In this review, we will be comparing two different types of speakers by Fluance. Fluance HFF is a Floor-standing speaker whereas the HFC is a Center Channel speaker.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of Fluance HFF and Fluance HFC first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
| Key Specs | Fluance HFF | Fluance HFC |
|---|
| Design | 3-way | 2-way |
|---|
| Tweeter | 1" Soft-Dome | 1" Soft-Dome |
|---|
| Midrange | 5" | — |
|---|
| Woofer | 2 x 8" Polypropylene | 2 x 5" Glass fibre |
|---|
| Frequency response | 35-20k Hz | 60-20k Hz |
|---|
| Sensitivity | 89 dB | 92 dB |
|---|
| Impedance | 8 ohms | 8 ohms |
|---|
| Power range | 90-200 watts | 40-120 watts |
|---|
| Weight | 28.30kg / 62.3lbs | 7.39kg / 16.3lbs |
|---|
| Dimensions (H x W x D) | 47-5/16" x 10-7/8" x 15-3/8"
1201.0 x 277.0 x 391.0mm | 7-5/16" x 18-7/8" x 10-9/16"
185.0 x 480.0 x 269.0mm |
|---|
HFF and HFC are members of Fluance's Signature series of speakers. Below you can find the loudspeakers from this series.
What size room are the Fluance HFF and Fluance HFC speakers good for?
The size of the room in which you are planning to use these loudspeakers is an important decision
factor. Here we have compared their suitability to various sizes of environments considering their size
and max power parameters:
| Listening Environment* |
Fluance HFF |
Fluance HFC |
| Near-field |
Bad |
Good |
| Small Room |
Poor |
Good |
| Mid-size Room |
Average |
Average |
| Large Room |
Good |
Poor |
| Very Large Room |
Average |
No way |
(* Approximate Room sizes: Small < 100sq. ft / 9 m2,
Mid-size: 100-220 sq. ft / 9-20 m2, Large 220-400 sq. ft / 20-36 m2, Very Large: >
400 sq. ft / 36 m2.
Average Floor Height: 9" / 2.7m. Typical room sizes differ from country to country, and the actual
listening experience changes depending on floor height, room shape, surface materials, listening
position, speaker locations, etc.)
The sections below take each area in turn: drivers, frequency response, physical size and what you get in the box.
**This post contains affiliate links, and we will be compensated if you make a purchase after clicking
through our links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
Drivers
One of the fundamental differences between these two speakers is that HFF is a 3-way design whereas the HFC is a 2-way speaker. 3-way designs utilize a midrange driver in addition to the tweeter and woofer on 2-way designs. Designing a crossover for a 3-way speaker is a complicated process and generally increases the overall cost of the speaker.
Fluance HFFFluance HFC
TweeterMidrangeWoofer
Front view, drawn to scale - cabinets and drivers share one scale, so sizes are directly comparable. Hover a driver for its size.
| Driver |
Fluance HFF |
Fluance HFC |
|
Driver Setup
|
3-way
|
2-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
1-inch
|
1-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
1 x 5-inch |
- |
|
Woofer
|
2 x 8-inch
|
2 x 5-inch
|
HFF features a 1" Silk Soft-Dome Tweeter, a 5" Midrange and 2 x 8" Polypropylene Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 530Hz and 2600Hz. On the other hand, the HFC features a 1" Silk Soft-Dome Tweeter and 2 x 5" Glass fibre Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 2300Hz.
Frequency Response
HFF has a frequency range of 35-20k Hz whereas HFC has a frequency range of 60-20k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 35Hz, the HFF can go significantly deeper on the low side and provide stronger bass compared to the HFC's min frequency of 60Hz.
The graph below depicts how these two speakers compare with the max, min and average Low Frequency values of other speakers in the Floor-standing class in our database.
Low Frequency
Floor-standing Speakers
Neither pair reaches down to 20Hz, the usual definition of full-range, which is normal for speakers of this size. If you want the bottom octave for movies or bass-heavy music, add a subwoofer to whichever you choose. Visit our Powered Subwoofers section to find out more about the available options.
Impedance and Sensitivity
HFF and HFC have the same Impedance of 8 ohms but where they differ is the sensitivity levels. HFF sensitivity is rated at 89 dB and the HFC's is at 92 dB. This 3 dB difference makes the Fluance HFC a more sensitive speaker compared to Fluance HFF, hence will play louder with the same amount of watts.
Sensitivity
Floor-standing Speakers
Power Range
Power
range is the range of input power in watts RMS that a loudspeaker is designed to handle. Staying
within that range gives nominal performance; driving the speaker beyond its maximum wattage can damage it.
HFF can handle a max power of 200 watts RMS, whereas HFC has a max power handling value of 120 watts RMS, 80 watts less than the HFF.
Note that higher power handling does not make a speaker louder: that depends mainly on
sensitivity and impedance. The calculator below shows how loud each of these actually plays
on a real amplifier.
Which plays louder on your amplifier?
Starting with a popular amplifier — change it to the one you own, or any you are
considering, and watch both numbers move.
Input Type and Bi-Amping / Bi-Wiring
HFF features Binding post type posts and HFC has a Binding post type posts. None of these speakers feature bi-amping/bi-wiring.
Cabinet Type and Port Position
Both HFF and HFC have rear firing ports. Rear ported speakers generally need more room between the backside of the speaker and the wall compared to sealed and front/bottom ported speakers. Placing the speakers too close to the walls may cause the bass to sound boomy.
If you are limited in space and can't get the speakers away from the backwall, check our Speakers with Front Firing Ports page.
Physical Specs
The size of a speaker can sometimes be an important decision factor due to space constraints or in some cases purely for esthetic reasons. In this section, we are going to compare Fluance HFF's and Fluance HFC's external dimensions. Fluance HFF has external dimensions of 1201.0 x 277.0 x 391.0mm (47-5/16 x 10-7/8 x 15-3/8inch) whereas Fluance HFC has external dimensions of 185.0 x 480.0 x 269.0mm (7-5/16 x 18-7/8 x 10-9/16inch).
Fluance HFC is 1016mm shorter and 122mm less deeper than Fluance HFF but it is also 203mm wider.
Base Surface Area Comparison
Base surface area of a loudspeaker may become a determining factor when the space in your room or desk is limited.
The base surface area of the Fluance HFF is approximately 1083.1cm2 / 167.9inch2 and base area of the Fluance HFC is approximately 1291.2cm2 / 200.1inch2. The HFF requires 16% less surface area than the HFC which gives it a small advantage on placement in tight spaces.