In this review, we will be comparing F501SP and EVO5.3, two Passive Floor-standing speakers from Fyne Audio and Wharfedale.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of Fyne Audio F501SP and Wharfedale EVO5.3 first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
| Key Specs | Fyne Audio F501SP | Wharfedale EVO5.3 |
|---|
| Brand | Fyne Audio
United Kingdom · founded 2017 | Wharfedale
United Kingdom · founded 1932 |
|---|
| Design | 3-way | 3-way |
|---|
| Tweeter | — | 1.375" AMT (Ribbon) |
|---|
| Midrange | — | 2" |
|---|
| Woofer | 6" | 2 x 5" woven Kevlar |
|---|
| Frequency response | 36-34k Hz | 46-24k Hz |
|---|
| Sensitivity | 91 dB | 88 dB |
|---|
| Impedance | 8 ohms | 4 ohms |
|---|
| Power range | 30 - 180 W watts | 25-150 watts |
|---|
| Weight | 21.00kg / 46.2lbs | 21.55kg / 47.4lbs |
|---|
| Dimensions (H x W x D) | 38.7" x 11.3" x 12.7"
983.0 x 287.0 x 322.6mm | 36.7" x 10.5" x 12.8"
933.0 x 266.0 x 325.0mm |
|---|
What size room are the Fyne Audio F501SP and Wharfedale EVO5.3 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 F501SP |
Wharfedale EVO5.3 |
| Near-field |
Poor |
Bad |
| Small Room |
Average |
Poor |
| Mid-size Room |
Good |
Good |
| Large Room |
Average |
Good |
| Very Large Room |
Poor |
Poor |
(* 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
Both F501SP and EVO5.3 are 3-way speakers.
Fyne Audio F501SPWharfedale EVO5.3
TweeterMidrangeWoofer
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 F501SP |
Wharfedale EVO5.3 |
|
Driver Setup
|
3-way
|
3-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
-inch
|
1.375-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
- |
1 x 2-inch |
|
Woofer
|
x 6-inch
|
2 x 5-inch
|
F501SP features a " Tweeter and x 6" Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 250 Hz, 1700 Hz. On the other hand, the EVO5.3 features a 1.375" SilentWeave cotton and felt damping fiber AMT (Ribbon) Tweeter, a 2" Midrange and 2 x 5" woven Kevlar Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 825 Hz and 4 kHz.
Frequency Response
F501SP has a frequency range of 36-34k Hz whereas EVO5.3 has a frequency range of 46-24k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 36Hz, the F501SP can go significantly deeper on the low side and provide stronger bass compared to the EVO5.3's min frequency of 46Hz.
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
F501SP is a 8 ohms speaker compared to the EVO5.3 which has a nominal impedance of 4 ohms. Lower impedance speakers, especially the ones that are rated at 4 ohms may put more pressure on the amplifier unit especially when played at high volume levels, so make sure the amp you pair with the EVO5.3 can provide this impedance level.
These two speakers also have different sensitivity levels. F501SP sensitivity is rated at 91 dB and the EVO5.3's is rated at 88 dB. This 3 dB difference makes the Fyne Audio F501SP a more sensitive speaker compared to Wharfedale EVO5.3, 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.
F501SP can handle a max power of 180 watts RMS, whereas EVO5.3 has a max power handling value of 150 watts RMS, 30 watts less than the F501SP.
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
F501SP features Binding post type posts and EVO5.3 has a Binding post type posts. None of these speakers feature bi-amping/bi-wiring.
Wharfedale EVO5.3's Binding 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 F501SP's and Wharfedale EVO5.3's external dimensions. Fyne Audio F501SP has external dimensions of 983.0 x 287.0 x 322.6mm (38.7 x 11.3 x 12.7inch) whereas Wharfedale EVO5.3 has external dimensions of 933.0 x 266.0 x 325.0mm (36.7" × 10.5" × 12.8").
Wharfedale EVO5.3 is 21mm narrower and 50mm shorter than Fyne Audio F501SP but it is also 2.4mm 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.
Near-identical footprints. Fyne Audio F501SP is 50mm 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 F501SP is approximately 925.9cm2 / 143.5inch2 and base area of the Wharfedale EVO5.3 is approximately 864.5cm2 / 134.0inch2. The F501SP requires 7% more surface area than the EVO5.3 which gives it a small disadvantage 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 F501SP weighs 21.00kg / 46.2lbs and the Wharfedale EVO5.3 weighs 21.55kg / 47.4lbs. This makes the EVO5.3 3% heavier than the F501SP.
