Hi Tarun. As a diehard old school high end audio enthusiast here in the States going on 50 years, I must say that I look forward to all your videos due to your coherent and consistent approach. I especially enjoy the technical information which is largely ignored by most other RUclips audio reviewers and channels. Keep up the great work which many of us really appreciate! Cheers! P.S. we need to find a way to eventually get you to dip your toe into analog / vinyl as well! For the OCD audiophiles amongst us, there's nothing like spending your time getting a cartridge / tonearm setup just right and then experiencing the benefit of those actions by listening to a proper recording from even the 50's or later. To the classical musician non-audiophile friends of mine, I always equate turntable setup to adjusting a fine string instrument like a violin. Once properly tuned with the internal sound post set in exactly the right position, you'll immediately know it as even an average instrument will gloriously sing with natural harmonics and rich tone. Digital is cool, and has it place but by comparison a 100 year + technology can sound great as well when properly executed. Take care!
Speaking only for myself, I would *happily* watch fifteen-minute videos from this channel, in which we get four or five minutes of backstory about a specific company, four or five minutes of highlights of their product legacy, a couple of minutes about their current line, and an extended nod to their likely future directions. Even the hints of this sort of content that we got at the start of today's video were thoroughly entertaining and edifying.
This Yank, retired from the A/V industry, loves your thoroughly well detailed reviews and proper feedback on your experience with a component while reflecting on the multiple comparisons with its pairings. I've been with you for years, but I must say that you come across as polished and effortless with all necessary information, kinda like I like my system to sound ! Bravo, my British friend, Bravo 👏
I totally agree with you gents. Tarun, you’re all class. You remind me of an English expat who mentored me many years ago when I worked in a HIFI store here in OZ. I always look forward to your reviews and love your approach. Well done mate! I’d love a video of you explaining your journey into hifi and how you got here doing reviews.
Tbh, he's been rather good at this for some time now🙂If I ever part with my trusty Audio Note AZ-2s the Windsor Earls would be on a very short list to replace them. That being said would be very interesting to hear Tarun's thoughts on Audio Note components and speakers. Great review once again. Thanks!
Most enjoyable hifi channel on youtube imo. Really enjoy these educational/history segments as well. I'm not sure anyone else brings as much knowledge across all areas of hifi and presents it all as succinctly as Tarun can.
When I sit down and settle into an extended, attentive listening session, I like to sit back and relax. Just allow the music to flow effortlessly around, over and through me. I’m not the type of audiophile who likes to lean forward into the music, straining to hear each and every micro detail. Yes I like that detail to be present, but I place a higher priority on acoustic mass, tonal density, musicality! I have recently made several substantial upgrades to my system. It has changed the overall musical presentation. Pushed the soundstage slightly more forward, more “in your face” but it has also created a marked increase in clarity, openness, sacrificing very little of that tonal density. I am becoming conditioned to and enjoying this different reproduction. I can still sit back, relax and let that music fill the room, just now there is more detail, from the mids out, with no extra effort.
Superb review Tarun. Great to see Castle back with a UK made speaker range. They look fantastic! For me, my preference is a pure midband where voices and instruments sound as lifelike as possible. Thats where I get the emotional connection.
Wharfdale, Mission, Tannoy, Castle are the speaker brands of my early audio years. All were available in Canada. My Wharfedale Litton II are long gone. My Castle Tynes are over 30 years old and I have them connected to my secondary system. I replaced the woofers once. Still have a great sound. There was always something special about British speakers. The fit and finish and sound were second to no others. Nice too see they are increasing the speaker manufacturing in Britain.
As a Dutch guy, I love England and especially Scotland, and the Hi-Fi products they produce. Unfortunately, I still love Japanese amplifiers and some American product’s.
@@abritishaudiophile7314 Thank you for the review. I always like to hear about old audio companies and products. I am from the era when European and American brands ruled the audio world. So many audio companies and products now only exist in memories or archives. A lot of great ones came and went.
I still have and use my Castle Clyde speakers I bought in 1985 in a second system. Same bass/mid replacement as you due to the 'foam' surround perishing. The customer support from Castle was superb and I had replacements with rubber surrounds within a week of a quick phone call to them at not too much of a cost. Sent the old ones back including cheque for replacements and they posted new ones out same day they received old drivers. I later tried a pair of Durham 3 but they were just as Tarun described some of the Castle speakers of that era in being overly warm and lacking detail. The Clyde are far more dynamic and detailed and that's why I much prefer them to the Durham 3 which I quickly sold on.
Well done Tarun. The way you describe what you have heard is always appreciated. No fluff just what you have experienced. Closet loudspeakers to the UK sound I have are old Mission bookshelf’s and Monitor Audio floor standers from 2005. All the best.
The last time I heard a pair of Castle speakers was in 1980 in a Liverpool Hi-Fi dealer called Beaver Radio. Stop sniggering at the back! They were using a comparator, remember those, where virtually every amp was connected to every pair of speakers in the shop. Their overriding characteristic was of a highly coloured sound that manifested itself as a chestiness compared with other speakers in the shop. Lovely cabinets though, being a cut above the Wharfedales and Audiomasters of the day. Having found speaker heaven for my system in those Neat Elites, I can now say I am loving the hyper detailed sound and in my installation, I’m not hearing a compromise in the bass. I suspect the other speakers you mention would excite the room resonances I suffer in my small room.
Thanks Mark. I suspect the use of comparators may be before my time. Interesting, wonder if dealers moved away from it because they may have impacted on sound quality 🤔 Glad the Elites are setting in nicely 👍
Really interesting topic, i'm UK based and have the Castle Windsor floorstanders in rosewood from 1991, still going strong with a superb sound - also have them bi-wired, never heard Castle mentioned before keep up the good work
To be frank, Tarun, I didn't know what kind of sound I was after -- not enough experience to know, I suppose. After buying four pairs of speakers over a couple of years, I thought I could see myself going on for ever like that without full satisfaction. It's not that any of them were bad, I just felt I was missing something. What in the end revealed to me what I wanted was my taking a risk and building my own open baffle speakers -- first the Monacor Katanas (£420 or so from Amazon), which I thought were on the right track. And shortly thereafter, I put together a pair of Decware ZF15M clones (£1300 including drivers and professionally cut 40mm thick oak baffles). They're unaccustomedly large, but what the heck, I live alone, so there's no one to complain! So what is this sound profile I stumbled across? Big. Effortless. Wide and deep. Tremendous midrange and delicious, sweet treble. Sound that's palpable and holographic. Bass rolls off at around 50Hz, which is perhaps the onIy shortcoming. Or at least, it was, until I recently discovered how to make it deeper, punchier and more tonally accurate by raising my REL T0 sub 18-20" above the floor between the speakers. Don't know why I did that, just thought I'd give it a try -- I'd nothing to lose. Blow me down, I later found out it's apparently a known thing which plenty have tried. I'd certainly recommend giving it a whizz to anyone. Like I said, nothing to lose...
@@jamesschneider3828 Not entirely. I use one pair in my second, near-field system in the study. The other two I'll probably be selling soon and that will cut my losses somewhat. But the general point is well taken. It's a quite expensive hobby, especially if you're inexperienced and make the usual mistakes.
Well presented as always. I became a Castle fan a few years ago and bought the Knight One which I still have. It is the best bookshelve I own to date. With the Whardale Diamond 220 coming in close behind it (both from IAG). I look for neutrality in signal production from a speaker. Thank you
superb breakdown as usual, look forward to hearing these and perhaps a floorstander if and when that comes to fruition..... many thanks, glad to see the 'castle rebuilt'...
