bit more respectable.
Base: In-room response of base is gorgeous in terms of going deep. I've seen recommendations to position the speakers 20 cm away from back wall, but let's be realistic—most of us don't have palaces or castles! Like many others, I've placed the speakers near the walls, and while the bass is impressive, it does tend to overpower the sound.
Highs: The highs are excellent—they are slightly recessed but still retain all the necessary detail, which is perfect for a relaxed listening experience in a suburban setting. Just sit back and enjoy.
Mids: he midrange is excellent for vocals, but I need to test how well it handles heavy metal. I'm concerned that the soft dome tweeters might introduce distortion, but I'll keep an ear out for that. In general, the midrange performance is quite satisfying.
build quality: The build quality is decent but not outstanding. The veneer finish is somewhat inaccurate, with minor dents present right out of the box. This is a bit disappointing, but it doesn't detract significantly from the overall experience.

Postscript: As for the previous model, the 4.4, I was thoroughly disappointed. As one YouTuber put it, it felt like something was broken in them. They produced the dullest sound I've ever heard, and selling them was a chore. Several people came to listen to the 4.4s, and the common reaction was, "They're okay, but something seems off." Therefore, I'm glad the 5.4 represents a significant step forward. Whether it's a step forward or just a shift in direction, I appreciate this new path. Cheers to Mr. Comeau!

And stay tuned for a closer look inside the 5.4 soon!

 

[Architectorus]

Let's take a closer look inside. First, we encounter the drivers.

What do we see? Unfortunately, the "rigid die-cast chassis" is actually made of plastic. The appearance is similar to that of the Evo 4.4, but the model numbers differ. Despite this, the drivers are remarkably heavy because of enormous magnets.

The midrange driver is housed in a plastic chamber. Here, you can clearly observe a waveguide effect created by positioning the midrange driver deeper within the cabinet.

Next, we come to the AMT (Air Motion Transformer) driver. The surroundings are made of plastic, but the driver itself is crafted from metal, making it the only metal driver in the system. This choice of materials likely contributes to the driver's precision and performance.

The cabinet is a marvel in its own right. When I tapped the exterior, I noticed a significant reduction in resonances compared to evo 4.4. 4.4 sounded like a metal barrel—a simple test, but one that reveals the quality of construction. According to the brochures, the cabinet is built from a sandwich of woods with varying densities. This seems to be the case, as the cabinet feels solid and well-damped. An additional improvement is the presence of three braces instead of two, enhancing the structural rigidity. Damping material is also placed at the bottom of the cabinet to further reduce vibrations. The port design is similar to that of the Evo 4.4, featuring no tube, unlike the regular tubes found in the Aura models. Once again, kudos to the designers for the terminal solution—just two holes provide absolute rigidity.

The crossover is constructed using polycap capacitors, with no electrolytic capacitors in sight. This simpler design improves the speaker's sensitivity, a fact I can clearly observe from the volume settings on my amplifier. Although I don't have measurement tools, the difference is evident.

The placement of the damping material is not as precise as it could be, and it is not glued in place.

I decided to rearrange it to cover all the internal walls properly, ensuring uniform damping. Additionally, I removed the crossover and placed the damping material underneath to eliminate any resonance from the crossover plate.

 

[MarkS]

Speakers sure look different on the inside than the outside ... it feels like stumbling into the janitor's room at a fancy hotel ...

 

[1066]

Thanks so much for the disassembly.

I do find it fascinating to look inside and see what components are made of, which areas have their own chambers and how much acoustic stuffing is used.

Are plastic driver chassis a disadvantage?
I think they would be resistant to ringing compared with stamped steel?

Does the manufacturer use foam sleeving for the cables to avoid them vibrating on the hard interior surface like car interior cables?

 

[1066]

This kind of acoustic sleeving?

 

[Cogito]

Not seeing a whole lot of bracing... I would think that the relatively large panels would be very prone to resonating. IMHO Wharfedale's best line of speakers were the Jade series.

 

[1066]

 

[funkera91]

Hey buddy, thanks for the great topic!
I have a few questions, and I think this is the right place to ask them!


So, I love listening to music, but my wife prefers watching movies.
At the moment, our setup is:


FL/FR – Linton 85th
Center – EVO 4.C
SL/SR – EVO 4.1
SUB - XTZ 12.17
AMP - Musical Fidelity B1
AVR DENON X3600h
Blue ray - Panasonic UB9000

Here’s what I’ve been thinking:
The Lintons are quite different from the center speaker when it comes to movies, though they’re really nice for music.
(Of course, sometimes I do feel that boxy bass and a lack of sparkle in the upper treble.)


Here’s my main question:
Should I go for EVO 4.4 or 5.4 for a better experience with both music and movies?


Or maybe I should:


* Keep the Lintons for music only,

* And get the EVO 4.4 to better match the center tonally for cinema?

But then again, if I go for the 5.4, would that be a better all-around speaker — even if it risks tonal imbalance with the center?


It’s really hard to make that kind of important decision without hearing from someone who’s already walked this path!


Thanks in advance!

