In this review, we will be comparing Avon 2 and Avon 1, two Passive Bookshelf speakers by Castle.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of Castle Avon 2 and Castle Avon 1 first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
| Key Specs | Castle Avon 2 | Castle Avon 1 |
|---|
| Brand | Castle | Castle |
|---|
| Design | 3-way | 2-way |
|---|
| Tweeter | 0.47x1.77" True Ribbon | 0.47x1.77" True Ribbon |
|---|
| Midrange | 4.5" | — |
|---|
| Woofer | 6" | 5" |
|---|
| Frequency response | 50-20k Hz | 60-20k Hz |
|---|
| Sensitivity | 88 dB | 87 dB |
|---|
| Impedance | 8 ohms | 8 ohms |
|---|
| Power range | 25-100 watts | 25-100 watts |
|---|
| Weight | 10.50kg / 23.1lbs | 5.80kg / 12.8lbs |
|---|
| Dimensions (H x W x D) | 18-11/16" x 8-1/4" x 12-3/16"
475.0 x 210.0 x 310.0mm | 12-5/8" x 7-1/16" x 10-1/4"
320.0 x 180.0 x 260.0mm |
|---|
Avon 2 and Avon 1 are members of Castle's Avon series of speakers. Below you can find the loudspeakers from this series.
Castle Avon Series
History
What size room are the Castle Avon 2 and Castle Avon 1 speakers good for?
The size of the room in which you are planning to use these loudspeakers is an important decision
factor. Here we have compared their suitability to various sizes of environments considering their size
and max power parameters:
| Listening Environment* |
Castle Avon 2 |
Castle Avon 1 |
| Near-field |
Poor |
Average |
| Small Room |
Average |
Good |
| Mid-size Room |
Good |
Average |
| Large Room |
Average |
Poor |
| Very Large Room |
Poor |
Bad |
(* Approximate Room sizes: Small < 100sq. ft / 9 m2,
Mid-size: 100-220 sq. ft / 9-20 m2, Large 220-400 sq. ft / 20-36 m2, Very Large: >
400 sq. ft / 36 m2.
Average Floor Height: 9" / 2.7m. Typical room sizes differ from country to country, and the actual
listening experience changes depending on floor height, room shape, surface materials, listening
position, speaker locations, etc.)
The sections below take each area in turn: drivers, frequency response, physical size and what you get in the box.
Drivers
One of the fundamental differences between these two speakers is that Avon 2 is a 3-way design whereas the Avon 1 is a 2-way speaker. 3-way designs utilize a midrange driver in addition to the tweeter and woofer on 2-way designs. Designing a crossover for a 3-way speaker is a complicated process and generally increases the overall cost of the speaker.
Castle Avon 2Castle Avon 1
MidrangeWoofer
Front view, drawn to scale - cabinets and drivers share one scale, so sizes are directly comparable. Hover a driver for its size.
| Driver |
Castle Avon 2 |
Castle Avon 1 |
|
Driver Setup
|
3-way
|
2-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
0.47x1.77-inch
|
0.47x1.77-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
1 x 4.5-inch |
- |
|
Woofer
|
1 x 6-inch
|
1 x 5-inch
|
Avon 2 features a 0.47x1.77" Ribbon True Ribbon Tweeter, a 4.5" Midrange and 1 x 6" Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 320 Hz / 3.2 kHz. On the other hand, the Avon 1 features a 0.47x1.77" Ribbon True Ribbon Tweeter and 1 x 5" Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 2.5 kHz.
Frequency Response
Avon 2 has a frequency range of 50-20k Hz whereas Avon 1 has a frequency range of 60-20k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 50Hz, the Avon 2 can go significantly deeper on the low side and provide stronger bass compared to the Avon 1's min frequency of 60Hz.
The graph below depicts how these two speakers compare with the max, min and average Low Frequency values of other speakers in the Bookshelf class in our database.
Low Frequency
Bookshelf Speakers
Neither pair reaches down to 20Hz, the usual definition of full-range, which is normal for speakers of this size. If you want the bottom octave for movies or bass-heavy music, add a subwoofer to whichever you choose. Visit our Powered Subwoofers section to find out more about the available options.
Impedance and Sensitivity
Avon 2 and Avon 1 have the same Impedance of 8 ohms but where they differ is the sensitivity levels. Avon 2 sensitivity is rated at 88 dB and the Avon 1's is at 87 dB. This 1 dB difference makes the Castle Avon 2 a more sensitive speaker compared to Castle Avon 1, hence will play louder with the same amount of watts.
Sensitivity
Bookshelf Speakers
Power Range
Power
range is the range of input power in watts RMS that a loudspeaker is designed to handle. Staying
within that range gives nominal performance; driving the speaker beyond its maximum wattage can damage it.
Avon 2 and Avon 1 have the same power range of 25-100 watts.
Note that higher power handling does not make a speaker louder: that depends mainly on
sensitivity and impedance. The calculator below shows how loud each of these actually plays
on a real amplifier.
Which plays louder on your amplifier?
Starting with a popular amplifier - change it to the one you own, or any you are
considering, and watch both numbers move.
Input Type and Bi-Amping / Bi-Wiring
Avon 2 features Binding post type posts and Avon 1 has a Binding post type posts. None of these speakers feature bi-amping/bi-wiring.
