In this review, we will be comparing Windsor Duke and EVO5.2, two Passive Bookshelf speakers from Castle and Wharfedale.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of Castle Windsor Duke and Wharfedale EVO5.2 first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
| Key Specs | Castle Windsor Duke | Wharfedale EVO5.2 |
|---|
| Brand | Castle | Wharfedale
United Kingdom · founded 1932 |
|---|
| Design | 2-way | 3-way |
|---|
| Tweeter | 1.1" Soft-Dome | 1.375" AMT (Ribbon) |
|---|
| Midrange | — | 2" |
|---|
| Woofer | 8" Woven Polypropylene | 6.5" woven Kevlar |
|---|
| Frequency response | 52-22k Hz | 44-24k Hz |
|---|
| Sensitivity | 90 dB | 88 dB |
|---|
| Impedance | 8 ohms | 4 ohms |
|---|
| Power range | 30-150 watts | 25-120 watts |
|---|
| Weight | — | 15.05kg / 33.1lbs |
|---|
| Dimensions (H x W x D) | 18-1/2" x 11" x 12-3/16"
470.0 x 280.0 x 310.0mm | 19.6" x 10.2" x 15.4"
497.0 x 260.0 x 391.0mm |
|---|
What size room are the Castle Windsor Duke and Wharfedale EVO5.2 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 Windsor Duke |
Wharfedale EVO5.2 |
| Near-field |
Poor |
Poor |
| Small Room |
Average |
Average |
| Mid-size Room |
Good |
Good |
| Large Room |
Average |
Average |
| Very Large Room |
Poor |
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 Windsor Duke is a 2-way design whereas the EVO5.2 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 Windsor DukeWharfedale EVO5.2
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 Windsor Duke |
Wharfedale EVO5.2 |
|
Driver Setup
|
2-way
|
3-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
1.1-inch
|
1.375-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
- |
1 x 2-inch |
|
Woofer
|
1 x 8-inch
|
1 x 6.5-inch
|
Windsor Duke features a 1.1" Micro-Fibre Soft-Dome Tweeter and 1 x 8" Woven Polypropylene Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 2.1 kHz. On the other hand, the EVO5.2 features a 1.375" SilentWeave cotton and felt damping fiber AMT (Ribbon) Tweeter, a 2" Midrange and 1 x 6.5" woven Kevlar Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 800 Hz and 4.3 kHz.
Frequency Response
Windsor Duke has a frequency range of 52-22k Hz whereas EVO5.2 has a frequency range of 44-24k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 44Hz, the EVO5.2 can go significantly deeper on the low side and provide stronger bass compared to the Windsor Duke's min frequency of 52Hz.
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
Windsor Duke is a 8 ohms speaker compared to the EVO5.2 which has a nominal impedance of 4 ohms. Lower impedance speakers, especially the ones that are rated at 4 ohms may put more pressure on the amplifier unit especially when played at high volume levels, so make sure the amp you pair with the EVO5.2 can provide this impedance level.
These two speakers also have different sensitivity levels. Windsor Duke sensitivity is rated at 90 dB and the EVO5.2's is rated at 88 dB. This 2 dB difference makes the Castle Windsor Duke a more sensitive speaker compared to Wharfedale EVO5.2, 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.
Windsor Duke can handle a max power of 150 watts RMS, whereas EVO5.2 has a max power handling value of 120 watts RMS, 30 watts less than the Windsor Duke.
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
Windsor Duke features Binding post type posts and EVO5.2 has a Binding post type posts. None of these speakers feature bi-amping/bi-wiring.
Wharfedale EVO5.2's Binding post terminals
Cabinet Type and Port Position
Windsor Duke has a rear firing port whereas EVO5.2 has a bottom firing ports. Wharfedale EVO5.2's bottom-firing port gives more flexibility in placement in regards to proximity to walls compared to Castle Windsor Duke with its rear-firing port.
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 Windsor Duke's and Wharfedale EVO5.2's external dimensions. Castle Windsor Duke has external dimensions of 470.0 x 280.0 x 310.0mm (18-1/2 x 11 x 12-3/16inch) whereas Wharfedale EVO5.2 has external dimensions of 497.0 x 260.0 x 391.0mm (19.6" × 10.2" × 15.4").
Castle Windsor Duke is 27mm shorter and 81mm less deeper than Wharfedale EVO5.2 but it is also 20mm 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.
Wharfedale EVO5.2 needs about 17% more floor or shelf area. Wharfedale EVO5.2 is 81mm deeper, so it stands that much further out from the wall. Wharfedale EVO5.2 is 27mm 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 Windsor Duke is approximately 868.0cm2 / 134.5inch2 and base area of the Wharfedale EVO5.2 is approximately 1016.6cm2 / 157.6inch2. The Windsor Duke requires 15% less surface area than the EVO5.2 which gives it a small advantage on placement in tight spaces.
What's in the Box of Wharfedale EVO5.2?
Here are the items that come with the EVO5.2:
- 2 Bookshelf loudspeakers
- 2 Grilles
- 4 Jumper-bars (pre-installed)
- 8 Self-adhesive rubber feet
- Pair of white cloth gloves
- User Manual