In this review, we will be comparing two different types of speakers. Fyne Audio F501S is a Floor-standing speaker whereas the Classic 4/5 is a Bookshelf speaker.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of Fyne Audio F501S and Spendor Classic 4/5 first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
| Key Specs | Fyne Audio F501S | Spendor Classic 4/5 |
|---|
| Brand | Fyne Audio
United Kingdom · founded 2017 | Spendor
United Kingdom · founded 1969 |
|---|
| Design | 3-way | 2-way |
|---|
| Tweeter | — | 0.87" |
|---|
| Woofer | 6" | 5.91" |
|---|
| Frequency response | 36-34k Hz | 55-25k Hz |
|---|
| Sensitivity | 90 dB | 84 dB |
|---|
| Impedance | 8 ohms | 8 ohms |
|---|
| Power range | 30 - 150 W watts | — |
|---|
| Weight | 18.60kg / 40.9lbs | 4.99kg / 11lbs |
|---|
| Dimensions (H x W x D) | 38.7" x 9.84" x 12.5"
983.0 x 249.9 x 317.5mm | 12.1" x 7.4" x 6.5"
307.3 x 188.0 x 165.1mm |
|---|
What size room are the Fyne Audio F501S and Spendor Classic 4/5 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 F501S |
Spendor Classic 4/5 |
| 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 F501S is a 3-way design whereas the Classic 4/5 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 F501SSpendor Classic 4/5
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 F501S |
Spendor Classic 4/5 |
|
Driver Setup
|
3-way
|
2-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
-inch
|
0.87-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
- |
- |
|
Woofer
|
x 6-inch
|
1 x 5.91-inch
|
F501S features a " Tweeter and x 6" Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 250 Hz, 1700 Hz. On the other hand, the Classic 4/5 features a 0.87" Tweeter and 1 x 5.91" Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 4.2 kHz.
Frequency Response
F501S has a frequency range of 36-34k Hz whereas Classic 4/5 has a frequency range of 55-25k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 36Hz, the F501S can go significantly deeper on the low side and provide stronger bass compared to the Classic 4/5's min frequency of 55Hz.
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
F501S and Classic 4/5 have the same Impedance of 8 ohms but where they differ is the sensitivity levels. F501S sensitivity is rated at 90 dB and the Classic 4/5's is at 84 dB. This 6 dB difference makes the Fyne Audio F501S a more sensitive speaker compared to Spendor Classic 4/5, hence will play louder with the same amount of watts.
Sensitivity
Floor-standing Speakers
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
F501S features Binding post type posts and Classic 4/5 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 F501S's and Spendor Classic 4/5's external dimensions. Fyne Audio F501S has external dimensions of 983.0 x 249.9 x 317.5mm (38.7 x 9.84 x 12.5inch) whereas Spendor Classic 4/5 has external dimensions of 307.3 x 188.0 x 165.1mm (12.1 x 7.4 x 6.5inch).
Fyne Audio F501S is clearly the larger of the two speakers. Its body is 61.9mm wider, 675.7mm taller and 152.4mm deeper than Spendor Classic 4/5.
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 F501S needs about 156% more floor or shelf area. Fyne Audio F501S is 152mm deeper, so it stands that much further out from the wall. Fyne Audio F501S is 676mm 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 F501S is approximately 793.4cm2 / 123.0inch2 and base area of the Spendor Classic 4/5 is approximately 310.4cm2 / 48.1inch2. The F501S requires 156% more surface area than the Classic 4/5 which gives it a small disadvantage on placement in tight spaces.