Nice to see the castle brand back making speakers in UK. I grew up with castles. Until i got my own hifi when i was 14, i mostly listened to music on dads set up and the speakers were castle conway 2s. They had a nice tone and good bass depth but the treble was a bit soft. I don't think he was so pleased when i got my setup which was my uncles old hifi. Only new budget Mission 701s connected to an ancient sony ta-F5a amplifier and old philips cd player. It often sounded better especially for clarity and musicality. Eventually swapped for PMC FB1s which were a big upgrade. The bass drivers on the castles broke so were upgraded with new ones but my suspicion is the treble ones were worn out too hence why they should have sounded better than they did. Still i have fond memories of listening to them testing out various cd players, amps and DACs
Absolutely brilliant review Tarun , I heard castle Windsor from the 90’s and there I bought celestion Ditton 22 as it was a small speaker and I noticed that bigger speakers has benefit of producing large soundstage and impactful bass compare to small speakers specially 3 meter standard British rooms
Tarun. You’ve smashed it out of the park once again hitting all the right notes with your review. Technology, pairing, sound, all covered with your laidback BBC style delivery 😉. I’m seeing you as the Barry Norman of audio reviews!
Beautiful product , this is right up my alley. Great review as always. On the question of the day , no I’m not chasing a sound but I found my Heresy IV’s we’re just what the doctor ordered for my chronic HiFi boredom.
Good review Tarun. Thanks. I remember the original Castle company being based in Skipton. As you say they became equally well known for the cabinet work and if memory serves me they supplied other manufactuers. I guess the name may have been inspired by their close proximity to Skipton Castle.
Thanks Tarun, great review. Sounds as if their voiced perfectly for my liking, and from your comments probably you as well so maybe it's finally time to resign the old Pro-Ac's to the skip! Looking forward to the A1 review, recently purchased a Musical Fidelity M3SCD CD player and am extremely impressed.
Hello Tarun, the first time I saw you on RUclips I thought oh, there's someone else who thinks he knows everything about audio. Now you're my favorite audiophile on RUclips! thanks for the excellent explanations and comparisons
Nice to see Castle back, I've had a pair of Castle Severn 2SE since around 1998, they're still going strong 25 years later! I love their balanced sound, not too much of any one thing, you can listen to them all day long. I think I paid about £580 for them, which would be around £1000 today according to the BofE inflation calculator, and often wonder how much I'd need to spend today to get a noticeable improvement. Would a modern speaker of £1000 - £1500 be an upgrade, or has speaker tech not really made huge strides in the last 25 years?? Great video as usual 👍
Thanks for the review. Great to see beautiful smooth sounding speakers being made again in the UK. To answer your question, I used to like a certain sound heavy on bass using the loudness setting on my receiver with my Cerwin Vegas and others. I still love strong and deep digging bass but appreciate a more neutral speaker that reveals the sound the artist and producer intended. I no longer boost lower or upper frequencies for a tailored sound.
Tarun, your question for the day poses a problem for me! It means I must admit that the warmth and rounded of characteric that I definitely used to migrate towards has now been left behind preferring greater detail and treble extentiion speed and clarity.. In the past it would NOT have been my bag but over the most recent four years or so I like the details put in front of me.. Coinciding with almost 40 years running British brands and moving to a Danish brand about four years back.... A turning point in my listening journey.. Really great video, nice to hear of a great British Castle again (Fink team involvement is a sure winner)
Solid review. I’d love to see you review Karl-Heinz Fink’s new smaller Epos ES-7N bookshelf speakers at a bit lower price point. Wouldn’t mind a review of his Epos ES-14N too. Like these Castle’s, they may be a bit larger than I need for my space and at a higher price than I’d prefer to pay but they sure are interesting and not getting the attention they deserve on RUclips.
Excellent review, as always. Thank you. As for your question, since recently I tend chase tonal richness/saturation and harmonic lushness above all else. This quality makes every note sound like rich, complex event. And in that sense, this richness makes the hifi rig sound so much more like live music. In my case, amplifier change enabled that quality, and speakers were just capable enough to let it through.
Wow, these are great looking speakers. I always appreciated the classic "British" sounding speakers. Not lacking in detail, but they didn't shove it in your face, so to speak. I just can't forward, bright sounding speakers.
Fantastic to see new Castle speakers. I had an AV system based around Castle Inversion speakers for over 20 years till drivers started to fail, and I moved to Fyne Audio. I loved them, but they were indeed a bit soft, and the Fynes outclass them. I would love to hear these new models.
Hi Tarun. Down here in Australia, I like my music slightly to the warmer side of neutral. Yes I like lots of detail but not at the expense of it being in my face as I’m not the least interested in listening fatigue. As always I like you reviews as they are very grounded. I absolutely agree with the oldschoolaudioenthusiast’s comments. Keep it up. Cheers 😎👍
Hi Tauran. I have been graced with a number of excellent reviews by reviewers of the Perlisten range of speakers. Since your reviews are so good and analytical I would sincerely ask you to review the Perlisten range. To my ears they perform in just the right way you desire. Thanks in advance for your consideration. LGHJR
I love both my Castle Chester's and Howard's, they are both a bit tired and in need of a refresh but yet are so effortlessly elegant. Thanks once again for your detailed review and I am rooting for Castle speakers to make a come back, I also wish they would make some new versions of their old drivers so that we could update our older boxes because they are still fantastic.
Love Castle loudspeakers ❤️. I used to sell them in the early eighties and had a pair of Kendal II's myself. I visited the factory which was on Shortbank Rd in Skipton. They made everything themselves from the cabinets to the electronics. They even made drive units for Kef too. By keeping everything in-house they felt it provided better value for their costumers as costs were more easily managed. Great to see them back but unfortunately priced way above what I could afford these days.
I have watched this twice now? Im a big fan of Castle, owning 2 bookys and the mki Conways . Ive had the pleasure of owning others . My favourite been the original and wonderful Castle Clifton, that puts many to shame even now.. Taruns discription is on point and accurate but i have only listened to this speaker for 5ish minutes. If im brutal its to expensive . If im flush it would be short listed . Its been awhile Mr Castle but its good to see you back .
Great to see Castles back in the market. As you said, back in the days they they were never such a acclaimed speaker that stood out from the competition in terms of performance. But the real wood and beautiful finish won them so much popularity in their own class. Great, interesting review and lets hope the new Castle range can hold its place in current market. I think when choosing speakers its important to match them to your amp and music source. So always best to audition first.
Nice work Tarun. Another enjoyable review. I like a bit of character in my set up, even if that leads to a less accurate overall sound. I have to add that since adding a REL subwoofer to my KEF Q5’s, I’ve been entranced by the improved sonics, especially the sound stage. Looking forward to the Musical Fidelity amp review
You do good reviews, Tarun! I envy you for your old pre/power Exposure! In the past, I've had some negative experiences with Castle and Vincent, but that was in 2005-2006. Mabe since then Vincent has learned to make amplifiers and Castle speakers.
1. That is a killer shirt Tarun 2. The depth of your technical knowledge is astounding 3. Nice to see a concerted effort to build in the UK 4. They really need to flush that logo with the front baffle. Gorgeous speaker but the logo seems like a clumsy afterthought
it seems like this would be a good speaker for me, made in Asia it would be affordable for me too. Economics remains a strange thing; what is wisdom. Very good review again by the way 👍👍
Hi Taran,I'd love a Harbeth /Castle /Spendor BBC standmount 'type' speaker delivering 90% of THAT sound for 60% of the cost...It would be made in Asia of course. I don't think that speaker exists.. The 90%/60% performance / value ratio exists( I think) in modern designs but I'm not not sure if it does in the "'pipe and slipper" voiced speakers. Fantastic channel.. Thank you, you're a wizard.
