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$4900/pair.
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$4900/pair.
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Ok, if there’s a better speaker under $5k, I haven’t heard it. These Fyne 502SP’s are superb!!
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I didn't know the brand.Quote:
Originally Posted by Mike
Just for the looks I was expecting you to say a price 2 to 3 times more.
Great looking!
And the double base seems to be an intelligent solution.
For under $5k, these are incredible. Bass is unreal.Quote:
Originally Posted by Spock
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I think $5k/pair is where speakers start to get really good. Personally, I'm hooked on a pair of Janszen zA1.1's (currently, I think they are called Carmelitas) with that very revealing and effortless electrostatic monopole element which gives them the ability to be placed close to the front wall (imperative for us apartment dwellers). However, I'm always up for an audition of something that can challenge what is possible at that price point. I'll have to look for these at AXPONA 2020.
What are the big differences over the vanilla 502s?
The 502SP has the same crossover and drivers as the 702.Quote:
Originally Posted by Shadowfax
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The 502sp's use the same drivers as the 702's besides having an upgraded crossover.
From Fyne Audio-
Improving on the F502, the UK built SP edition uses the premium 200mm (8″) IsoFlareTM driver and 200mm (8″) bass/mid driver from the F702, featuring rigid multi-fibre cones and FyneFluteTM roll surrounds. The IsoFlare’s 25mm magnesium compression tweeter has a unique HF wave guide pole piece delivering an incredibly even, full-range frequency response and outstanding Hi-Fi musical imaging. The F502SP also benefits from the F700’s advanced crossover components and aluminium sandwich type plinth with BassTrax tractrix profile bass diffuser, re-engineered to precisely tune the F502SP’s more compact cabinet. The SP is available in high-gloss black and high gloss white as standard, or a luxurious deep gloss lacquered walnut veneer with a diamond machine cut finish on the aluminium driver chassis.
Larry
Are you still looking at the 502SP as your next speaker?
I am looking at the 502 (not the SP) and just found a place 2 hours from me where I can get a listen. Will schedule something in the next month or 2. They have both the 502 and the SP setup so I will at least hear what I will be missing.Quote:
Originally Posted by Jack
Looks like a very interesting speaker. What’s the difference between the 703 and 704 besides price?
Fyne 502SP's have my interest
I’d love to see your opinion on the Fyne speakers. Their looks have grown on me. I have not read anything bad about them.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Shadowfax
I am curious about the Tweeters on these speakers. I have been used to Silk or Soft Dome Tweeters and in the past have experienced fatigue with some metal tweeters.
Can anyone say in general if the Fynes are Bright or too hot on the top? I have Tone Controls but do not want to use them to compensate for the speaker.
I will make arrangements to drive 2 hours to listen closer to xmas as they would be a present to myself then but any comments on the tweeters would be appreciated.
For the first few hundred hours, they are forward. After that, not forward. Dynamics galore. Bass will shock you. Bottom line: long break in.Quote:
Originally Posted by Shadowfax
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Now Listen Here out of Harrisburg PA is hosting a Listening Event in King of Prussia featuring the Fyne 700 series, but I am unavailable.
SEP 26 AT 10 AM – SEP 27 AT 3 PM
Hi-Fi Listening Event with Special Guests Mat Weisfeld & Jeff Joseph
HYATT house Philadelphia/King of Prussia
We were able to hear the 502 (not the SP) for a private audition just prior to Covid. Overall I thought it was a nice speaker, especially for the price point. My one concern was the tweeter seemed a bit shouty in character compared to the rest of the presentation. Having said that, I suspect the speakers were relatively new (100 or so hours). And the room itself, while well treated, was still concrete block on at least 2 walls with a predominantly tile floor. So acoustics may have played a factor here as much as the speaker itself. This was one of my concerns with a relatively inexpensive compression driver tweeter, and sure enough it was there. Bass was about as expected for a relatively svelte floor stander; I know Mike says it's really good, but based on my demo I found it no more than adequate in quantity and quality. Having not heard them, I pass no judgement on the offerings higher in the lineup.Quote:
Originally Posted by Shadowfax
Ultimately it wasn't quite what we were out shopping for at the time, but my wife said she'd seriously consider them for an office system if we ever decided to do such a thing, and I agree.
