Fyne Audio F57SP-6 Centre Channel Speaker

The Fyne Audio F57SP-6 is the centre channel component of the SP Series cinema system — a horizontally configured 2.5-way loudspeaker built around the same 150mm IsoFlare driver and identical crossover frequencies as the F500SP standmount and F501SP floorstander. Where most centre channel speakers represent a compromise — a different driver, a different voicing, a different timbre from the mains — the F57SP-6 is an SP Series component in every respect. It is designed and built to the same standard as the speakers it accompanies, and the tonal match across the front three channels that results is the difference between a cinema system that sounds assembled and one that sounds designed.

Built at Fyne Audio's UK factory and finished in Piano Gloss Black, Piano Gloss Walnut, or Piano Gloss White — the same finish options as the F500SP and F501SP — the F57SP-6 carries the Special Production engineering philosophy into the centre channel position without concession.

The SP Series — Special Production Engineering

The Special Production series distils engineering from across Fyne Audio's high-end range into more focused loudspeaker designs. Designed and tuned by Technical Director Dr Paul Mills and hand-built at Fyne's UK factory, each SP model brings driver, crossover, and bass tuning expertise drawn from the F700 and F1 Series into the F500 Series cabinet format. The F57SP-6 carries that same engineering into a horizontal centre channel enclosure — the same IsoFlare driver, the same crossover topology, the same SP Series build quality that the F500SP and F501SP buyer expects in their front left and right speakers.

IsoFlare Point-Source Driver Technology

The IsoFlare driver is the defining engineering decision in every Fyne Audio loudspeaker. It places the bass/midrange cone and the high-frequency compression tweeter on a shared axis — the tweeter fires from the centre of the cone — so both drivers radiate sound from a single point in space. This point-source geometry delivers consistent time alignment and isotropic dispersion across the entire seating area — a particular advantage in a centre channel, where listeners spread across a wide angle relative to the screen must all hear coherent dialogue from the same speaker. Off-axis coherence is precisely where the IsoFlare design earns its place, and in a cinema context, it is the quality that separates a properly designed front stage from one that merely covers the room.

In the F57SP-6, the IsoFlare driver is a 150mm multi-fibre cone with FyneFlute surround and a 25mm magnesium dome compression tweeter at its centre — the same specification as the F500SP and F501SP. A second 150mm multi-fibre bass driver is mounted alongside to form the 2.5-way system. An Auxiliary Bass Radiator — a 150mm multi-fibre cone unit — handles bass loading passively without a port.

Auxiliary Bass Radiator with Adjustable Electromagnetic Damping

The Auxiliary Bass Radiator is a passive radiating cone — it has no voice coil or magnet. Tuned to move in sympathy with the internal cabinet pressure, it extends low-frequency output without a port tube. In a centre channel application, this eliminates the placement constraints of a ported design: there is no port aperture to position clear of a rack, wall, or projection screen cabinet.

What distinguishes the F57SP-6's ABR from a standard passive radiator is its adjustable electromagnetic damping — a selectable crossover-based adjustment with two settings, free-space and boundary, that genuinely affects the bass balance depending on how and where the speaker is installed.

In free-space mode, the ABR is calibrated for a speaker positioned away from walls and surfaces — a stand, open shelf, or low equipment rack with clear space behind and below.

In boundary mode, the damping is adjusted for a speaker placed close to a wall, directly beneath a projection screen, or on a low rack where the rear surface reinforces bass frequencies. The boundary setting compensates by reducing ABR output slightly — keeping the tonal balance consistent with the F500SP and F501SP mains regardless of where the centre channel ends up.

The adjustment is made at the crossover — a simple switch, worth taking a few minutes to compare in situ. The difference is audible.

Crossover and Connections

The crossover divides at 250Hz and 1.7kHz — identical to the F500SP and F501SP, which is the specification that ensures consistent timbre across all three front channels. The filter topology is 2nd order low-pass and 1st order high-pass. The passive low-loss crossover design incorporates Cryo-Lite treatment applied to the crossover components, and the electromagnetically damped ABR switching is integrated into the crossover assembly. The connection panel is bi-wired.

Technical Specifications

Who Is It For?

The F57SP-6 is for the buyer building a Fyne Audio SP Series cinema system who requires the centre channel to match the front left and right speakers in every respect — same driver technology, same crossover points, same voicing. It is compatible with the F500SP standmount, the F501SP floorstander, and the F700 Series as front speakers, and the adjustable ABR damping makes it practical across the range of real-world centre channel positions those systems end up in.

This is not a budget centre channel pressed into service alongside SP Series mains. It is an SP Series component, specified and priced accordingly. Those considering the F57SP-6 should compare it with the Fyne Audio F502E LCR — a less expensive option suited to the E Series front speakers — and the Fyne Audio F5E LCR for buyers building around the F5E standmount. The Fyne Audio SuperTrax super tweeter is a natural complement to any SP Series cinema system, and the Fyne Audio F704SP represents the upper end of the SP range for those building the most ambitious systems.

Buying from Martins Hi-Fi

Martins Hi-Fi has been in Norwich since 1968. Elizabeth Gould runs the business today, and we stock only brands we have heard properly and stand behind. The F57SP-6 is available to discuss and hear at our Norwich showroom — call ahead and we will set up a relevant system for you.

When you get in touch, you'll be speaking with Dave, Chris and Tim — experienced specialists who can advise on this product and your whole system.

Contact us at info@martinshifi.co.uk, call 01603 627010, or WhatsApp on 07554 687137. You can read more about how we work on our Why Martins Hi-Fi page. We are at 85–91 Ber Street, Norwich, NR1 3EY.