In this review, we will be comparing Tintagel 2 and Concord, two Passive Floor-standing speakers from Castle and KLH.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of Castle Tintagel 2 and KLH Concord first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
| Key Specs | Castle Tintagel 2 | KLH Concord |
|---|
| Brand | Castle | KLH
United States · founded 1957 |
|---|
| Design | 2-way | 2-way |
|---|
| Tweeter | 1.1" Soft-Dome | 1" |
|---|
| Woofer | 2 x 6.5" Advanced Fibre | 2 x 6.5" Kevlar |
|---|
| Frequency response | 44-20k Hz | 28-23k Hz |
|---|
| Sensitivity | 89 dB | 94 dB |
|---|
| Impedance | 8 ohms | 8 ohms |
|---|
| Power range | 30-150 watts | up to 225 watts |
|---|
| Weight | 21.00kg / 46.2lbs | 20.45kg / 45lbs |
|---|
| Dimensions (H x W x D) | 39-3/16" x 9-13/16" x 11-1/4"
995.0 x 250.0 x 286.0mm | 40-3/8" x 8-5/16" x 14-15/16"
1026.0 x 212.0 x 380.0mm |
|---|
The sections below take each area in turn: drivers, frequency response, physical size and what you get in the box.
Drivers
Both Tintagel 2 and Concord are 2-way speakers.
Castle Tintagel 2KLH Concord
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 2 |
KLH Concord |
|
Driver Setup
|
2-way
|
2-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
1.1-inch
|
1-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
- |
- |
|
Woofer
|
2 x 6.5-inch
|
2 x 6.5-inch
|
Tintagel 2 features a 1.1" Silk Soft-Dome Tweeter and 2 x 6.5" Advanced Fibre Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 2.5 kHz. On the other hand, the Concord features a 1" anodized aluminum Tweeter and 2 x 6.5" Kevlar Woofer.
Frequency Response
Tintagel 2 has a frequency range of 44-20k Hz whereas Concord has a frequency range of 28-23k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 28Hz, the Concord can go significantly deeper on the low side and provide stronger bass compared to the Tintagel 2's min frequency of 44Hz.
The graph below depicts how these two speakers compare with the max, min and average Low Frequency values of other speakers in the Floor-standing class in our database.
Low Frequency
Floor-standing 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 2 and Concord have the same Impedance of 8 ohms but where they differ is the sensitivity levels. Tintagel 2 sensitivity is rated at 89 dB and the Concord's is at 94 dB. This 5 dB difference makes the KLH Concord a more sensitive speaker compared to Castle Tintagel 2, hence will play louder with the same amount of watts.
Sensitivity
Floor-standing 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.
Concord can handle a max power of 225 watts RMS, whereas Tintagel 2 has a max power handling value of 150 watts RMS, 75 watts less than the Concord.
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 2 features 5-Way post type posts and Concord has a 5-Way post type posts. None of these speakers feature bi-amping/bi-wiring.
KLH Concord's 5-Way post terminals
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 2's and KLH Concord's external dimensions. Castle Tintagel 2 has external dimensions of 995.0 x 250.0 x 286.0mm (39-3/16 x 9-13/16 x 11-1/4inch) whereas KLH Concord has external dimensions of 1026.0 x 212.0 x 380.0mm (40-3/8 x 8-5/16 x 14-15/16inch).
Castle Tintagel 2 is 31mm shorter and 94mm less deeper than KLH Concord but it is also 38mm 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.
KLH Concord needs about 13% more floor or shelf area. KLH Concord is 94mm deeper, so it stands that much further out from the wall. KLH Concord is 31mm 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 Tintagel 2 is approximately 715.0cm2 / 110.8inch2 and base area of the KLH Concord is approximately 805.6cm2 / 124.9inch2. The Tintagel 2 requires 11% less surface area than the Concord which gives it a small advantage 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 2 weighs 21.00kg / 46.2lbs and the KLH Concord weighs 20.45kg / 45lbs. This makes the Tintagel 2 3% heavier than the Concord.
Here is a comparison of how Tintagel 2 and Concord's weights compare with the average, max and min weights in Passive Floor-standing class.
