The New Gold Standard FYNE AUDIO: Vintage Classic Gold SP

Merging the acoustic technology and engineering from the high-end Vintage Series with the period aesthetics of the Classic lineup, Fyne’s latest Special Production (SP) loudspeaker range offers modern, premium sound quality with retro design.    

Glasgow, 24th December 2024: Fyne Audio is pleased to announce the launch of the Vintage Classic Gold SP Series. Previewed at the Munich High End show to much acclaim, this genre defying 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 an immaculately finished, retro styled loudspeaker with cutting-edge audio performance. As Dr Mills’ Signature design, Vintage Classic Gold SP distils his heart, music soul and decades of expertise into a loudspeaker series that carries his signature on every cabinet. 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 360degree 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 15icnh IsoFlare driver versions, with classic Roman numeral nomenclature suffix.

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.

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 8inch IsoFlare driver is a 1” 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 3inch titanium dome compression tweeter, driven by a massive Neodymium magnet system. The design pushes the crossover frequency down to a very low 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, to deliver superlative HF performance aligned to the massive LF driver systems.

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 with exceptional in-room bass integration that is far less sensitive to room positioning that typical rear ported designs.

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 5 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.

Availability & pricing

Manufactured, tested and hand-finished in Fyne's new Glasgow, UK factory, Vintage Classic Gold SP models are available now at the following SRPs: 

Vintage Classic Gold IIX SP 

Price: GPB 7,499.99 / EURO 8,999.99 / US$ 9,999.99 - per pair

Vintage Classic Gold X SP

Price: GPB 9,999.99 / EURO 11,999.99 / US$ 12,999.99 - per pair

Vintage Classic Gold XII SP

Price: GPB 11,999.99 / EURO 14,499.99 / US$ 15,999.99 - per pair

Vintage Classic Gold XV SP

Price: GPB 14,999.99 / EURO 17,999.99 / US$ 19,999.99 - per pair

Press Release & Images & Specification: https://ace.media/fyne-audio

Please get in touch to log a review sample request when available, speak to Fyne Audio about their plans, or interview Dr Mills about the thinking behind Gold SP.

Ends

Editors notes

Founded in 2017, Fyne Audio is the brainchild of six audio-industry professionals with a mission to deliver groundbreaking loudspeakers, designed and manufactured in Scotland. With roots tracing back over 30 years across a number of Tier1 audiophile brands, the Fyne Audio team has created a dynamic, independent company energised with new ideas. With a strong Scottish heritage, international backing and high ethical values, Fyne Audio is the UK’s fastest growing audiophile brand.