FiiO, the renowned brand known for its lossless audio players, has unveiled its latest product, the SP3 active desktop speakers. This marks FiiO’s first venture into the speaker market and is designed to complement the popular FiiO R7 desktop music streamer. Despite their compact size and affordable price, these speakers deliver a perfectly balanced sound that packs a punch. With the introduction of the SP3, FiiO expands its product offerings to meet the diverse audio needs of today’s consumers.
Compact yet powerful, the SP3 speakers are the result of extensive research and careful consideration by FiiO. Recognizing the common feedback regarding limited space in modern homes, the Research & Development team focused on achieving an optimized space-to-sound ratio without compromising on audio quality.
To achieve this balance, the SP3 features a compressed cabinet dimension of 163x120x132mm and a small size of 2.35L, reducing its space occupancy. Furthermore, it incorporates a larger 3.5-inch carbon fibre mid-woofer unit and a 1-inch silk tweeter, surpassing similar speakers in its class and delivering exceptional sound effects for desktop use.
The design of the 3.5-inch carbon fibre mid-woofer includes an innovative asymmetrical internal and external magnetic circuit system. By adding an auxiliary magnet to the centre of the speaker’s internals, the SP3 creates a stronger magnetic field, reducing non-linear distortion across all frequencies and providing ample power for rich low-frequency dynamics.
High-fidelity audio products always aim for a low resonance frequency and high current carrying capacity. The FiiO SP3 achieves these goals through a large empty cavity at the rear of the tweeter magnet, enabling the tweeter to reproduce frequencies as low as 800Hz. The design of the tweeter also allows unwanted soundwaves to escape, reducing resonances generated by its movement and resulting in a smooth and extended treble.
Careful attention was paid to ensure optimal sound transmission to the listener. The tweeter is precisely angled to enable lossless sound wave transmission for listeners at an off-axis range between 0 to ±15°. Additionally, the front of the tweeter features a horizontal striped pattern that enhances soundwave diffusion throughout the room, creating an immersive soundstage reminiscent of a grand concert hall.
Creating the SP3 presented several challenges for the FiiO engineers, particularly in minimizing audible noise and turbulence. This was crucial due to the speakers’ intended use near the user. While larger speakers typically employ a larger porting tube to reduce wind noise and bass vibration, this was not feasible for the compact design of the SP3.
To overcome this challenge, the resourceful FiiO team developed a narrow and curved porting tube that allows smooth airflow and reproduces bass without compression. The double-diffused S-shaped porting tube minimizes turbulence and enhances the bass response. Damping materials are strategically placed at the tube’s inlet and outlet to further reduce audible noise.
The FiiO SP3 is priced at S$479 (including GST) and is available immediately at AV One, Connect IT, Stereo Electronics, TK Foto, and TREOO.
