Speaker system f d. Brief technical characteristics of the F&D YF-IIB acoustic system. Edifier X400: grown-up sound in a beautiful guise

F&D products have always been in fairly high demand among those people who wanted to get good sound at an affordable price. But Fenda (this is how the name is correctly pronounced) has never specialized in floor-standing acoustics. And recently the manufacturer presented a very interesting model called T-60X, about which there really is a lot of good things to say.

Contents of delivery

The kit includes a pair of speakers, an interconnect cable, a 2xRCA-mini-jack 3.5 mm cable, a 2xRCA-2xRCA cable, a remote control, two AAA batteries, documentation and a microphone.

Design

The Fenda T-60X has not received any awards for its exquisite design or any innovations. But with all this, we have very neat and stylish floor-standing speakers.

Such a stereo pair will look good in almost any interior.

The speaker body is made of MDF, and the front inserts are made of glossy plastic. The bass reflex outputs from below are also wrapped in plastic.

The left column has remote buttons, control elements, and an LED display. The latter displays the mode, song number when playing from memory cards and Flash drives, as well as the FM station, but it does not display the clock, which would be very useful.

As for an affordable brand, the assembly of the speakers is simply excellent - nothing creaks, everything is tightly assembled, no glue at the joints. The only thing that gives away the budget are the buttons, which are painfully simple and made of inexpensive plastic. The situation is similar with the remote control, whose materials and assembly could be better.

Ergonomics, controls

The height of the speakers is not as big as it might seem from the photo - only 80 cm. And for myself personally, I realized that this is the ideal height of the speakers to be used as part of a home multimedia system. A kind of golden mean. But the weight is rather large - 18.5 kg, which indicates that this is not a “dummy” in front of us. F&D T-60X are also suitable for a computer if you have a lot of space near your desk. But, of course, the ideal area for using this model is as part of a home theater.

The speakers are controlled either using the block on the left column or with the remote control. There are no questions about convenience as such, except for one point that I personally encountered - when installing the acoustics close to the cabinet, access to the control elements is completely blocked. But in this case, the remote control comes to the rescue.

Functionality, connection

And here lies the whole secret of the popularity of the Fenda T-60X. What kind of popularity am I talking about? Go to the acoustics catalog on hotline.ua and see what rating the model has. Exactly. And this is not without reason, because there is really a lot of interesting stuff here.

In addition to a variety of wired connections (both analogue and optical digital), we have Bluetooth 4.0 for wireless music listening, NFC, a USB port, a card reader for MP3/WMA playback, and a built-in FM tuner.

There are also two 6.3mm microphone jacks for karaoke, which will come in handy at a party. You can adjust the echo level, thereby achieving the microphone sound as desired.

Sound

Let me make a reservation right away: the sound is good, but with a number of peculiarities. When the speakers are installed correctly and positioned in the center, the sound is really full of detail, the width of the stage allows you to hear any instrument in space, and good mid-range vocal frequencies. It seems that the bass is in its place - there is not too much of it, and it is quite compact, as for this class of speakers. But something is wrong with the tweeters. The highs are really harsh and won't be to everyone's taste, especially when first turned on. This, of course, can be adjusted using the equalizer, but this is the reference.

I had great pleasure listening to any music on the speakers - Disturbed, Robin Shulz, Maroon 5, Kasabian, Ed Sheeran, THEY., Stormzy, Moby and much more. It is pop music that plays most pleasantly, where soft vocals and electronic arrangements predominate. The sound also changes depending on the source - the same FiiO X5 II produces much more serious sound over the wire than the iPhone 6s via Bluetooth.

As a home theater speaker, the F&D T60-X is just perfect. With a high-quality track (preferably original), any moment is conveyed perfectly. The explosions are three-dimensional, the voice in the dialogues is detailed, the musical inserts play beautifully - you don’t even notice the raised high frequencies.

A few words about the 100 W output power. The speakers are really loud! Even a smartphone paired with acoustics can knock a couple of cups off the table and cause a fit of rage among the neighbors. The signal-to-noise ratio is approximately 70 dB with 45 dB crosstalk.

Site evaluation

Pros: sound, cost, Bluetooth, a large number of connectors for connection, microphone for karaoke, assembly, versatility, optimal dimensions for a floor-standing option

Minuses: The remote control and control buttons on the left column are made of not particularly high-quality materials, squeaky tops

Conclusion: The cost of F&D T-60X is about 5,000 UAH, which is quite cheap for models with similar functionality. Yes, many may be put off by the brand and associations with bad Chinese speakers, but this is a slightly different case. Here we have really good universal floorstanders for reasonable money that will satisfy the vast majority of users. But don't expect audiophile sound from a product like this. The speakers are great both as part of a home theater for a TV, and as a central music system for the home, because in fact it is a music center. A huge advantage is the ability to play music from almost any source - from players and smartphones to network players. Among the minuses, I would like to note only the remote control made of low-quality plastic, not the best quality control buttons on the panel and harsh high frequencies.

