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The new floorstander takes the three-way, four-driver design of the Elysian 4 and delivers it in a form that is more easily accommodated in a variety of room sizes. Measuring 260 x 1,050 x 290mm (WxHxD), the Elysian 3 is about 11 percent shorter than the 4 but a third less wide and a third less deep, which gives it a much more compact footprint. However, the company says it: “delivers the same combination of driver, crossover and cabinet engineering that makes the Elysian Series such a uniquely enticing high-end proposition”.

A 27 x 90mm AMT treble driver combines with a 150mm midrange unit and two 180mm bass drivers plus it features Elysian AMT treble unit tweeters and bass and midrange diaphragms formed from a woven glass fibre matrix.

The Elysian 3’s 150mm midrange driver is identical to that found in the Elysian 4 and Elysian 2. Wharfedale explains: “With such a low-mass cone, only a low-damping, foamed, rubber-like material would match for the surround, coated for durability. A phase plug in the centre of the cone is specially shaped to linearise the output across a wide bandwidth, even off-axis, enhancing a natural response to the music that can be heard anywhere the listener wishes to sit.”

The two 180mm bass drivers incorporate glass fibre matrix cones to match the midrange unit, terminated with a flexible rubber surround and driven by a specially developed low-distortion motor system. The bass drivers are loaded by an advanced version of Wharfedale’s SLPP (Slot-Loaded Profiled Port), in a bid to ensure that the rear output of the bass units is not wasted. Instead, the company says: “the lowest frequency energy is vented to a slot at the base of the speaker, specially profiled to equalise the high internal pressure to the low pressure in the room. This reduces the distortion that is typical of bass reflex systems and increases the port’s efficiency. Also, because the air is dispersed uniformly in the room, the speakers are less fussy about siting.” Sensitivity is quoted as being 89dB with nominal impedance of 4ohm.

The Elysian 3’s cabinet features handcrafted veneers enhanced by true piano finish lacquers, hand-polished to six levels of depth. Beneath the veneer is a sandwich of woods of differing density, designed to reduce panel resonance to below audibility. Named PROS (Panel Resonance Optimisation System), this multi-layer construction is also designed to inhibit the leakage of unwanted sound energy from inside the cabinet.

The Elysian 3 comes in a choice of black, white or walnut, plus there’s a presentation box containing stainless steel spikes, spike seats for hard floors, high-quality speaker jumper cables and a pair of white handling gloves as part of the package.

Available to buy now for £6,000, you can find out more about the Elysian 3 here.