Hi Tarun, thanks for the review. It sounds like the Earl kept the Castle house sound. I would be good to know how they compare to the Dukes before deciding to purchase them. Keep it up, your review is very much valuable to the audio community.
I have a pair of Castle Knight 5’s , the largest of their transmission line towers, though still very compact and easy to place. Nice to see them make a comeback. A little pricey being made in the UK but with their fine furniture look, you can enjoy them for many years. Btw, Dukes and Earls you say? Can’t stop thinking of Duke Duke Duke Duke of Earl…..
hi tarun good to know castle are back producing loudspeakers in the uk i have the castle harlechs floorstanders in mahogany beautifully made i have had them since the 1990s being transmission line speakers they have a stunning sound going down to 40hz to 20khz partnered with my audiolab 8000c and 8000p pre and power amp.loved the review of the castle windsor earls
Hi Tarun, I learned something new today, and that is that you allegedly are a teacher :) The Castle speakers do look great but the mission 770's would remain my choice, if I had the money (They look even better). What I like about speakers? First of all tonality. If a piano does not sound like a piano, it kind of misses the whole point. That out of the way, I like good dynamics as my preferred music is classic rock. Then a tight base, I can not stand a woolly base and a booming base even less so. I am willing to forgo some base depth, as long as it is tight and fast. As for the warmth, a good trade off between warmth and resolution (for the price). As far as the imaging goes, everything is a bonus, but I am not having sleepless nights over not being able to virtually touch the nose of some singer. I do like the speakers to disappear though.
I used and still have a pair of Castle Chester transmission line speakers, awesome sound, since moved on to Fyne Audio F502sp for a change. Btw recently upgraded from a sim audio 100d dac to a Heed Abacus s, awesome upgrade lovely smooth sound
Great review as usual. 👍👍 I like speakers that have good tonal balance and is able to present music with good texture and body. I found all that with my Graham Audio LS 8/1.
Always liked Castle speakers - used to own their Severn’s. Nice warm sound (which I like). I had heard Castle were back on the scene - so really enjoyed your review. Also looking forward to the review of the new MF A1 - I owned the original back in the day. So impressed by that little amp I have had many MF amps over the years. Now using the Nuvista 800.
Hi Tarun, thanks for your thoughtful and well-presented review, I always find them to thoughtful and informative. Do you happen to know or have seen the specification of parts in the crossover circuit of the Castle Windsor speakers? Reason I ask is that, after many years of of having been a serious audiophile, I’ve learned enough about loudspeaker design (and, having built my own GR-Research speakers), I’ll never again buy a pair of speakers that uses cheap sandcast resistors and iron-core inductors in the crossover. The impact of these inferior specification parts on the function of the crossover, and ultimately, the sound of the speaker, is just too great. Cheers.
Thanks Stephen. I didn’t get to see the crossover parts. I would expect it is a standard affair with potential to upgrade along the lines you have indicated 😊
@@abritishaudiophile7314 Thanks, Tarun. BTW, I really liked your instructional video from about 3 years ago on "basic" loudspeaker placement guidelines. Very informative, and based on my own findings, accurate, as well. Cheers!
Interesting brand that I never heard of. Also, "Castle Windsor Earls" sounds as comedically english as it gets. Like "Glen Fife Loch" (scottish) or "Guns Texas Trucks" (Murica, haha 🙂) I wonder if "Designed by Fink" becomes as valuable as "Designed by Andrew Jones" some day. Karl-Heinz certainly knows what he does.
Looks to be a great monitor worthy of a lot of consideration, but I really want you to cover a pair of Harbeth P3ERSE XD Monitors before I spend my earned cash, another great detailed review.
Looks great these re-birthed Castle's. That Fink fella is a loudspeaker genius. Seriously lusting after his take on epos es14N. These Castles are a beauty though too. Cheers Tarun. Oh speakers for me, 98% transparency and clarity, 2% gentle warmth, perfect mix I reckon.
Thanks for sharing, Tarun The prospect of a floor standing Castle Transmission Line design is exciting! As to taste in speakers: I believe the speakers should not be a musical instrument in their own right. This approach colours every recording. Neutrality and transparency are like having a clean window into each performance. They will all sound different, for better or worse. Right?
@@abritishaudiophile7314 Idk...i checked out the castle website. Its a mess. Specs for the Knight range mention a ribbon tweeter but photos show a dome. Frustrating. Maybe it should be the "Night" range instead? Looking good😮
I think Castle speakers are beautiful... Could you please try to get a hold of the Mission 778X stereo amplifier for review? It seems like a really nifty little 2ch amp that packs a good punch. Thank you for another comprehensive review Tarun, take care!
The old IMF transmission line speakers back in the 1970s were groundbreaking in many ways. Would be interesting if you took a number of the old veteran speakers and review them. Compared to modern models. I have no idea what the results would be but that’s the point could be fun. Cheers from Montreal Canada.
I did wonder what had happened to Castle - now I know. It seems their re-introduction has come with a price hike - I remember them being much more budget-oriented back in the 90s. Perhaps they should have always aimed for the upper-midrange market sector much sooner since they always had classic, reserved looks and sound and were always rated well. The Linkwitz-Riley crossover seems to be gaining wider and wider recognition and acceptance. Even the Liknkwitz speakers featuring it, which now are marketed as a completely build premium product are rated highly. Perhaps the subject of a future review to solve the mystery? I think they are still largely unknown in Europe - not surprisingly If only Linkwitz were still around....
I would like to suggest that you do a RUclips Video with Mike Powell in Atlanta, Georgia. He has a RUclips Channel called OCD Hifi Guy. In addition to his channel, he is a retailer of uber high end gear and you guys think in a very similar way. He can also help bring small English brands to America. Mike is also a manufacturer of cables and interconnects called Verastarr and can explain what it takes takes to make great products. The two of you would have a good synergy IMO. I enjoy your channel and discover English brands I would not know about otherwise.
Hi Tarun, love your reviews. I baught Dali Menuet SE and Denafrips ares II after watching many of your videos 🙂 It’s in a small room, with Wiim pro going into Denafrips through coaxial. Still using my 20 year old Sony TA-FE570 amplifier. Looking to upgrade the amp, so I can get more out of the speakers quality. Do u recommend Exposure 3010s2d? I know u haven’t reviewed it, but I can get it for a cheap price. Looking for a good synergy to match my other equipment, also lean towards a warmer sound. Open for all recommendations u would have 🙂
"What do you want from your speakers?" I suppose I shy away from "neutral" speakers. I like speakers with character. I'm not in a studio producing anything (though I have been). I'm in a bedroom listening to what all of those talented people produced for me. Not just the artists and the producers and engineers of the music, but the designers, engineers, technicians and assemblers who made the DACs, preamps, amps, wires, and speakers. I want texture. I want to be surprised by what the speakers can do. I only want to analyze enough to make it sound good to my ear. I want the ear candy, and then I want to hear the ear candy that another speaker can deliver - and another - and another.
As good as they sound, at just above 7k in Australia, it would be hard not to pass up on other classical British speaker brands like Harbeth and ProAC, if I get board of those speakers, they will still command a great price on second hand market! But in all seriousness, I’d trade that Bass and dynamics for more detail, a smaller Harbeth P3ESR Loudspeaker would suit my listening space better and save me 3k to boot!
Thanks for your review. Do you think active monitors are suited for a living room approximately 5x5 meters? I heard positive comments on the new Focal Trio 6, I am curious about your opinion on those.
I owned a lot of Castle speakers in the past, most were quite good. The problem with Castle is that they never respond to emails. It is so strange to produce new speakers with no customer service at all.
