In this review, we will be comparing F501E and Concord, two Passive Floor-standing speakers from Fyne Audio and KLH.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of Fyne Audio F501E and KLH Concord first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
| Key Specs | Fyne Audio F501E | KLH Concord |
|---|
| Brand | Fyne Audio
United Kingdom · founded 2017 | KLH
United States · founded 1957 |
|---|
| Design | 3-way | 2-way |
|---|
| Tweeter | — | 1" |
|---|
| Woofer | 6" | 2 x 6.5" Kevlar |
|---|
| Frequency response | 36-34k Hz | 28-23k Hz |
|---|
| Sensitivity | 90 dB | 94 dB |
|---|
| Impedance | 8 ohms | 8 ohms |
|---|
| Power range | 30 - 150 W watts | up to 225 watts |
|---|
| Weight | 17.80kg / 39.2lbs | 20.45kg / 45lbs |
|---|
| Dimensions (H x W x D) | 38.74" x 9.84" x 11.57"
984.0 x 249.9 x 293.9mm | 40-3/8" x 8-5/16" x 14-15/16"
1026.0 x 212.0 x 380.0mm |
|---|
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 Concord 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 F501EKLH Concord
TweeterWoofer
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 |
KLH Concord |
|
Driver Setup
|
3-way
|
2-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
-inch
|
1-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
- |
- |
|
Woofer
|
x 6-inch
|
2 x 6.5-inch
|
F501E features a " Tweeter and x 6" Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 250 Hz, 1700 Hz. On the other hand, the Concord features a 1" anodized aluminum Tweeter and 2 x 6.5" Kevlar Woofer.
Frequency Response
F501E has a frequency range of 36-34k Hz whereas Concord has a frequency range of 28-23k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 28Hz, the Concord can go significantly deeper on the low side and provide stronger bass compared to the F501E's min frequency of 36Hz.
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 Concord have the same Impedance of 8 ohms but where they differ is the sensitivity levels. F501E sensitivity is rated at 90 dB and the Concord's is at 94 dB. This 4 dB difference makes the KLH Concord a more sensitive speaker compared to Fyne Audio F501E, 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.
Concord can handle a max power of 225 watts RMS, whereas F501E has a max power handling value of 150 watts RMS, 75 watts less than the Concord.
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 5-Way post type posts and Concord has a 5-Way post type posts. None of these speakers feature bi-amping/bi-wiring.
KLH Concord's 5-Way post terminals
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 KLH Concord'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 KLH Concord has external dimensions of 1026.0 x 212.0 x 380.0mm (40-3/8 x 8-5/16 x 14-15/16inch).
Fyne Audio F501E is 42mm shorter and 86.1mm less deeper than KLH Concord but it is also 37.9mm wider.
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.
KLH Concord needs about 10% more floor or shelf area. KLH Concord is 86mm deeper, so it stands that much further out from the wall. KLH Concord is 42mm 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 KLH Concord is approximately 805.6cm2 / 124.9inch2. The F501E requires 9% less surface area than the Concord which gives it a small advantage on placement in tight spaces.
Weight Comparison The weight of a loudspeaker can become an important factor if you need to move and reposition the unit often. Weight of a speaker can also "sometimes" be an indicator of the rigidity of the enclosure and the quality of the internal components used. The Fyne Audio F501E weighs 17.80kg / 39.2lbs and the KLH Concord weighs 20.45kg / 45lbs. This makes the Concord 15% heavier than the F501E.
Here is a comparison of how F501E and Concord's weights compare with the average, max and min weights in Passive Floor-standing class.
Weight
All Floor-standing Speakers
What's in the Box of KLH Concord?
