Flagship Bookshelf Loudspeaker Delivers Sound That's Normally the Province of Towers: Wharfedale Elysian 2 Features AMT Tweeter and 8.5-Inch Woofer, Touts Gorgeous Looks

Delivering room-filling sound once the exclusive province of high-end towers, the gorgeous Wharfedale Elysian 2 bookshelf loudspeaker plays with the silky smooth highs, soulful emotionalism, and taut, deep bass befitting of the finest flagship standmount creation in the U.K.-based company's eight-decade-plus history. Afforded the structural muscle to move massive amounts of air and the intricate electrical engineering necessary to capture subtle cues, Elysian 2 touts an exclusive 3.5-inch AMT (Air Motion Transformer) tweeter and woven glass-fiber matrix driver cones to produce arresting levels of tonal accuracy, richly layered detail, and holographic presence. That it looks like a million bucks adds to the appeal.

Designed by Peter Comeau, the engineer responsible for Wharfedale's revered Diamond Series, Elysian 2 takes the wide-frequency dispersion and speed capabilities of the AMT tweeter and pushes them to where they've never gone before. Couple such feats with those of a mammoth 8.5-inch coated glass-fiber matrix cone woofer and six-inch midrange driver, responsible for fast transients due to the low mass and high rigidity of their architecture. In Elysian 2, no detail goes overlooked. The midrange is even coupled to the cabinet baffle to match to the acoustics of the room. And a computer-modeled crossover, developed over hundreds of hours of listening tests, seamlessly integrates with the driver complement.

On the fence because of placement concerns? Rest assured, Elysian 2 proves easier to place near walls and furniture than conventionally designed models in its class due to an innovative bass port (SLPP) that vents its lowest frequencies to a slot at the base, thereby equalizing the high internal pressure to the low pressure in your room. No wonder Elysian 2 reaches down below 28Hz and delivers the gripping impact of percussive, stringed, and wind instruments. And, courtesy of a central phase plug that improves linearity, Elysian 2 produces immersive soundstaging that holds even for off-axis listening.

Matching existing or potential amplification with Elysian 2 also makes high-end audio easy – like it should be. The speaker's 89dB efficiency rating, 67-pound weight, moderate 46.7 x 15.6 x 17-inch (HWD) footprint, and lush, piano-lacquer-finished cabinet conspire to blend with practically any room dimension or decor. Arrange for a risk-free in-home audition today, and we predict Wharfedale's Elysian 2 will impress your ears just as much as your eyes. 100% Music Direct Guaranteed.