Hi Tarun, I've rarely commented, even though I've been subscribed to your channel for quite a while, but your question about what type of sound, or tonal quality, I require from a speaker, goes something like this. About 3 years ago I became intrigued by tube amplification, and so I bought the Willsenton R8. About a year later, I stepped up to the Willsenton R800i, and then, about a year ago, to the Cayin Soul 170i. So am I sold on tube amplification? Absolutely - so much so that I doubt if I will ever go back to solid state. So, even though I own quite a few speakers, including my much loved, but rarely used, Chartwell LS3/5a, I find the best speaker to pair with tube amplifiers to be a speaker that is fairly neutral. To this end, my speaker of choice is the beautiful sounding Q Acoustic Concept 500s. You see, because tube amplifiers lend themselves to tube rolling, I am able to tailor the sound more closely to what I'm looking for by tube rolling. In my honest opinion, the best speaker to own is a speaker as close as possible to being very neutral, and use the tube's characteristics (usually NOS), to achieve the sound I like. So, what is the sound I prefer? Perhaps, very slightly warm, but it still must be very detailed. So, yes, neutral speakers and tube amplification is certainly one way to achieve audio nirvana.
Well Tarun, you just tell it like it is. If you want sugar coating, go elsewhere. Thing about gear is we all want and like different things. I tend to want to hear into the recording and that requires resolution that isn’t easily achieved by most equipment. Your gear either has it or it doesn’t and you’ll keep chasing that cat till you get it. Mediocre has no place in audio. Can’t and won’t have it. Some are not that picky, but that resolve comes with few components making the cut as well as revealing every flaw of the recordings regardless of the media source. My ProAc EBTs are ruthless in their ability to resolve and reveal the truth of recordings. They aren’t the last word in bass extension, but such small speakers never are. That’s what subs are for. All things will have at least a fraction of compromise. Finding what suits you and what you can live with in happiness matters. I say damn the torpedos, full speed ahead. Find the least compromising products that can enrich your listening experience for this is the best stress relief you can live with and it’s fun. We all can use as much fun as we can get. Life is short and we deserve that in spades. Cheers Tarun and another great review. Your viewers are growing!
I am definitely not a fan of highly resolving speakers that pride themselves in "accuracy", whatever that is. 😀….so these Earls sound like something I could like….Ok…what about The Windsor Dukes…would love to hear your take on them…it that same, wonderful burnt dark finish.
Remember Castle Acoustics in the 80s and 90s. Remember listening to a pair before I bought a pair of Ruarks in the early 90s. They always looked good but I thought the sound was a little uneventful for my tastes back then.
Great review Tarun my question is these castles have been designed by the fink team, he also designed the epos es14n which has had great reviews, any chance of a comparison in the future?
This was a fine review. I don't think Castle has made it to the States (or indeed if they will)? They're gorgeous looking though. I can only say what I don't like in speakers so far in my journey: I am not after anything overly detailed. I like a realistic kind of presentation. My current speakers are Larsen 8.2s.
I definitely 👍 hate the British politics and POLLUTICIANS; but I admire the “British Sound”. Speaking of Karl Heinz Fink; I think it’s time to test and review the other Castle 🏰 Audio he designed and of course his EPOS ES14N and his own KIM loudspeakers. KHF is truly an incredible loudspeaker designer in his own right. As usual yet another great review from this magnificent channel. 🫵🎶💎✨👂♾️
Well who else could review the 100% British speakers than A, no The Britisch Audiophile. I want my speakers to be able to reproduce scale and dynamics, with a airy presentation on top and a moderate bit of warmth while presenting me with a great immersive sound stage with pin point accuracy. ;)
Great review, right up my street. In terms of the high frequencies specifically, how would you compare the Castles to say the Buchardt S400 mk2 and ATC Scm19, in terms of brightness and refinement?
I'm curious of your thoughts on the outsourcing of labor and production to Asia and elsewhere. It seems like the British perspective is a bit different than the American perspective, plus America given its size and despite of a mass Exodus of American production and manufacturing, still does enjoy a relatively large self-sustaining industries that manufacture locally. Seems to me from my perspective, that from what I've read on the subject and obviously not just loudspeakers but other industries as well, such as the steel industry in the north, it was quite hard on Britain. However it also seems to me that generally the British attitude seems to be the classic stiff upper lip mentality, I guess you could say the classic" soldier on " line of thinking. Of course the UK still does enjoy a lot of manufacture on its shores, and that's really quite amazing when you think about it, especially the size of the country. I mean look at Rega, it's amazing to me and I repeat amazing that they've managed to maintain and keep their manufacturing and production local. I often fear as soon as Roy gandy passes, heaven forbid, that whoever gains control of the company will inevitably outsource production. I've always felt watching interviews and reading the Rega book that they put out several years ago, that the entirety of the idea of keeping production in England was in large part due to his insistence.
Hi Tarun. As a diehard old school high end audio enthusiast here in the States going on 50 years, I must say that I look forward to all your videos due to your coherent and consistent approach. I especially enjoy the technical information which is largely ignored by most other RUclips audio reviewers and channels. Keep up the great work which many of us really appreciate! Cheers!
P.S. we need to find a way to eventually get you to dip your toe into analog / vinyl as well! For the OCD audiophiles amongst us, there's nothing like spending your time getting a cartridge / tonearm setup just right and then experiencing the benefit of those actions by listening to a proper recording from even the 50's or later. To the classical musician non-audiophile friends of mine, I always equate turntable setup to adjusting a fine string instrument like a violin. Once properly tuned with the internal sound post set in exactly the right position, you'll immediately know it as even an average instrument will gloriously sing with natural harmonics and rich tone.
Digital is cool, and has it place but by comparison a 100 year + technology can sound great as well when properly executed. Take care!
Speaking only for myself, I would *happily* watch fifteen-minute videos from this channel, in which we get four or five minutes of backstory about a specific company, four or five minutes of highlights of their product legacy, a couple of minutes about their current line, and an extended nod to their likely future directions. Even the hints of this sort of content that we got at the start of today's video were thoroughly entertaining and edifying.
Technical description, legacy, amplifier matching, sound all well presented. You're getting rather good at this Tarun.
Thank you my friend 😊👍
This Yank, retired from the A/V industry, loves your thoroughly well detailed reviews and proper feedback on your experience with a component while reflecting on the multiple comparisons with its pairings. I've been with you for years, but I must say that you come across as polished and effortless with all necessary information, kinda like I like my system to sound ! Bravo, my British friend, Bravo 👏
I totally agree with you gents. Tarun, you’re all class. You remind me of an English expat who mentored me many years ago when I worked in a HIFI store here in OZ. I always look forward to your reviews and love your approach. Well done mate! I’d love a video of you explaining your journey into hifi and how you got here doing reviews.
Tbh, he's been rather good at this for some time now🙂If I ever part with my trusty Audio Note AZ-2s the Windsor Earls would be on a very short list to replace them. That being said would be very interesting to hear Tarun's thoughts on Audio Note components and speakers. Great review once again. Thanks!
Most enjoyable hifi channel on youtube imo. Really enjoy these educational/history segments as well. I'm not sure anyone else brings as much knowledge across all areas of hifi and presents it all as succinctly as Tarun can.
When I sit down and settle into an extended, attentive listening session, I like to sit back and relax. Just allow the music to flow effortlessly around, over and through me. I’m not the type of audiophile who likes to lean forward into the music, straining to hear each and every micro detail. Yes I like that detail to be present, but I place a higher priority on acoustic mass, tonal density, musicality! I have recently made several substantial upgrades to my system. It has changed the overall musical presentation. Pushed the soundstage slightly more forward, more “in your face” but it has also created a marked increase in clarity, openness, sacrificing very little of that tonal density. I am becoming conditioned to and enjoying this different reproduction. I can still sit back, relax and let that music fill the room, just now there is more detail, from the mids out, with no extra effort.
