In this review, we will be comparing F55E and Prime Tower, two Passive Floor-standing speakers from Fyne Audio and SVS.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of Fyne Audio F55E and SVS Prime Tower first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
| Key Specs | Fyne Audio F55E | SVS Prime Tower |
|---|
| Brand | Fyne Audio
United Kingdom · founded 2017 | SVS
United States · founded 1998 |
|---|
| Design | 3-way | 3-way |
|---|
| Tweeter | — | 1" dome |
|---|
| Midrange | — | 4.5" |
|---|
| Woofer | 5" | 2 x 6.5" Polypropylene |
|---|
| Frequency response | 42-38k Hz | 30-25k Hz |
|---|
| Sensitivity | 88 dB | 87 dB |
|---|
| Impedance | 8 ohms | 8 ohms |
|---|
| Power range | 30 - 120 W watts | 20-250 watts |
|---|
| Weight | 11.90kg / 26.2lbs | 18.23kg / 40.1lbs |
|---|
| Dimensions (H x W x D) | 36.42" x 8.27" x 9.29"
925.1 x 210.1 x 236.0mm | 36-5/8" x 8" x 11-11/16"
931.0 x 204.0 x 297.0mm |
|---|
What size room are the Fyne Audio F55E and SVS Prime Tower 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 F55E |
SVS Prime Tower |
| Near-field |
Poor |
Bad |
| Small Room |
Average |
Poor |
| Mid-size Room |
Good |
Average |
| Large Room |
Average |
Good |
| Very Large Room |
Poor |
Average |
(* 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 F55E and Prime Tower are 3-way speakers.
Fyne Audio F55ESVS Prime Tower
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 F55E |
SVS Prime Tower |
|
Driver Setup
|
3-way
|
3-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
-inch
|
1-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
- |
1 x 4.5-inch |
|
Woofer
|
x 5-inch
|
2 x 6.5-inch
|
F55E features a " Tweeter and x 5" Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 350 Hz, 1800 Hz. On the other hand, the Prime Tower features a 1" aluminum dome Tweeter, a 4.5" Midrange and 2 x 6.5" Polypropylene Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 350Hz and 2100Hz.
Frequency Response
F55E has a frequency range of 42-38k Hz whereas Prime Tower has a frequency range of 30-25k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 30Hz, the Prime Tower can go significantly deeper on the low side and provide stronger bass compared to the F55E's min frequency of 42Hz.
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
F55E and Prime Tower have the same Impedance of 8 ohms but where they differ is the sensitivity levels. F55E sensitivity is rated at 88 dB and the Prime Tower's is at 87 dB. This 1 dB difference makes the Fyne Audio F55E a more sensitive speaker compared to SVS Prime Tower, 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.
Prime Tower can handle a max power of 250 watts RMS, whereas F55E has a max power handling value of 120 watts RMS, 130 watts less than the Prime Tower.
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
F55E features 5-Way post type posts and Prime Tower has a 5-Way post type posts. None of these speakers feature bi-amping/bi-wiring.
SVS Prime Tower'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 F55E's and SVS Prime Tower's external dimensions. Fyne Audio F55E has external dimensions of 925.1 x 210.1 x 236.0mm (36.42 x 8.27 x 9.29inch) whereas SVS Prime Tower has external dimensions of 931.0 x 204.0 x 297.0mm (36-5/8 x 8 x 11-11/16inch).
Fyne Audio F55E is 5.9mm shorter and 61mm less deeper than SVS Prime Tower but it is also 6.1mm 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.
SVS Prime Tower needs about 22% more floor or shelf area. SVS Prime Tower is 61mm deeper, so it stands that much further out from the wall.
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 F55E is approximately 495.8cm2 / 76.8inch2 and base area of the SVS Prime Tower is approximately 605.9cm2 / 93.9inch2. The F55E requires 18% less surface area than the Prime Tower 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 F55E weighs 11.90kg / 26.2lbs and the SVS Prime Tower weighs 18.23kg / 40.1lbs. This makes the Prime Tower 53% heavier than the F55E.
Here is a comparison of how F55E and Prime Tower'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 SVS Prime Tower?
Here are the items that come with the Prime Tower:
- Floorstanding loudspeaker
- Grille (pre-installed)
- 4 Elastomer isolation feet (pre-installed)
- 4 Spike feet
- 4 Nuts
- 4 Protective discs
- Owners Manual
- SVS brochure
- Online Product Registration Card
 Sensitivity |
88 dB
vs
87 dB
|
Play louder with same amount of amplification power |
 High Frequency Response |
38k Hz
vs
25k Hz
|
Generates higher frequency |
 Height |
925mm
vs
931mm
|
Easier to fit in smaller spaces |
 Base Surface Area |
495cm2
vs
605cm2
|
Takes less floor space |
 Max Input Power |
250 watts
vs
120 watts
|
Handle more power from your amplifier |
 Woofer Size |
6.5 inches
vs
5 inches
|
Larger woofer |
|
Low Frequency Response |
30 Hz
vs
42 Hz
|
Generates deeper bass |
 Price per pair* |
1400USD
vs
1599USD
|
costs less (*prices may change depending on the seller, location and time) |
| General |
Fyne Audio F55E |
SVS Prime Tower |
| Brand |
Fyne Audio |
SVS |
| Speaker Type |
Floor-standing speaker |
Floor-standing speaker |
| Power Range |
30 - 120 W watts |
20-250 watts |
| Sensitivity |
88 dB |
87 dB |
| Impedance |
8 ohms |
8 ohms |
| Frequency Response |
42-38k Hz |
30-25k Hz |
Drivers |
|
|
| Woofer Quantity |
|
2 |
| Woofer Size |
5" |
6.5" |
| Woofer Composition |
|
Polypropylene |
| Woofer Surround Material |
n/a |
Rubber |
| Tweeter Size |
- |
1" |
| Tweeter Type |
n/a |
dome |
| Aimable Tweeter |
No |
No |
| Midrange Driver |
No |
4.5" |
| Crossover Frequency |
350 Hz, 1800 Hz |
350Hz and 2100Hz |
| Firing Direction |
n/a |
rear |
Physical Specs |
|
|
| Height |
925.1mm (36.4") |
931.0mm (36.7") |
| Width |
210.1mm (8.3") |
204.0mm (8") |
| Depth |
236.0mm (9.3") |
297.0mm (11.7") |
| Weight |
11.90kg (26.2lbs) |
18.23kg (40.1lbs) |
| 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 |
|
5 Years |
| Labor Warranty |
|
5 Years |
A generation apart: Fyne Audio F55E is the newer design, against a 2015 model. Newer is not automatically better, but the older one is more likely to be discounted or near run-out.
| Area | Better | Why |
|---|
| Bass | B | SVS Prime Tower digs deeper - 30Hz against 42Hz. |
| Amplifier needs | evenly matched | Similar sensitivity (88dB vs 87dB) - both want much the same power. |
| Headroom | B | SVS Prime Tower takes more power (250W vs 120W) - more in hand in a big room. |
| Size | depends | Similar cabinet size - neither is easier to fit. |
| Price | B | SVS Prime Tower is cheaper - $1,400 against $1,599, about 12% less. |
A Fyne Audio F55E B SVS Prime Tower
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?
SVS Prime Tower is the easier recommendation: it leads on most of the measured areas and costs less. Take Fyne Audio F55E 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 42Hz anyway, so judge these on the other rows instead. Match it to your room: we rate Fyne Audio F55E the better fit for a small room and a mid-size room, and SVS Prime Tower for a large room and a very 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.