Thanks for all that. That is exactly the kind of feedback I was looking for. I will definitely try before I buy. What I am replacing is a mix of 2 speakers I love. Dynaudio Audiance 82s, Big Bass and slam mixed with the wonderful Mids and Detail I get from my Clearfield Continentals and no ftaigue on the top end.Quote:
Originally Posted by 2FlyingYorkies
I just found out that a colleague recently bought a pair of 501s without a demo. His only real criteria was UK made. He likes them but can't give a great review since he lives in a tiny flat in a small village in England. No ability to listen loud or for long periods of time. He also said he has always had metal tweeter speakers. He is also driving them with an older mass market receiver. He did say he backed the trebble off some on his but overall likes them a lot.
My room is carpeted with a leather sectional so not too reflective.
I have no objection to metal dome tweeters - I have two pairs of Focals with their (most recent) beryllium dome tweeter. It can occasionally give a hint of being bright, but overall I find it to be reasonably smooth - not at all like the first generation that could peel paint. Pairing them with Class D amps that have a reputation for for rolling off the top octave slightly might help in our case. Having ears that aren't getting any younger might help too. Regardless, my wife and I are both human brightness detectors, so we're fairly sensitive to inflated or harsh treble and sibilance of any kind. We're pretty sure we could live with the Fynes for casual listening if the situation presented itself. I've just never heard a compression tweeter that I really liked. Possible that I psychologically stacked the deck against the Fynes based on that knowledge, but I went to the audition really wanting to like them (I made a 6 hour each-way drive to get to the audition). Good luck!Quote:
Originally Posted by Shadowfax
Keep in mind when listening to Fyne speakers that they need 500 hours of break in according to the engineers I met at RMAF.
The 502sp's are different than the 502's. The sp's are more similar in sound and design to the 702's, using similar crossovers and drivers but just a smaller cabinet. So they don't have the bass and midrange fullness of the 702's. But they sound just a smooth. I would still use a pair of subs with the 502sp's though. By the way, I never detected any harshness with the 502sp's and the 702's. The tweeters were smooth and non fatiguing.
I am probably going to pull the trigger on the sp's but I want to audition the new Monitor Audio 5G 300's sometime next year after I hopefully get a COVID vaccine (being a front line healthcare worker) and feel comfortable flying.
Just came across the Tannoy Revolution XT 8F which looks very similar to the 502s aside from driver color. Even the bases look very similar. Is the Fyne 502 a step up from the Tannoy or eerily similar?
My understanding is the Fyne guys are the former Tannoy team that went out on their own. It would not surprise me if the Fyne builds on the Tannoy, though I don't have any idea as to which model came out first. Regardless, it's easy to see similar DNA between them.
You are 100% correct. I met the guys at RMAF last year and got the story of why they broke away.Quote:
Originally Posted by 2FlyingYorkies
I finally got my demo setup for next Wednesday, the 11th. I will listen to the SPs and the higher models while there but for now, budget dictates the vanilla 502s. I am taking my wife with me since it's a 2 hour drive each way. Who knows, after she hears the SPs my budget might change :)
Brian,
Looking forward to your thoughts. Fyne is on my radar too.
So I set out with every intention of liking and deciding on the F502s until I listened to them for an hour. They were too shouty and in your face with vocals and mids while the bass was somewhere in the back. The tweeter was a bit fatigueing as I feared.
My wife had all the same impressions. We had the guy swap in the 502SPs and played all the same tracks again. Holy Crap! Everything the 502s did wrong, the SPs made up for and more. Nice full bass sitting alongside the other instruments. Imaging was also good and vocals came from the middle even when looking.
I have a go with the SPs and have a pending sale of my Clearfields this Saturday so hoping that goes thru.
Told ya! Ha. 502SP is far better than stock 502.Quote:
Originally Posted by Shadowfax
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Here is a more detailed version of the day
So I finally got to listen to the Fynes today. I drove 2 hours each way in downpouring rain. Oddly, the business was in a private home in a nice new development. By appointment only is how they get away with it. There were several rooms setup with different levels of gear. Of course the larger speakers were on the first floor. Fyne 700 series, Legacy, Joseph and more. We went upstairs to a somewhat treated bedroom with Rogue gear for electronics.