Superb review Tarun. Great to see Castle back with a UK made speaker range. They look fantastic! For me, my preference is a pure midband where voices and instruments sound as lifelike as possible. Thats where I get the emotional connection.
Thank you. Much appreciated 😊👍
Wharfdale, Mission, Tannoy, Castle are the speaker brands of my early audio years. All were available in Canada. My Wharfedale Litton II are long gone. My Castle Tynes are over 30 years old and I have them connected to my secondary system. I replaced the woofers once. Still have a great sound. There was always something special about British speakers. The fit and finish and sound were second to no others. Nice too see they are increasing the speaker manufacturing in Britain.
Great to learn about your experiences 😊
As a Dutch guy, I love England and especially Scotland, and the Hi-Fi products they produce. Unfortunately, I still love Japanese amplifiers and some American product’s.
@@abritishaudiophile7314 Thank you for the review. I always like to hear about old audio companies and products. I am from the era when European and American brands ruled the audio world. So many audio companies and products now only exist in memories or archives. A lot of great ones came and went.
I still have and use my Castle Clyde speakers I bought in 1985 in a second system. Same bass/mid replacement as you due to the 'foam' surround perishing. The customer support from Castle was superb and I had replacements with rubber surrounds within a week of a quick phone call to them at not too much of a cost. Sent the old ones back including cheque for replacements and they posted new ones out same day they received old drivers.
I later tried a pair of Durham 3 but they were just as Tarun described some of the Castle speakers of that era in being overly warm and lacking detail. The Clyde are far more dynamic and detailed and that's why I much prefer them to the Durham 3 which I quickly sold on.
Ik have Castle Tyne from 1986🤓
Well done Tarun. The way you describe what you have heard is always appreciated. No fluff just what you have experienced. Closet loudspeakers to the UK sound I have are old Mission bookshelf’s and Monitor Audio floor standers from 2005. All the best.
Thank you. Much appreciated 😊👍
The last time I heard a pair of Castle speakers was in 1980 in a Liverpool Hi-Fi dealer called Beaver Radio. Stop sniggering at the back! They were using a comparator, remember those, where virtually every amp was connected to every pair of speakers in the shop.
Their overriding characteristic was of a highly coloured sound that manifested itself as a chestiness compared with other speakers in the shop. Lovely cabinets though, being a cut above the Wharfedales and Audiomasters of the day.
Having found speaker heaven for my system in those Neat Elites, I can now say I am loving the hyper detailed sound and in my installation, I’m not hearing a compromise in the bass. I suspect the other speakers you mention would excite the room resonances I suffer in my small room.
Thanks Mark. I suspect the use of comparators may be before my time. Interesting, wonder if dealers moved away from it because they may have impacted on sound quality 🤔 Glad the Elites are setting in nicely 👍
Really interesting topic, i'm UK based and have the Castle Windsor floorstanders in rosewood from 1991, still going strong with a superb sound - also have them bi-wired, never heard Castle mentioned before keep up the good work
Thank you 👍
To be frank, Tarun, I didn't know what kind of sound I was after -- not enough experience to know, I suppose. After buying four pairs of speakers over a couple of years, I thought I could see myself going on for ever like that without full satisfaction. It's not that any of them were bad, I just felt I was missing something.
What in the end revealed to me what I wanted was my taking a risk and building my own open baffle speakers -- first the Monacor Katanas (£420 or so from Amazon), which I thought were on the right track. And shortly thereafter, I put together a pair of Decware ZF15M clones (£1300 including drivers and professionally cut 40mm thick oak baffles). They're unaccustomedly large, but what the heck, I live alone, so there's no one to complain!
So what is this sound profile I stumbled across? Big. Effortless. Wide and deep. Tremendous midrange and delicious, sweet treble. Sound that's palpable and holographic. Bass rolls off at around 50Hz, which is perhaps the onIy shortcoming. Or at least, it was, until I recently discovered how to make it deeper, punchier and more tonally accurate by raising my REL T0 sub 18-20" above the floor between the speakers. Don't know why I did that, just thought I'd give it a try -- I'd nothing to lose. Blow me down, I later found out it's apparently a known thing which plenty have tried. I'd certainly recommend giving it a whizz to anyone. Like I said, nothing to lose...
You are missing something, the money you spent on 3 pair of speakers.
@@jamesschneider3828 Not entirely. I use one pair in my second, near-field system in the study. The other two I'll probably be selling soon and that will cut my losses somewhat. But the general point is well taken. It's a quite expensive hobby, especially if you're inexperienced and make the usual mistakes.
Thank you John. A lot of the fun about this hobby is about the journey rather than the destination. I bet you have learned a lot in the process 👍
Well presented as always.
I became a Castle fan a few years ago and bought the Knight One which I still have. It is the best bookshelve I own to date. With the Whardale Diamond 220 coming in close behind it (both from IAG).
I look for neutrality in signal production from a speaker.
Thank you
Agree. I keep coming back to my Knight 1s. Lovely little speakers.
superb breakdown as usual, look forward to hearing these and perhaps a floorstander if and when that comes to fruition..... many thanks, glad to see the 'castle rebuilt'...
Thank you. I would love to audition a compact, floorstander, transmission line, Windsor series version 😊👍
@@abritishaudiophile7314 here's hoping they have that in the pipeline🤗
Nice to see the castle brand back making speakers in UK. I grew up with castles. Until i got my own hifi when i was 14, i mostly listened to music on dads set up and the speakers were castle conway 2s. They had a nice tone and good bass depth but the treble was a bit soft. I don't think he was so pleased when i got my setup which was my uncles old hifi. Only new budget Mission 701s connected to an ancient sony ta-F5a amplifier and old philips cd player. It often sounded better especially for clarity and musicality. Eventually swapped for PMC FB1s which were a big upgrade. The bass drivers on the castles broke so were upgraded with new ones but my suspicion is the treble ones were worn out too hence why they should have sounded better than they did. Still i have fond memories of listening to them testing out various cd players, amps and DACs
Great anecdote. Thank you 😊
Absolutely brilliant review Tarun , I heard castle Windsor from the 90’s and there I bought celestion Ditton 22 as it was a small speaker and I noticed that bigger speakers has benefit of producing large soundstage and impactful bass compare to small speakers specially 3 meter standard British rooms
THANKS 🙏 TARUN, WE ARE REALLY GLAD YOU DID,TOO 😁👍💚💚💚
Thank you 👍
Tarun. You’ve smashed it out of the park once again hitting all the right notes with your review. Technology, pairing, sound, all covered with your laidback BBC style delivery 😉. I’m seeing you as the Barry Norman of audio reviews!
That is very flattering and greatly appreciated 😊👍
I like a large dynamic range, with revealing and clear top and mid. And a solid bass punch at the bottom. I wan't no compromisses!
You may like these 😊
PMC DB1GOLD or Pmc5.21
Beautiful product , this is right up my alley. Great review as always. On the question of the day , no I’m not chasing a sound but I found my Heresy IV’s we’re just what the doctor ordered for my chronic HiFi boredom.
Good review Tarun. Thanks. I remember the original Castle company being based in Skipton. As you say they became equally well known for the cabinet work and if memory serves me they supplied other manufactuers. I guess the name may have been inspired by their close proximity to Skipton Castle.
I think you are right on all accounts Paul 👍
Thanks Tarun, great review.