Specifications

	F&D T-60X Black 4,859 − 7,722 UAH Compare prices
Type	Multimedia acoustics
Installation	floor
Connection	wired, wireless
Number of channels	2.0
Number of lanes	2
Speaker power, W	110 (2x55)
Subwoofer power, W	-
Frequency range, Hz	20-20000
Signal to noise ratio, dB	70
Input impedance, Ohm	4
Sensitivity, dB/W/m	no data
Amplifier	built-in
Bass reflex	in columns
USB	USB 2.0 x1
Ethernet	-
WiFi	-
DLNA	-
Bluetooth	Bluetooth 4.0
AirPlay	-
NFC	+
RCA	x1
mini Jack 3.5 mm	-
Digital optical	x1
Digital coaxial	-
XLR	-
Headphone output	-
Other	microphone x2
Display	LCD
Remote control	wireless
Dock station	-
Card reader	SD/MMC/MS
Treble adjustment	-
Bass adjustment	-
Built-in FM receiver	+
Built-in audio player	MP3, WMA
Internet radio	-
Nutrition	from the network
Autonomy, h (battery capacity, mAh)	-
Housing material	MDF
Finishing material	veneer
Dimensions, mm	910x382x436
Weight, kg	18,5
Color	black
Equipment	basic
Additionally	Karaoke with echo function

Today we received small budget computer speakers for review, each with a power of 18 W. Let us immediately note the decent power in relation to the dimensions. Simple and convenient volume and tone controls are located on the front panel. There is a headphone jack and an indicator for turning on the speaker system.

Technical characteristics of the F&D R224 speaker

• Output power, W 2*16 W
• Speaker diameter, HF - 1", LF - 4"
• Resistance, Ohm 4
• Frequency range, Hz-KHz 25-20
• Crosstalk, dB > 45
• Signal to noise ratio, dB > 75
• Input jack RCA
• Power supply 220 V 50/60 Hz
• Case material MDF
• Colors AC beech, black, cherry
• Speaker dimensions, h*w*d 378 x 240 x 312
• Speaker weight, kg 5.45
• Check the price in stores

Due to the small size of the speaker systems themselves, the speaker box is compact and convenient enough to be brought home from the store.

Inside there is an instruction manual, a warranty card, two speakers (active with ULF and passive), as well as an audio cable for connecting the speakers to the linear output of the PC.

The cables are standard length - about one and a half meters, so there will be no problems installing them anywhere near the computer. As a last resort, you can buy a new one, since they are all standard - a headphone plug on one side and two “tulips” on the other.

The wires are quite thick and have a good shielding braid. However, if all the speaker controls are turned to maximum, a hiss will be heard. It is not the background of the network (as from poor shielding of wires and power filtering), but the hiss of the HF spectrum. This is explained by the not very successful design of the tone block. Nevertheless, few people sit with volume levels turned up to the limit, and when the music starts, no other noise will be heard.

It depends on you, but we believe that sound control, bass and treble, should be on the front panel. When working with a PC, you have to change the volume, timbre quite often... (depending on the movie, game, watching videos on YouTube). Therefore, all the mounting organs should be at hand - in front, and not from the side, and certainly not from the back. All regulators are black, so the design will not be spoiled.

The power cord is included in the housing F&D R244 tightly, and not through the connector. Therefore, if it is broken, you will have to disassemble the entire column to replace it with a new one.

It’s the same with the cable going to the passive speaker - it goes directly into the case without any sockets.

F&D R244 speaker tests

Before starting the tests, you need to determine which channel is which. Don’t focus too much on the colors of the plugs - it’s better to run a test from the computer’s audio card, which, by reproducing sound fragments, will show where the left speaker should be and where the right one should be.

What can you say about work? The sound is quite sufficient even for the whole apartment and is perfect for one room of 15-20 m. The tone control ranges are wide, the control movement is pleasant - smooth. The green LED is not irritating, low frequencies are handled well. Even surprisingly worthy - unexpectedly powerful for such small speakers!

If anyone is annoyed by excessive bass hum, it can be eliminated by plugging the bass reflexes (tubes on the back side) with cotton wool. The bass will become quieter, deeper, more realistic and without hum. In general, the acoustics are reliable, and in case the amplifier fails, keep in mind that parts for repair are cheap - there is a microcircuit installed inside TDA2030.

It just so happens that decorative acoustics rarely become the subject of close attention in the test laboratories of various computer publications. This is due to several factors. Firstly, such systems are cheap, so they have a number of typical disadvantages that must be considered from the point of view of low price. Secondly, the technical solutions of such speakers in most cases are not particularly interesting. However, if you dig a little deeper, it becomes clear that in terms of the number of sales, it is precisely such systems that lead in the number of sales - inexpensive, beautiful and compact. Therefore, today we want to at least partially improve the current situation by testing three budget sets of class 2.1.

