Fyne Audio F500SP 2-Way Standmount Loudspeaker Review

Posted on 25th February, 2022
Fyne Audio F500SP 2-Way Standmount Loudspeaker Review

Paul Sechi enjoys this unusual dual concentric standmount speaker…

Fyne Audio

F500SP Bookshelf Speakers

£1,500 (Piano Black / Piano Gloss White), £1,725 (Walnut Veneer)

Fyne F500SP Review

Fyne Audio was founded in 2017 and launched its first loudspeaker some eighteen months later to widespread critical acclaim. It now has a large range of products spanning budget to high-end prices. All five of the company’s founding members previously worked at Tannoy during their careers and combined have 150 years of audio industry experience behind them. This meant there was no steep learning curve and no false starts – the new company hit the ground running.

Based in Scotland near Loch Fyne – the clue’s in the name – Fyne Audio’s range includes the entry-level F300, F500, F700 and F1. There are eight standmount speakers across all the ranges. The engineering team is based in Scotland, and the higher-end ranges from F700, and all SP series speakers, are all hand-built there too.

The SP designation stands for Special Production, and employ advanced materials, drivers, crossover components and cabinet methodologies from higher value series speakers, and apply them to create a turbocharged loudspeaker. The F500SP bridges the gap between the F500 and F700 models in both performance and price, creating an entry-level audiophile speaker. It sports the F700 IsoFlare drive unit, BassTrax system, upgraded crossover components in a hand-built, rigid cabinet.

It costs £1,500 in standard finish, with a choice of piano gloss white or black, or £1,725 per pair as tested in premium piano gloss walnut veneer. My review sample looked superb – the timber had real lustre to it and was without blemish. I also loved the subtle, beautiful curve of the front and rear panels. Without a port on any vertical cabinet wall, the cabinet looks sleek and classy. An imposing set of bi-wire terminal posts, with an earthing point, was the only projection out of the cabinet rear.

Fyne F500SP Review

UP CLOSE

As is becoming the fashion these days, this speaker’s bass reflex port is located on the underside of the cabinet. Fyne Audio’s version of this is called BassTrax, with metal stand-offs located at all four cabinet base corners, connecting to a solid metal base plate that lets the port breathe. This has an exponential shaped cone protruding into the port, known as the TracTrix profile diffuser.

Fyne F500SP Review

The F500SP’s driver is called IsoFlare and is a concentric design with the tweeter assembly effectively set inside the mid/bass cone. This type of drive unit is unusual these days but was popular fifty or more years ago. Nowadays, British speaker brands dominate this market niche, with Tannoy and KEF being the main players. The benefit is a true point-source for all radiated sound to the listener, and it makes setting up easier too.

The mid/bass unit measures 120mm in diameter at the inside of the Fyne Flute roll surround, the latter being a special surround profile that’s said to terminate unwanted cone energy. The mid/bass unit matches to a compression style tweeter with a low set crossover frequency of 1.7kHz, and second-order low pass and first-order high pass filters. This is lower than many rival 2-way designs, and Fyne Audio claims that the compression tweeter will work without overload and distortion down to the bottom of its operating limit.

Fyne F500SP Review

The F500SP crossover uses hardwired components rather than a printed circuit board and employs components of the same or similar quality as the F700 series. Running with the car analogy, you could say that the ‘turbocharged’ F500SP has the chassis of the F500 but the engine, gearbox and suspension of the F700. That’s quite a thing, because the F700 costs more than twice the price.

It’s a compact little thing at 200x326x277mm (WxHxD) and weighs 8kg – a little more than you’d expect, perhaps. Maybe it’s down to the thicker than average 18mm high-density cabinet walls, where many rivals use cheaper, medium density fibreboard? The removable grills are curved and sleek and attach via magnets. The ten-page instruction booklet covers safety, positioning, connectivity, earth points, cabinet care, warranty and technical specifications. Also included are eight clear adhesive 5mm diameter polymer mounting nodules to place under the F500SP.

Fyne F500SP Review

Fyne Audio claims a 90dB (2.83v @1m) sensitivity figure, which is good for its cabinet size – plus a nominal impedance of 8 ohms, making it relatively easy for an amplifier to drive. A typical in-room frequency response of 42 to 34kHz with 6dB envelope points is given.

My listening was done with a Primare 100W integrated amplifier, which had more than enough power to drive the F500SP. Sources included CD and streamed music via a Bluesound Vault 2i. SolidSteel SS-6 stands were used with Les Davis Entropic Isolators for hardwood floor isolation, with double-stacked 3D-2 isolation damping discs. The handbook suggested placing the speakers one metre from sidewalls, half that from the rear walls, and anywhere from 1.5m to 4.5 apart.

Fyne F500SP Review

THE LISTENING

Fyne Audio’s F500SP is a highly capable loudspeaker at the price. Its strengths include excellent soundstaging, fine stage depth and a pleasingly warm – but not overly sweet – tonal balance. There’s a decent amount of scale to the bass, and extension to the treble, and the midband is open and revealing. It makes music in an enjoyable, if not particularly intense or physical way, and delivers real emotional insight into the performance.

