F300i
Separate tweeter and bass/midrange drivers. A conventional layout rather than an IsoFlare driver.
Explore the series →Buying guide
How to choose your Fyne Audio loudspeakers
Start with the space you can use, your listening distance and your amplifier. Then compare the exact models and plan what to check at a listening session.
Manufacturer specifications describe the loudspeaker; they do not predict its response in your room. The practical checks below help you put those figures in context.
Three models to start your shortlist
Choose the format first, then check placement and amplifier matching. These are different models from three series; the right choice depends on your room and system.
- F501E — F500E series floorstander with a 150 mm IsoFlare driver and a separate bass driver.
- F500SP — F500 SP series standmount with a 150 mm SP IsoFlare driver. Allow space for suitable stands.
- F502S — F500S series floorstander with a 200 mm IsoFlare driver and presence control.
For advice, include your amplifier model, listening distance, room dimensions and preferred finish. Listening arrangements and availability are confirmed individually.
1. Understand the families and generations
A suffix identifies a different range or model, not a universal ranking. F500S succeeds the original F500 range; F500 SP is a separate Special Production range. An older F500 review is not an F500S comparison.
F500E
IsoFlare with titanium high-frequency diaphragms, in standmount, floorstanding and LCR formats. Check the bass-loading arrangement of the individual model.
Explore the series →F500S
The successor to F500, with magnesium high-frequency diaphragms. The F500S standmount has a rear presence control; compare the exact model and connections.
Explore the series →F500 SP
Special Production models based on the original F500 cabinet design, with F700-derived drive units. F500SP, F501SP and F502SP are distinct from the S models.
Explore the series →F700
Compare the individual cabinet formats, driver sizes and installation dimensions in this family.
Explore the series →F700SP
A separate Special Production family. Check its model-specific construction and specifications rather than treating it as a different finish of F700.
Explore the series →F1
Check the complete model suffix, driver configuration and installation dimensions. F1-8 and F1-8S are distinct models.
Explore the series →Vintage
A different cabinet format and appearance. Vintage, Vintage Classic and Vintage Classic Gold SP are separate families; check the full name rather than the driver diameter alone.
Explore the series →2. Standmount or floorstanding: measure the whole installation
Standmount loudspeakers
A compact cabinet still needs a stable support at a suitable height. Include the stand base, cabinet depth, connectors and cable bend in your floor-space calculation. “Bookshelf” does not guarantee that an enclosed shelf is suitable.
Floorstanding loudspeakers
Include the plinth and the space needed for levelling and access to terminals. A larger cabinet can offer different bass extension and output, but the exact design and listening level matter more than the format label.
Check the dimensions note on each product page: a quoted height may exclude spikes or feet. Keep ports and the gap around a BassTrax plinth clear; use the model manual for assembly and placement.
Compare the installation dimensions of a F500S standmount and an F501S floorstander before deciding by cabinet size alone.
3. Room size and listening distance are different questions
Record length, width, ceiling height and openings, then measure speaker-to-seat distance and the usable distance from walls. A small room with a distant seat can be more demanding than its floor area suggests. No fixed number of square metres selects a loudspeaker or amplifier wattage.
- Try a symmetrical starting layout where possible, with the recommended listening axis near ear height.
- Move the speakers or the seat in small steps and compare bass notes at the same volume. A room mode can make a note strong at one position and weak at another.
- Check more than one seat if several people will listen. IsoFlare and BassTrax do not remove reflections, room modes or boundary cancellations.
Manufacturer room descriptions: useful starting points
These are qualitative descriptions from Fyne, not measured room-size limits or guarantees. They do not replace the model manual or a trial in the intended position.
Small or limited spaces
Small to medium spaces
- F5EIdeal for small to medium spaces.
- Vintage FiveCompact enclosure for easy integration into small and medium sized spaces.
- Vintage TenRelatively slim enclosure for easy visual integration into small and medium sized listening rooms.
Medium spaces
- F501EIdeal for medium spaces.
Mid to large rooms
Large spaces
- F502E LCRPerfect for larger spaces.
- F502SPerfect for large spaces.
- Vintage Classic XIIIntended for the largest of rooms.
4. Read amplifier figures with their conditions
The passive models listed below are rated at 8 Ω nominal, with sensitivities from 87 to 97 dB at 2.83 V / 1 m. Nominal impedance is a category label: a real loudspeaker’s impedance changes with frequency.
Sensitivity is not an amplifier compatibility certificate. At the same target level, a longer listening distance or larger musical peaks can require more output headroom. Compare the amplifier’s documented load capability as well as its power rating; the position of its volume knob does not measure watts.
2.83 V is approximately 1 W only into an 8 Ω resistor. It is about 2 W into 4 Ω. Compare sensitivity figures with the same reference and measurement conditions.
Fyne’s recommended amplifier range is a starting point, not the power continuously absorbed by the speaker or a promise of safe playback at every volume. Clipping and excessive output can both be harmful. For an actual pairing, supply the exact amplifier model and your listening requirements.
For a concrete example, see the matching questions on the F501SP.