Here is a comparison of how F501SP and EVO5.3'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 Wharfedale EVO5.3?
Here are the items that come with the EVO5.3:
- Floorstanding loudspeaker
- Grille
- 4 Outrigger feet (pre-installed)
- 4 Spikes (pre-installed)
- 4 Isolation pucks
- 2 Jumper-bars (pre-installed)
- Pair of white cloth gloves
- User Manual
 Max Input Power |
180 watts
vs
150 watts
|
Handle more power from your amplifier |
 Sensitivity |
91 dB
vs
88 dB
|
Play louder with same amount of amplification power |
 Nominal Impedance |
8 ohms
vs
4 ohms
|
Less selective with amplifiers |
 Woofer Size |
6 inches
vs
5 inches
|
Larger woofer |
|
Low Frequency Response |
36 Hz
vs
46 Hz
|
Generates deeper bass |
 High Frequency Response |
34k Hz
vs
24k Hz
|
Generates higher frequency |
 Height |
933mm
vs
983mm
|
Easier to fit in smaller spaces |
 Base Surface Area |
864cm2
vs
925cm2
|
Takes less floor space |
 Price per pair* |
1899USD
vs
4799USD
|
costs less (*prices may change depending on the seller, location and time) |
| General |
Fyne Audio F501SP |
Wharfedale EVO5.3 |
| Brand |
Fyne Audio |
Wharfedale |
| Speaker Type |
Floor-standing speaker |
Floor-standing speaker |
| Power Range |
30 - 180 W watts |
25-150 watts |
| Sensitivity |
91 dB |
88 dB |
| Impedance |
8 ohms |
4 ohms |
| Impedance |
n/a |
3.5 ohms |
| Frequency Response |
36-34k Hz |
46-24k Hz |
Drivers |
|
|
| Woofer Quantity |
|
2 |
| Woofer Size |
6" |
5" |
| Woofer Composition |
|
woven Kevlar |
| Woofer Surround Material |
n/a |
Rubber |
| Tweeter Size |
- |
1.375" |
| Tweeter Type |
n/a |
AMT (Ribbon) |
| Aimable Tweeter |
No |
No |
| Midrange Driver |
No |
2" |
| Crossover Frequency |
250 Hz, 1700 Hz |
825 Hz and 4 kHz |
| Firing Direction |
n/a |
bottom |
Physical Specs |
|
|
| Height |
983.0mm (38.7") |
933.0mm (36.7") |
| Width |
287.0mm (11.3") |
266.0mm (10.5") |
| Depth |
322.6mm (12.7") |
325.0mm (12.8") |
| Weight |
21.00kg (46.2lbs) |
21.55kg (47.4lbs) |
| Enclosure |
Bass Reflex |
Bass Reflex |
| Finish |
n/a |
MDF/Wood-veneer |
| Available Colors |
n/a |
Walnut, Grey. Black, White |
| Grille |
Yes |
Yes |
| Moisture Resistancy |
No |
No |
Connections |
|
|
| Biamp Inputs |
n/a |
No |
Other |
|
|
| Parts Warranty |
|
5 Years |
| Labor Warranty |
|
5 Years |
These sit in different price classes - Fyne Audio F501SP costs roughly 2.5x what Wharfedale EVO5.3 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 | A | Fyne Audio F501SP digs deeper - 36Hz against 46Hz. |
| Amplifier needs | A | Fyne Audio F501SP is more sensitive (91dB vs 88dB), so it goes louder on the same amplifier. |
| Amplifier match | A | Fyne Audio F501SP is the easier load at 8 ohms; the other is 4 ohms and wants an amplifier rated for it. |
| Headroom | evenly matched | Similar power handling (180W vs 150W). |
| Size | depends | Similar cabinet size - neither is easier to fit. |
| Price | B | Wharfedale EVO5.3 is cheaper - $1,899 against $4,799, about 60% less; arguably a different class. |
A Fyne Audio F501SP B Wharfedale EVO5.3
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?
The usual trade-off: Fyne Audio F501SP measures better, Wharfedale EVO5.3 costs about about 2.5x the price% less. Whether that gap is worth the money is the call only you can make - and in a normal room it is often smaller than the numbers suggest. If a subwoofer is in your plans, the bass gap largely stops mattering - you would be crossing over above 46Hz anyway, which makes the cheaper Wharfedale EVO5.3 much easier to justify. Match it to your room: we rate Fyne Audio F501SP the better fit for a small room, and Wharfedale EVO5.3 for a large room.
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.