In this review, we will be comparing two different types of speakers. Fyne Audio FA502iC is a In-wall speaker whereas the R5 Meta is a Floor-standing speaker.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of Fyne Audio FA502iC and KEF R5 Meta first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
| Key Specs | Fyne Audio FA502iC | KEF R5 Meta |
|---|
| Brand | Fyne Audio
United Kingdom · founded 2017 | KEF
United Kingdom · founded 1961 |
|---|
| Design | 2-way | 3-way |
|---|
| Uni-Q driver | — | 12th Generation Uni-Q |
|---|
| Tweeter | — | 1" Vented dome |
|---|
| Midrange | — | 5" |
|---|
| Woofer | 8" | 2 x 5.25" Hybrid Aluminum |
|---|
| Frequency response | 35-34k Hz | 52-28k Hz |
|---|
| Sensitivity | 91 dB | 87 dB |
|---|
| Impedance | 8 ohms | 4 ohms |
|---|
| Power range | 30 - 150 W watts | 15-200 watts |
|---|
| Weight | 2.49kg / 5.5lbs | 24.55kg / 54lbs |
|---|
| Dimensions (H x W x D) | 10-3/4" x 10-3/4" x 4-13/16"
273.0 x 273.0 x 123.0mm | 42-1/4" x 10-3/4" x 13-1/2"
1074.0 x 274.0 x 343.0mm |
|---|
What size room are the Fyne Audio FA502iC and KEF R5 Meta 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 FA502iC |
KEF R5 Meta |
| Near-field |
Good |
Bad |
| Small Room |
Good |
Poor |
| Mid-size Room |
Average |
Average |
| Large Room |
Poor |
Good |
| Very Large Room |
No way |
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
One of the fundamental differences between these two speakers is that FA502iC is a 2-way design whereas the R5 Meta is a 3-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 FA502iCKEF R5 Meta
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 FA502iC |
KEF R5 Meta |
|
Driver Setup
|
2-way
|
3-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
-inch
|
1-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
- |
1 x 5-inch |
|
Woofer
|
x 8-inch
|
2 x 5.25-inch
|
FA502iC features a " Tweeter and x 8" Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 1700 Hz. On the other hand, the R5 Meta features a 1" Aluminum with MAT absorber Vented dome Tweeter, a 5" Midrange and 2 x 5.25" Hybrid Aluminum Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 400Hz and 2700Hz.
Frequency Response
FA502iC has a frequency range of 35-34k Hz whereas R5 Meta has a frequency range of 52-28k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 35Hz, the FA502iC can go significantly deeper on the low side and provide stronger bass compared to the R5 Meta's min frequency of 52Hz.
The graph below depicts how these two speakers compare with the max, min and average Low Frequency values of other speakers in the In-wall class in our database.
Low Frequency
In-wall 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
FA502iC is a 8 ohms speaker compared to the R5 Meta 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 R5 Meta can provide this impedance level.
These two speakers also have different sensitivity levels. FA502iC sensitivity is rated at 91 dB and the R5 Meta's is rated at 87 dB. This 4 dB difference makes the Fyne Audio FA502iC a more sensitive speaker compared to KEF R5 Meta, hence will play louder with the same amount of watts.
Sensitivity
In-wall 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.
R5 Meta can handle a max power of 200 watts RMS, whereas FA502iC has a max power handling value of 150 watts RMS, 50 watts less than the R5 Meta.
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
R5 Meta features Custom 5-way bi-wire tool-less binding posts posts which make bi-amping or bi-wiring possible. FA502iC has a Binding post which doesn't feature bi-amping/bi-wiring.
KEF R5 Meta's Custom 5-way bi-wire tool-less binding posts terminals allows Bi-amping or 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 FA502iC's and KEF R5 Meta's external dimensions. Fyne Audio FA502iC has external dimensions of 273.0 x 273.0 x 123.0mm () whereas KEF R5 Meta has external dimensions of 1074.0 x 274.0 x 343.0mm (42-1/4-inch x 10-3/4-inch x 13-1/2-inch).
KEF R5 Meta is clearly the larger of the two speakers. Its body is 1mm wider, 801mm taller and 220mm deeper than Fyne Audio FA502iC.
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.
KEF R5 Meta needs about 180% more floor or shelf area. KEF R5 Meta is 220mm deeper, so it stands that much further out from the wall. KEF R5 Meta is 801mm taller.
What's in the Box of KEF R5 Meta?
Here are the items that come with the R5 Meta:
- R5 Meta
- Microfiber grille
- Plinth and spike accessories
- Port bungs
- User manual and warranty information