Physical Specs
The size of a speaker can sometimes be an important decision factor due to space constraints or in some cases purely for esthetic reasons. In this section, we are going to compare Castle Avon 2's and Castle Avon 1's external dimensions. Castle Avon 2 has external dimensions of 475.0 x 210.0 x 310.0mm (18-11/16 x 8-1/4 x 12-3/16inch) whereas Castle Avon 1 has external dimensions of 320.0 x 180.0 x 260.0mm (12-5/8 x 7-1/16 x 10-1/4inch).
Castle Avon 2 is clearly the larger of the two speakers. Its body is 30mm wider, 155mm taller and 50mm deeper than Castle Avon 1.
Size, drawn to scale
Both speakers and both views share one scale, so everything here is directly comparable. Hover a box for its dimensions.
One scale for both, standing on the same surface and pushed back to the same wall, so the deeper one visibly sticks out further.
Castle Avon 2 needs about 39% more floor or shelf area. Castle Avon 2 is 50mm deeper, so it stands that much further out from the wall. Castle Avon 2 is 155mm taller.
Base Surface Area Comparison
Base surface area of a loudspeaker may become a determining factor when the space in your room or desk is limited.
The base surface area of the Castle Avon 2 is approximately 651.0cm2 / 100.9inch2 and base area of the Castle Avon 1 is approximately 468.0cm2 / 72.5inch2. The Avon 2 requires 39% more surface area than the Avon 1 which gives it a small disadvantage on placement in tight spaces.
Weight Comparison The weight of a loudspeaker can become an important factor if you need to move and reposition the unit often. Weight of a speaker can also "sometimes" be an indicator of the rigidity of the enclosure and the quality of the internal components used. The Castle Avon 2 weighs 10.50kg / 23.1lbs and the Castle Avon 1 weighs 5.80kg / 12.8lbs. This makes the Avon 2 81% heavier than the Avon 1.
Here is a comparison of how Avon 2 and Avon 1's weights compare with the average, max and min weights in Passive Bookshelf class.
Weight
All Bookshelf Speakers
 Driver Setup |
3-way
vs
2-way
|
Have a dedicated mid-range driver |
 Sensitivity |
88 dB
vs
87 dB
|
Play louder with same amount of amplification power |
 Woofer Size |
6 inches
vs
5 inches
|
Larger woofer |
|
Low Frequency Response |
50 Hz
vs
60 Hz
|
Generates deeper bass |
 Height |
320mm
vs
475mm
|
Easier to fit in smaller spaces |
 Base Surface Area |
468cm2
vs
651cm2
|
Takes less floor space |
| General |
Castle Avon 2 |
Castle Avon 1 |
| Brand |
Castle |
Castle |
| Speaker Type |
Bookshelf speakers |
Bookshelf speakers |
| Power Range |
25-100 watts |
25-100 watts |
| Sensitivity |
88 dB |
87 dB |
| Impedance |
8 ohms |
8 ohms |
| Frequency Response |
50-20k Hz |
60-20k Hz |
Drivers |
|
|
| Woofer Quantity |
1 |
1 |
| Woofer Size |
6" |
5" |
| Woofer Composition |
|
|
| Tweeter Size |
0.47x1.77" |
0.47x1.77" |
| Tweeter Type |
True Ribbon |
True Ribbon |
| Aimable Tweeter |
No |
No |
| Midrange Driver |
4.5" |
No |
| Crossover Frequency |
320 Hz / 3.2 kHz |
2.5 kHz |
Physical Specs |
|
|
| Height |
475.0mm (18.7") |
320.0mm (12.6") |
| Width |
210.0mm (8.3") |
180.0mm (7.1") |
| Depth |
310.0mm (12.2") |
260.0mm (10.2") |
| Weight |
10.50kg (23.1lbs) |
5.80kg (12.8lbs) |
| Enclosure |
Transmission Line |
Transmission Line |
| Finish |
Real wood veneer, semi-matt lacquer |
Real wood veneer, semi-matt lacquer |
| Mounting Bracket |
|
|
| Moisture Resistancy |
No |
No |
Connections |
|
|
Other |
|
|
| Parts Warranty |
|
|
| Labor Warranty |
|
|
Siblings in Castle's Avon series, so they share a family sound. It comes down to size, output and price.
| Area | Better | Why |
|---|
| Bass | A | Castle Avon 2 digs deeper - 50Hz against 60Hz. |
| Amplifier needs | evenly matched | Similar sensitivity (88dB vs 87dB) - both want much the same power. |
| Headroom | evenly matched | Similar power handling (100W vs 100W). |
| Size | depends | Castle Avon 1 is easier to place; Castle Avon 2 is bigger, which usually goes with fuller bass. Your room decides. |
A Castle Avon 2 B Castle Avon 1
depends neither is better in the abstract - it turns on your room, your system or how you will use them. Only specs published for both speakers are judged; anything missing on either side is left out rather than guessed.
Which should you choose?
Castle Avon 2 has the edge on paper, though the margin is not large. The rows marked "depends" may matter more to you than the score does. If a subwoofer is in your plans, the bass gap largely stops mattering - you would be crossing over above 60Hz anyway, so judge these on the other rows instead. Match it to your room: we rate Castle Avon 2 the better fit for a mid-size room and a large room, and Castle Avon 1 for near-field listening and a small room.
And remember what a spec sheet cannot show: how each looks in your room and whether the finish suits it, what dealer support and warranty are like where you live, and how they actually sound to you. If you can hear them first - ideally with your own music - that will tell you more than any number above.