beautifully crafted! Fyne F500SP Bookshelf speaker review!

[@wichiewichie]

Oh man, I’ve been waiting for Fyne Audio speakers reviews by my favorite reviewers for a while. Definitely hitting the like button even before watching it! 😂

[@sean_heisler]

I hit the like button immediately for all Nemo’s videos because they are always good and even if I ever had a problem with one of his videos, which I never have, I’ll always support him anyhow.

[@psyphonyxaudio]

These look amazing.. I can bet how awesome they sound.

[@mayssebmasenya9132]

They look beautiful.

[@michaelwright1602]

They just keep sounding better every day... I had a hiccup a few weeks ago, and they sounded like crap, and then they opened up and I am incredibly impressed as they break in and loosen up. The detail they put out is quite impressive to say the least, a very Fyne speaker. ;-) I would recommend and purchase another pair if I had a system for them.

[@michaelwright1602]

Thank you Nemo, these are incredible speakers for the money. I'm listening to mine right now, and everything you stated is true. The soundstage is huge, these are making my Zu's and Maggies sound like Woolworth specials. I have had monitors before, but nothing like these, especially in my room. Another great review!

[@bearclaw5115]

Nemo, you're doing a great job with your channel. You're always reviewing cool stuff, a lot of which I would not have even considered and I think your opinions are pretty reliable too.

[@NemoPropaganda]

I appreciate the kind words, thank you!

[@GhettoMike72]

I have the Fyne F500 (not sp) at my desk with a Rel T/Zero and I love the combo! Low volume champs for sure. Best imaging I’ve achieved with near field. If I knew what I know now I would have gone with the SP!

[@MikeK6046]

It would be interesting to have an A/B comparison between this Fyne F500SP & Andrew Jones Source Point 8 (both seemed to be similarly priced)

[@NemoPropaganda]

the mofi's are so ugly though :(

[@MikeK6046]

@@NemoPropaganda I agree with you, however, these equipment/ speakers are meant for "hearing" (ears can't see). Anyway, it's great when form & function are combined with stereo equipment, but given the two, I'll take function over form (hey that's just me, how I roll)

[@adsph]

Solid take here. Well done

[@FRL2000]

a LOT of tough competition out there for this in the small bookshelf $2k budget market. I upgraded from ls50 Meta to Proac Tablette 10 and I'm very pleased.

[@markwalters5903]

I have a pair of ProAc Tablette 10's in my bedroom system paired with an REL T/5i. Nothing short of fantastic! I think I am going to try these Fynes in my main system.

[@fletchermunson6225]

Thanks for another great review!

[@michaelwright1602]

I have now owned these for a month... As they break in, the more detail and overall sound quality they present, you need to give them time. These are a difficult speaker to describe, they have a lush, but not warm sound, and these are not bright, but very detailed. They sound HUGE in regards to what you are physically looking at. They are so small, they disappear in the room, as the room is enveloped in sound. Like I stated, this is a difficult speaker to say it sounds like this or that. I can only imagine what the upper tier Fyne's can do. These little F500SP's are staying.

[@NemoPropaganda]

oh yeah, this was actually a tougher speaker to review but once its setup right it's as you've said, pretty darn surprising given the phsysical size you're looking at :)

[@eltonc1505]

Wonderful review Nemo...Thanks !

[@MisterJDee]

I love the Fyne F500sp speakers! Best amp combination I found with these speakers were the McIntosh amps! So so effortless and amazing!

[@carlbrown3634]

Great review! Thanks for sharing.

[@mcjonner]

I wonder how these compare to kef r3

[@dragonstone6594]

Great review. Can you also please review the FYNE Audio F701SP too?

[@Birmingham_racing]

Love how compact they are they look like subwoofers at first glance

[@NemoPropaganda]

ahahaha, I thought the same thing when I took the picture for the thumbnail my brain went "hehe mini subwoofers" lol

[@hclandscapes]

How would you rate this speaker against the KEF R3 meta?

[@NemoPropaganda]

R3 Meta is a much larger speaker so I don't think too many people will be cross shopping the two despite the similar price. The F500SP are more for people who want something better than the LS50 Meta but not something so large like the R3 Meta, having a dedicated bass driver the R3 Meta will have much more powerful bass overall, it's midrange is warmer while the F500SP is closer to neutral and the R3 Meta treble is a little softer & lighter while the F500SP is a little more forward and detail focused.

