NEWS

FYNE AUDIO�S VINTAGE CLASSIC GOLD SP SERIES PAIRS PREMIUM SOUND WITH RETRO DESIGN

January 3, 2025

FYNE AUDIO’S VINTAGE CLASSIC GOLD SP SERIES PAIRS PREMIUM SOUND WITH RETRO DESIGN

LEWIS CALIBURN2ND JANUARY 2025

Fyne Audio has launched the Vintage Classic Gold SP Series. Previewed at the Munich High End show, this loudspeaker encompasses Dr Paul Mills’ ambition to build the finest sounding loudspeaker in a cabinet style from the Hi-Fi heydays of his formative years.

Bringing much of the engineering and technology from the high-end Vintage Series to updated and enhanced versions of the Classic Series cabinets, the result is a retro styled loudspeaker with cutting-edge audio performance.

The new range opens up the resulting product to a wider audience globally, bridging the price gap between the standard Classic models and the high-end Vintage Series.

Retaining the Classic rectangular cabinet shape, Vintage Classic Gold SP (Special Production) brings high density birch ply cabinet construction, IsoFlare drivers with improved neodymium tweeter and Fyne’s BassTrax 360 degree porting system for more refined and articulate bass than the Classic Series.

Further refinements across the range include fully Deep Cryogenically Treated (DCT) crossovers using Fyne’s own cryogenic facility, upgraded internal wiring, and gold-plated ETI connection terminals.

Gold Detail

The Vintage Classic Gold SP Series launches 8, 10, 12 and 15in IsoFlare driver versions, with classic Roman numeral nomenclature suffixes.

All four models use a single multifibre paper LF cone, terminated with Fyne’s patented FyneFlute roll surround. This special rubber surround effectively terminates cone energy to minimise time smearing and further improve transient response. Large ferrite motors are used across the range, with rectangular copper wound voice coils over an aluminium former to aid heat dissipation during high volume use. The motor assembly uses a copper shorting ring on the pole piece to reduce eddy and keep the magnetic field stable.

Meanwhile, the smallest Gold SP VIII model owes a great deal of its sonic excellence to Fyne’s flagship F1-8 stand mount loudspeaker. At the heart of its 8in IsoFlare driver is a 1in magnesium dome HF transducer using a ferrite magnet system, with a bespoke waveguide to ensure the smoothest radial dispersion of high frequencies.

Gold X, XII and XV SP draw their HF technology from the Vintage Series, using a 3in titanium dome compression tweeter, driven by a massive Neodymium magnet system. The design pushes the crossover frequency down to 750Hz, ensuring the HF unit handles the majority of the critical vocal range. The conductive nature of the giant HF magnet effectively damps voice coil inductance losses, resulting in lower distortion and wider frequency response.

Each model’s bespoke, hand built crossover has been designed through computer modelling and tuned through extensive listening sessions. Upgrades over Classic Series crossovers include high power metal clad resistors and Claritycap high grade polypropylene capacitors, with Neotech PC-OCC internal wiring used throughout. One assembled each Gold SP crossover undergoes a proprietary Deep Cryogenic Treatment process in Fyne’s own in-house facility.

This bespoke DCT process has been fine-tuned by Dr Mills over the last decade to best relax stresses in materials, solder joints and cables and maximise signal transparency.

Classic Looks, Vintage Sound

Key to Vintage Classic Gold SP’s visual charm is the new cabinet design. Drawing on the traditional ‘box’ cabinet of the Classic Series, a shape that was prevalent in 1960s and 70s hi-fi, Gold SP upgrades from fibreboard construction to Fyne’s high density birch ply build. With improved damping and lower colouration than fibreboard, each cabinet is extensively braced and damped to reduce internal reflection that are prevalent in parallel sided speaker design.

The cabinet is formed to accommodate an enhanced version of Fyne’s unique downwards firing BassTrax tractrix profile LF diffuser system, with bass energy converted to a 360 degree wave that disperses bass energy uniformly into the room. The result is a speaker boasting in-room bass integration that is far less sensitive to room positioning than typical rear ported designs, claims the manufacturer.

Like the Vintage Series, all models in the Gold SP range benefit from subtle HF Energy and presence adjustments, tailored to each model. With anodised gold all metal adjustment knobs on the front panel, users can select up to +/- 3dB HF energy gain and up to +/- 3dB presence enhancements from c. 2khz to 5kHz, depending on room integration, ancillary equipment and taste. All Gold SP models feature five-way terminals for optional bi-wiring, and Fyne’s fifth ground connection.

Fit and finish of Gold SP models also draw their inspiration from Fyne’s high-end Vintage Series, with all models offering the finest real wood walnut veneer and anodised gold trim. The grilles are constructed from the same acoustically transparent material as the high-end range, and the floor-standing models in the Gold SP range are fitted with M12 threaded floor cones for optimal floor coupling.