Castle is back. The loudspeaker manufacturer. Not Frank. Sorry Punisher fans.
British-based Castle Acoustics became a part of IAG (International Audio Group) after its acquisition in 2007 with the goal of maintaining its position as a leading Hi-Fi brand in the international market as well as continuing its innovative engineering and craftsmanship.
Tip: Other IAG Brands we have reported on include Wharfedale, Mission, and Audiolab.
For 2023, Castle has announced its latest speaker line, the Windsor Series. The speakers have been designed by Karl-Heinz Fink and the Fink Audio team and are being manufactured in IAG’s 9000-square-foot production facility in Huntingdon, England. Let’s find out what they have been up to with the Windsor Series.
The Windsor series is comprised of two speakers, the Earl, and the Duke.
Core Features
- The Earl and Duke both feature a 2-way bookshelf/stand-mount design with rear-mounted ports (bass reflex) to extend low-frequency response.
- Dual-layer MDF (Medium Density Fiberboard) is used in cabinet construction. The two layers a separated by a thin glue-based layer that limits magnetic resonances.
- The mid-bass driver utilizes -a polypropylene cone and glass-fiber voice coil elements.
- 28mm polyester Dome Tweeters with a pressure-equalized ferrite magnet system are used to optimize high-frequency response.
- A Linkwitz-Riley 4th order crossover design is employed that supports smooth response and speaker efficiency.
- The hand-selected, book-matched pairs of veneers (Walnut or Mahogany) are hand-finished.
- Optional open-frame stand mounts are available for each speaker.
Earl and Duke Comparison
| Features/Specifications | Windsor Earl | Windsor Duke |
| Speaker Type | Two-way stand mount | Two-way stand mount |
| Enclosure Type | Bass reflex with rear port | Bass reflex with rear port |
| Tweeter | 28mm (1-inch) microfibre dome | 28mm (1-Iinch) microfibre dome |
| Mid/Bass Driver | 165mm (6.5-inches) woven polypropylene cone | 200mm (8-inches) woven polypropylene cone |
| Sensitivity (2.83V @ 1m) | 89dB | 90dB |
| Impedance | 8 ohms nominal; 4.3 ohms minimum | 8 ohms nominal; 4.2 ohms minimum |
| Recommended Amp Power | 25-100W | 30-150W |
| Frequency Response | 58Hz-22kHz | 52Hz-22kHz |
| Bass Extension (-6dB) | 45Hz | 39Hz |
| Crossover Frequency | 2.2kHz | 2.1kHz |
| Cabinet Volume (Liters) | 15.8L | 26L |
| Cabinet Dimensions (HWD-mm) | 430 x 240 x 260mm | 470 x 280 x 310mm |
| Cabinet Dimensions (HWD-inches) | 16.9 x 9.4 x 10.2 inches | 18.5 x 11 x 12.2 inches |
| Weight (kg) | Not provided | Not provided |
| Weight (lbs) | Not provided | Not provided |
Pricing and Availability
The Castle Windsor Earl is £3850 per pair (£4250 with stands) while the Windsor Duke is £4500 (£5000 with stands).
For International purchasers, the speakers only ship with the stands included: Windsor Earl with Stand: $5250 / AU$8000 and Duke with Stand: $6250 / AU$9250.
These are available only through Authorized Dealers in the UK and Globally.
Related Reading
ORT
March 22, 2023 at 10:52 am
Beautiful speakers and it was nice to see and hear Gene Chandler again. Hard to believe it is well past 6 decades now…This is what music does for us. Memories are bonded to songs and then to our heart and soul. The equipment is the means to an end, especially so when as the end draws ever nearer.
Thank you!
ORT