[@bearclaw5115]

@@NemoPropaganda Thanks for answering this question. I was considering the R3 and it sounds like the F500SP is a better match in my small office because of the more moderate bass level.

[@NemoPropaganda]

@@bearclaw5115 you've got the right thinking, the R3 meta certainly can overload a small room, especially if you can't get them about 2ft or more away from the main wall. The port design of the F500SP does make it a little more flexible for compact spaces.

[@hclandscapes]

@@NemoPropaganda thanks for taking the time to answer my question Nemo, I have been curious about fine audio for some time, I think they have been developed and designed by engineers that used to be part of Tannoy? From your description it sounds like the speakers R3 are for me , strong bass output and a warm / relaxed treble is exactly what I’m looking for as I currently have B&W 704s2 which are nice but can get a little fatiguing after a while.

[@NemoPropaganda]

@@hclandscapes anytime! The Fyne F500SP are not fatiguing but also not as relaxed as the R3 Meta. B&W can get spicy for sure, I'm not surprised.

[@Diploization]

Hi Nemo.Love your chanel, very informative.Quick question.Have you tried F500SP with any class D amps? Im thinking of trying them out with NAD C368.

[@NemoPropaganda]

Hey diplo! No unfortunately not, I don't have any class d amps on hand, it's pretty rare that I do, the last one I had was the billie amp.

[@Nearest_Neighbor]

Thank you for the review. How would you compare the 40th and the 500 SP in terms of _staging_ and _imaging_? I have heard only a handful of speakers as it is when you're a peasant like me. :) I loved how the 40th filled my room and I really liked the sounds coming from above and where the singer was positioned. Can you compare that out of your mind?

[@NemoPropaganda]

I would say the F500SP is more of a lateral move compared to the Comete 40th, one isn't better than the other, they're just a little different with the F500SP having a little more bass & midbass presense. If you liked the 40th I think you will also enjoy the F500SP but there was not a big enough difference in imaging or staging on either of those that I can remember. If you like the 40th you'd also like something like the Totem Bison. Is there something you don't like about the 40th or were you just curious?

[@Nearest_Neighbor]

@ Hard to say. Maybe the highs could get a bit too much. But that could very well be placebo because they were my first horns or maybe the placement wasn't quite right. I had two pairs of Triangles yet, AIO Twins and the 40th. Both got me real good emotionally. I loved how they (the 40th in particular, I had them longer) placed sounds into the room and the way they just disappeared. Most reasonable thing would be to finally get the 40th since they brought me to tears every time I listend to them but theres als the curiosity to try other things. Sry for rambling, it's a lonely hobby. 😁 (plus the 40th are _only_ 1.3k € to 1.5k € here)

[@NemoPropaganda]

@@Nearest_Neighbor all good, I know it's a lonely hobby, that's why I made my discord free :) you're not wrong, the Triangle sound and the French sound in general is fairly energetic up top, espeically when you start to dig into the volume knob it certainly can become too much of a good thing for some people and in some rooms depending on how they are setup. The F500SP is a little more forging in that regard but slightly not as airy in exchange. I've always felt the Triangle sound lends itself very well to lower volume listening.

[@TheDarius1968]

At present, my listening setup is in the nearfield (2'-3' between listener and speaker). Equipment: Windows 11 PC-into (via USB) a Geshelli Labs J2S DAC (Sparkos Op Amp on the RCA outputs)-into Emotiva BasX A2 amp-into Emotiva B1+ speakers. I'm now trying to upgrade my speakers to a higher level (not just a lateral move). I've considered (reviewed here) Fyne Audio F500 SP, the Kef LS50 Meta, and the Technics SB-C700. Considering my listening situation in the nearfield, which of the three speakers I've mentioned would be my best bet? And, by all means, feel free to add in some of your other suggestions. Many thanks! 🙂

[@NemoPropaganda]

Hi bro, I don't listen at nearfield so I'm not 100% sure, using an Emotiva A2 I'd want a speaker with some thick bass so I'd go for something like the Dynaudio EMIT 10, conversly if you don't need all that bass the RBH 5i is $100 cheaper and a great performer. It's still has good bass, just not as much as the EMIT 10. F500SP & LS50 meta are also great but you may end up with too cold of a sound using the A2.

[@TheDarius1968]

@NemoPropaganda Thanks for your input. Are you familiar with the Piega Classic 3.0?

