One of the best-known British loudspeaker names is set to make a comeback, with the relaunch of the Castle brand starting with the all-new Knight range.
Now owned by IAG, maker of brands including Quad, Mission, Wharfedale and Audiolab, Castle has been off the UK audio scene for a few years. Now, with the arrival of the Knight speakers, it's returning to British shops, with a full line-up on sale by March.
All the speakers will have 'the Castle sound', the company says, and all will be finished in the choice of real wood veneers so long a hallmark of the brand: rosewood, walnut, cherry, mahogany, maple, natural oak, antique oak and black oak.
The Knight range includes two standmount models and a choice of three floorstanders, and while prices are yet to be finalised, a spokesman says that the intention is that the entire range is beind aimed at a sub-£1000 price-point.
The Knight 1 is a two-way standmount model, using a 13cm mid/bass unit with reflex loading and a 25mm soft-dome tweeter. Suitable for use with amps from 15W to 100W, it has 88dB/W/m sensitivity and claims bass extension down to 46Hz.
More after the break
The larger Knight 2 uses a 15cm bass unit to take the bass down to 42Hz and sensitivity to 90dB/W/m, and is suitable for amps up to 125W. Meanwhile the Knight 3, the smallest of the three floorstanders, uses the same drivers as the Knight 1, in a cabinet with transmission line bass loading, venting through the base of the enclosure.
Standing 76cm tall, or 82cm on its spikes, it delivers bass down to 38Hz, is suitable for amps up to 100W and has 88dB/W/M sensitivity.
The Knight 4 doubles up on the 13cm drivers, giving 36Hz bass extension, power handling up to 150W and 90dB/W/m sensitivity. It stands 90cm tall with its spikes fitted, and introduces a transmission-line tuning Castle calls Twin-Pipe Technology.
The company says this "couples the bass response within the cabinet enclosure using a twin-pipe quarter wave design to provide a smooth and even bass response which augments that from the main bass driver with clarity".
Top of the range is the Knight 5, using two 15cm drivers to give bass down to 30Hz, and power handling up to 200W. Complete with spikes, the speaker stands 98.5cm tall, and uses the same tuning technology as the Knight 4.
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