In this review, we will be comparing Walmer 1 and LINTON Heritage, two Passive Bookshelf speakers from Castle and Wharfedale.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of Castle Walmer 1 and Wharfedale LINTON first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
| Key Specs | Castle Walmer 1 | Wharfedale LINTON |
|---|
| Brand | Castle
United Kingdom · founded 1973 | Wharfedale
United Kingdom · founded 1932 |
|---|
| Design | 2-way | 3-way |
|---|
| Tweeter | 0.47x1.77" True Ribbon | 1" Soft-dome |
|---|
| Midrange | — | 5" |
|---|
| Woofer | 5" Woven Carbon Fibre | 8" Woven Kevlar |
|---|
| Frequency response | 55-20k Hz | 40-20k Hz |
|---|
| Sensitivity | 86 dB | 90 dB |
|---|
| Impedance | 8 ohms | 6 ohms |
|---|
| Power range | 25-100 watts | 25-200 watts |
|---|
| Weight | 7.50kg / 16.5lbs | 18.40kg / 40.5lbs |
|---|
| 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 | 22.2" x 11.8" x 14.2"
565.0 x 300.0 x 360.0mm |
|---|
What size room are the Castle Walmer 1 and Wharfedale LINTON 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 |
Wharfedale LINTON |
| Near-field |
Average |
Poor |
| Small Room |
Good |
Average |
| Mid-size Room |
Average |
Good |
| Large Room |
Poor |
Average |
| Very Large Room |
Bad |
Poor |
(* 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 Walmer 1 is a 2-way design whereas the LINTON Heritage is a 3-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 Walmer 1Wharfedale LINTON
TweeterMidrangeWoofer
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 |
Wharfedale LINTON |
|
Driver Setup
|
2-way
|
3-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
0.47x1.77-inch
|
1-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
- |
1 x 5-inch |
|
Woofer
|
1 x 5-inch
|
1 x 8-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 LINTON Heritage features a 1" woven textile Soft-dome Tweeter, a 5" Midrange and 1 x 8" Woven Kevlar Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 630Hz and 2400Hz.
Frequency Response
Walmer 1 has a frequency range of 55-20k Hz whereas LINTON Heritage has a frequency range of 40-20k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 40Hz, the LINTON Heritage can go significantly deeper on the low side and provide stronger bass compared to the Walmer 1's min frequency of 55Hz.
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 is a 8 ohms speaker compared to the LINTON Heritage which has a nominal impedance of 6 ohms.
These two speakers also have different sensitivity levels. Walmer 1 sensitivity is rated at 86 dB and the LINTON Heritage's is rated at 90 dB. This 4 dB difference makes the Wharfedale LINTON a more sensitive speaker compared to Castle Walmer 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.
LINTON Heritage can handle a max power of 200 watts RMS, whereas Walmer 1 has a max power handling value of 100 watts RMS, 100 watts less than the LINTON Heritage.
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
LINTON Heritage features Post posts which make bi-amping or bi-wiring possible. Walmer 1 has a Binding post which doesn't feature bi-amping/bi-wiring.
Wharfedale LINTON's Post terminals allows Bi-amping or bi-wiring
Cabinet Type and Port Position
Both Walmer 1 and LINTON Heritage 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 Wharfedale LINTON'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 Wharfedale LINTON has external dimensions of 565.0 x 300.0 x 360.0mm (22.2 x 11.8 x 12.9inch).
Wharfedale LINTON is clearly the larger of the two speakers. Its body is 90mm wider, 231mm taller and 140mm deeper than Castle Walmer 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.
Wharfedale LINTON needs about 134% more floor or shelf area. Wharfedale LINTON is 140mm deeper, so it stands that much further out from the wall. Wharfedale LINTON is 231mm 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 Walmer 1 is approximately 462.0cm2 / 71.6inch2 and base area of the Wharfedale LINTON is approximately 1080.0cm2 / 167.4inch2. The Walmer 1 requires 57% less surface area than the LINTON Heritage 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 Wharfedale LINTON weighs 18.40kg / 40.5lbs. This makes the LINTON Heritage 145% heavier than the Walmer 1.
Here is a comparison of how Walmer 1 and LINTON Heritage's weights compare with the average, max and min weights in Passive Bookshelf class.
Weight
All Bookshelf Speakers
What's in the Box of Wharfedale LINTON?