Weight
All Floor-standing Speakers
What's in the Box of KLH Concord?
Here are the items that come with the Concord:
- Floorstanding loudspeaker
- Grille
- 4 Spike feet (w/ locking nut attached)
- 4 Protective discs
- 4 Rubber feet
- Port plug
- Manual
- ATTENTION! note
 Height |
995mm
vs
1026mm
|
Easier to fit in smaller spaces |
 Base Surface Area |
715cm2
vs
805cm2
|
Takes less floor space |
 Max Input Power |
225 watts
vs
150 watts
|
Handle more power from your amplifier |
 Sensitivity |
94 dB
vs
89 dB
|
Play louder with same amount of amplification power |
 Low Frequency Response |
28 Hz
vs
44 Hz
|
Generates deeper bass |
 High Frequency Response |
23k Hz
vs
20k Hz
|
Generates higher frequency |
 Price per pair* |
1000USD
vs
3999USD
|
costs less (*prices may change depending on the seller, location and time) |
| General |
Castle Tintagel 2 |
KLH Concord |
| Brand |
Castle |
KLH |
| Speaker Type |
Floor-standing speaker |
Floor-standing speaker |
| Power Range |
30-150 watts |
up to 225 watts |
| Sensitivity |
89 dB |
94 dB |
| Impedance |
8 ohms |
8 ohms |
| Impedance |
5.4 ohms |
n/a |
| Frequency Response |
44-20k Hz |
28-23k Hz |
Drivers |
|
|
| Woofer Quantity |
2 |
2 |
| Woofer Size |
6.5" |
6.5" |
| Woofer Composition |
Advanced Fibre |
Kevlar |
| Woofer Surround Material |
n/a |
Butyl Rubber |
| Tweeter Size |
1.1" |
1" |
| Tweeter Type |
Soft-Dome |
n/a |
| Aimable Tweeter |
No |
No |
| Midrange Driver |
No |
No |
| Crossover Frequency |
2.5 kHz |
n/a |
| Firing Direction |
bottom |
n/a |
Physical Specs |
|
|
| Height |
995.0mm (39.2") |
1026.0mm (40.4") |
| Width |
250.0mm (9.8") |
212.0mm (8.3") |
| Depth |
286.0mm (11.3") |
380.0mm (15") |
| Weight |
21.00kg (46.2lbs) |
20.45kg (45lbs) |
| Enclosure |
Bass Reflex |
Bass Reflex |
| Finish |
Walnut veneer, Black Oak veneer |
MDF/Wood-grain vinyl |
| Available Colors |
n/a |
Black |
| Grille |
n/a |
Yes |
| Moisture Resistancy |
No |
No |
Connections |
|
|
| Biamp Inputs |
n/a |
No |
Other |
|
|
| Parts Warranty |
|
10 Years |
| Labor Warranty |
|
10 Years |
These sit in different price classes - Castle Tintagel 2 costs roughly 4x what KLH Concord does. Expect it to lead on paper; the question is whether the gap is audible enough in your room to be worth it.
| Area | Better | Why |
|---|
| Bass | B | KLH Concord digs deeper - 28Hz against 44Hz. |
| Amplifier needs | B | KLH Concord is more sensitive (94dB vs 89dB), so it goes louder on the same amplifier. |
| Headroom | B | KLH Concord takes more power (225W vs 150W) - more in hand in a big room. |
| Size | depends | Similar cabinet size - neither is easier to fit. |
| Price | B | KLH Concord is cheaper - $1,000 against $3,999, about 75% less; arguably a different class. |
A Castle Tintagel 2 B KLH Concord
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?
KLH Concord is the easier recommendation: it leads on most of the measured areas and costs less. Take Castle Tintagel 2 if its size, looks or fit in your room suit you better. If a subwoofer is in your plans, the bass gap largely stops mattering - you would be crossing over above 44Hz anyway, so judge these on the other rows instead. If your amplifier is modest, vintage or valve-based, KLH Concord is the safer partner - the other will want more current or more watts to sound its best.
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.