Here is the F701SP, the standmount in Fyne Audio’s F700 SP Series, alongside the F702SP and F703SP floorstanders directly above it in the range.

The F701SP is the standmount in Fyne Audio’s F700 SP Series, a range in which Fyne takes its F700 designs and reworks the parts around them, the crossover, the internal wiring and the terminals. It is the compact model at the foot of that range, below the F702SP, F703SP and F704SP floorstanders. The core is Fyne’s IsoFlare point-source driver, a 25mm magnesium dome compression tweeter sitting at the acoustic centre of a 200mm bass and midrange cone, so the two radiate as a single source from one point in space. What the SP Series adds is in the crossover and the wiring: high-grade ClarityCap capacitors, Neotech PC-OCC internal cable, gold-plated WBT NextGen terminals and a deep cryogenic treatment of the crossover. It remains a genuinely compact standmount, one for a small-to-medium room where coherence and finish matter more than sheer scale.

Brief product overview

A two-way standmount built around a 200mm IsoFlare point-source driver, a 25mm magnesium dome compression tweeter mounted concentrically within a multi-fibre bass and midrange cone with Fyne’s FyneFlute surround. The passive crossover works at 1.8kHz, second-order low pass and first-order high pass, and is where the SP upgrades live: ClarityCap capacitors, Neotech PC-OCC wiring, WBT NextGen terminals and cryogenic treatment, with bi-wire terminals fitted. Sensitivity is 90dB at 2.83V/1m into an 8-ohm nominal load, and recommended amplifier power runs from 30 to 180 watts. Frequency response is quoted at 35Hz to 34kHz, measured at minus 6dB typical in room, low bass coming from a down-firing port carrying Fyne’s BassTrax Tractrix diffuser. It measures 465 by 278 by 393mm and weighs 14kg each, and finishes are Piano Gloss Walnut, Piano Gloss Black, Piano Gloss White and Natural Walnut.

How it sounds

The point-source driver is the reason to buy it. Because the tweeter fires from the centre of the cone, the F701SP images as a single, stable point and holds that image across a wide area rather than snapping to one seat, which is the quality that makes point-source designs sound so unforced. The SP crossover upgrades show as extra clarity and a slightly sweeter, more resolved treble compared with the standard F701, without changing the essential character. At 90dB and 8 ohms it is an easy, benign load, the sort of speaker that flatters good amplification and does not demand brute force. The BassTrax down-firing port gives it useful bass for its size and makes placement less fussy than most ported standmounts. The honest limits are the ones set by physics: this is a compact two-way, so it will not fill a large room or plumb the lowest octave, and in a big space the floorstanders in the range are the better answer.

What we’d partner it with

The F701SP’s 90dB sensitivity and 8-ohm load mean the amplifier matters. The McIntosh MA252 is a hybrid integrated with a valve preamp stage, a solid-state output and a moving-magnet phono stage, but no streaming. As alternatives, stock permitting, the Rega Aethos offers similar power without a phono stage, and the Musical Fidelity M6si adds a moving-magnet phono stage of its own; both pair with the streamer below.

Because the MA252 has no streaming, the digital source is separate. The HiFi Rose RS151 is our lead choice, a flagship streamer and DAC into a line input; as alternatives, stock permitting, the Eversolo DMP-A8 Gen 2 and the Aurender N150 do the same job.

For vinyl, the MA252’s moving-magnet phono stage takes the Linn Majik LP12 with its Adikt cartridge directly. Alternative moving-magnet decks, stock permitting, are the Rega Planar 8 and the Pro-Ject X2 B.

On cabling, use a well-made speaker cable of appropriate gauge, and note the bi-wire terminals. AudioQuest and Chord are the cable brands we stock.

Who shouldn’t buy it

If your room is medium-to-large or you listen at high levels, a compact two-way will run out of room before you want it to; the F702SP and the larger floorstanders above it in the SP Series give you more bass and scale for the space. If you do not need the SP Series refinements, Fyne’s standard F701 offers the same point-source presentation in a similar cabinet for less, so the question is whether the reworked crossover, wiring and terminals are worth the step up in price. And if you were set on a very low-powered valve amplifier, note that Fyne asks for at least 30 watts here, so plan the amplification accordingly rather than around the smallest single-ended designs.

The F701SP is a standmount and needs solid stands to bring the tweeter to ear level; Fyne’s own FS8 is the matched partner, though the stand is left open here for you to confirm. Place the speakers clear of side and rear walls where you can and toe them in towards the listening seat to lock in the point-source image. The down-firing BassTrax port makes them more tolerant of position than most ported standmounts, but a little space still helps the bass. Leave the bi-wire jumpers fitted unless you intend to run two cable pairs. Set the HiFi Rose RS151 up on the network, ideally wired, and connect it to a line input on the MA252. For vinyl, connect the Linn Majik LP12 to the moving-magnet phono input and its earth lead to the ground terminal; the amplifier’s built-in stage means no separate phono preamp is needed. The MA252 also offers a subwoofer output and a headphone amplifier if you want either.