Technology

Hi-Fi chic: Wharfedale EVO 5 loudspeakers make great sound a design statement

Wharfedale EVO 5.1 speakers

Wharfedale’s new EVO 5 Series loudspeakers, a follow-up to the award-winning EVO 4 range, blend refined audio engineering with an updated, design-led aesthetic.

The line-up includes two standmounts, two floorstanders and a centre speaker for home cinema setups, available in matt black, matt white, walnut veneer, and a new Lunar Grey finish. 

Cabinets have been subtly reshaped with smoother curves, while layered wood construction and radiused edges help them look as good as they sound. Prices start at £549 per pair.

The Wharfedale EVO 5 Series is aimed at music enthusiasts seeking high-end engineering without moving into ultra-premium price territory…

Inside Wharfedale’s EVO 5 speaker series

The Wharfedale EVO 5 Series is aimed at music enthusiasts seeking high-end engineering without moving into ultra-premium price territory.

With a combination of proprietary driver technology, careful crossover design and advanced cabinet construction, the range is positioned as a serious option for those seeking detail, dynamics and an expansive soundstage. Let’s take a closer look…

At the core of the EVO 5’s design is an upgraded Air Motion Transformer (AMT) tweeter,  now larger at 35x70mm, for increased efficiency and wider dispersion. Wharfedale has paired this with a newly developed SilentWeave material placed behind the diaphragm to absorb unwanted reflections, and a ResoFrame damping system to reduce mechanical resonances. The result, the company says, is extended high-frequency detail without harshness.

Midrange duties in the three-way models fall to a refined 50mm fabric dome driver, first developed for the EVO 4 range. This unit is vented into a carefully shaped rear chamber to control resonance and operates from 800Hz to 5kHz.

Low frequencies are handled by Kevlar-coned bass drivers  –  130mm or 150mm depending on the model – based on designs from Wharfedale’s flagship Elysian series. The motor systems have been engineered for low distortion, while the woven Kevlar diaphragms aim to combine texture and detail with depth and authority.

The crossover networks have also been redesigned, with separate PCBs for bass and mid/treble in the three-way designs to reduce interference. High-grade polypropylene capacitors and air-core inductors are specified for the upper ranges, with laminated iron-core inductors in the bass section.

Cabinets are constructed from layered wood of differing densities to suppress panel resonance, with radiused baffle edges to improve driver integration into the room. Wharfedale’s SLPP (Slot Loaded Profiled Port) system now vents in three directions – left, right, and rear – to distribute airflow evenly and make positioning less critical.

Finally, cabinet dimensions have been increased slightly over EVO 4, boosting internal volume and therefore extending bass response.

Like what you hear? Pricing is as follows: EVO 5.1 – £549/pair; EVO 5.2 – £749/pair; EVO 5.3 – £1,099/pair; EVO 5.4 – £1,399/pair; EVO 5.C – £549. 

Matching stands for the standmount models, fashioned from high-carbon steel, are priced at £399 for the 5.1 and £449 for the 5.2.

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About Steve May

Creator of Home Cinema Choice magazine, and Editor of The Luxe Review, Steve muses and reviews for Trusted Reviews, T3, Home Cinema Choice, Games Radar, Good Housekeeping, Louder Sounds, StereoNet and Boat International. He’s also the editor of professional home cinema website Inside CI. He's on Twitter/X, Tiktok and Instagram as @SteveMay_UK