I listened via a Pharaoh with a Bel Canto CDP and a Chord DAC. I originally set out to demo the plain F502s so that was what was setup. Yesterday when I confirmed my appointment, I said I would not mind hearing the F502SPs just for a reference point. He said no problem as they were in the same room.
My wife and I listened to a range of music we brought and had just listened to at home to be familiar with our existing sound. I have had Silk Tweeters or other fabric for 30 years and was concerned about the metal tweeter in the 502. In the end my fears were confirmed. Now that said, for a $2500 speaker, they kicked some serious butt. The room may have been a factor as well as never hearing any Rogue products.
Impressions of the F502 were that they were a little shouty at normal and higher levels. The vocals and some mids were out in the middle of the room while the bass was in the back corner and not as controlled as I had hoped. At low levels they lost all dynamics. Some of my music was recorded better than others and when we got to Keb Mo - More Than One Way Home, we got a little excited but by the end of an hour, we both were not as thrilled as we had hoped.
We all talked about the differences between the plains and the SPs which are the Drivers from the F702s and the Xovers put in the 502 cabinet with only the high gloss finish, black-white-walnut. Also a different plinth. Aluminum plates as opposed to an MDF slab. The SPs also had a set of Isoacoustics Gia 3 footers which the guy was convinced of the improvement, as well as many others that have used them. They add $400 to the List $4995.
We took a break while he swapped out the 2 pairs. We went back in and played the same tracks in reverse order. From the first few notes we smiled under our masks. Everything that was wrong with the 502s was gone plus all those same areas of complaint were improved upon. The tweeter is different, Magnesium vs Titanium. The difference was night and day when it came to fatigue. The Bass was all tightened up, more of it and it was in the right place and mix with other instruments and vocals. The vocals were incredible as were all the mids.
The sound of the SPs is what I was looking for. The Bass I get from my Dyns and the Midrange I get from my Clearfields. By the time we were done, my wife had already decided we were going to get the SPs and agreed we did not like the 502s. She also wants me to get the Isoacoustic footers but we won't splurge for the gorgeous high gloss walnut. We will go with the black.
The guy said he has yet to sell a pair of plain 502s because once anyone listens to the SPs afterwards, they buy them. These may just be the best $5K speaker and starting with the SPs and up, they are made in UK and not China.
The Rogue Pharaoh lists for about what I got my Luxman for. I am thinking my Lux will have more control from the experience I have with it now. The Rogue is a nice hybrid Int, tube in SS out but I don't think in the same class as the Lux.
Before we left we went to another room and listed to the F1.8 Standmount speaker on it's dedicated Fyne stand. Really cool looking speaker. It was detailed and refined but lacked the slam and fullness of the floorstanders, not even the 502SPs a few series down. Electronics were Jeff Rowland Capri S2 and 125 class D amp. Also a higher end Chord dac and some streamer.
I did not get to hear the 704s but they were there in the HG Walnut and were absolutely stunning.
Before driving all the way home, we side tracked to an Iron Hill Brewery and had a flight and lunch. All in all a great day and so glad my wife came along because I would never have been able to explain the 2X price difference and why they sounded so good. It's a plus she loves good audio.
I have a potential sale of my Clearfields on Saturday so as long as that goes thru, I am about ready to say Merry Xmas to myself. It will be bittersweet when the CFs go since they have been my goto speakers for the last 12 years. My Dyns are 20 y/o now but look like they just came out of the box. It's time to mate something more worthy of the Luxman :)
Very nice review Brian to bad you didn't get a chance to listen to the 704's since they were there. No reviews on that speaker from Audioshark members. Anyway when will we get a review of the Iron Hill Brewery:). Look forward to hearing more about the 502SP once they are in your home.
Would really like to hear some Fynes....after hearing my friend of a friends Westies which were super fun. I subsequently heard Kensingtons which didn't really do it for me. A new, modern Tannoy speaker is very interesting.
Brian, I knew that once you heard the 502sp's you would be smitten. It's a good thing that you and your wife did not listen to the 702's because they are really that much better IMHO. I will probably end up with the 502sp's but if things go well this year I will shoot for the 702's.
Give those suckers at least 500 hours of break in and enjoy!