[@NemoPropaganda]

@@TheDarius1968 i am not.

[@TheDarius1968]

@@NemoPropaganda You recommend RBH 5-i. Any advantage in going with their 5-ir instead? Again, thanks.

[@NemoPropaganda]

@@TheDarius1968 I don't know what 5ir is, I only reviewed the 5i.

[@mikehuntington4440]

I had read that coaxial speakers should be pointed more so straight into the room, then at your ears. But I'm sure you tried both..... Nice review man.

[@NemoPropaganda]

I'm not sure what's ideal overall for the category but these things absolutely gotta be pointed at you or it becomes incredibly diffuse and will almost sound out of phase. When I had them setup straight into the room I thought I might of had one out of phase because it sounded so strange, I even checked the connections on my amp and speakers lol.

[@michaelsegel8758]

Now if you only get their F1-8 or F1-5 in for a review. When I saw them at AXPONA, I asked if they could make their drivers available to the DIY community. Got to love these guys. (I bet they are Rangers fans!)

[@NemoPropaganda]

maybe F15 in the future :)

[@Linux_Lucy]

Mine are in Polished 'Walnut'. Absolutely ''Stunning'' ... These are a great Match with the Hegel H120 ... I use this combo in a 'Spare' System. Sounds Amazing. And Yes, they do work Close to Walls. Due to their High Efficiency, they even sound good with a 30 Watt Rega io Amp. Oh, and BTW, Fyne Speakers work Brilliantly with Naim Amps.. If U want a Simple , 'All In One Box' Set-Up, These work Great with the Naim Unity Atom ... ( 40 Watts into 8 Ohms ) .... Oh, and good to see that U have finally ''Seen The Light'' and bought a pair of ATC Speakers. ( SCM 11's ) ... Any Audiophile out there that's Never heard ATC's ( ANY of Them ) ... U don't know what U are Missing ! ? ... I did use the ATC Passive 40's ( Amazing ) but have now 'Down-Sized' to a Pair of 11's with a REL T5X Sub, all Driven with a Hegel H390. WOW ..... Yes, it's an expensive Amp but the Built in Streamer & DAC are a Huge Step Up from those in the H120 / H190 .... So I will now be 'Selling' Most of my other separate DAC's and Streamers .... These will just about 'Pay For' the 390 ... 😀... Oh, BTW, I use the analogue Inputs for my Old Cassettes ( Nakamichi - LX5 & CR7 ) and my Naim' 02' FM Tuner ..... ( Yep, BBC FM Radio still sounds Amazing compared to the 'Digital DAB Rubbish' ? ! ) .... Another Nice Video .... How's about Reviewing the ATC 7's and ( Passive ) 19's & Quad S2's ?

[@NemoPropaganda]

maybe in the future, ATC is great so I'm sure I'll check out more of their stuff.

[@Openeyesopenheart42]

Great review , thanks. Any chance you can try and find some Cabasse speakers to review?

[@NemoPropaganda]

Upscale Audio carries them so I may be able to review them in the future, today I dropped off the F500SP sample and chose to grab the Fyne Vintag Five :) after that I want to check out the Aria Evo X maybe after that Cabasse :)

[@jaydavid5343]

@@NemoPropaganda Good to her that you're going to review the Aria's. I ordered (a green pair) from Upscale in April. Last month Focal said "July" so we'll see what happens.. That's why I'm considering the Fyne's. I appreciate the thoughts you wrote to me above on the 906 comparison and look forward to your evo x review.

[@MadLadsAnonymous]

Awesome. They look stunning, too. Thoughts on the F500SP vs Paradigm Founder 40B, especially at low volume?

[@NemoPropaganda]

I've not heard the founders.

[@mocomike01]

Thanks for the super thorough review Nemo! I know these are very different in terms of price, but how does the f500sp compare to the Celan Revolution 3? Thanks!

[@NemoPropaganda]

Celan Rev3 are brighter up top and a much fuller sound with more bass and warmer mids, the F500SP stage bigger, image with more precision, and have more space between all the instruments & sounds.

[@mocomike01]

@@NemoPropaganda thanks! That helps a lot!

[@mnmlist1454]

Thank you, Nemo. Shopping for a low volume champ & wonder how this Fyne Audio speakers compare to the Zu Audio DWX. What are your thoughts ?