 

[Architectorus]

Speakers sure look different on the inside than the outside ... it feels like stumbling into the janitor's room at a fancy hotel ...

Agree. Especially on the drivers, but let's not overlook the issue of price. What speakers in this price range offer a better balance? I'm not specifically advocating for WF; I'm open to finding something more harmonious in terms of cost.

Are plastic driver chassis a disadvantage?
I think they would be resistant to ringing compared with stamped steel?

Does the manufacturer use foam sleeving for the cables to avoid them vibrating on the hard interior surface like car interior cables?

I believe that plastic has advantages over stamped steel—it can be molded into almost any shape, giving it a significant edge over steel, even though it's not as good as an alloy. Of course, there are no sleeves included; I plan to make them myself.

View attachment 464959

Where did you find this picture? It's completely incorrect

I have a few questions, and I think this is the right place to ask them!

Lintons are very musical; I really like them. My friend still uses Lintons in his system, even though his entire setup costs much more than the speakers themselves. There's just something about them. They are what they are. Of course, the high-frequency driver isn't supreme in terms of detail compared to the 4.4 and 5.4 models. As for the bass, it will become boomy if the speakers are placed near walls, as they were designed to be freestanding.

Next, remember that the 5.4 speakers are quite large! I believe they are among the largest in the dual 6.5 tower category. The manual recommends placing them at least 20 cm away from the rear wall. What are the dimensions of your room? It's important to consider this. If you decide to stick with two sets of speakers, keep in mind that both will require ample space and could potentially interfere with each other.

Regarding combinations, I can say that the 5.4 model is better than Lintons, but the 4.4 is not superior to Lintons; they're just different. Considering your current setup, here's what I would suggest:

• Keep the Lintons and add 4.3 speakers for movies (since you already have a subwoofer, you don't need massive speakers). I think there should be some good deals on the older 4 series models right now.
• Sell all your current speakers and invest in a complete 5 series setup, using the 5.4 as front speakers for both cinema and stereo purposes.
• If music is your priority, you might want to consider the Super Lintons. I don't see any problems having different speakers across 5.1 system - personally I have Dali Ikon on center because of dual bright HF - helps to hear dialogues better.

PS: little more photos: HF chamber, bottom of the speaker and boxes.

 

[1066]

Where did you find this picture? It's completely incorrect

It’s interesting you mention that as I was struggling to tie together the photos of your disassembly with the cutaway. I’ll see if I can find the page source.

 

[1066]

Where did you find this picture? It's completely incorrect

https://homeavdirect.co.uk/media/ca...c476ab5e5dd6b/3/3/33164_evo_5.4_cutaway_2.jpg

 

[1066]

It might be worth putting those metal screw inserts (which I do not know name of) into the mdf as I’m not sure self tapping screws into mdf will take multiple undoing/tightening?

The hole looks like self tapping?

 

[Architectorus]

It might be worth putting those metal screw inserts (which I do not know name of) into the mdf as I’m not sure self tapping screws into mdf will take multiple undoing/tightening?

The hole looks like self tapping?

Yes, exactly. In fact, bass drivers have metal inserts and screwed by bolts. Mid And HF screwed by self tapping screws. I don't plan to disassemble speakers often. Second speaker just once for changing connectors on speakers to soldering and gluing and rearranging damping material, and for the second time first speaker to solder wires.

 

[Cogito]

It might be worth putting those metal screw inserts (which I do not know name of) into the mdf as I’m not sure self tapping screws into mdf will take multiple undoing/tightening?

The hole looks like self tapping?

View attachment 465210

https://www.ezlok.com/for-wood/for-soft-wood

 

[1066]

https://www.ezlok.com/for-wood/for-soft-wood

Oh yes. That’s them. Thank you.

 

[Architectorus]

And another forgotten pis- resoframes.
In fact, I though that resoframe is some kind of damping decoupler between cabinet and drivers. Unfortunately not, drivers are screwed tightly.

 

[GeeTi5]

Hello,

It seems to me that your speakers are defective. Why is there no bass phase inverter (tube)? The bass SPL is increased with the help of a phase inverter and is set at, say, 40 Hz, etc. At what frequency can a hole in the bottom be set?

I wonder if this is:
1. A manufacturing defect and the Chinese forgot to insert the tube.
2 Or a way to save money, spitting on customers and sound quality.
3. Is this an engineering decision by Wharfedale designers.
????

 

[Architectorus]

It seems to me that your speakers are defective.

Don't think so. Wharfedale Evo has exact the same architecture. But my friend have a second pair. I will try to check his speakers. And I think that it's not the hole set to frequently, but whole port system, including holes between speaker and plinth. But yeah, I was surprised.

 

[GeeTi5]

That the lower slot is intended for low frequencies is indicated on the manufacturer's website for the Wharfedale EVO 5.4. I am attaching a photo. In another source I found a photo with a cross-section, in which the phase inverter is not visible. I am also attaching a photo. This is probably such an engineering solution and You are right. But it is very strange.

 

[GeeTi5]

The phase inverter is visible in these photos. I don't understand anything anymore. You should send a request to Wharfedale support.