Fancy high-end speakers that combine advanced technology with contemporary style? Then the new F700 SP speakers from Fyne Audio might be the floorstanders for you. They offer many of the same features as the company’s flagships, the F1-8S and F1-10S, but they do it with broader aesthetic appeal: the aforementioned speakers are beautiful things, but their distinctive design isn’t for everyone.
There are two new models to choose from here: the F702SP (the SP stands for “special production”) and the F703SP. Both models use the technology of the F1 series and the looks of the F700 series to create something that looks great and will undoubtedly sound sensational.
Built to F1 scale for a more affordable price
The F1 series is what marketers would call ‘reassuringly expensive’: the F1-10S speakers currently cost £27,999.98 per pair (which works out to around $38,000 or AU$57,800). The new speakers are still high quality, but their recommended retail prices are more budget-friendly: you can expect to pay £14,999 for a pair of F703SP; the F702SP speakers cost £11,999 (so about $15,200 or AU$23,100 for the more wallet-friendly set).
The price may be lower, but there’s still some serious technology packed into these speakers. The F703SP features the same IsoFlare point source drivers as the F1-10S with the same neodymium HD magnet system and 3″ titanium dome. The magnet dampens voice coil induction losses to reduce distortion and deliver a smoother frequency response, along with improved high frequency performance.
The F7-2SP is slightly different, it takes the driver from the F1-8S and combines it with another HF waveguide specifically designed to maximize performance with this particular cabinet.
Both models feature new crossovers with redesigned circuit topography and inherit multiple components from the F1 series, including their high-performance ClarityCap capacitors, Neotech PC-OCC wiring and WBT Nextgen 0703 terminals. The hand-built and soldered crossovers are then deeply cryogenically treated in Fyne’s own cryochamber in Glasgow, delivering the same kind of incredibly low temperatures I currently get in my flat in Glasgow. That cryofreezing is designed to reduce stresses in materials and components, and is apparently particularly effective on solder joints and cables to improve signal transparency.
The most obvious difference between the new SP models and the existing 700 series – without even listening to it – are the new skirting boards, which are made from heavily machined F1-grade aluminium. They’re not just there for show: they’re part of the speakers’ BassTrax port system, which features a downward-firing LF port in the cabinet that fires directly onto a Tractrix profile cone to provide 360 degrees of radiation for the bass. to deliver. frequencies. The skirting boards are adjustable from above thanks to the support cones with M12 thread.
The F702SP and F703SP will be available in three standard finishes: Piano Gloss Black, Piano Gloss Walnut and Piano Gloss White. There’s also a new color option just for the SPs, which Fyne calls Satin Natural Walnut. The new models are available now – and like newly unveiled rivals like the Focal Aria Evo