Fyne Audio F303 review

There’s something hypnotic about watching a master of their trade at work. Whether it’s a racing driver perfecting every corner at high speed, an engraver precisely appending a fresh name to a trophy in seconds, or even a particularly efficient grocery-bagger in the local supermarket; seemingly effortless complete control is always impressive.

That’s a little how we feel listening to the Fyne Audio F303 speakers: they’re masters at work, and they make it sound easy. The F303s are the third pair of Fyne Audio floorstanders we’ve had in for review – and they’re the third to receive a five-star rating. So this relatively new company, with its core of ex-Tannoy staff, is clearly mastering its trade.

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Build and compatibility

The Fyne Audio F303 speakers are a fairly substantial pair of tower speakers. At almost a metre tall, they cut an imposing, upmarket figure, especially in the walnut finish of our review sample, with black ash and light oak also available.

There’s a twin pair of speaker terminals around the back, giving you the option to bi-wire. Whichever colour you choose, you’ll have to fit the plastic feet-cum-stands and spikes. The slightly flimsy plastic here takes some sheen off what is otherwise a smart design.

The F303s feature two 15cm mid/bass drivers either side of a 25mm polyester dome tweeter. Known as the D’Appolito driver configuration, Fyne claims this helps deliver a smooth dispersion and a wide sweet spot, but as with any speaker design, the quality of the components and overall speaker build is ultimately of greater consequence.

The F303s sit above the Award-winning F302s in the Fyne range and that extra mid/bass driver and a larger cabinet are the differences between this model and their five-star smaller sibling’s standard two-way design. Perhaps unsurprisingly, the difference in sound is just as you might imagine from looking at the speakers side-by-side.

Sound

We’re happy to report that the sonic characteristics we’ve loved so much in previous Fyne speakers are present. Ultimately, this means the F303 speakers are exciting, upbeat and just fun, which unsurprisingly makes them hard not to love.

Listening to Hans Zimmer’s Time, we’re eager to hear how well these big cabinets can fill our room. And we’re not disappointed. As the track adds layer upon layer of stirring strings and brass to reach its epic denouement, the F303s effortlessly rise to the challenge. There’s serious scale to be had from these hefty cabinets, not to mention plenty of bottom end, thanks to that extra driver.

For powerful dynamics, these speakers will be hard to beat for the money. That said, you will need a fair amount of space for them, including some space between them and a wall to avoid a boomy sound.

That’s not to say they’re one-dimensional or unable to do delicate. Massive Attack’s brooding slow-burner, Angel, starts slowly, with the Fyne F303s able to showcase impressive attention to detail and comfortable handling of subtle rhythms. They’re almost asking to be played at decent volume, but even at lower levels they demonstrate a good touch, with notes stopping and starting precisely. Voices have texture and warmth, not as immediate and open as some rivals, but with plenty of insight.

Timing is excellent throughout. Mala’s New Life Baby Paris has a complex drum pattern that can be hard to grasp, but these Fynes don’t slip for a second. The track again highlights the bass depth and weight on offer here, which will be hard to beat for the money.

The slight over-excitement in the treble that we heard on the smaller Fynes is still present, though tempered by the extra serving of bass. Only the most sensitive will find it off-putting, but it’s worth bearing in mind when matching the rest of your system.

Much as we could have second-guessed their sound based on their size relative to the smaller F302s, it’s a similar story when comparing the class-leading Dali Oberon 5s. The Dalis look like they’re in the year below at school and certainly don’t sound as big, bold or bassy but they are superb when it comes to delivering a fast and full sound that’s perfectly balanced through the spectrum and staggeringly detailed and clear with voices.

Verdict

If you have room for a big pair of speakers, and you like an upbeat, fun sound, the Fyne Audio 303 speakers could be the ones for you.

For ultimate cohesion and insight you might get more from the Award-winning Dalis, but for weight and scale and outright excitement, these Fynes really are masters of their trade.

SCORES

• Sound 5
• Compatibility 4
• Build 4

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Best speakers 2019

See our Dali Oberon 5 review

See all our Fyne Audio reviews