[@michaelwright1602]

I have the Zu DW6 Supremes, the Zu Omen Dirty Weekends, the Fyne F500SP and a pair of Maggies. I just sold the Omens a few minutes ago, the DW6's are now in my bedroom system and the Maggies are just kind of hanging around as background filler. The Fyne's are front and center in my main system. For low volume, either the Fyne's or the Zu's will get you there. The Zu's, to my ear, will give a tad bit more detail vs the Fyne's at really low volumes. But, if this is a dollar issue, and you like say tube amps or vintage gear... I may say go with the Zu's, much will depend upon your gear and room. My buddy just bought the DWX, and he loves them, he likes them better than his Fritz Carbon 7's... I have yet to take my Fyne's over to his house to audition.

[@NemoPropaganda]

The size difference makes the comparison very challenging. The Zu DWX in its standard configuration will easily compete with anything up to $2.5k and beat many of those options depending on your personal taste.

[@mnmlist1454]

@@michaelwright1602 tq for the info. Much appreciated.

[@mnmlist1454]

@@NemoPropaganda thanks a million for your feedback

[@RennieAsh]

They make so many speakers using those drivers that look almost the same it would be hard to pick one lol

[@NemoPropaganda]

if you check the prices it will make it easier to pick one :) the next model up is more than double!

[@Johnny32156]

Are you gettin some of monitor audio new gold series for review. MA gold 50 6g are about 2000euro., small 6" bookshelfs.

[@NemoPropaganda]

I've reviewed too many $2k speakers, I want to focus on a different price category for the remainder of the year.

[@memania-]

thanks for the review! when they first came out people was complaining about the bass being muddy, perhaps an exageration?

[@NemoPropaganda]

really? This speaker doesn't even have enough bass to have that problem, perhaps they were referring to the old version that was named F500 and not this newer SP model?

[@memania-]

@@NemoPropaganda I think I got mix up with the older version :) thanks

[@memania-]

@@NemoPropaganda I bought them 😄👍cant wait!

[@NemoPropaganda]

@@memania- hope you like them, remember you may need to point them more towards you.

[@memania-]

When compared to the R3 meta, the low end isn't as defined ( quite understandably 3ways Vs 2ways) I'm talking about the very low end I'm playing teardrop by Massive Attack, the bass punch is there but it's a bit far back. Different story about the tweeter, like you said, it's so light airy and detailed I'm hearing details that I've never heard before. That shocked me a bit as the R3 have fantastic tweeters. Same for the staging, way better than the R3 it is laser precise and very wide! I also love how the image is projected up above the speakers unlike the r3s that renders it right between the speakers. The R3 sounds fuller, fatter but never sound right in mid size room, the need a much big space to breathe. I love these f500 thanks again for reviewing them!

[@jamesbrotherton5487]

Thanks Nemo. I'm always interested in the size of the sweet spot. Could you comment on that please?

[@NemoPropaganda]

once the speakers are setup properly and aimed at the listener the sweet spot is actually much larger than expected. I assumed that it would be very small since it's a point source but I was wrong about that. Room acoustics will of course play a big factor.

[@jamesbrotherton5487]

@@NemoPropaganda Just what I wanted to know. Thanks so much.

[@jaydavid5343]

These are on my short list which is down to two - Fyne F500SP and Focal Aria evo X No 1. (each would have a pair of RELs in a big room). Nemo, I hope you can mention any difference(s) if you have a minute. Thanks, J

[@NemoPropaganda]

I have the Aria 906 but not the new Evo X version so I'm not really sure but the Focal sound is very consistent, if the new Evo X is similar to the Aria 906 so this is how Aria 906 compares to F500SP for what its worth: both are low volume champions, both are on the forward side of neutral, both have great detail with a slight edge to the Aria for micro detail, both have lighter bass, both have an open midrange edge goes to the Fyne for being more natural, both stage large, edge goes to fyne for better depth. Overall the two speakers are very similar tonally but the fyne is a little more naturan in the midrange whre the Aria 906 can sound a little artificial or cool in the midrange. I like both a lot. If you are 100% the detail customer you may enjoy focal more, if you are like 70% the detail customer but also want a midrange that is more cohesive & natural then go for the F5500SP.

[@jaydavid5343]

@@NemoPropaganda Thanks

[@jaydavid5343]

You were right on, Nemo, thanks. You have good ears and communicate things accurately. I wound up stepping up a bit and got the Fyne F501SP. Very happy. They're incredible.