Sounds as if their voiced perfectly for my liking, and from your comments probably you as well so maybe it's finally time to resign the old Pro-Ac's to the skip!
Looking forward to the A1 review, recently purchased a Musical Fidelity M3SCD CD player and am extremely impressed.
Thank you. The A1 review should be done soon 😊
with your review you can't go wrong with your purchase, thank you
Thank you 👍
Hello Tarun, the first time I saw you on RUclips I thought oh, there's someone else who thinks he knows everything about audio. Now you're my favorite audiophile on RUclips! thanks for the excellent explanations and comparisons
Nice to see Castle back, I've had a pair of Castle Severn 2SE since around 1998, they're still going strong 25 years later! I love their balanced sound, not too much of any one thing, you can listen to them all day long.
I think I paid about £580 for them, which would be around £1000 today according to the BofE inflation calculator, and often wonder how much I'd need to spend today to get a noticeable improvement. Would a modern speaker of £1000 - £1500 be an upgrade, or has speaker tech not really made huge strides in the last 25 years??
Great video as usual 👍
1500 GBP would get u far better VFM from Ali Express China.. A large body of listeners avoid rip off Britain and Tarun type promoters
Great old speakers hold up very well with modern equivalents. Thank you for sharing your experiences 😊
Thanks for the review. Great to see beautiful smooth sounding speakers being made again in the UK. To answer your question, I used to like a certain sound heavy on bass using the loudness setting on my receiver with my Cerwin Vegas and others. I still love strong and deep digging bass but appreciate a more neutral speaker that reveals the sound the artist and producer intended. I no longer boost lower or upper frequencies for a tailored sound.
Thank you 😊
Tarun, your question for the day poses a problem for me!
It means I must admit that the warmth and rounded of characteric that I definitely used to migrate towards has now been left behind preferring greater detail and treble extentiion speed and clarity.. In the past it would NOT have been my bag but over the most recent four years or so I like the details put in front of me..
Coinciding with almost 40 years running British brands and moving to a Danish brand about four years back.... A turning point in my listening journey..
Really great video, nice to hear of a great British Castle again
(Fink team involvement is a sure winner)
Great to learn about your experiences Marcus 👍
Solid review. I’d love to see you review Karl-Heinz Fink’s new smaller Epos ES-7N bookshelf speakers at a bit lower price point. Wouldn’t mind a review of his Epos ES-14N too. Like these Castle’s, they may be a bit larger than I need for my space and at a higher price than I’d prefer to pay but they sure are interesting and not getting the attention they deserve on RUclips.
Thank you. They are on my radar 😊
What an excellent review of a brand I've never really considered before.
Thank you kindly 👍
Excellent review, as always. Thank you.
As for your question, since recently I tend chase tonal richness/saturation and harmonic lushness above all else. This quality makes every note sound like rich, complex event. And in that sense, this richness makes the hifi rig sound so much more like live music. In my case, amplifier change enabled that quality, and speakers were just capable enough to let it through.
Thank you kindly 👍
These Castle standmount, look stunning. Look very expensive. Thanks for the informative technical review.
Thank you 👍
Wow, these are great looking speakers.
I always appreciated the classic "British" sounding speakers. Not lacking in detail, but they didn't shove it in your face, so to speak. I just can't forward, bright sounding speakers.
Fantastic to see new Castle speakers. I had an AV system based around Castle Inversion speakers for over 20 years till drivers started to fail, and I moved to Fyne Audio. I loved them, but they were indeed a bit soft, and the Fynes outclass them. I would love to hear these new models.
Cool 😎
Tarun. So great. You spoil us with British warmth and cuddle. Correct and accurate speaker’s are my pick.
Thank you kindly 👍
Hi Tarun. Down here in Australia, I like my music slightly to the warmer side of neutral. Yes I like lots of detail but not at the expense of it being in my face as I’m not the least interested in listening fatigue. As always I like you reviews as they are very grounded. I absolutely agree with the oldschoolaudioenthusiast’s comments. Keep it up. Cheers 😎👍
Hi Tauran. I have been graced with a number of excellent reviews by reviewers of the Perlisten range of speakers. Since your reviews are so good and analytical I would sincerely ask you to review the Perlisten range. To my ears they perform in just the right way you desire. Thanks in advance for your consideration. LGHJR
I love both my Castle Chester's and Howard's, they are both a bit tired and in need of a refresh but yet are so effortlessly elegant.
Thanks once again for your detailed review and I am rooting for Castle speakers to make a come back, I also wish they would make some new versions of their old drivers so that we could update our older boxes because they are still fantastic.
Thank you 👍
Love Castle loudspeakers ❤️. I used to sell them in the early eighties and had a pair of Kendal II's myself. I visited the factory which was on Shortbank Rd in Skipton. They made everything themselves from the cabinets to the electronics. They even made drive units for Kef too. By keeping everything in-house they felt it provided better value for their costumers as costs were more easily managed. Great to see them back but unfortunately priced way above what I could afford these days.
Thank you Philip 👍
Great to see Castle back - they might be calling them Windsors but the logo is still Skipton Castle where they began!
Fantastic little Easter Egg there, thanks!
I would love to see a Castle speaker called the Skipton 👍
I have watched this twice now? Im a big fan of Castle, owning 2 bookys and the mki Conways . Ive had the pleasure of owning others . My favourite been the original and wonderful Castle Clifton, that puts many to shame even now.. Taruns discription is on point and accurate but i have only listened to this speaker for 5ish minutes. If im brutal its to expensive . If im flush it would be short listed .
Its been awhile Mr Castle but its good to see you back .
Great to see Castles back in the market. As you said, back in the days they they were never such a acclaimed speaker that stood out from the competition in terms of performance. But the real wood and beautiful finish won them so much popularity in their own class. Great, interesting review and lets hope the new Castle range can hold its place in current market. I think when choosing speakers its important to match them to your amp and music source. So always best to audition first.
Thank you Terry 😊
Really interesting history -- such a great legacy
Agreed 😊
Nice work Tarun. Another enjoyable review. I like a bit of character in my set up, even if that leads to a less accurate overall sound. I have to add that since adding a REL subwoofer to my KEF Q5’s, I’ve been entranced by the improved sonics, especially the sound stage. Looking forward to the Musical Fidelity amp review
Thank you. The A1 review is out now 👍
You do good reviews, Tarun! I envy you for your old pre/power Exposure! In the past, I've had some negative experiences with Castle and Vincent, but that was in 2005-2006. Mabe since then Vincent has learned to make amplifiers and Castle speakers.
Thank you 😊
Pure poetry for an audiophile's ears ... Bravo Tarun Again!
1. That is a killer shirt Tarun
2. The depth of your technical knowledge is astounding
3. Nice to see a concerted effort to build in the UK
4. They really need to flush that logo with the front baffle. Gorgeous speaker but the logo seems like a clumsy afterthought
Thank you. Much appreciated. I agree, a recessed logo would look better 👍
it seems like this would be a good speaker for me, made in Asia it would be affordable for me too. Economics remains a strange thing; what is wisdom. Very good review again by the way 👍👍
Thank you 👍
Hi Taran,I'd love a Harbeth /Castle /Spendor BBC standmount 'type' speaker delivering 90% of THAT sound for 60% of the cost...It would be made in Asia of course.
I don't think that speaker exists..
The 90%/60% performance / value ratio exists( I think) in modern designs but I'm not not sure if it does in the "'pipe and slipper" voiced speakers.
Fantastic channel.. Thank you, you're a wizard.
Somebody please give this man a Dynaudio heritage special to review
Hi Tarun, thanks for the review. It sounds like the Earl kept the Castle house sound. I would be good to know how they compare to the Dukes before deciding to purchase them. Keep it up, your review is very much valuable to the audio community.