F&D R313: a proven classic

There is no need to talk about the delivery package of such systems, since in most cases it is completely identical: two satellites, a subwoofer, a signal cable, instructions. Trifonica R313 is no exception in this regard. So, having opened the box, we saw a rather interesting system made according to all the classical canons. There are no design frills or glamor, but there is observance of all basic rules and good workmanship.

The satellites are made in small MDF cases in the shape of a rectangular parallelepiped. To give the appearance at least some zest, the edges of the front panel are slightly rounded. In the center there is a broadband speaker with a paper diffuser and a soft polymer suspension. It is worth noting that the manufacturing quality in this case is very high and the F&D R313 satellites compare favorably with most similar systems in a number of parameters. Firstly, they are decorated not with ordinary black film, but with PVC material simulating the structure of natural wood. Secondly, the acoustic fabric mesh is removable. This allows you to use the speakers both with and without grills installed. The fact, I must say, is very rare for a budget solution. To install the speakers on a horizontal surface, four rubber feet are provided, and the wires are fixed permanently. No connectors are provided, since the connection with the amplifier is realized using spring clamps.

The subwoofer is made in the same style. Let us only note that the imitation of natural material is done very successfully, so from a distance you can really think that the sub is made of solid wood. On the front panel there is a small decorative trim made of black plastic. Here you can see three main controls, an LED and the output port of the bass reflex port.

Acoustics control is thought out in the best possible way, since along with the master volume control and treble control there is a knob for changing the volume of the subwoofer. This is important, since each listener will be able to set the frequency balance he likes.

The acoustic design used is a fourth-order bandpass. This scheme is characterized by some specific disadvantages, however, it will allow you to obtain decent sound pressure, which is actually important in the price range under consideration. Connecting the system is as simple as possible. As we have already noted, the satellites are connected to spring terminals, and the signal from the computer is fed to a regular RCA stereo input.

The electronics installation can be called sloppy, but there are no glaring flaws. The amplifier is built using three TDA2030A microcircuits, that is, one per channel. A 31 VA transformer is used for power supply.

On practice

The characteristics of this system do not cause any particular complaints, but they cannot boast of their correctness either. The subwoofer operates at 45 Hz, which is due to the low setting of the acoustic design. At 60 Hz a clear peak is visible. There is a small dip where it matches the satellites. At high frequencies, the microphone records a sharp rise, turning into a steep decline. Having such a frequency response, the speakers will play distantly from the original, cold, but bright.

The sound of the acoustics is at a fairly confident level, especially considering its price. Satellites play brightly and lively. The timbre balance is shifted to cooler shades. Despite the use of full-range speakers, the lack of high frequencies does not affect much. The bass produced by the subwoofer is clear and deep. At low and medium volumes no artifacts appear. If you turn the knob much further than the middle, then nonlinear distortions and jet noise take effect. In general, the picture for the budget sector is quite standard. However, the overall quality level can be assessed as good.

K-three (Vigoole) E3120: contrasting music

This kit is sold in a small box with a standard delivery set: in addition to the speakers themselves and instructions, it only includes a cable for connecting to the output of the computer's sound card.

The appearance of this triphonic can be described in one succinct word - it is contrasting. On the one hand, we see classic cases and technical solutions, but they clearly put a lot of effort into the design. The black color of the cases is perfectly complemented by snow-white plastic inserts. The satellites are completely ordinary. They have a standard shape, are made of MDF and decorated with black PVC film. The front panels feature non-removable acoustic fabric pads, with striking white stripes on the sides and the company logo at the bottom. Under the mesh you can find one full-range speaker with a perforated surface and a rigid suspension. The magnetic system is fully shielded and the metal is clearly stamped with Vigoole.

Compared to satellites, the subwoofer looks even more impressive. The front panel is made of plastic, and the entire body is wooden. The design is approximately the same: the main part is black, with white stripes on the sides. In the center of the front panel you can see three controls and a bright blue LED. The largest knob is used to change the volume, and the two small ones adjust the balance of high frequencies and the volume of the low-frequency channel. When switched on, all controls are illuminated in blue.

As in the case of F&D R313, a rather rare acoustic design in the form of a bandpass resonator was used. A small speaker is installed inside the case on a partition that divides its volume.

The bass reflex port from one chamber is located on the side panel. At the ends we see extensions designed to reduce the occurrence of jet noise.

The back panel is classic. The metal insert serves both as fastening elements for the main connectors and as a radiator for cooling the chips. All electronics are mounted on one board, the build quality is quite high. To implement the amplifier, three TDA2030A microcircuits were used. Power is supplied from a step-down transformer with a power of secondary windings of 24 VA. Therefore, the power formula of 2x10+16 W looks somewhat exaggerated.

