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Speaker Asylum: REVIEW: Castle Acoustics Stirling III Speakers by jedinvest General speaker questions for audio and home theater. |
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148.87.1.171
Model: Stirling III Category: Speakers Suggested Retail Price: $1800 Description: Two-way D'Appolito floor standers Manufacturer URL: Castle Acoustics Manufacturer URL: Castle Acoustics
Review by jedinvest ( A ) on December 26, 2003 at 15:12:51
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for the Stirling III
Been using these beautiful loudspeakers in my main (living room) system. These replaced MGD 60i floorstanders and a very similar in size/appearance. Workmanship and quality is excellent, woodworking only a step below the MGD 60i's in appearance which had a really beautiful finish.
I was getting into home theather and wanted a real-wood veneer center channel for not too much change. Bought the Castle Keep center, and it blew away my main loudspeakers in sound. Even though I promised my wife that I wouldn't buy anymore stereo equipment this year (like she would really believe me), I declared an emergency (like Pres. Bush with WMD) and had to act immediately. Bought these from AudioAdvisor at their close-out price and am quite happy.
I noticed that the midrange is so prominent and satisfying. The MGD's were sucking out the midrange. No comparison -- I was hooked. I don't think that the tweeter's are anything special, but since they are fabric, they are not too intrusive. The bass is ported through the bottom with extra spacers provided which I have used. The lower bass is a little tubby (as in bass port) but I like the excess and have not tried to remove the extra spacers yet. I obviously need a subwoofer, but the system is space-challenged at the moment, so I will let it go a while longer.
Overall, I am quite happy with these Castle speakers. I have read a British review that call them colored and I don't know exactly what is colored when I listen to them. They have color (i.e. midrange) in spades and that's what I like about them. They don't sound audiophile (read, thin, sucked-out, etc.) at all, unlike the MGDs (which were also close-outs from AudioAdvisor). I still have MGD 50i monitor speakers connected to tubes which I like but don't floor me like these Castle speakers do (haven't really compared them head-to-head because life is too short).
Product Weakness: Bass and treble, by omission only. Product Strengths: Color.
Associated Equipment for this Review: Amplifier: Classe CAP-100 Preamplifier (or None if Integrated): Parasound PLD-2000 Sources (CDP/Turntable): SONY XA-7ES Speakers: Castle Stirling Cables/Interconnects: Kimber 8TC/Red Dawn/ProSilway Music Used (Genre/Selections): Jazz, Classical, Latin Room Size (LxWxH): 12 x 12 x 10 Room Comments/Treatments: Pitched ceiling Time Period/Length of Audition: 2 months Other (Power Conditioner etc.): Counterpoint, custom Type of Audition/Review: Product Owner
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Topic - REVIEW: Castle Acoustics Stirling III Speakers - jedinvest 15:12:51 12/26/03 ( 1)
- Glad - RGA 22:05:04 12/29/03 ( 0)