Castle Acoustics Howard Floorstanding Speakers
Castle Acoustics Howard Floorstanding Speakers
USER REVIEWS
[Nov 24, 2018]
RichHawks
Strength:
I’ve had them for 22 years and each time I upgrade kit around them - latest is an Arcam UDP 411 they just get better and better. I still haven’t reached their full potential I’m sure. They will be the last bit of kit I change. The patina on the mahogany is lovely after 22 years of polishing! To my tastes there has never been a better looking speaker and with sound to match. Weakness:
I blew up a driver once by a shock max decibels from a Yamaha DSP A1 but it wa a cheap fix to get another driver when Castle we’re still in business. Price Paid: 800
Purchased: New
Model Year: 1996
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[Dec 31, 2002]
mrbeaudangles
Audio Enthusiast
Strength:
imaging, frequency range, beautiful wood veneer cabinet
Weakness:
not well known, and hardly ever reviewed by stereo mags,few dealers As with most english speakers, these are very detailed, clear, neutal, and yet reserved. Certainly not in your face. Found they work best about 16" from rear wall with no toe in. They have a wide frequency range and image wonderfully. You have a wall of sound coming at you. Bass can go deep and treble is sweet. Mid-range may actually be their strength, as female vocals are so crisp and clear. But to judge the speakers alone is very difficult. It really is dependant on the whole package. The electronics and cables and even the cd itself will have a significant effect on the sound reproduction. These speakers are one of the best high end secrets out there. Castle makes about 97% of the their speakers, unlike most of their competiton cabinets , drivers , and crosssovers. And they do not have 20 different models to choose from. In fact Linn and Proac use their cabintes as well. May not excel in everything but exceeds in all around performance. Before you run out to buy some highly reviewed and advertised mfg, give these a fair listen. Similar Products Used: sampled various mfgs, too many to list |
[Nov 02, 2000]
joe lowe
Audio Enthusiast
Strength:
superb imageing, clarity.
Weakness:
tad picky with placement This speaker is somewhat expensive in Australia $3500 Aus and that was in 98. Regardless of their price they seem to perform generally better than all other speakers I heard for the same price including Australian so in the end I bought them. The most important thing for me when listening to music or Home theatre is that the speakers disappear and the sound stage is large which I think is synonymous. The Castle Howards do this with flying colours. They are not a small speaker but they are very difficult to here within the sound they project. They create great depth and height in the sound stage. Better than anything I have heard and further more they have great clarity. I have a very small room 3meters by 6 and they perform well however like any speaker a larger room would better. Similar Products Used: Krix Esorterix, Duntech, B&W |
[Mar 26, 1999]
Mark Haimes
an Audio Enthusiast
I saw that noone else has given a review for these fabulous speakers so I felt compelled to say a few words. Simply put, these are the nicest speakers I have had the opportunity to hear so far. After listening to a large range of speakers such as Paradigm Studio 100's (yuck) , Martin logan, NHT, Epos (very nice also) and a few others, I have to say that the decision to buy Castles was very easy. I feel as though I have purchased a lifetime speaker system which I will not be wishing to upgrade. Unless of course I come into hoardes of cash in the future. Even then I think the search would be long and tiresome. They have a very involving sound that doesn't hit you in the face, instead they draw you in and involve you with the music. You MUST here these!!!! (I have the Howard S2) |
[Oct 29, 2000]
Mike
Audio Enthusiast
Strength:
Oh, the sound! These babies are gorgeous to look at and heaven to listen to. Cabinet construction is FLAWLESS! They sound much larger than their size would lead you to believe.
Weakness:
missing the last 10Hz, but what do you expect for a mid-sized speaker? These still have FABULOUS (surprising) bass response! I have the S3 model (Y2K). What can I say? These are pure Nirvana. They look great (I have the maple finish), are incredibly well built (the cabinets are DEAD!), and they sound absoulutely stunning. Similar Products Used: Canton Ergo 120, Canton Ergo 100, Castle Harlech, Naim Credo, B&W Nautilus 805 |
[Jan 08, 2001]
Tom Gomar
Audiophile
Strength:
soundstage, depth of field, easy to drive,quality of workmanship
Weakness:
Placement, No manufacturer website. This is a beautiful speaker in both sound and looks. I have owned these speakers for a little over four years and I have just recently decided to upgrade some of my components. After listening to a hoarde of new speaker designs that have received rave reviews from various audio rags, I haven't yet found any that can compare with the Howards (mine are the S2 model in mahagony veneer). Some are stronger in certain areas, but none can match the Howards for overall quality of sound or manufacture at their price range. Similar Products Used: Martin Logans Aerius, Monitor Audio MA-800, Paradigms R80, B&W P6 |
[Jan 15, 2002]
Andy Walmsley
Audiophile
I work just round the corner from the Castle factory in North Yorkshire. |
[Oct 17, 2001]
Christophe Henderickx
Audio Enthusiast
Strength:
Detailed, exceptional soundstage, plays well on lots of amps, quality, twin pipe quarter wave concept
Weakness:
A little more documentation would be nice It was at the end of an afternoon of listening that I ran into the Castle Howard S3. When I listened to these speakers, I immediately fell in love with them. Powerful yet detailed, broad but incredibly accurate soundstage. They pick up at 32 Hz! Taut bass, vivid treble. They need biwiring however, unlike the B&W P6. I first connected them to my Yamaha DSP-A2 home theater amp, and they actually dealt very well with that. But what really made them sing is my current setup with an Arcam CD72 and a Linn kolektor/lk85 combo. Pretty soon I am going to buy a second Linn lk85, so I can truly bi-amp with active crossovers. Similar Products Used: B&W P6 |
[Feb 14, 2001]
alex
Audio Enthusiast
Strength:
great quality, great bass (depths), very cool look
Weakness:
not enough documentation sorry guys - but i guess i am like the only one who paid a mere $US 250 FOR THE PAIR. local store had some speakers on sale, otherwise the pair would have been $US 1200. |
[Feb 21, 2001]
Bo
Strength:
Great build, very musical
Weakness:
may be a bit too refined for headbangers I have always had problems with bright sounding speakers and have avoided metal dome tweeters thinking they would sound bright. However, when I saw the Howards on special at a very good price I took the opportunity to audition them, expecting the worst. When i put on the first track of a CD I knew well, I broke into goose bumps. The treble was the sweetest I had ever heard, there were tambourines in the background I didn't know were there and all I wanted to do was turn up the volume instead of turning it down like I normally have to when music gets complicated. Similar Products Used: B&W CDM7, Ambience Ultra 1600 |
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