Thanks, I think to its dual concentric driver, soundstage width and depth are a real strong suit, and this meant that I was able to pick out the layers of vocals or musicians in any recording, with relative ease. For example, the bass and female vocal combination on Laura Marling’s Soothing was a pleasure to hear. The F500SP provided a spacious soundstage with great scale, alongside a weighty bass and smooth, undistorted vocals. Despite the speaker’s modest size, the bottom end had real weight, giving the impression of it being larger than it really was. There was a little bloom in the lowest octave, but this was far from unpleasant.

Fyne F500SP Review

The F500SP has a curious combination of relatively warm tonal balance and great transient speed. Some speakers get their exciting feel simply by emphasising the upper midland and treble, which gives repetitive, beat-driven music an extra push. Yet this little Fyne Audio speaker proved tonally warm and smooth, yet fast and involving rhythmically. The acoustic track Kewpie Station by Kaki King reminded me of this. The guitar work sounded gripping and propulsive, providing a real ‘sit up and listen’ moment with excellent detail and clarity, plus quick decay.

The speaker’s fine midband was great for vocals and guitar work, placing Eric Bibb perfectly in the centre of the recorded acoustic on Come Back Baby. It sounded simple and magical, the F500SP refusing to skip a beat on this recording. The sense of space around the music conjured up the sense of an almost live musical experience. I heard similar with I Walk On Guilded Splinters, from Dr John. This track provides an opportunity for any system to showcase depth and presence. At the seventeen second mark, the finger-clicking came over very explicitly and was then mixed down in level from there on in. It sounded sharp, short and in position. The backing vocals swirled around in space hypnotically yet precisely, as well defined as the podium positions on a race track grid.

Trying to find a chink in this speaker’s armour led me to Jon Cleary & The Absolute Monster Gentlemen’s More Hipper, which brings together piano, drums, bass and electric guitar in a funky track to get your feet tapping. The F500SP cruised through the audition, holding steady even when the volume was turned far up. The bass kept together and stayed easy to follow, while the impact of the drums was clearly reproduced. Despite the complexity of this track, this little loudspeaker handled things easily. There was some plumpness to bass notes, but while this isn’t accurate, it certainly wasn’t unpleasant.

Fyne F500SP Review

THE VERDICT

I was taken aback by the detail and resolution of Fyne Audio’s F500SP, given its price, as well as its smooth tonality, expansive soundstage and pinpoint imaging. You know you’re listening to something special when you’re delighted by the speed, timing, and drama of your favourite tracks. It’s not perfect, of course, and some might think it is a little coloured with its slightly warm upper bass. Of course, improving your speaker positioning within the room will help to counter this.

Another caveat is that you’ll need a good amplifier to keep this speaker energised – I’d say one with decent current drive and 60W RMS per side at the minimum. Finding that optimal volume level makes the F500SP snap into focus and deliver power, detail and grace simultaneously. It rewards a decent quality source, too - such is its level of insight. Still, with the right front end and amplification, be prepared to grin through your audition at your local Fyne Audio dealer. Indeed, you may well take a pair home.

For more information visit Fyne Audio

Paul Sechi's avatar
Paul Sechi

Paul is a music appreciation fan of both live and produced music from diverse genres and cultures. Paul was interested in audio at school, did a thesis in acoustics and by day works as a technology strategist including smart environment standards and integration.

Posted in: Applause Awards | 2022 | Loudspeakers | Bookshelf / Standmount | Hi-Fi

JOIN IN THE DISCUSSION

Want to share your opinion or get advice from other enthusiasts? Then head into the Message Forums where thousands of other enthusiasts are communicating on a daily basis.
CLICK HERE FOR FREE MEMBERSHIP

applause awards

Each time StereoNET reviews a product, it is considered for an Applause Award. Winning one marks it out as a design of great quality and distinction – a special product in its class, on the grounds of either performance, value for money, or usually both.

Applause Awards are personally issued by StereoNET’s global Editor-in-Chief, David Price – who has over three decades of experience reviewing hi-fi products at the highest level – after consulting with our senior editorial team. They are not automatically given with all reviews, nor can manufacturers purchase them.

The StereoNET editorial team includes some of the world’s most experienced and respected hi-fi journalists with a vast wealth of knowledge. Some have edited popular English language hi-fi magazines, and others have been senior contributors to famous audio journals stretching back to the late 1970s. And we also employ professional IT and home theatre specialists who work at the cutting edge of today’s technology.

We believe that no other online hi-fi and home cinema resource offers such expert knowledge, so when StereoNET gives an Applause Award, it is a trustworthy hallmark of quality. Receiving such an award is the prerequisite to becoming eligible for our annual Product of the Year awards, awarded only to the finest designs in their respective categories. Buyers of hi-fi, home cinema, and headphones can be sure that a StereoNET Applause Award winner is worthy of your most serious attention.

Licensing Information

00005365