Thank you kindly 😊👍
I have a pair of Castle Knight 5’s , the largest of their transmission line towers, though still very compact and easy to place. Nice to see them make a comeback. A little pricey being made in the UK but with their fine furniture look, you can enjoy them for many years. Btw, Dukes and Earls you say? Can’t stop thinking of Duke Duke Duke Duke of Earl…..
Thank you for sharing 😊
The Castle Knight towers and all the Castle Avon series are transmission line speakers.
Thx 😊
hi tarun good to know castle are back producing loudspeakers in the uk i have the castle harlechs floorstanders in mahogany beautifully made i have had them since the 1990s being transmission line speakers they have a stunning sound going down to 40hz to 20khz partnered with my audiolab 8000c and 8000p pre and power amp.loved the review of the castle windsor earls
Hi Tarun, I learned something new today, and that is that you allegedly are a teacher :) The Castle speakers do look great but the mission 770's would remain my choice, if I had the money (They look even better).
What I like about speakers? First of all tonality. If a piano does not sound like a piano, it kind of misses the whole point. That out of the way, I like good dynamics as my preferred music is classic rock. Then a tight base, I can not stand a woolly base and a booming base even less so. I am willing to forgo some base depth, as long as it is tight and fast. As for the warmth, a good trade off between warmth and resolution (for the price). As far as the imaging goes, everything is a bonus, but I am not having sleepless nights over not being able to virtually touch the nose of some singer. I do like the speakers to disappear though.
Thank you Hugo. Knowing what you want is half the battle 😊
I used and still have a pair of Castle Chester transmission line speakers, awesome sound, since moved on to Fyne Audio F502sp for a change. Btw recently upgraded from a sim audio 100d dac to a Heed Abacus s, awesome upgrade lovely smooth sound
HARLEY,WILL ENJOY YOUR FAVORABLE COMMENTS, AND I LOVE ❤️ THE FURNITURE CABINETS OF BOTH 🤩🤩👍💚💚💚
I love what the Sibelius do on the bass and mids 😊
I love the British sound! For the poor of us, the Wharfedale Lintons are fantastic! (look and sound)
And from the same parent company as these 😊
Thanks for the reviews, hope you can listen to the revival audio atalante 3 which are very good👍
Thank you. Watch this space 😉
Great review as usual. 👍👍
I like speakers that have good tonal balance and is able to present music with good texture and body.
I found all that with my Graham Audio LS 8/1.
Always liked Castle speakers - used to own their Severn’s. Nice warm sound (which I like). I had heard Castle were back on the scene - so really enjoyed your review. Also looking forward to the review of the new MF A1 - I owned the original back in the day. So impressed by that little amp I have had many MF amps over the years. Now using the Nuvista 800.
Hi Tarun, thanks for your thoughtful and well-presented review, I always find them to thoughtful and informative. Do you happen to know or have seen the specification of parts in the crossover circuit of the Castle Windsor speakers? Reason I ask is that, after many years of of having been a serious audiophile, I’ve learned enough about loudspeaker design (and, having built my own GR-Research speakers), I’ll never again buy a pair of speakers that uses cheap sandcast resistors and iron-core inductors in the crossover. The impact of these inferior specification parts on the function of the crossover, and ultimately, the sound of the speaker, is just too great. Cheers.
Thanks Stephen. I didn’t get to see the crossover parts. I would expect it is a standard affair with potential to upgrade along the lines you have indicated 😊
@@abritishaudiophile7314 Thanks, Tarun. BTW, I really liked your instructional video from about 3 years ago on "basic" loudspeaker placement guidelines. Very informative, and based on my own findings, accurate, as well. Cheers!
Interesting brand that I never heard of. Also, "Castle Windsor Earls" sounds as comedically english as it gets. Like "Glen Fife Loch" (scottish) or "Guns Texas Trucks" (Murica, haha 🙂)
I wonder if "Designed by Fink" becomes as valuable as "Designed by Andrew Jones" some day. Karl-Heinz certainly knows what he does.
Thank you for sharing 😊
Looks to be a great monitor worthy of a lot of consideration, but I really want you to cover a pair of Harbeth P3ERSE XD Monitors before I spend my earned cash, another great detailed review.
I still use my Castle Isis speakers, which must be 25+ years old, beautiful for female voices in particular, and still favourites of mine.
That is great 👍
That’s one more, great review. Thanks Tarun
Looks great these re-birthed Castle's. That Fink fella is a loudspeaker genius. Seriously lusting after his take on epos es14N. These Castles are a beauty though too. Cheers Tarun. Oh speakers for me, 98% transparency and clarity, 2% gentle warmth, perfect mix I reckon.
Thanks for sharing, Tarun
The prospect of a floor standing Castle Transmission Line design is exciting!
As to taste in speakers: I believe the speakers should not be a musical instrument in their own right. This approach colours every recording. Neutrality and transparency are like having a clean window into each performance. They will all sound different, for better or worse.
Right?
Thx for sharing 😊
@@abritishaudiophile7314
Idk...i checked out the castle website. Its a mess.
Specs for the Knight range mention a ribbon tweeter but photos show a dome.
Frustrating.
Maybe it should be the "Night" range instead?
Looking good😮
I think Castle speakers are beautiful... Could you please try to get a hold of the Mission 778X stereo amplifier for review? It seems like a really nifty little 2ch amp that packs a good punch. Thank you for another comprehensive review Tarun, take care!
The old IMF transmission line speakers back in the 1970s were groundbreaking in many ways. Would be interesting if you took a number of the old veteran speakers and review them. Compared to modern models. I have no idea what the results would be but that’s the point could be fun. Cheers from Montreal Canada.
I did wonder what had happened to Castle - now I know. It seems their re-introduction has come with a price hike - I remember them being much more budget-oriented back in the 90s.
Perhaps they should have always aimed for the upper-midrange market sector much sooner since they always had classic, reserved looks and sound and were always rated well.
The Linkwitz-Riley crossover seems to be gaining wider and wider recognition and acceptance. Even the Liknkwitz speakers featuring it, which now are marketed as a completely build premium product are rated highly. Perhaps the subject of a future review to solve the mystery? I think they are still largely unknown in Europe - not surprisingly If only Linkwitz were still around....
I agree, IAG seem to be repositioning Castle as a more upmarket brand 😊
Good historical recap. I now prefer an open window to the recordings after spending years going around in subjective circles.
Thank you 😊
I would like to suggest that you do a RUclips Video with Mike Powell in Atlanta, Georgia. He has a RUclips Channel called OCD Hifi Guy. In addition to his channel, he is a retailer of uber high end gear and you guys think in a very similar way. He can also help bring small English brands to America. Mike is also a manufacturer of cables and interconnects called Verastarr and can explain what it takes takes to make great products. The two of you would have a good synergy IMO. I enjoy your channel and discover English brands I would not know about otherwise.
I appreciate the suggestion 😊
Hi Tarun, love your reviews. I baught Dali Menuet SE and Denafrips ares II after watching many of your videos 🙂 It’s in a small room, with Wiim pro going into Denafrips through coaxial.
Still using my 20 year old Sony TA-FE570 amplifier.
