In this review, we will be comparing Tintagel 1 and Walmer 1, two Passive Bookshelf speakers by Castle.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of Castle Tintagel 1 and Castle Walmer 1 first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
| Key Specs | Castle Tintagel 1 | Castle Walmer 1 |
|---|
| Brand | Castle | Castle |
|---|
| Design | 2-way | 2-way |
|---|
| Tweeter | 1.1" Soft-Dome | 0.47x1.77" True Ribbon |
|---|
| Woofer | 5" Advanced Fibre | 5" Woven Carbon Fibre |
|---|
| Frequency response | 55-20k Hz | 55-20k Hz |
|---|
| Sensitivity | 86 dB | 86 dB |
|---|
| Impedance | 8 ohms | 8 ohms |
|---|
| Power range | 30-100 watts | 25-100 watts |
|---|
| Weight | 7.30kg / 16.1lbs | 7.50kg / 16.5lbs |
|---|
| Dimensions (H x W x D) | 13-9/16" x 7-5/8" x 9-15/16"
345.0 x 194.0 x 252.0mm | 13-1/8" x 8-1/4" x 8-11/16"
334.0 x 210.0 x 220.0mm |
|---|
What size room are the Castle Tintagel 1 and Castle Walmer 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 Tintagel 1 |
Castle Walmer 1 |
| Near-field |
Average |
Average |
| Small Room |
Good |
Good |
| Mid-size Room |
Average |
Average |
| Large Room |
Poor |
Poor |
| Very Large Room |
Bad |
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
Both Tintagel 1 and Walmer 1 are 2-way speakers.
Castle Tintagel 1Castle Walmer 1
TweeterWoofer
Front view, drawn to scale - cabinets and drivers share one scale, so sizes are directly comparable. Hover a driver for its size.
| Driver |
Castle Tintagel 1 |
Castle Walmer 1 |
|
Driver Setup
|
2-way
|
2-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
1.1-inch
|
0.47x1.77-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
- |
- |
|
Woofer
|
1 x 5-inch
|
1 x 5-inch
|
Tintagel 1 features a 1.1" Silk Soft-Dome Tweeter and 1 x 5" Advanced Fibre Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 2.2 kHz. On the other hand, the Walmer 1 features a 0.47x1.77" Ribbon True Ribbon Tweeter and 1 x 5" Woven Carbon Fibre Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 2.8 kHz.
Frequency Response
Tintagel 1 and Walmer 1 has exactly the same frequency range of 55-20k Hz.
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
Tintagel 1 and Walmer 1 have the same Impedance of 8 ohms and their sensitivity is also same at 86 dB.
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.
Both handle the same maximum of 100 watts RMS, though Tintagel 1 is rated 30-100 watts and Walmer 1 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
Tintagel 1 features Binding post type posts and Walmer 1 has a Binding post type posts. None of these speakers feature bi-amping/bi-wiring.
Cabinet Type and Port Position
Both Tintagel 1 and Walmer 1 have rear firing ports. Rear ported speakers generally need more room between the backside of the speaker and the wall compared to sealed and front/bottom ported speakers. Placing the speakers too close to the walls may cause the bass to sound boomy.
If you are limited in space and can't get the speakers away from the backwall, check our Speakers with Front Firing Ports page.
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 Tintagel 1's and Castle Walmer 1's external dimensions. Castle Tintagel 1 has external dimensions of 345.0 x 194.0 x 252.0mm (13-9/16 x 7-5/8 x 9-15/16inch) whereas Castle Walmer 1 has external dimensions of 334.0 x 210.0 x 220.0mm (13-1/8 x 8-1/4 x 8-11/16inch).
Castle Walmer 1 is 11mm shorter and 32mm less deeper than Castle Tintagel 1 but it is also 16mm wider.
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.
Near-identical footprints. Castle Tintagel 1 is 32mm deeper, so it stands that much further out from the wall.
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 Tintagel 1 is approximately 488.9cm2 / 75.8inch2 and base area of the Castle Walmer 1 is approximately 462.0cm2 / 71.6inch2. The Tintagel 1 requires 6% more surface area than the Walmer 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 Tintagel 1 weighs 7.30kg / 16.1lbs and the Castle Walmer 1 weighs 7.50kg / 16.5lbs. This makes the Walmer 1 3% heavier than the Tintagel 1.
Here is a comparison of how Tintagel 1 and Walmer 1's weights compare with the average, max and min weights in Passive Bookshelf class.
Weight
All Bookshelf Speakers
 Minimum Impedance |
5.2 ohms
vs
4.3 ohms
|
Very low impedance levels puts more pressure on amplifier |
 Price per pair* |
2749USD
vs
3499USD
|
costs less (*prices may change depending on the seller, location and time) |
 Height |
334mm
vs
345mm
|
Easier to fit in smaller spaces |
 Base Surface Area |
462cm2
vs
488cm2
|
Takes less floor space |
| General |
Castle Tintagel 1 |
Castle Walmer 1 |
| Brand |
Castle |
Castle |
| Speaker Type |
Bookshelf speakers |
Bookshelf speakers |
| Power Range |
30-100 watts |
25-100 watts |
| Sensitivity |
86 dB |
86 dB |
| Impedance |
8 ohms |
8 ohms |
| Impedance |
5.2 ohms |
4.3 ohms |
| Frequency Response |
55-20k Hz |
55-20k Hz |
Drivers |
|
|
| Woofer Quantity |
1 |
1 |
| Woofer Size |
5" |
5" |
| Woofer Composition |
Advanced Fibre |
Woven Carbon Fibre |
| Tweeter Size |
1.1" |
0.47x1.77" |
| Tweeter Type |
Soft-Dome |
True Ribbon |
| Aimable Tweeter |
No |
No |
| Midrange Driver |
No |
No |
| Crossover Frequency |
2.2 kHz |
2.8 kHz |
| Firing Direction |
rear |
rear |
Physical Specs |
|
|
| Height |
345.0mm (13.6") |
334.0mm (13.1") |
| Width |
194.0mm (7.6") |
210.0mm (8.3") |
| Depth |
252.0mm (9.9") |
220.0mm (8.7") |
| Weight |
7.30kg (16.1lbs) |
7.50kg (16.5lbs) |
| Enclosure |
Bass Reflex |
Bass Reflex |
| Finish |
Walnut veneer, Black Oak veneer |
Walnut veneer, Black Oak veneer |
| Mounting Bracket |
|
|
| Moisture Resistancy |
No |
No |
Connections |
|
|
Other |
|
|
| Parts Warranty |
|
|
| Labor Warranty |
|
|
Both are Castle, from different ranges - so the house sound is shared and the differences are mostly in scale, engineering and price.
| Area | Better | Why |
|---|
| Bass | evenly matched | Much the same reach (55Hz vs 55Hz). |
| Amplifier needs | evenly matched | Similar sensitivity (86dB vs 86dB) - both want much the same power. |
| Headroom | evenly matched | Similar power handling (100W vs 100W). |
| Size | depends | Similar cabinet size - neither is easier to fit. |
| Price | A | Castle Tintagel 1 is cheaper - $2,749 against $3,499, about 21% less. |
A Castle Tintagel 1 B Castle Walmer 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?
Neither runs away with it - they trade advantages. Let the "depends" rows and your own room settle it.
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.