Fyne Audio F701SP speakers
With the news that Scottish brand Fyne Audio outgrew its factory and had to expand to larger premises, I was keen to try the latest stand-mount model from this burgeoning manufacturer. Boasting a dual-concentric driver with new HF waveguide, the F701SP also incorporates an overhauled crossover network and downward firing reflex port in a rather stylish, high-density birch-ply braced cabinet which exudes quality. The aim is to bring the technology, tuning and performance of the best-selling F1 Series to a sleek, contemporary stand-mount design alongside the F702SP and F703SP floor-standers already launched.
Fyne Audio
Founded in 2017, Fyne Audio was created by audio-industry professionals many of whom had links to Tannoy. Their mission was to deliver ground-breaking loudspeakers, designed and largely manufactured in Scotland. Since inception the team has continued to advance coaxial point-source-driver technology, building on their former experience, under the guidance of Dr. Paul Mills, whose design expertise in this field is second to none. They have full control over development and manufacture of their cabinets and, importantly, drive units. This is far from another case of making boxes for off-the-shelf drivers and is very pleasing to see.
With roots tracing back over 30 years across a number of top-tier audiophile brands, the Fyne Audio team has huge experience and was forced to acquire larger premises, close to Glasgow, last year to keep up with growing global demand for its products. Manufactured near Loch Fyne, hence the company name, the SP designation here stands for Special Production and relies on advanced drive units, crossovers and cabinet design from their more expensive models.
Design
In the F701SP Fyne Audio’s first F700 series stand-mount Special Production model. It’s hand-built in the UK using a cabinet crafted in Poland (complete with black aluminium anodised trims) and incorporating a 200mm Isoflare dual-concentric driver from the F1-8, but here found with a refined high frequency waveguide for smoother frequency response.
The multi-fibre bass/midrange cone crosses over at 1.8kHz to Fyne’s centrally-placed 25mm magnesium dome compression tweeter. The net result is a 200mm point source, time-aligned, full-range driver.
Not only does the box look special, it’s made from curved birch-ply (à la BBC loudspeakers) rather than cheap fibre board and features Fyne’s proprietary Basstrax low frequency diffuser on a matching black metal plinth. The use of a downward-firing reflex ports makes speaker positioning less critical and allows for closer positioning to the rear wall.
The F701SP’s passive crossover circuitry has been overhauled and optimised through computer modelling and extensive listening tests. It is hand-built with silver alloy solder and features high-grade Claritycap capacitors and Neotech PC-OCC wiring, with gold-plated WBT Nextgen 0703 terminals ready for bi-wiring; topped off with Fyne’s deep cryogenic treatment, done in their new Glasgow factory. I am assured that this is more than just a marketing gimmick and intended to further refining performance by “relieving stresses in the crystalline conductors and joint structure”, adding to the premium design specification and the price tag.
Partly driven by customer demand for “a model closer to the F1-8 in performance yet retaining the F701’s smooth, contemporary design language”, Fyne set its head of design, Dr Paul Mills, on a task to merge F1-8 technology and performance with F701 architecture to create the F701SP.
His efforts have created a loudspeaker offering high-power handling (360W) and quoted sensitivity of 91db/W which is offered in a range of finishes: piano gloss black, white or walnut as well as a new satin natural walnut veneer. Dedicated, matching stands are offered as an optional extra.
Dual concentric, or not
Done well, dual concentric designs sound really good because they are closer to point sources and known to create an excellent midrange and treble. Properly engineered, they image very well and are tough to beat in some ways, notably very good horizontal and vertical off-axis behaviour. This means they’re not as position dependent as more typical configurations: whether you stand up, lie on the floor, walk around the room, the balance tends to be consistent.
Like many things though, there are compromises. Horn-loading the tweeter/compression driver can be viewed as a benefit in that there is less treble ‘splash’ due to room reflections. And, while we enjoy the point source’s time/phase alignment and lack of ‘comb effects’ off-axis, arguably the biggest pitfall is cost. These dual drive units are expensive to design and costly to manufacture properly. Only a few brands indulge in the technology but Fyne Audio certainly seem to have nailed it with the F701SP.
Before listening began in earnest, I took some rough in-room plots (both on- and off-axis) and these show that Fyne clearly have a handle on dual concentric technology; as one might hope given their engineering pedigree.
Setup and initial thoughts
Unboxing the Fyne Audio F701SPs, it soon becomes obvious that these are well-made, sturdy loudspeakers. Weighing 14kg a piece, I placed them on a pair of suitably high Custom Design FS104 Signature stands with the central columns partly filled.
Initially I connected a Hegel H190 streaming amplifier and left the system running although the speakers were supplied as ‘run-in’. Before I had time to sit down for a proper audition the Hegel H400 arrived and this seemed an ideal match price-wise, so became the companion. While the Hegel app can be used with this new model, affording access to not only myriad internet radio stations and podcasts but direct streaming from the likes of Apple, Tidal and Spotify, Qobuz’s continued lack of casting meant the need to install an Auralic Aries G1 streamer. Leaving the supplied grilles in the box I made use of the shorting links provided for single-wire connection to the amplifier.