Looking to upgrade the amp, so I can get more out of the speakers quality. Do u recommend Exposure 3010s2d? I know u haven’t reviewed it, but I can get it for a cheap price. Looking for a good synergy to match my other equipment, also lean towards a warmer sound. Open for all recommendations u would have 🙂
Thank you. I haven’t heard than model but other Exposure amps I have tried have sounded great with the Menuet SEs 👍
I'm searching for a rich full midrange with body. These sound ideal. Hope Castle send you the Duke model too. Thanks Tarun
Thank you 🙂
"What do you want from your speakers?" I suppose I shy away from "neutral" speakers. I like speakers with character. I'm not in a studio producing anything (though I have been). I'm in a bedroom listening to what all of those talented people produced for me. Not just the artists and the producers and engineers of the music, but the designers, engineers, technicians and assemblers who made the DACs, preamps, amps, wires, and speakers. I want texture. I want to be surprised by what the speakers can do. I only want to analyze enough to make it sound good to my ear. I want the ear candy, and then I want to hear the ear candy that another speaker can deliver - and another - and another.
As good as they sound, at just above 7k in Australia, it would be hard not to pass up on other classical British speaker brands like Harbeth and ProAC, if I get board of those speakers, they will still command a great price on second hand market! But in all seriousness, I’d trade that Bass and dynamics for more detail, a smaller Harbeth P3ESR Loudspeaker would suit my listening space better and save me 3k to boot!
Understood. Makes sense 😊
Another great review. Thank you!
Thanks for your review. Do you think active monitors are suited for a living room approximately 5x5 meters? I heard positive comments on the new Focal Trio 6, I am curious about your opinion on those.
I haven’t tried the Focal’s but there are some very good active speakers out there 😊
I owned a lot of Castle speakers in the past, most were quite good. The problem with Castle is that they never respond to emails. It is so strange to produce new speakers with no customer service at all.
It is part of the IAG group now 😊
NVA S150 + Neat Classic Elite would be my preference. Everything else in synergistic harmony with those two basic building blocks.
Hi Tarun,
I've rarely commented, even though I've been subscribed to your channel for quite a while, but your question about what type of sound, or tonal quality, I require from a speaker, goes something like this. About 3 years ago I became intrigued by tube amplification, and so I bought the Willsenton R8. About a year later, I stepped up to the Willsenton R800i, and then, about a year ago, to the Cayin Soul 170i. So am I sold on tube amplification? Absolutely - so much so that I doubt if I will ever go back to solid state. So, even though I own quite a few speakers, including my much loved, but rarely used, Chartwell LS3/5a, I find the best speaker to pair with tube amplifiers to be a speaker that is fairly neutral. To this end, my speaker of choice is the beautiful sounding Q Acoustic Concept 500s. You see, because tube amplifiers lend themselves to tube rolling, I am able to tailor the sound more closely to what I'm looking for by tube rolling. In my honest opinion, the best speaker to own is a speaker as close as possible to being very neutral, and use the tube's characteristics (usually NOS), to achieve the sound I like. So, what is the sound I prefer? Perhaps, very slightly warm, but it still must be very detailed. So, yes, neutral speakers and tube amplification is certainly one way to achieve audio nirvana.
Another beauty thanks Tarun
Those look gorgeous
Well Tarun, you just tell it like it is. If you want sugar coating, go elsewhere. Thing about gear is we all want and like different things. I tend to want to hear into the recording and that requires resolution that isn’t easily achieved by most equipment. Your gear either has it or it doesn’t and you’ll keep chasing that cat till you get it. Mediocre has no place in audio. Can’t and won’t have it. Some are not that picky, but that resolve comes with few components making the cut as well as revealing every flaw of the recordings regardless of the media source. My ProAc EBTs are ruthless in their ability to resolve and reveal the truth of recordings. They aren’t the last word in bass extension, but such small speakers never are. That’s what subs are for. All things will have at least a fraction of compromise. Finding what suits you and what you can live with in happiness matters. I say damn the torpedos, full speed ahead. Find the least compromising products that can enrich your listening experience for this is the best stress relief you can live with and it’s fun. We all can use as much fun as we can get. Life is short and we deserve that in spades. Cheers Tarun and another great review. Your viewers are growing!
Thank you Mark. Great to hear from you 👍
Gorgeous looking speakers. Very british.
They do look great 👍
Yes 🤚 would enjoy this voicing
Cool 😎
I am definitely not a fan of highly resolving speakers that pride themselves in "accuracy", whatever that is. 😀….so these Earls sound like something I could like….Ok…what about The Windsor Dukes…would love to hear your take on them…it that same, wonderful burnt dark finish.
The old ticker sped up at the MF A1 review prospect.....you tease Tarun lol.
Remember Castle Acoustics in the 80s and 90s. Remember listening to a pair before I bought a pair of Ruarks in the early 90s. They always looked good but I thought the sound was a little uneventful for my tastes back then.
Thank you for sharing 😊
QUESTION OF THE DAY…THANKFULLY TARUN 🙏I HAVE NOT TIRED OF MY 802 D2’s❤️👍
Great review Tarun my question is these castles have been designed by the fink team, he also designed the epos es14n which has had great reviews, any chance of a comparison in the future?
Thank you. The ES14Ns are on my radar 😊
This was a fine review. I don't think Castle has made it to the States (or indeed if they will)? They're gorgeous looking though.
I can only say what I don't like in speakers so far in my journey: I am not after anything overly detailed. I like a realistic kind of presentation. My current speakers are Larsen 8.2s.
Thank you. The Windsor series has only just been launched. I am sure this will be available in the USA soon 😊
I definitely 👍 hate the British politics and POLLUTICIANS; but I admire the “British Sound”. Speaking of Karl Heinz Fink; I think it’s time to test and review the other Castle 🏰 Audio he designed and of course his EPOS ES14N and his own KIM loudspeakers. KHF is truly an incredible loudspeaker designer in his own right. As usual yet another great review from this magnificent channel. 🫵🎶💎✨👂♾️
Thank you. Much appreciated 😊👍
Nice! looking forward to the MF review
Thank you 👍
Well who else could review the 100% British speakers than A, no The Britisch Audiophile. I want my speakers to be able to reproduce scale and dynamics, with a airy presentation on top and a moderate bit of warmth while presenting me with a great immersive sound stage with pin point accuracy. ;)
Thank you my friend. Much appreciated 😊👍
Great review, right up my street. In terms of the high frequencies specifically, how would you compare the Castles to say the Buchardt S400 mk2 and ATC Scm19, in terms of brightness and refinement?
Nice review. Any chance you would review the spendor classic 4/5 :$
Excellent as usual.
The speaker kings 🇬🇧
I'm curious of your thoughts on the outsourcing of labor and production to Asia and elsewhere. It seems like the British perspective is a bit different than the American perspective, plus America given its size and despite of a mass Exodus of American production and manufacturing, still does enjoy a relatively large self-sustaining industries that manufacture locally.
Seems to me from my perspective, that from what I've read on the subject and obviously not just loudspeakers but other industries as well, such as the steel industry in the north, it was quite hard on Britain. However it also seems to me that generally the British attitude seems to be the classic stiff upper lip mentality, I guess you could say the classic" soldier on " line of thinking.
Of course the UK still does enjoy a lot of manufacture on its shores, and that's really quite amazing when you think about it, especially the size of the country. I mean look at Rega, it's amazing to me and I repeat amazing that they've managed to maintain and keep their manufacturing and production local. I often fear as soon as Roy gandy passes, heaven forbid, that whoever gains control of the company will inevitably outsource production. I've always felt watching interviews and reading the Rega book that they put out several years ago, that the entirety of the idea of keeping production in England was in large part due to his insistence.
So how does it compete with the Harbeth P3ESR ??
The obvious difference is size. The P3ESR is only suitable for desktop or small room applications 😊
The Harbeth C7ES-3 would be the better size and price comparison, but they have an 8-inch mid/bass driver.
I HAVE TO SAY NOW…THEY LOOK 👀 GREAT 👍 IN YOUR ROOM
Thanks you. They do seem to suit the space 👍