Upgraded drivers, smarter cabinets, refined crossovers, and a stunning new finishes including Lunar Grey. High-end performance. Down-to-earth price. From £549/pair. Available this June.

Sound EVOlved

Heavenly high-end sound at refreshingly down-to-earth prices is the promise fulfilled by the new EVO 5 Series from Wharfedale, Britain’s best-known loudspeaker brand.

The new range replaces the EVO 4 Series, a consistent best-seller since its launch in 2019. EVO 4 saw a complete redesign for Wharfedale’s mid-tier EVO concept, benefitting from technologies created for the flagship Elysian project. The result was a level of loudspeaker engineering not previously seen at such accessible prices, encompassing AMT treble units, domed midrange drivers and sophisticated cabinets with clever slot-loaded ports.

The new EVO 5 Series takes the blueprint established by EVO 4 and elevates it across the board. The range comprises five models: two standmount speakers (EVO 5.1 and 5.2), two floorstanders (EVO 5.3 and 5.4) and a home cinema centre speaker (EVO 5.C). Outwardly, a design refresh presents a more contemporary appearance; internally, every detail has been revised to enhance performance.

Like the equivalent models from the preceding range, both floorstanders and the larger of the two standmounters are three-way designs, incorporating dedicated domed midrange drivers. But while the driver configurations echo the previous generation, the new speakers are a little larger, allowing for greater cabinet volumes, upgraded drivers and new crossovers.

In contrast to many speaker manufacturers, Wharfedale designs and makes almost all component parts itself. This ensures complete freedom to create a perfectly synergetic loudspeaker without having to mix and match parts made by third parties. It also allows absolute control over key elements such as drive units and the ability to develop evolutionary changes from one generation to the next.

These benefits have been fully exploited in the development of the EVO 5 Series, devising ways to improve every element of EVO 4 and deliver an even more accomplished ‘whole’ through acoustic engineering of the highest standard, whilst maintaining highly competitive price points.

Feel the High

All five EVO 5 models incorporate a new, improved version of the AMT (Air Motion Transformer) high-frequency unit developed for the EVO 4 range. Compared to conventional dome tweeters, Wharfedale’s AMT drivers deliver lower distortion and superior speed and accuracy.

Pair large text with an image to give focus to your chosenInstead of using a dome or cone to push air forward in pistonic fashion, AMT drivers incorporate a pleated diaphragm made of an ultra-thin, lightweight polymer. Strong magnets are positioned on either side of the diaphragm, creating a powerful magnetic field. When an audio signal passes through the conductive traces, the diaphragm is energised, causing the pleats to contract and expand.

As the pleats move, they ‘squeeze’ and ‘expand’ the air between them, pushing it out in a highly efficient manner. This allows the AMT to move four times more air than a traditional dome tweeter of the same surface area, delivering lower distortion (since the diaphragm moves less) and faster transient response (owing to lower mass and minimal movement). It also produces a wider frequency range and excellent horizontal dispersion. product, collection, or blog post. Add details on availability, style, or even provide a review.

The AMT unit developed for EVO 5 is larger than the EVO 4 equivalent – 35x70mm compared to 30x60mm – which further improves efficiency and dispersion. It also features a new sound-absorbing material that Wharfedale calls SilentWeave™ – developed for the EVO 5 Series, this cotton/felt hybrid is added to the cavity behind the diaphragm to reduce soundwave reflections inside the speaker.

All the EVO 5 drive units benefit from a new acoustic damping frame called ResoFrame™, made from elastomer and visible as a cog-like shape within the driver’s front panel. In the case of the AMT, an additional elastomer damping gasket between the diaphragm and the front plate further reduces mechanical resonances and smooths the response, especially in the important lower treble band.

These acoustic enhancements to the AMT unit minimise unwanted sound colouration, ensuring crisply extended treble without a hint of harshness and a purer, more natural sonic signature.

Dome is Where the Heart is

To match to the new AMT high-frequency unit, Wharfedale has further developed the midrange driver that was designed for the previous EVO 4 models. Deployed in the three-way EVO 5.2, 5.3 and 5.4, it incorporates the same 50mm dome diaphragm, designed to deliver a fast, responsive, wide bandwidth performance that blends seamlessly with the treble and bass drivers.

The soft fabric dome, damped with a plasticiser coating, is vented aperiodically into a specially shaped rear chamber that is profiled to scatter and absorb rear energy from the dome. This results in a linear response from 800Hz to 5kHz – a remarkable bandwidth from such a midrange unit.

Bass Instinct

The EVO 5 Series’ bass drivers utilise the advanced, low-distortion motor system developed for the flagship Elysian models, married to a woven Kevlar cone – 130mm or 150mm depending on the model – fitted with a low-loss rubber surround. This gives a wide bandwidth drive unit that is equally adept at producing powerful bass and a natural-sounding lower midrange.

Musical Crossover

The drivers’ output is combined via a redesigned crossover network, developed through extensive computer modelling and real-world listening tests, with a revised PCB layout that shortens the path length between components and drive units. In the three-way speakers, the circuit is split onto separate PCBs – one for mid/treble and the other for bass – to minimise electromagnetic interference.

Specially chosen high-grade polypropylene capacitors and air core inductors are used for optimum clarity in the mid/treble section, with laminated silicon-iron inductors in the bass section to minimise signal degradation. The result is impeccable phase consistency and seamless driver integration.

Box Clever

Every EVO5 Series model features proportionately larger dimensions in comparison to its EVO 4 counterpart, optimally increasing cabinet volume in line with precise calculations. This contributes to deeper bass and improved sound dispersion, creating a more immersive and expansive soundstage.

A few Words from Peter Comeau

Peter Comeau, Director of Acoustic Design at Wharfedale, commented on the development of the EVO 5 Series:

“The EVO 4 Series has enjoyed remarkable success over the past six years, consistently earning accolades and topping sales charts. When it came time to develop its successor, a complete redesign wasn’t the answer. Instead, we focused on a thoughtful evolution—true to the ‘EVO’ name—refining what already worked so well while finding new ways to elevate performance.”

“The EVO 4 Series was already engineered to an exceptional standard, especially given its accessible price point. For the EVO 5 Series, we’ve reworked cabinet volumes, redesigned crossovers, and applied advanced techniques and materials to the drive units. These updates result in significant sonic improvements and aesthetic refinements, all while keeping cost increases to a minimum.”

“Designed for discerning music lovers who value detail, dynamics, and emotional connection, the EVO 5 Series delivers a listening experience that goes beyond expectations—with outstanding clarity, rich textures, and an immersive soundstage.”