Fancy some high-end speakers that marry cutting edge tech with contemporary styling? Then Fyne Audio's new F700 SP speakers could be the very floorstanders for you. They deliver many of the same features as the firm's flagship F1-8S and F1-10S, but they do it with wider aesthetic appeal: the aforementioned speakers are lovely things, but their distinctive design isn't for everybody.
There are two new models to choose from here: the F702SP (the SP stands for "special production") and the F703SP. Both models take the tech of the F1 series and the looks of the F700 series to create something that looks pretty great and will no doubt sound sensational.
F1 scale build for a more affordable price
The F1 series are what marketers would call "reassuringly expensive": the F1-10S speakers are currently £27,999.98 per pair (which is around $38,000 or AU$57,800). The new speakers are still high-end, but their suggested selling prices are more budget-friendly: you can expect to pay £14,999 for a pair of the F703SP; the F702SP speakers come in at £11,999 (so around $15,200 or AU$23,100 for the more wallet-friendly set).
The price may be lower, but there's still some serious tech inside these speakers. The F703SP has 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 inductance losses to reduce distortion and deliver a more even frequency response along with improved high frequency performance.
The F7-2SP is slightly different, taking the driver from the F1-8S and teaming it with a different HF waveguide that's specifically designed to maximise its performance with this specific cabinet.
Both models have new crossovers with redesigned circuit topography, and they have inherited multiple components from the F1 series including their ClarityCap high-grade capacitors, Neotech PC-OCC wiring and WBT Nextgen 0703 terminals. The hand-built and soldered crossovers are then deep cryogenically treated in Fyne's very own cryochamber in Glasgow, which delivers the same kind of incredibly low temperatures that I am currently getting in my Glasgow flat. That cryo-freezing is designed to relax 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 listening to them, at least – is the new plinths, which are heavyweight F1 grade machined aluminium. They're not just there for show: they're part of the speakers' BassTrax porting system, which has a down-firing LF port in the cabinet firing directly onto a Tractrix profile cone in order to deliver 360-degree radiation for the bass frequencies. The plinths are adjustable from above thanks to their M12 threaded support cones.
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 colour option for the SPs only, which Fyne calls satin natural walnut. The new models are available now – and like freshly unveiled rivals such as the Focal Aria Evo X, they may well be some of the best stereo speakers released in 2024.
