Fine Audio unveils F500SP standmount

Fyne Audio has unveiled its most affordable Special Production loudspeaker to date, the compact bookshelf F500SP, with a design based on the cabinet of its F500 (HFC 457) and high-end components found in the F700.

Joining the F502SP and F501SP launched last year, the F500SP is hand crafted and finished in Fyne’s Glasgow factory and features a 150mm IsoFlare driver based on technology and engineering originally developed for the high-end F700 IsoFlare unit. This features a bespoke multi-fibre bass/midrange cone terminated with a FyneFlute roll surround, which the company says helps: “better terminate cone energy where it is attached to the chassis”.

Set in a bespoke rigid cast aluminium chassis, the LF motor system incorporates a separate flux focusing magnet to increase low-frequency efficiency and maintain a flat response through low bass frequencies. High frequencies are handled by the same 25mm magnesium dome compression tweeter with neodymium magnet system found on the F700. This, the company says: “incorporates extensive heatsinking and a vented rear chamber to move fundamental resonance well below the crossover point”. The HF waveguide on the F500SP has been developed to optimise wavefront expansion for the IsoFlare driver and delivers a claimed flat frequency response out to 30kHz.

The original F500 cabinet has been enhanced for the SP derivative with a higher density fibreboard constriction and advanced BassTrax porting system using a Tactrix profile diffuser mounted on a thick aluminium base plate. The system converts plain wave port energy into a spherical 360° wavefront that exits uniformly through the plinth designed to further smooth the speakers’ LF output by evenly dispersing energy into the room.

Fyne claims the design also makes the F500SP far less critical of room positioning than traditional rear-ported standmount designs, particularly when placed on its new matching FS6 stands. These use a steel top plate and contoured central column that’s extruded from heavy gauge aluminium, features an integrated cable channel and can be further mass loaded to improve damping. The aluminium plate lower plinth takes its design cues from the SP Series floorstanding models, integrating top adjustable floor spikes, knurled lock rings and machined aluminium cups to protect hard floors. They’re priced at £500 a pair.

Internally, the F500SP features many crossover components and a circuit architecture trickled down from the aforementioned F700. Low-loss laminated core inductors, high-grade polypropylene capacitors and Van den Hul Matched Crystal silver-plated OFC wiring are used with the aim of achieving transparent signal transmission. The F500SP also integrates Fyne’s bi-wire terminal panel with a fifth loudspeaker terminal for driver chassis grounding.

The F500SP is available in high gloss black and high gloss white as standard at £1,300 or in a new, deep gloss lacquered walnut veneer previously seen on the premium F700 Series at £1,500. In harmony with other SP models in the range, grille mounting is by concealed magnets and a diamond-cut finish enhances the exposed driver chassis.

Available to buy now, you can find out more about the F500SP here.

COMPANY INFO
Fyne Audio

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