Compare the manufacturer’s sensitivity, power and impedance figures
Cubitt 5 and the F3-10 subwoofer have built-in amplification and are excluded from this passive-speaker table.
| Model | Series | Sensitivity (2.83 V / 1 m) | Recommended amplifier power | Nominal impedance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| F300i | F300i | 87 dB | 20 – 70 W RMS | 8 Ω |
| F301i | F300i | 89 dB | 35 – 150 W RMS | 8 Ω |
| F302i | F300i | 90 dB | 40 – 180 W RMS | 8 Ω |
| F303i | F300i | 91 dB | 30 – 120 W RMS | 8 Ω |
| F300i LCR | F300i | 90 dB | 25 – 100 W RMS | 8 Ω |
| F5E | F500E | 87 dB | 30 – 90 W RMS | 8 Ω |
| F55E | F500E | 88 dB | 30 – 120 W RMS | 8 Ω |
| F501E | F500E | 90 dB | 30 – 150 W RMS | 8 Ω |
| F5E LCR | F500E | 88 dB | 30 – 100 W RMS | 8 Ω |
| F502E LCR | F500E | 92 dB | 30 – 150 W RMS | 8 Ω |
| F5S | F500S | 87 dB | 30 – 90 W RMS | 8 Ω |
| F500S | F500S | 89 dB | 30 – 100 W RMS | 8 Ω |
| F501S | F500S | 90 dB | 30 – 150 W RMS | 8 Ω |
| F502S | F500S | 91 dB | 30 – 180 W RMS | 8 Ω |
| F500S LCR | F500S | 90 dB | 30 – 150 W RMS | 8 Ω |
| F500SP | F500 SP | 90 dB | 30 – 120 W RMS | 8 Ω |
| F501SP | F500 SP | 91 dB | 30 – 180 W RMS | 8 Ω |
| F502SP | F500 SP | 92 dB | 30 – 200 W RMS | 8 Ω |
| F700 | F700 | 89 dB | 30 – 150 W RMS | 8 Ω |
| F701 | F700 | 91 dB | 30 – 180 W RMS | 8 Ω |
| F702 | F700 | 92 dB | 30 – 200 W RMS | 8 Ω |
| F703 | F700 | 94 dB | 20 – 250 W RMS | 8 Ω |
| F704 | F700 | 96 dB | 20 – 300 W RMS | 8 Ω |
| F701SP | F700SP | 90 dB | 30 – 180 W RMS | 8 Ω |
| F702SP | F700SP | 92 dB | 30 – 200 W RMS | 8 Ω |
| F703SP | F700SP | 94 dB | 30 – 250 W RMS | 8 Ω |
| F704SP | F700SP | 96 dB | 30 – 300 W RMS | 8 Ω |
| F1-5 | F1 | 87 dB | 30 – 100 W RMS | 8 Ω |
| F1-8 | F1 | 91 dB | 30 – 180 W RMS | 8 Ω |
| F1-8S | F1 | 91 dB | 20 – 200 W RMS | 8 Ω |
| F1-10S | F1 | 94 dB | 20 – 280 W RMS | 8 Ω |
| F1-12S | F1 | 96 dB | 20 – 350 W RMS | 8 Ω |
| F57SP-6 | F57SP | 91 dB | 30 – 180 W RMS | 8 Ω |
| F57SP-8 | F57SP | 92 dB | 30 – 200 W RMS | 8 Ω |
| Vintage Five | Vintage | 87 dB | 30 – 100 W RMS | 8 Ω |
| Vintage Ten | Vintage | 94 dB | 20 – 280 W RMS | 8 Ω |
| Vintage Twelve | Vintage | 96 dB | 20 – 350 W RMS | 8 Ω |
| Vintage Fifteen | Vintage | 97 dB | 20 – 400 W RMS | 8 Ω |
| Vintage Classic VIII SM | Vintage Classic | 91 dB | 30 – 180 W RMS | 8 Ω |
| Vintage Classic VIII | Vintage Classic | 91 dB | 30 – 200 W RMS | 8 Ω |
| Vintage Classic X | Vintage Classic | 94 dB | 20 – 280 W RMS | 8 Ω |
| Vintage Classic XII | Vintage Classic | 96 dB | 20 – 350 W RMS | 8 Ω |
| Vintage Classic Gold VIII SP | Vintage Classic Gold SP | 91 dB | 30 – 200 W RMS | 8 Ω |
| Vintage Classic Gold X SP | Vintage Classic Gold SP | 94 dB | 20 – 280 W RMS | 8 Ω |
| Vintage Classic Gold XII SP | Vintage Classic Gold SP | 96 dB | 20 – 350 W RMS | 8 Ω |
| Vintage Classic Gold XV SP | Vintage Classic Gold SP | 97 dB | 20 – 400 W RMS | 8 Ω |
| FA301iC | FA300iC | 89 dB | 25 – 100 W RMS | 8 Ω |
| FA302iC | FA300iC | 90 dB | 25 – 120 W RMS | 8 Ω |
| FA501iC | FA500iC | 89 dB | 30 – 125 W RMS | 8 Ω |
| FA502iC | FA500iC | 91 dB | 30 – 150 W RMS | 8 Ω |
| FA502iC LCR | FA500iC | 91 dB | 30 – 150 W RMS | 8 Ω |
5. What do IsoFlare and BassTrax change?
IsoFlare
IsoFlare places the tweeter at the centre of the bass/midrange driver. The geometry addresses the separation between the two radiating sources; the crossover and model-specific dispersion still matter.
BassTrax
BassTrax combines a downward-firing port with a Tractrix-profile diffuser. It distributes port output around the plinth; it does not make the bass identical at every seat.
6. Prepare a useful listening session
- Bring the exact amplifier model, source connections and any practical installation limits.
- Take a sketch or photographs, room dimensions, speaker-to-seat distance and the maximum usable footprint.
- Choose a few familiar recordings: voice, bass notes and a track with musical peaks. Keep the playback level comparable when comparing models.
- Check the main seat and a second position. Ask which differences may change with placement in your room.
- Confirm finish, unit or pair, accessories, availability and delivery in the quotation. Ask which demonstration or home-trial arrangements are actually available.
Discuss a shortlist
Send your room details, amplifier model and two or three speakers you are considering. We can use that information to discuss the system and the next step. A request does not confirm an order or an appointment.