Fyne Audio F302 Review: A New Class Leader in Budget Floorstanders

Fyne Audio may be a fledgling Scottish company, but its leadership team is a supergroup of industry veterans, boasting over two hundred years of collective experience. This depth of knowledge is immediately apparent in their products. We’ve already been deeply impressed by their superlative F501 speakers, so our anticipation for their entry-level F302 floorstanders was incredibly high.

Build and Design

The Fyne Audio F302 is a two-way, rear-ported floorstanding speaker. Each cabinet houses a 25mm polyester dome tweeter and a 15cm multi-fibre mid/bass driver. The cabinets themselves feel sturdy and well-constructed for the price point.

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With the included plinths adding stability and a touch more dimension to their footprint, you feel like you’re getting a lot of speaker for your money without them being so large that they dominate a living room. The F302s are available in walnut, black ash, and light oak finishes, which Fyne describes as a ‘superior vinyl’. While not a luxury veneer, the finish is neat and unpretentious, nicely offset by a glossy black accent band framing the tweeter.

Surrounding the mid/bass driver is a distinctive, tire-like textured surround. This is more than just an aesthetic choice; the contoured design aids driver rigidity and control, making it harder to distort at high volumes, much like how folding a sheet of paper makes it stronger.

Sound Performance

While their design is straightforward, the F302s’ performance immediately sets them apart as class leaders in their category. The highest praise we can offer any component is that it makes us want to listen to entire albums from start to finish, completely forgetting we’re supposed to be analyzing it. The F302s passed this test with flying colours.

We started our listening with Bon Iver’s 22, A Million, and from the first notes, we were greeted with a confident, forward presentation. Crucially, this forwardness is balanced with all the detail and refinement we’d expect from the very best standmount speakers at this price. The texture in the opening vocal loops gave a tangible sense of movement and anticipation, and a luscious warmth filled out Justin Vernon’s signature choral harmonies. The soundstage felt wonderfully spacious, delivering an impressive sense of both width and depth.

The size of the cabinets might suggest an abundance of low-end, but the bass is wonderfully taut and controlled. It never muddies the midrange or impedes the F302s’ keen sense of rhythm and timing. In fact, their mastery of timing and dynamic range is worth highlighting. These are often the first characteristics sacrificed in budget floorstanders, which typically favour raw power and bass depth over nuance. The Fynes prove that you can have both.

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They expertly harnessed the dirty, aggressive synth loops of tracks like 10 d E A T h b R E a s T, yet allowed the gentle acoustics of 29 #Strafford APTS to flow delicately without becoming stagnant. They also beautifully built the intensity of 8 (circle) as it swelled to its anthemic conclusion.

These tracks also revealed how adept the F302s are at conveying the character of the production itself. They captured the 80s-level reverb soaking the synths and vocals on one track, then shifted completely to present the dry, breathy saxophone harmonies of ’45 right at the front of the stage. This level of insight and analysis is exceptionally rare in this price bracket, showcasing a mature performance that exceeded our already high expectations.

System Matching

If there is one caveat, it is that some care should be taken with system matching. While the overall balance is excellent, a touch of brightness in the treble is enhanced when paired with the right amplifier and source.

At this price point, we’d recommend something like Marantz’s PM6006 integrated amplifier. Its smooth, musical character will complement the F302s’ innate strengths while gently taming that top end. That said, even when testing with our more revealing and aggressive reference combo of a Cyrus CDi and Rega Elex-R, the listening experience was still a delight. This isn’t a case of having to avoid the speakers if your system is bright, but rather understanding that careful pairing will unlock their absolute best performance.

Verdict

It is exceedingly rare to find a pair of floorstanding speakers under £500 that can compete in every respect with the wealth of high-quality standmount speakers available at the same price. That fact alone demonstrates what a sterling job Fyne Audio has done with the F302.

They deliver an engaging, detailed, and dynamically expressive sound that belies their extremely affordable price tag at every turn. If their more expensive models tempted you but you couldn’t stretch the budget, rest assured: with the Fyne Audio F302, Fyne has created another undeniable class leader.

Pros And Cons

Pros:

• Engaging, detailed, and confident sound
• Impressive timing and dynamic range for the price
• Spacious, well-organized soundstage
• Taut, controlled bass performance
• Exceptional value for money

Cons:

• Treble can have a slight edge with poorly matched electronics
• Vinyl finish is good, but not luxurious

Fyne Audio F302: Technical Specifications

• More Details
• System Type: 2-way, rear ported
• Recommended Amplifier Power (RMS): 30 – 120 Watts
• Continuous Power Handling (RMS): 60 Watts
• Sensitivity (2.83 Volt @ 1m): 90dB
• Nominal Impedance: 8 Ohms
• Frequency Response (-6dB typical in room): 36Hz – 28kHz
• Drive Unit Complement: 1 x 150mm multi-fibre mid/bass, 1 x 25mm polyester dome tweeter
• Crossover Frequency: 3.2kHz
• Crossover Type: 2nd order low pass, 3rd order high pass
• Dimensions (H x W x D): 932 x 233 x 308 mm (36.7 x 9.2 x 12.1 in)
• Weight (Each): 13.3 kg (29.3 lbs)
• Finishes: Walnut, Black Ash, Light Oak