On practice

In this case, the subwoofer operates at 50 Hz, which is already good. Its energy is clearly focused on the frequency of 100 Hz. On the one hand, there is nothing good about this, but on the other hand, even such an frequency response for the existing acoustic design in the budget class is a noticeable achievement. Inexpensive bandpasses are aimed at high volume, and the presence of at least minimal quality is pleasing. The frequency response has an unevenness of the order of ±5 dB throughout the entire band. Overall it's very good, but it's easy to see that the middle is quite choppy. This will distort the timbre balance. Although, to be fair, the picture emerges for the available $40.

The sound impressions are excellent. Firstly, it is worth noting the power. Despite the fact that, in comparison with the F&D R313, more modest figures are stated, in practice the E3120 plays louder, in any case, it accurately produces a higher sound pressure without obvious nonlinear distortions. The satellites have a bright, colorful sound. They greatly embellish the original signal, but it’s hard to call this a disadvantage. Rather, it is the specifics of the operation of a particular set. The subwoofer bass is confident and powerful. Its sound is more punchy and less prone to mumbling.

Edifier X400: grown-up sound in a beautiful guise

The X400 model can rightfully be called the most mature of today's trio. This is easily explained in terms of price. See for yourself, R313 costs about $35, E3120 - $40, and X400 - $55. That is, if Edifier and K-three (Vigoole) can still be somehow compared, then F&D is noticeably cheaper.

In the box you can find the speakers themselves, a signal cable and a traditional Edifier set of printed materials - instructions, warranty card, product catalog.

The appearance of the trifonic is quite attractive, and the workmanship is simply excellent. The satellites are made in (small) wooden cases, decorated with vinyl film to resemble a natural material. The coating not only has a similar pattern, but also repeats the structure of the array fibers. The speaker with a paper cone and a bullet-shaped dust cap is located in the very center. By default, it is covered with an acoustic fabric mesh. It is worth noting that it has a nice intricate shape, and is not made in the form of a regular rectangle.

By the way, X400 is the only set of three that has not only rubber feet for installation on a table, but also special holes for hanging on the wall. This point can be considered important, since in fact it is a tangible plus.

The subwoofer is made in the form of a cube. The speaker is mounted on the front panel and covered with a removable acoustic fabric mesh. Again, the X400 is the only system of the three that uses the usual acoustic design - a bass reflex. It's quite simple to explain. In this case, the speaker clearly has more impressive characteristics, so the manufacturer did not have to use various tricks to obtain high sound pressure. But the bass will be more correct.

The main connectors are concentrated not on the rear panel, but on a small plastic insert on the right side, which allows, if necessary, to place the subwoofer close to the wall. The signal is supplied to a household 3.5 mm jack, so the signal cable has an unusual configuration: there is a mini-jack at each end. The satellites are connected to outputs implemented using two RCAs. Here you can also see two controls for changing the overall volume level and the subwoofer volume.

The acoustics inside are very high quality. The electronic board installation is excellent. The electronics themselves are also impressive. The amplifier, built on three UTC2030 microcircuits, is powered by a transformer with a power of secondary windings of 30 VA with two 3300 μF capacitors in the filter. Please note that with the existing parameters, the power of the satellite is stated at 6 W, and the power of the subwoofer is 12 W. In this case, the numbers are honest and cannot be doubted.

On practice

So let's take a look at the frequency response. The subwoofer operates in the 50-200 Hz band. The unevenness of the characteristic is low, but a pronounced peak is still visible at a frequency of 60 Hz. The coordination with the satellites is excellent. The satellites themselves work very well, with a visible boost at high frequencies that will make the sound brighter.

Subjective impressions of the sound are generally extremely positive. The subwoofer demonstrates confident operation and, in comparison with the already reviewed sets, delivers the most correct bass. Its sound is crisp and has excellent low-frequency detail. By the way, the existing peak does not bring much negativity, at least in our test room. There are no complaints about the sound of the satellites. They play quite loudly, and what is especially important is detail.

I would like to mention that Edifier X400 is the youngest of the line of gaming acoustics, which also includes the well-known models X500 and X600.

Conclusion

As a result, the results of our testing today turned out to be quite predictable. In terms of sound quality, the acoustics ranked according to the stated price. The cheapest speakers are the F&D R313, they cost only $35. At the same time, the set has a classic appearance and provides normal sound quality. It is worth noting that listening to this system is still better at low and medium volumes.

K-three acoustics, and this is the brand under which Vigoole speakers are officially sold in our country. The E3120 looks more modern and catchy, so it’s perfect for rooms with a bright hi-tech design. At a price of about $40, the E3120 produces a fairly confident sound, which, with a small difference in price, confidently outperforms the R313.