I have been working with a pair of 703s, as a possible higher efficiency alternative for clients to the Joseph Perspective 2s for RoomPlay Reference sessions.
The good news - actually there is a lot - is that somewhere around 300 hours, the speakers just seemed to relax and play beautifully. Plus, the tonal balance seemed to correct completely.
IMO, I can't imagine them producing even better sound at 500 hours, but hey, I am open to it... :rolleyes:
Congrats! We have the 702’s. What color did you get?Quote:
Originally Posted by Jim Smith
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Piano Gloss WalnutQuote:
Originally Posted by Mike
Great to hear, Jim. Are they more modern sounding than your old Canterburys?Quote:
Originally Posted by Jim Smith
Quote:
Originally Posted by Jim Smith
The Fyne audio engineers that I met at RMAF said that they really come into their own at 500 hours. I heard the 702's then and they had 5 hours on them and I heard them again the second day when they had 24 hours and they had already began to sound different.
Spatial Audio M3 Sapphires would likely be competitiveQuote:
Originally Posted by Mike
....and they won’t require a big room.
Not in my book. I owned Spatials. Fyne 502SP’s don’t require a large room either and aren’t fussy with placement.Quote:
Originally Posted by Puma Cat
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Guess I never equated the sound of my Canterburys as modern or not. With me, it's always been about the musical involvement factor, for myself for a very long time (easily over 20 years), and for all of my RoomPlay clients…Quote:
Originally Posted by KeithR
Admittedly, I did send spend thousands of dollars on an outboard all-Duelund xover for each speaker, completely bypassing the stock xovers, as well as designing & building custom stands to get the tweeters at ear level.
Of the large number of RoomPlay Reference clients who heard them here, I'd say that over 80% said it was the best sound they ever heard (from a stereo system), and many had far more "exotic" systems than mine. The other 20% or so ranked it somewhere in their "top three" or so…
Do I think that the 703s exceed my modified Canterbury's musical involvement? Not yet, and probably not as a whole, but they are exceptional at their USD $11,9995/ pair price.
My issue with Tannoy today is whether or not they will be able to support the line, now that they are in China, and the Tannoy staff who helped to build their reputation is at Fyne? Even when Tannoy were in the UK back then, about three years ago, I had to replace a driver, and it took forever (several months)…
And finally, as good as the 703s are after 3 weeks, the F series must be killer…
Best,
Jim
I heard Jim’s Tannoy’s at his place. Definitely in my top three, irrespective of cost.
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YepQuote:
Originally Posted by Hounddog
A bit unexpectedly, the 703s drifted a bit backwards somewhere around the 400 hour point.
Now that they have passed 500 hours, I will listen to them again...
So how's their sound now after what must have been about 600 hours, or more passing by. ThanksQuote:
Originally Posted by Jim Smith
Now 800+ hours.Quote:
Originally Posted by AudioLibertarian
Can't think of anything to complain about. :rolleyes:
They play W-A-A-A-Y above their USD $11,995 price point. :cool:
At least they do when set-up properly... :scholar:
Hows the image & soundstage height? Especially when you stand up, do you look onto the soundstage from the above, like from the balcony in the orchestral hall? Is it realistically sized in your opinion? Thanks so much!
Honestly speaking, I've always voiced systems to rooms in the seated position, what I call the Anchor Point.Quote:
Originally Posted by AudioLibertarian
I have never given any thought to how it would perform when standing. Sorry!!!
The various types of recorded Presence seem to be portrayed well, whether it's in-room Presence or outdoor-concert Presence. I don't think about sound-stage as much as most, for me it's all about Presence and the resulting musical involvement.
In my viewpoint, concentrating on sound effects can sometimes diminish the musical engagement factor. Not saying that I am right and others are wrong, it's just what I've observed, having voiced something like a thousand systems in my career. So it's a matter of personal belief, not some statement of irrefutable fact.
Actually, for me, it's Dynamics, Presence & Tone.
I think the 703s do a Fyne job in these areas... :rolleyes:
The recording engineer also often determines the height of the soundstage on the mixing console. So it will vary from recording to recording. I often explore various music on Roon and some Asian music I came across, the vocals were up near the ceiling. Talk about sitting in the front row... :D