Immediate thoughts were that the F701SPs are highly-competent loudspeakers capable of great refinement and detail. They are much more like a broadcast monitor than the larger Fyne Audio designs I have heard at hi-fi shows. While the big boxes seem to major on drive and dynamics for musical engagement and enjoyment, in the F701SP we have a glorious midrange and fine overall balance capable of analytical detail. The bass is very well-behaved, doubtless aided by the downward reflex port which manages to avoid sounding boomy in my relatively small room. This is just as well because the ports are inaccessible should foam bungs have been needed.
Overall, the F701SPs produce well-integrated sound across the spectrum with everything in proportion to create a believable soundstage. I was particularly struck by how well human voices are reproduced, even from some ageing film soundtracks. Voices were portrayed with great realism and not swamped by extraneous noises that might be present on the soundtrack. Too often the dialogue is lost in exaggerated hiss or hum, but not here.
Collective opinion
I was enjoying Elgar’s The Dream of Gerontius (Boult’s 1976 recording on EMI) when the listening panellists arrived and witnessed how the performance was gracefully arrayed beyond the loudspeaker cabinets, with lovely depth and height to increase realism. The soloists’ voices were clear and detailed, imaging precise and the entire a joy to be absorbed in. Low-end extension was well-textured and in correct proportion, the midrange gloriously natural and the treble adding air and sparkle to this fine recording which stands the test of time.
The tempo changed as the panel opted for an even older recording in Shirley Ellis’ The Name Game. Perhaps better known for her hit The Real Nitty Gritty, and famous for soulful, nonsense songs of the 1960s, the Fyne F701SPs handled the driving rhythm and powerful brass here with aplomb and without creating any nasty surprises. The track features early pan stereo imaging which can bring out the best in any sound system and we were presented with a gorgeously wide and deep soundstage with decent height as well. The Hegel/Fyne combo were clearly very well matched and very much at home with this material. We witnessed strong refinement from the midrange and concentric tweeter which is reproduces everything above 2kHz in a seamless way. The driving tempo had our feet tapping too, these babies can rock when they need to.
Switching to Deacon Blue’s early hit Chocolate Girl; this is a beautifully recorded track which was, thankfully, digitally mastered before the loudness wars of the nineties. It’s hard to see why this track never charted despite airtime; it’s a beautifully crafted county-style with a mellow rhythmic tone. The vocalists were clear and detailed via the Fyne F701SPs such that they might have been there, in front of us and without any unpleasant nasality, sibilance or chestiness. We were also spared ‘cuppiness’ which sometimes disfigures playback on lesser designs. The level of realism was extraordinary and surely that’s a key facet of any loudspeaker; notes from the very low to the very high were reproduced across a stable image with intimacy and brought the smoky atmosphere of the recording venue to the listening room.
To reinforce the F701SPs abilities with pace and rhythm, we turned to an epic piece of early nineties dance music from The Justified Ancients of Mu Mu, alter ego of the KLF who themselves were the biggest thing in dance at the time. It’s Grim Up North has a driving rhythm that puts many a lesser loudspeaker to shame but didn’t faze the F701SPs as they revealed how they could handle speed and dynamics without difficulty. The fast-paced track is accompanied by telephonic vocals, sounding like railway platform announcements (listing towns in northern England) set to a pounding industrial techno beat and percussion akin to steam whistles. This then segues into an orchestral instrumental of the Jerusalem hymn, complete with brass, strings, organ, drums and choir. The entire was conveyed with an ethereal quality that allowed our minds to imagine drab greyness and dreary, overcast skies of the “grim North”, just as the performers intended.
Before they departed, the panel selected Earth Wind and Fire’s lead-singer Phil Bailey’s 1985 solo album Chinese Wall. The funk/jazz fusion of the title track, Easy Lover, is a Phil Collins duet packed with mid-eighties’ richness and heavy pop drive that reached the pinnacle of the UK charts. The neighbours away we used the opportunity to turn up the level and found that while the F701SPs are very content playing at ‘normal’ levels they are also party animals. At high SPLs they really rock and we moved on to Walking on Chinese Walls, Phil Bailey’s solo taken from the same project. Lasting exactly five minutes (to the delight of radio DJs no doubt) it overflows with musical quality via the F701SPs and brought a smile to our faces. What more can you ask of a loudspeaker?
Conclusion
The Fyne Audio F701SP is a rare breed: it is a loudspeaker I could not only happily live with but also one I would be confident of using for a broadcast balance. This is probably the highest accolade I can bestow.
It is well engineered, beautifully crafted and creates a sound that is moreish. Indeed, I ended up listening for far longer than I intended once the panel had left and continued to enjoy the units in my system until it was time to send them back.
I began the review in slight trepidation: I’ve heard plenty of poorly-implemented dual-concentric designs over the years, and I’ve also not been entirely smitten with some of Fyne’s other models although, to be fair hi-fi shows are not always the best place to listen. However, in the F701SP, Dr Mills and his team have a product to be rightly proud of. Worthy of shortlisting for personal audition and a solid five-stars from me.