Fyne Audio F55E

You can usually tell a lot about hi-fi – and even more about a speaker – from the size of the box in which it arrives. The consensus when the Fyne Audio F55Es are delivered is ‘they’re going to be far too big’ - but once they’re unboxed this rapidly gives way to ‘oh, they’re actually quite small’. So yes, the first thing that’s notable about this £899 pair of floorstanders is that they’re actually very compact - they  stand just 925mm tall. A 210 x 236mm footprint means they’ll take up no more space than a pair of standmount speakers mounted on, well, stands.

The second is that, thanks to Fyne’s downward-venting bass reflex tuning which sees the company’s ‘BassTrax’ tractrix diffuser spreading the really low stuff over 360 degrees, the F55Es are as easy to position as any compact mini-monitor while still delivering that extended, rich bass you only get with floorstanding speakers. 

But what Fyne Audio really wants you to know is that this is the most affordable full-range speaker that uses its ‘IsoFlare’ concentric driver, which puts the high-frequency tweeter in the throat of the mid/bass driver.  In fact, the arrival of this speaker now means the company’s entire line-up, all seven ranges and 60 models of it, uses a variation on this point-source driver.

The idea is to create a point-source array with exceptional focus, and thus stereo imaging. Since it started in 2017, Fyne Audio has been refining this design as its signature technology - the version here uses a 125mm paper fibre mid/bass cone and a 19mm titanium-dome compression tweeter, the whole drive unit being encircled by the company’s ‘FyneFlute’ surround. Its undulating design is there to suppress resonances and keep the sound pure.

A second driver of the same size is dedicated to the bass, giving the speaker both its low-frequency extension and (thanks to its tuning and that bass-reflex system) its serious punch - this may be a relatively compact design, but it has no shortage of powerful, beautifully-controlled weight. And with an eye on the kind of amplifiers with which it’s likely to be used, the F55E is as easy to drive as it is to place: its 88dB/W/m sensitivity and 8ohm impedance make it an easy load, and Fyne Audio  suggests it’ll be suitable for amps from 30W up to 120W.

Maybe it looks a bit severe in its black ash vinyl-wrap finish, but the promise of a walnut-effect option in early 2026 will please those who like their speakers in traditional wood – well, wood-look, anyway. To my eyes, however, while the speakers come complete with full-length black grilles to make them look more anonymous, having that interesting-looking driver array on display is no hardship and it suits the purposeful look of the entire design.

The cabinet is made from high-density MDF, with internal bracing and acoustic damping used to reduce colouration and keep the enclosure ‘quiet’, and the speakers come attached to a chunky plinth which both stabilises the speaker and allows that downward-venting bass system to work. The whole enterprise feels solid and substantial, though not so heavy that you’ll have to phone a friend to help you get the speakers out of their boxes and into position.

SOUND QUALITY

Fire up the F55Es, and the immediate impression is something like that Wayne’s World ‘woah!’  - the speakers sound mighty in their scale, and mighty impressive in the amount of detail they deliver, whatever the music. Positioning them is simple: place them at least a couple of metres apart, and with a little toe-in to angle the speakers towards the listening area. This is best determined with some experimentation to get the most focused stereo image, of course - the wider they are apart, the more toe-in you may find you need.

And yes, you can even slam the speakers against a wall in a larger room without any hint of bass boom (although a space of about 200mm behind them, and keeping them at least 500mm from side walls, will give the best bass control - and besides, keeping speakers clear of side walls is a given whatever kind of design you’re using).

That 'IsoFlare' driver, delivering all the essential information from a single point, is the true secret of the speaker’s success. Whether it’s a solo instrument or accompanied voice, or a full scale orchestra or rock band, the impression of a realistic image, with sound coming from tightly-defined positions within the soundstage, is remarkable. Even better, the weighty bass from that dedicated lower driver integrates beautifully with what’s going on above it, ensuring what’s delivered is an excellent full-range sound across all kinds of musical genres.

And despite that extension, the bass is tight and controlled, making everything from grumbling orchestral basses to the seismic stuff in EDM tracks both hard-hitting and, if you want it, room-shaking. That’s because these speakers have really been designed with real-world use in mind: they’ll make the most of even modest amplification, and even in larger rooms you won’t be hankering for more level or weight. And all the while you’re enjoying that focused, three-dimensional image and the ability of the speakers to make clear the acoustic in which the recording was made, or that created in the mix.

LIVING WITH THE FYNE AUDIO F55E

Easy to place, with enough weight to fill large spaces, allied to sufficient control to make them usable in tighter spaces without boom or muddling, these are excellent all-round speakers. Out of curiosity, I try the Fyne with an old entry-level Cambridge Audio amplifier I have kicking around, offering a very modest 25W per channel (swapping it into the system in place of my usual Naim Supernait 3). Even this little amp, currently selling for £250 or so, powers the F55E into a convincing performance, more than big enough for the average-sized space in which I’m listening. True, they’ll sing even more with a bit more welly and an amp with greater clarity and insight - but these are speakers ideal for use with modern integrated amps and all-in-one network audio products.

CONCLUSION

As a proof of concept for both Fyne Audio’s point-source ‘IsoFlare’ driver and its ‘BassTrax’ low-end tuning, the F55E is as technically impressive as it is hugely enjoyable to listen to, showing that the same technology used in the company’s flagship models has been successfully trickled down to a much more affordable price. But above all, the speakers are huge fun, excellent value, and a more than viable – and elegant – alternative to the usual ‘small speakers on heavy stands’ solution for small- or medium-sized rooms. They offer all the weight and impact of big floorstanders without any of the drawbacks.

LISTENING NOTES

Thin Lizzy Rosalie
Taken from the recent remaster of 1975’s Fighting album, this is a classic Lizzy rocker, the Fyne Audio speakers delivering a gutsy bass, a screaming guitar solo, and of course Phil Lynott’s rough-edged vocals. Audiophile? No, but definitely fun.

‍Seal Crazy
Dramatic, phasey and immaculately produced, this track from 1991’s self-titled album really shows off the ability of the F55Es to dig deep into a mix while at the same time delivering a big, rich, room-filling sound

Carole King and James Taylor Will You Love Me Tomorrow
As simple as you could want, but with a fine sense of performance and live ambience, this track from Live at the Troubadour proves you don’t need slamming bass and an expansive soundstage to hear these speakers doing what they do best – communicating music

They may be from the entry level of Fyne Audio’s offering, and rather plain-looking compared to some of the Scottish company’s more exotic models, but there’s no arguing with the performance here. Add in the practicality of the design, both in positioning and system-matching, and the F55Es are bang on the money.

The easygoing nature of the design, both in terms of sensitivity and impedance, makes these speakers an easy load for a huge range of amplifiers, while their sonic signature means they will flatter just about anything you use them with.

For a truly compact and simple system they’ll work well with the latest version of the Bluesound PowerNode or Naim’s Uniti Atom, while more conventional amplifier solutions such as the Arcam A15+ or the QUAD 3 integrated would make a fine match – you don’t need oodles of power to get these speakers moving.

In fact, if you have an existing system with a reasonably modern integrated amp driving small speakers, and think there might be more it has to give, the Fyne could be just the upgrade it’s been waiting for.

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