[@NemoPropaganda]

@@jaydavid5343 oh nice! honestly the towers look much better IMO, great choice!!

[@hclandscapes]

@@jaydavid5343what are you using to power your F501sp’s?

[@michaelwright1602]

These speakers need to be broken in, I have had mine for two weeks, and was ready to return them... Have you ever turned on your stereo and said WTF? Like someone came in and swapped out your entire system for something of much lesser quality? Nothing sounds right, the detail is gone, the dynamics are gone, it sounds like doo doo... Well, that happened to me, for a couple of days. And I was not the only one experiencing this issue in the house, so I know it was not my ears alone. So, if you pick these up, be prepared. Other than that, I believe I will keep these. On edit: These sound fantastic on my little Cayin MT-12N 10w tube amplifier. ;-)

[@NemoPropaganda]

yes that is correct, upscale made me wait 1 week before I could pick them up because they wanted to let them play to get some hours on them first which I greatly appreciated :)

[@michaelwright1602]

@@NemoPropaganda Yes, these do need serious break in. Throw a tube amplifier on them, OMG! I hooked up my little WiiM Ultra using its internal DAC, and was incredibly impressed. I am moving gear around, cannot wait to get the better DAC and streamer hooked back up.

[@mnmlist1454]

Has anyone here compared this SP version against the standard version ?

[@michaelwright1602]

If you poke around in some forums there are comparisons between the two models from owners. These SP versions are said to be worth the price of entry. I am certainly enjoying mine, the SP in Walnut. ;-)

[@mnmlist1454]

@@michaelwright1602 thanks

[@TylerMarletteNY]

have you ever checked out the Kali IN-5 or IN-8?

[@NemoPropaganda]

No, I don’t usually review pro audio or powered speakers.

[@michaelwright1602]

These would look nice next to my Zu's... ;-)

[@bengleason508]

What a cool intro!

[@joanfrederick9176]

the braided look with the brass is a very sexey look to me..........i have never owned a tweeter inside the cone.....keep up the work nemo as i love what you do.................if the speakers were yellow in color they could remind me of a cartoon i watched..........minions come to mind...........lol

[@NemoPropaganda]

the minions comment made me lol

[@joanfrederick9176]

@@NemoPropaganda glad to make you laugh.........

[@BostonMike68]

Those are remind me of tannoy .

[@Brett1334]

The guy who owns fyne used to work for tannoy!

[@BostonMike68]

@@Brett1334 that makes sense

[@NemoPropaganda]

yup, my understanding is after tannoy sold 4-5 of their core staff left to start Fyne Audio.

[@philipharrison5025]

Stop doing that thing with your left arm, ffs!

[@NemoPropaganda]

oh man, you probably won't like the other things I do with that left arm but that's for another website alltogether....

[@ClearOutSamskaras]

@@NemoPropaganda Epictetus

[@bamzbo08]

กำลังจะสั่งซื้อตัวนี้ ที่ประเทศไทย ได้ราคาพิเศษ 54,000บาท รอมาฟังรีวิวก่อนกดสั่งซื้อพอดี

[@NemoPropaganda]

that's a better price than we have in the US :)

[@bamzbo08]

@@NemoPropaganda ที่คุณบอกในคลิป FS500SP เสียงที่ได้อัพเกรดจาก LS50 META จริงไหม ฉันได้มาราคาพอๆกับLS50 ถือว่าคุ้มมากเลยกับราคานี้ใช่ไหม

[@Luis-eh1cf]

Hello nemo, I need your help, I'm going to buy the focal kanta 1, which you bought, can you tell me how long your supports (height) measure in centimeters? Because on the focal page it says 65 centimeters and I want to corroborate that measurement, I hope you help me with that data thank you very much and greetings.

[@NemoPropaganda]

Hi bro, I don't really recommend the Kanta No1 anymore unless you're getting a really good deal, I ended up selling mine and bought the Mon Acoustic Platimon instead, it's a similar sound but better overall and a lower price, in the US at least. If you're in EU where Kanta No1 are closer to $5k then that's a better price. Anyway, speaker stand height depends on how low or high you sit. I generally aim to lineup my ear between the tweeter & woofer with most speakers.

[@Luis-eh1cf]

@@NemoPropaganda THANKS NEMO !

[@eltonc1505]

Wonderful review Nemo...Thanks !