Edifier X400 is a slightly different acoustics, since it is already a kind of transitional option between outright decorative and adult systems. The set is made of very high quality, and the sound is the most correct and detailed. However, the price of the 400s is slightly higher - $55.

Speakers F&D R313, K-tri (Vigoole) E3120 and Edifier X400 provided by ITC-M

Valentine 1908

Chinese company Fenda Science & Technology Corp. Group has been on the speaker system market for a long time and has been able to establish itself only on the positive side. The company has been producing acoustics since 1993, and to this day, it is extremely popular in more than 80 countries around the world.

Introduced in 2008, the F&D F-19 speaker system immediately became a sales leader in both the Chinese and European markets. Ordinary users were attracted to this acoustics, first of all, by its interesting design and, of course, low price. The budget audio system from F&D is essentially a home theater, but it can also be easily connected to a computer. Now let's take a closer look at this acoustic system and consider what it is.

Prices in online stores:

		Audiomania	RUB 36,990
		I'll take it	RUR 2,969
		Audiomania	RUB 17,990

Equipment

The F&D F-19 speaker system kit includes:

5 columns;

Subwoofer;

Remote control;

Acoustic cable;

Interconnect cable 3.5 mm.

Appearance

First of all, I would like to note that the F&D F-19 is distinguished by its interesting design compared to other models of the company. All 5 speakers of the audio system are made in silver with chrome inserts on the sides, which emphasize severity. The front and rear speakers are located on some stands in the form of columns, while the central speaker is located separately from the rest. The body of all 5 speakers is made of plastic; at the bottom of the front and rear speakers there are black wooden stands that match perfectly with the main column. The speakers are single-way, each rated at 18 watts, which I think is a bit on the low side.

The main box with the subwoofer is also made in a light silver color, on the top of which there are five chrome control buttons. At the bottom of the box there is also a black stand, like the front and rear speakers. On the back of the subwoofer housing there is a switch, audio inputs and outputs, and a heatsink that is used for the hottest elements.

Subwoofer design

Inside the case there is a sound absorber made of padding polyester. The entire speaker system is assembled neatly and reliably, nothing rattles anywhere and this is very pleasing. The front cover, which I was able to remove, was a little confusing due to the abundance of glue that was used to fix the elements. The subwoofer's power is 60 W and produces a very dull sound. Of course, it will do for a budget version, but I would still like it to sound better.

Control

Controlling the speaker system is one of the most important elements, because every user wants to customize it for themselves. This is done both using the remote control and using five buttons located on the subwoofer body itself. The remote control has additional buttons that allow you to adjust the speaker system to suit the hearing of any user.

You can set the subwoofer frequencies, adjust the “center” and “rear”, and also turn on only 3 speakers using the remote control. The instrument panel located on the subwoofer body has only a few functions, such as volume control, power off, and frequency change. Of course, an obvious disadvantage in controlling the speaker system is the lack of an LCD screen, because it is not clear how much the user has increased or decreased the sound, as well as what power the amplifier has been set to.

Prices in online stores:

		Audiomania	RUB 390,600
		compyou.ru	RUB 8,980
		Softline	RUR 2,740

Sound

You should never expect good quality from a budget speaker system, but F&D
The F-19 performs quite well. If you connect it to a DVD player, the sound is excellent. Thanks to the rear speakers, you can hear all the sounds, rustles and conversations in the background in almost any movie. The sound quality of the subwoofer is almost like in any cinema; although it is muffled, it is very exciting. But if you connect the system to a computer and watch movies, you shouldn’t expect excellent quality; the speakers seem to choke and it becomes unpleasant to listen to.

Prices in online stores:

I'll take it

RUB 1,490

Conclusion: pros and cons

The F&D F-19 acoustic system is, of course, a budget version, but it can compete with any high-quality and expensive model. A clear advantage of the system is its price, which is very affordable for many buyers who want not to spend much, but simply enjoy watching their favorite films and imagine that they are in a cinema. The downside is that the developers did not provide an LCD screen that would be ideal for such a futuristic design.

tell friends

Active wooden acoustics of the SVEN/F&D brand are well known to our regular readers, primarily for their excellent price/quality ratio. The discovery of 2001 was a set of active 5.1 acoustics SVEN/F&D IHOO 5.1. It’s hard not to agree that with the appearance of this model on sale, the firmly established opinion regarding how high-quality inexpensive active acoustics can be has changed. IHOO 5.1 are, first of all, high-quality sounding two-way speakers, the bodies of which are made of wood, a well-designed subwoofer, a balanced amplification path, and the successful use of the QSound effect processor. And all this for a reasonable price (about $200).

