In this review, we will be comparing two different types of speakers by Fyne Audio. Fyne Audio F501E is a Floor-standing speaker whereas the F500S is a Bookshelf speaker.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of Fyne Audio F501E and Fyne Audio F500S first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
| Key Specs | Fyne Audio F501E | Fyne Audio F500S |
|---|
| Brand | Fyne Audio
United Kingdom · founded 2017 | Fyne Audio
United Kingdom · founded 2017 |
|---|
| Design | 3-way | 2-way |
|---|
| Woofer | 6" | 6" |
|---|
| Frequency response | 36-34k Hz | 45-34k Hz |
|---|
| Sensitivity | 90 dB | 89 dB |
|---|
| Impedance | 8 ohms | 8 ohms |
|---|
| Power range | 30 - 150 W watts | 30 - 100 W watts |
|---|
| Weight | 17.80kg / 39.2lbs | 8.30kg / 18.3lbs |
|---|
| Dimensions (H x W x D) | 38.74" x 9.84" x 11.57"
984.0 x 249.9 x 293.9mm | 12.8" x 8" x 12.5"
325.1 x 203.2 x 317.5mm |
|---|
What size room are the Fyne Audio F501E and Fyne Audio F500S 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* |
Fyne Audio F501E |
Fyne Audio F500S |
| Near-field |
Poor |
Good |
| Small Room |
Average |
Good |
| Mid-size Room |
Good |
Average |
| Large Room |
Average |
Poor |
| Very Large Room |
Poor |
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.
Drivers
One of the fundamental differences between these two speakers is that F501E is a 3-way design whereas the F500S 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.
Fyne Audio F501EFyne Audio F500S
Woofer
Front view, drawn to scale - cabinets and drivers share one scale, so sizes are directly comparable. Hover a driver for its size.
| Driver |
Fyne Audio F501E |
Fyne Audio F500S |
|
Driver Setup
|
3-way
|
2-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
-inch
|
-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
- |
- |
|
Woofer
|
x 6-inch
|
x 6-inch
|
F501E features a " Tweeter and x 6" Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 250 Hz, 1700 Hz. On the other hand, the F500S features a " Tweeter and x 6" Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 1700 Hz.
Frequency Response
F501E has a frequency range of 36-34k Hz whereas F500S has a frequency range of 45-34k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 36Hz, the F501E can go significantly deeper on the low side and provide stronger bass compared to the F500S's min frequency of 45Hz.
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
F501E and F500S have the same Impedance of 8 ohms but where they differ is the sensitivity levels. F501E sensitivity is rated at 90 dB and the F500S's is at 89 dB. This 1 dB difference makes the Fyne Audio F501E a more sensitive speaker compared to Fyne Audio F500S, 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.
F501E can handle a max power of 150 watts RMS, whereas F500S has a max power handling value of 100 watts RMS, 50 watts less than the F501E.
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
F501E features Binding post type posts and F500S has a Binding post type posts. None of these speakers feature bi-amping/bi-wiring.
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 Fyne Audio F501E's and Fyne Audio F500S's external dimensions. Fyne Audio F501E has external dimensions of 984.0 x 249.9 x 293.9mm (38.74 x 9.84 x 11.57inch) whereas Fyne Audio F500S has external dimensions of 325.1 x 203.2 x 317.5mm (12.8 x 8 x 12.5inch).
Fyne Audio F500S is 46.7mm narrower and 658.9mm shorter than Fyne Audio F501E but it is also 23.6mm deeper.
Size, drawn to scale
Both speakers and both views share one scale, so everything here is directly comparable. Hover a box for its dimensions.
One scale for both, standing on the same surface and pushed back to the same wall, so the deeper one visibly sticks out further.
Fyne Audio F501E needs about 14% more floor or shelf area. Fyne Audio F500S is 24mm deeper, so it stands that much further out from the wall. Fyne Audio F501E is 659mm taller.
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 Fyne Audio F501E is approximately 734.5cm2 / 113.8inch2 and base area of the Fyne Audio F500S is approximately 645.2cm2 / 100.0inch2. The F501E requires 14% more surface area than the F500S which gives it a small disadvantage on placement in tight spaces.