In this review, we will be comparing Walmer 1 and Tintagel 1, two Passive Bookshelf speakers by Castle.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of Castle Walmer 1 and Castle Tintagel 1 first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
| Key Specs | Castle Walmer 1 | Castle Tintagel 1 |
|---|
| Brand | Castle | Castle |
|---|
| Design | 2-way | 2-way |
|---|
| Tweeter | 0.47x1.77" True Ribbon | 1.1" Soft-Dome |
|---|
| Woofer | 5" Woven Carbon Fibre | 5" Advanced Fibre |
|---|
| Frequency response | 55-20k Hz | 55-20k Hz |
|---|
| Sensitivity | 86 dB | 86 dB |
|---|
| Impedance | 8 ohms | 8 ohms |
|---|
| Power range | 25-100 watts | 30-100 watts |
|---|
| Weight | 7.50kg / 16.5lbs | 7.30kg / 16.1lbs |
|---|
| Dimensions (H x W x D) | 13-1/8" x 8-1/4" x 8-11/16"
334.0 x 210.0 x 220.0mm | 13-9/16" x 7-5/8" x 9-15/16"
345.0 x 194.0 x 252.0mm |
|---|
What size room are the Castle Walmer 1 and Castle Tintagel 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 Walmer 1 |
Castle Tintagel 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 Walmer 1 and Tintagel 1 are 2-way speakers.
Castle Walmer 1Castle Tintagel 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 Walmer 1 |
Castle Tintagel 1 |
|
Driver Setup
|
2-way
|
2-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
0.47x1.77-inch
|
1.1-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
- |
- |
|
Woofer
|
1 x 5-inch
|
1 x 5-inch
|
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. On the other hand, the 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.
Frequency Response
Walmer 1 and Tintagel 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
Walmer 1 and Tintagel 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 Walmer 1 is rated 25-100 watts and Tintagel 1 30-100 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
Walmer 1 features Binding post type posts and Tintagel 1 has a Binding post type posts. None of these speakers feature bi-amping/bi-wiring.
Cabinet Type and Port Position
Both Walmer 1 and Tintagel 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 Walmer 1's and Castle Tintagel 1's external dimensions. 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) whereas 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).
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 Walmer 1 is approximately 462.0cm2 / 71.6inch2 and base area of the Castle Tintagel 1 is approximately 488.9cm2 / 75.8inch2. The Walmer 1 requires 6% less surface area than the Tintagel 1 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 Walmer 1 weighs 7.50kg / 16.5lbs and the Castle Tintagel 1 weighs 7.30kg / 16.1lbs. This makes the Walmer 1 3% heavier than the Tintagel 1.
Here is a comparison of how Walmer 1 and Tintagel 1's weights compare with the average, max and min weights in Passive Bookshelf class.
Weight
All Bookshelf Speakers
 Height |
334mm
vs
345mm
|
Easier to fit in smaller spaces |
 Base Surface Area |
462cm2
vs
488cm2
|
Takes less floor space |
 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) |
| General |
Castle Walmer 1 |
Castle Tintagel 1 |
| Brand |
Castle |
Castle |
| Speaker Type |
Bookshelf speakers |
Bookshelf speakers |
| Power Range |
25-100 watts |
30-100 watts |
| Sensitivity |
86 dB |
86 dB |
| Impedance |
8 ohms |
8 ohms |
| Impedance |
4.3 ohms |
5.2 ohms |
| Frequency Response |
55-20k Hz |
55-20k Hz |
Drivers |
|
|
| Woofer Quantity |
1 |
1 |
| Woofer Size |
5" |
5" |
| Woofer Composition |
Woven Carbon Fibre |
Advanced Fibre |
| Tweeter Size |
0.47x1.77" |
1.1" |
| Tweeter Type |
True Ribbon |
Soft-Dome |
| Aimable Tweeter |
No |
No |
| Midrange Driver |
No |
No |
| Crossover Frequency |
2.8 kHz |
2.2 kHz |
| Firing Direction |
rear |
rear |
Physical Specs |
|
|
| Height |
334.0mm (13.1") |
345.0mm (13.6") |
| Width |
210.0mm (8.3") |
194.0mm (7.6") |
| Depth |
220.0mm (8.7") |
252.0mm (9.9") |
| Weight |
7.50kg (16.5lbs) |
7.30kg (16.1lbs) |
| 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 | B | Castle Tintagel 1 is cheaper - $2,749 against $3,499, about 21% less. |
A Castle Walmer 1 B Castle Tintagel 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.