Some may disagree and argue for days on end in a conference, proving that Soviet used speakers are still the best in the world (especially if you have a diploma in radio engineering, time for many years of alterations and a warehouse of spare parts to completely replace all the internals). But the fact that IHOO 5.1 sounds very decent and outshines many 5.1 sets in the same price category remains a fact.

The IHOO 5.1 is certainly not perfect, and has shortcomings in both sound and functionality. Including, it does not have a remote control. Later, a more expensive 5.1 set SVEN 988 appeared, which has a wireless remote control. But at the same time, the price also increased, although all 5 speakers were exactly the same, and the quality of the front speakers was still inferior to the IHOO 5.1 set.

Thus, a version with the same speakers as the IHOO 5.1, but with a remote control and electronic control of all operating modes, looks quite logical. It is this set that will be discussed in the article. It's called F&D YF-IA. We'll compare the sound of both sets and see how they differ from each other.

Appearance

The set comes in two shipping boxes. The first of them contains a fairly large ten-kilogram subwoofer, the other - five speakers. The total weight of both boxes is about 23 kilograms.

General view of the F&D YF-IA set

It is possible that the set will be available for sale in a different color design; we received a set of silver trim with dark blue fabric mesh.

The YF-IA set includes:

• subwoofer;
• five columns;
• remote control;
• user guide;
• wires for connecting speakers;
• stereo RCA wire to stereo RCA.

Speakers

As we said at the beginning, all five columns remain unchanged compared to IHOO. Their dimensions are (W × H × D):

• front - 168 × 220 × 300 mm;
• central - 400 × 150 × 140 mm;
• rear - 150 × 150 × 180 mm.

If bare numbers do not give you a complete idea of ​​the dimensions of the speakers, below in the photo you can see what the front and center speakers look like next to the 17" LG Flatron monitor.

Front and center of the YF-IA F&D kit
next to the 17" monitor and keyboard

The acoustic design of all five speakers is a bass reflex circuit. The bass reflex holes are located on the rear panel. The thickness of all walls of the center and front speakers is 15 mm, the rear ones are 10 mm. All components and connections are made carefully and are quite tight. There is no sound absorber inside the case. The mid-frequency dynamic drivers in the center and rear speakers are the same, with a power of 15 W each. The diameter of the paper diffusers is 10 cm, the flexible suspension is made of polypropylene. The front speakers use slightly more powerful full-range speakers - 20 W. The diameter of the paper diffusers is 11.5 cm; the flexible suspension here is made of soft rubber. The tweeters used in the center and front are exactly the same. Their diffusers, with a diameter of 25 millimeters, are made of plastic and are closed with a phase-equalizing cap. The speakers in the center and front speakers are connected in parallel, and an electrolytic capacitor with a capacity of 2.2 m F is used as a crossover filter.

View of the F&D YF-IA kit with protective nets removed

Since the dynamic heads are magnetically shielded, no interference was detected when working closely with the monitor. The central and front speakers have rubber feet with a grooved surface. Due to this, the center rests very confidently on the top of the monitor. The rear satellites do not have legs, but are equipped with fasteners for wall installation.

Subwoofer

The subwoofer of the tested model is larger in size than the subwoofer from IHOO 5.1, slightly higher in height and one and a half times in depth. The exact dimensions are 210 x 436 x 442 mm. For a better idea, we provide a comparative photograph of the subwoofers of both models.

Subwoofer from the F&D YF-IA set (left)
vs. subwoofer from IHOO 5.1 set (right)

But in fact, it’s too early to be happy about this size of the subwoofer. Inside, the sub is horizontally divided into two non-connecting chambers of approximately the same size. For the formation of low frequencies in the subwoofer, the YF-IA has only the upper chamber. On the one hand, the volume for the formation of low frequencies is smaller, on the other, nothing inside should rattle or resonate.

At the bottom of the subwoofer housing there is an amplifier board and a fairly large toroidal transformer.

Electronic filling of the F&D YF-IA subwoofer

As can be seen from the photo, the board contains a large number of high-capacity capacitors in the power filter, which ensures that there is no AC background on the power supply, which is a problem with some kits.

The acoustic design of the subwoofer is a bass reflex circuit. The thickness of all subwoofer walls is 18 mm. The bass reflex hole is located on the front panel. The diffuser of the low-frequency head is located on the rear panel and is loaded with an acoustic screen, thereby the woofer theoretically operates in a wider frequency range than with a resonant chamber, but the efficiency in the region of the lowest frequencies decreases. The low-frequency dynamic head has a power of 50 W and an impedance of 6 Ohms. The flexible suspension is made of rubber, and the diffuser diameter is 16 cm.

A low-frequency speaker located on the rear panel of the subwoofer,
loaded with acoustic screen

The subwoofer itself is installed on four two-centimeter legs made of thick rubber.