Here are the items that come with the Concord:
- Floorstanding loudspeaker
- Grille
- 4 Spike feet (w/ locking nut attached)
- 4 Protective discs
- 4 Rubber feet
- Port plug
- Manual
- ATTENTION! note
 Driver Setup |
3-way
vs
2-way
|
Have a dedicated mid-range driver |
 High Frequency Response |
34k Hz
vs
23k Hz
|
Generates higher frequency |
 Height |
984mm
vs
1026mm
|
Easier to fit in smaller spaces |
 Base Surface Area |
734cm2
vs
805cm2
|
Takes less floor space |
 Max Input Power |
225 watts
vs
150 watts
|
Handle more power from your amplifier |
 Sensitivity |
94 dB
vs
90 dB
|
Play louder with same amount of amplification power |
 Woofer Size |
6.5 inches
vs
6 inches
|
Larger woofer |
|
Low Frequency Response |
28 Hz
vs
36 Hz
|
Generates deeper bass |
 Price per pair* |
1000USD
vs
1799USD
|
costs less (*prices may change depending on the seller, location and time) |
| General |
Fyne Audio F501E |
KLH Concord |
| Brand |
Fyne Audio |
KLH |
| Speaker Type |
Floor-standing speaker |
Floor-standing speaker |
| Power Range |
30 - 150 W watts |
up to 225 watts |
| Sensitivity |
90 dB |
94 dB |
| Impedance |
8 ohms |
8 ohms |
| Frequency Response |
36-34k Hz |
28-23k Hz |
Drivers |
|
|
| Woofer Quantity |
|
2 |
| Woofer Size |
6" |
6.5" |
| Woofer Composition |
|
Kevlar |
| Woofer Surround Material |
n/a |
Butyl Rubber |
| Tweeter Size |
- |
1" |
| Aimable Tweeter |
No |
No |
| Midrange Driver |
No |
No |
| Crossover Frequency |
250 Hz, 1700 Hz |
n/a |
Physical Specs |
|
|
| Height |
984.0mm (38.7") |
1026.0mm (40.4") |
| Width |
249.9mm (9.8") |
212.0mm (8.3") |
| Depth |
293.9mm (11.6") |
380.0mm (15") |
| Weight |
17.80kg (39.2lbs) |
20.45kg (45lbs) |
| Enclosure |
Bass Reflex |
Bass Reflex |
| Finish |
n/a |
MDF/Wood-grain vinyl |
| Available Colors |
n/a |
Black |
| Grille |
Yes |
Yes |
| Moisture Resistancy |
No |
No |
Connections |
|
|
| Biamp Inputs |
n/a |
No |
Other |
|
|
| Parts Warranty |
|
10 Years |
| Labor Warranty |
|
10 Years |
These sit in different price classes - Fyne Audio F501E costs roughly 1.8x what KLH Concord does. Expect it to lead on paper; the question is whether the gap is audible enough in your room to be worth it.
| Area | Better | Why |
|---|
| Bass | B | KLH Concord digs deeper - 28Hz against 36Hz. A subwoofer would even that out. |
| Amplifier needs | B | KLH Concord is more sensitive (94dB vs 90dB), so it goes louder on the same amplifier. |
| Headroom | B | KLH Concord takes more power (225W vs 150W) - more in hand in a big room. |
| Size | depends | Similar cabinet size - neither is easier to fit. |
| Price | B | KLH Concord is cheaper - $1,000 against $1,799, about 44% less; arguably a different class. |
A Fyne Audio F501E B KLH Concord
depends neither is better in the abstract - it turns on your room, your system or how you will use them. Only specs published for both speakers are judged; anything missing on either side is left out rather than guessed.
Which should you choose?
KLH Concord is the easier recommendation: it leads on most of the measured areas and costs less. Take Fyne Audio F501E if its size, looks or fit in your room suit you better. If a subwoofer is in your plans, the bass gap largely stops mattering - you would be crossing over above 36Hz anyway, so judge these on the other rows instead. If your amplifier is modest, vintage or valve-based, KLH Concord is the safer partner - the other will want more current or more watts to sound its best.
And remember what a spec sheet cannot show: how each looks in your room and whether the finish suits it, what dealer support and warranty are like where you live, and how they actually sound to you. If you can hear them first - ideally with your own music - that will tell you more than any number above.