Fyne Audio F302

Homonyms hold the key to some 90 per cent of Dad jokes, and for that we must be grateful to our language for their existence. But when it comes to Fyne Audio, the Scottish company’s rhyme-sake doesn’t describe its brilliance quite aptly enough.

If that tantalisingly low £419 price tag doesn’t already have you rushing to dig out your credit card, we won’t be surprised if you’re already entering your bank details by the end of this review.

A two-way, rear-ported design, the F302s house a 25mm polyester dome tweeter and 15cm multi-fibre mid/bass driver in each of their sturdy cabinets.

With the plinths adding a little more width to the overall footprint, it feels as though you’re getting a lot of speaker for the money – even though you won’t be greasing the sides to squeeze them into your living room.

The F302s are available in walnut, black ash and light oak finishes – described by Fyne as ‘superior vinyl’. These are understated finishes, offset by a glossy black headband framing the tweeter. There is further detailing surrounding the bass/mid driver too; more than mere aesthetic flourish, this tyre-like design aids solidity and makes it more difficult to distort the sound.

From beginning to end

Uncomplicated in design, the F302s offer a performance that sets them apart as immediate class-leaders. We listen to every song from beginning to end – an acid test passed only by the most engaging products to cross our path.

We play Bon Iver’s 22, A Million and from the outset we’re met with a confident, forward presentation – but one that has all the detail and refinement we might expect from the best standmounters at this price.

The texture in those opening vocal loops offers a sense of movement and anticipation over a flatlining drone, and quite luscious warmth to Justin Vernon’s trademark choral harmonies. The presentation also feels spacious, with plenty of dimensionality both in terms of width and depth.

The size of the cabinet suggests a wealth of low-end, but bass is taut and doesn’t obstruct the F302s’ keen rhythmic sense.

Rare strengths

Timing and dynamic range tend to be neglected characteristics in floorstanders at this price – they often favour power, bass and a grander soundstage instead – so it’s worth highlighting just how adept the Fynes are at capturing both.

That means harnessing the grimy percussive loops of tracks such as 10 d E

A T h b R E a s T, while allowing 29 #Strafford APTS to trickle downstream without fear of becoming stagnant. It builds the intensity of 8 (circle) nicely as it reaches its anthemic conclusion.

These tracks also highlight how adept the F302s are at capturing the production as well as the character of the music.

With synthesizer and vocal alike sodden in almost 80s levels of reverb, the tone changes entirely with the following number ___45___, a dry presentation of breathy saxophone harmonies that the F302s are self-assured enough to throw front and centre. The contrast is indicative of the kind of insight that’s quite rare in this price bracket.

It’s a more mature performance than we were expecting, even having heard what Fyne is capable of further up the food chain.

If there is one caveat, it is that some care needs to be taken with system matching; there is a little brightness in the treble that should be tempered by pairing with a suitable amplifier and music source.

At this price we’d recommend something such as Marantz’s PM6006 UK amp, which will complement the F302s’ innate strengths while rounding off some of that top end, perhaps with the same company’s CD6006 UK as a source.

A successful match

That said, even testing with our Cyrus Cdi/rega Elex-r combo, each of which can highlight any treble coarseness, was a delight. So it’s more a case that you’ll get the best from these speakers with some careful matching, rather than being forced to avoid them without.

It’s rare to find floorstanding allrounders at less than £500 able to compete in every respect with the wealth of quality standmount speakers available at the same price. Which only serves to demonstrate just what a sterling job Fyne has done with the F302s.

Fyne Audio has a real class-leader here – one that belies its extremely reasonable price tag at every turn.