The following buttons are located on the front control panel:

• Power- puts the system into energy saving mode (stand by);
• Vol.up/vol.down- adjusts the volume;
• Mode- switches system operating modes (AC3, Stereo, Surround);
• Input- switches switching modes (DVD, CD/VCD, Tape, TV);
• S.Bass- adds low frequencies to five channels;
• Mute- needs no explanation.

F&D YF-IA subwoofer control panel

The volume level here is determined in dB. The quietest value corresponds to -79 dB, the loudest - 0 dB. Adjusting the volume separately for the front, rear, center and subwoofer is possible only with the remote control. Also curious was the presence of a three-band equalizer (Treble, Middle, Bass), which can also be adjusted only from the remote control. The S.Bass button should probably add low frequencies to the sound, but instead it adds mids and distortion to the speakers, which greatly degrades the sound. We would not recommend using this lotion.

On the back panel there are:

• four connectors (RCA) for connecting to stereo sources;
• inputs (RCA) for six-channel connection;
• mechanical clamps for connecting speakers;
• power switch;
• fuse.

F&D YF-IA subwoofer patch panel

Remote control

The remote control is made in the style of "super-slim". It has a rectangular shape and is six millimeters thick. Power is supplied from one large three-volt “tablet”.

Remote control for F&D YF-IA kit

The weight of the remote control is very light and, as can be seen from the photo, it is quite easy to use. All adjustments that are possible from the front panel of the subwoofer are available from the remote control. And two buttons SPK- And EQ-Coose- nothing more than adjusting the volume of four channels separately and an equalizer.

Reinforcing part

The manufacturer uses two types of microcircuits in the amplification path. These are five TDA2030A chips from and two LM1875T chips from. All seven microcircuits are coated with thermal paste and pressed against the heatsink with a metal strip (which we had to remove to demonstrate the markings of the microcircuits).

Microcircuits of the amplification path of the F&D YF-IA set

Let's look at the distortion versus power curves taken from the specifications.

Graph of THD depending on the power of the TDA2030A chip

The TDA2030A chip in the amplification path serves to amplify signals for five channels. It is often found in active acoustics and has proven itself with high power levels and low distortion.

Having measured the voltage at the corresponding pins of the microcircuit, we obtained values ​​of ±18 V. This suggests that the given graph can be considered without adjusting the values ​​along the power axis.

Power is supplied from one large toroidal transformer, located at a sufficient distance from the amplifier board.

Graph of THD versus power of the LM1875T chip

Two LM1875T chips serve to amplify the signal to the subwoofer. Considering that the amplification circuit is bridged, at a low THD value the power of the microcircuits will be sufficient with a large margin.

Comparing the amplification parts of YF-IA and IHOO 5.1, it should be noted that the brands of microcircuits used in the amplification path have not changed at all. To generate 5.1 sound with connected stereo sound sources, the QS7785 analog effect processor from QSound is still used. The use of QS7785 can be described as a very good solution. In terms of sound quality, it is one of the best solutions today.

Subjective listening

During auditory testing, the music signal was reproduced by WaveTerminal 2496 and Live! 5.1. The first is used as a reference, and the second - due to its six-channel nature and widespread use. It must be said that while on many sets of multimedia acoustics the difference in the sound of the cards is almost imperceptible, on the YF-IA it was felt quite well. Thus, it makes sense to connect fairly high-quality signal sources to the set.

The sound of the set can be described as very good. We can safely say that the set is well balanced. It happens that when using a set of acoustics with small plastic speakers and a large booming subwoofer, you can noticeably hear the separate sound of the speakers and subwoofer. Here the subwoofer does not play separately, but rather complements the sound with the lower register, merging with the sound of the other speakers, without drawing attention to itself. There are no additional resonances in the sound of the subwoofer.

The only depressing thing is short-term quiet wheezing of unknown origin (possibly a defect in the test sample).

The optimal location of the subwoofer is one in which the bass reflex is directed directly at the listener. In this case, the sound of the subwoofer becomes more intelligible and distinct, so that the pitch of the notes played in the bass parts can be easily heard and accurately determined. Of course, when dubbing explosions and noise in films or games, this does not play a big role.

I would like to note the rather calm and not loud nature of the sound of the speakers. Even when listening to music for a long time, there is no fatigue, which is the problem with some acoustic sets. The sound timbre does not change even at high volume levels. The front speakers, located at a distance of 1.5 meters from each other, create a very good stereo panorama. If you move them closer (some may have to do this due to the size of the table), the uniformity of the sound field deteriorates. But this does not mean that the sound quality deteriorates at the same time. It’s just that for comfortable listening to music in stereo mode, it is preferable not to place the speakers too close to each other.

Perhaps the only drawback of the speakers will be the lack of transparent high frequencies and a slight distortion in the upper midrange. The equalizer built into the YF-IA does not fundamentally change anything, and when trying to adjust it, it only adds distortion to the sound.

