Напольная акустика — Castle Knight 5

The Knight 5 is a two-way tower loudspeaker from Castle of Britain and one of the floorstanders in its Knight Series. Castle describes the Knight line as a five-strong range in which real-wood veneer finishes meet proprietary cabinet technology. In the owner manual the company calls the series its new entry level offering, where craftsman finished veneered cabinets are still built by hand but value-engineered components and a simpler construction process are used to hold down cost.

Key specs that matter

Castle fits two 150mm bass units and a 25mm tweeter, divided at 3 kHz. Castle quotes 30Hz to 24kHz as the nominal frequency range, 91 dB for 1W at 1m, and 8 ohms nominal impedance. Suggested amplifier power spans 25 to 200W. The cabinet is 925mm high, 200mm wide and 335mm deep, and height becomes 985mm with the plinth and spikes in place. Net weight is 20 kg per speaker, or 22.2 kg in its carton. The finish choice covers Cherry, Walnut, Mahogany and Black Oak, all specially selected deep figured veneers sealed under a clear lacquer with a semi matt surface that Castle calls natural feeling.

Engineering and use context

This 2 channel model uses a Quarter Wave operating mode. In Castle terms this is a quarter wavelength loading system, a form of transmission line inside the cabinet that the manual says gives smooth bass extension while avoiding the upper bass hot zones common to many reflex designs. The line exits through a port on the underside, and what emerges there supplements the output of the bass drivers. That is why Castle treats the plinth as integral to the design. Washers placed between plinth and cabinet set a precisely calculated gap, which becomes the exit path for the line, and the manual states that omitting or swapping these spacers would seriously harm low bass performance. The plinth is fastened with four round head screws, and the spike kit includes locknuts, knobs and seats for wooden or stone floors.

Pairing

A four post terminal panel supports bi-wiring, with removable straps joining the treble and bass pairs for use with one cable. Separate twin core runs to the tweeter and bass section, according to Castle, reduce intermodulation effects and add headroom. Every Knight model is supplied with screw terminals that take bare wire or spade connectors. Castle frames the series around its traditional engineering values, citing real wood veneer cabinets and innovative bass control among them.

Alternatives

The Castle Knight 3 is a Knight floorstander fitted with a single 130mm bass driver and a 25mm tweeter.