Here are the items that come with the LINTON Heritage:
- Bookshelf loudspeaker
- Grille (pre-installed)
- 4 Self-adhesive rubber feet
- Pair of white gloves
- User's Manual
 Nominal Impedance |
8 ohms
vs
6 ohms
|
Less selective with amplifiers |
 Minimum Impedance |
4.3 ohms
vs
3.5 ohms
|
Very low impedance levels puts more pressure on amplifier |
 Height |
334mm
vs
565mm
|
Easier to fit in smaller spaces |
 Base Surface Area |
462cm2
vs
1080cm2
|
Takes less floor space |
 Max Input Power |
200 watts
vs
100 watts
|
Handle more power from your amplifier |
 Driver Setup |
3-way
vs
2-way
|
Have a dedicated mid-range driver |
 Sensitivity |
90 dB
vs
86 dB
|
Play louder with same amount of amplification power |
 Woofer Size |
8 inches
vs
5 inches
|
Larger woofer |
|
Low Frequency Response |
40 Hz
vs
55 Hz
|
Generates deeper bass |
 Price per pair* |
1500USD
vs
3499USD
|
costs less (*prices may change depending on the seller, location and time) |
| General |
Castle Walmer 1 |
Wharfedale LINTON Heritage |
| Brand |
Castle |
Wharfedale |
| Speaker Type |
Bookshelf speakers |
Bookshelf speakers |
| Power Range |
25-100 watts |
25-200 watts |
| Sensitivity |
86 dB |
90 dB |
| Impedance |
8 ohms |
6 ohms |
| Impedance |
4.3 ohms |
3.5 ohms |
| Frequency Response |
55-20k Hz |
40-20k Hz |
Drivers |
|
|
| Woofer Quantity |
1 |
1 |
| Woofer Size |
5" |
8" |
| Woofer Composition |
Woven Carbon Fibre |
Woven Kevlar |
| Woofer Surround Material |
n/a |
Rubber |
| Tweeter Size |
0.47x1.77" |
1" |
| Tweeter Type |
True Ribbon |
Soft-dome |
| Aimable Tweeter |
No |
No |
| Midrange Driver |
No |
5" |
| Crossover Frequency |
2.8 kHz |
630Hz and 2400Hz |
| Firing Direction |
rear |
rear |
Physical Specs |
|
|
| Height |
334.0mm (13.1") |
565.0mm (22.2") |
| Width |
210.0mm (8.3") |
300.0mm (11.8") |
| Depth |
220.0mm (8.7") |
360.0mm (14.2") |
| Weight |
7.50kg (16.5lbs) |
18.40kg (40.5lbs) |
| Enclosure |
Bass Reflex |
Bass Reflex |
| Finish |
Walnut veneer, Black Oak veneer |
MDF/Wood Veneer |
| Available Colors |
n/a |
Walnut, Red Mahogany, Black |
| Mounting Bracket |
|
No |
| Recommended Stand Height |
n/a |
18-22" |
| Grille |
n/a |
Yes |
| Moisture Resistancy |
No |
No |
Connections |
|
|
| Biamp Inputs |
n/a |
Yes |
Other |
|
|
| Parts Warranty |
|
5 Years |
| Labor Warranty |
|
5 Years |
These sit in different price classes - Castle Walmer 1 costs roughly 2.3x what Wharfedale LINTON 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 | Wharfedale LINTON digs deeper - 40Hz against 55Hz. |
| Amplifier needs | B | Wharfedale LINTON is more sensitive (90dB vs 86dB), so it goes louder on the same amplifier. |
| Amplifier match | A | Castle Walmer 1 is the easier load at 8 ohms. |
| Headroom | B | Wharfedale LINTON takes more power (200W vs 100W) - more in hand in a big room. |
| Size | depends | Castle Walmer 1 is easier to place; Wharfedale LINTON is bigger, which usually goes with fuller bass. Your room decides. |
| Expandability | B | Wharfedale LINTON: bi-amping. Wharfedale LINTON sits in a wider range (7 models), so a matched surround system is easier later. |
| Price | B | Wharfedale LINTON is cheaper - $1,500 against $3,499, about 57% less; arguably a different class. |
A Castle Walmer 1 B Wharfedale LINTON
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?
Wharfedale LINTON is the easier recommendation: it leads on most of the measured areas and costs less. Take Castle Walmer 1 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 55Hz anyway, so judge these on the other rows instead. Match it to your room: we rate Castle Walmer 1 the better fit for near-field listening and a small room, and Wharfedale LINTON for a mid-size room and a large 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.