And now, probably, the most interesting and exciting thing for all readers and owners of IHOO 5.1 - confrontation! The comparison of the sound of both sets was carried out according to the following scheme: identical test compositions were listened to on two computers, with the sound alternately turned off (with a pre-adjusted volume level). For a more accurate comparison, the music signal was taken from professional cards with AKM AK4524 codecs (WaveTerminal 2496 and Hoontech DSP24 Value).

The results are as follows. As expected, no changes were noticed in the sound of the speakers themselves. Actually, there was nowhere for them to come from: the amplifier microcircuits were the same, the housings and dynamic heads were the same.

But there are some differences in the sound of the subwoofers. Firstly, the volume of the IHOO 5.1 subwoofer at equal control positions is much higher than that of the YF-IA. This is due to different acoustic design schemes: a loaded dynamic head and bass reflex for the YF-IA and a resonant chamber for the IHOO 5.1. And as you know, a resonant chamber has a much higher efficiency, although it is inferior in the breadth of the frequency range and linearity of the frequency response to other solutions.

As for the sound timbre, in our opinion, the IHOO 5.1 sub plays a little softer and more fully voices the lowest register, although it cannot tolerate too high volume levels - distortion occurs. Another important point: the sound of the IHOO 5.1 subwoofer is less sensitive to location relative to the listener.

Let's summarize the comparative testing of the sound of subwoofers. By a very slight margin, we give our subjective preference to the IHOO 5.1 sub. The YF-IA subwoofer plays quite well, but somewhat disappoints expectations due to its promising huge dimensions. However, in general the differences are not that significant.

I would like to add one significant plus to the list of advantages of YF-IA. When you turn on the set, there is no characteristic click in the speakers and subwoofer from transient processes occurring in the power supply and amplifiers. The fact is that when the set switches from standby mode to operating mode, the speaker disconnect relay is activated. The same thing happens when you turn it off. Thus, it is possible to completely avoid all these unpleasant clicks and crackles, which was the problem with IHOO 5.1.

However, in this particular instance there was a small problem: at the beginning of work, some quiet noises and wheezing were heard from the subwoofer for half a minute.

Frequency response measurements

The measurements were carried out using a unified method using the program.

Frequency response of the front speaker IHOO 5.1 in comparison with F&D YF-IA

A dip in the 2-5 kHz region is bad, but not fatal. At least there is no strong timbre distortion in the sound, just a slight coloration. But there is a fairly flat (± 3 dB) mid and highs. There is practically no difference between the speakers in terms of frequency response. By ear, the difference also lies on the verge of perceptibility.

Frequency response of subwoofer IHOO 5.1

Frequency response of the F&D YF-IA subwoofer

According to the results of subwoofer measurements, the F&D YF-IA is in the lead, showing a larger range of reproduced frequencies. However, the IHOO 5.1 subwoofer seemed a little more pleasant to us, as it played with more impact and cleaner. There is no contradiction here. It’s just that the frequency response is not the only and sufficient criterion by which one can fully judge the sound quality of acoustics. In addition, music contains very few frequencies between 20 and 50 Hz. This range is more relevant for dubbing explosions in DVD films, where timbre coloring and the amount of distortion are not so important. The main thing there is that the viewer is thrown up in his seat. :)

Conclusion

A set of active 5.1 acoustics F&D YF-IA is an ideal solution as an inexpensive PC-based home theater equipped with a DVD drive and a 6-channel sound card (or an inexpensive DVD player with a built-in decoder). YF-IA is an improved version of the people's favorite - the IHOO 5.1 set. However, owners of the latter may not be upset. There have been no significant changes in the sound; rather, the ease of use has only increased - remote control, electronic adjustment of modes, no clicks when turning on/off.

If we talk about sound, the tested set copes with various musical compositions very easily and successfully. Along with dance and pop music, jazz and even works performed by a symphony orchestra are reproduced well. This is also a great solution for games. The volume reserve is more than enough to sound not only the computer corner, but the entire room.

It is definitely worth saying that everything is learned by comparison, and each thing has its own price. Considering the large number of different inexpensive 5.1 multimedia kits from other manufacturers (and there is plenty to choose from), the F&D YF-IA is of interest primarily to users looking for a sound solution that is optimal in terms of price/quality.

Pros:

• It's happened: IHOO has got a remote control!
• wooden two-way full-range front speakers;
• large central column with classic design;
• large wooden subwoofer;
• very good sound;
• effects processor from QSound for listening to stereo sound on all six speakers;
• no clicks when turned on
• Reasonable cost is expected (within $300).

Minuses:

• the rear speakers do not have tweeters;
• perhaps the kit does not include cords for connecting to a computer;
• quiet noises and wheezing in the operation of the subwoofer in a particular instance.