Speaker design philosophy at Fyne Audio, as expressed by Dr. Paul Mills, emphasizes both accuracy and enjoyment in audio performance.
Dr. Paul Mills, an engineer with a passion for music, chose to work at Tannoy in Scotland in 1989. The quality of life and the company's innovative Dual Concentric drivers drew him to Tannoy.
Mills, who had pursued a Bachelor of Engineering (BEng) degree, found himself at the heart of a significant development in the audio industry. His arrival coincided with the creation of the Tannoy Dual Concentric driver, a design that would become central to Tannoy’s reputation for high-quality loudspeakers.
The Dual Concentric driver, a coaxial driver technology, features both the tweeter and woofer on the same axis. This innovative design, a key contribution from Mills, aimed to improve sound accuracy and dispersion. His work on this technology refined and advanced the Dual Concentric speaker system, a hallmark of Tannoy’s speaker products.
While historical accounts may not explicitly state this, Mills' role in the development of the Dual Concentric driver is widely recognised in professional audio history and literature.
Mills' Later Work and Fyne Audio
Before joining Tannoy, Mills worked in a different industry, designing power and control systems. His love for music and engineering eventually led him to the Audio Research and Engineering PhD course at Essex University.
After leaving Tannoy, Mills went on to found Fyne Audio, a company that shares Tannoy's commitment to quality and innovation. Fyne Audio's engineering philosophy is based on the 'point source' principle, which aims for time-aligned sources and greater tonal accuracy.
Fyne Audio's flagship speaker, the F1-12, is renowned for its low coloration and extended low-frequency range. The company believes speakers should be both accurate and entertaining, able to play a wide range of music genres.
Collaborations and Partnerships
Fyne Audio's test room uses Accuphase's 50-watt E700S Class A integrated amplifier and DP-770 CD player. At the top end, Fyne Audio tends to use Accuphase amplifiers. This partnership is not limited to the test room; Accuphase also uses Fyne Audio's F1-12S as the reference speakers in its listening room.
Fyne Audio and Accuphase share a few distributors in the Far East. Some of Fyne Audio's dealers in the UK and Europe are also Rega dealers. Fyne Audio uses a Rega Aethos amplifier for more affordable speakers.
Notable Records and Materials
Fyne Audio finds Daft Punk's Random Access Memories and Annette Askvik's Liberty to be well-conceived and superbly recorded albums, respectively. Birch plywood is considered the ideal speaker enclosure material by Fyne Audio due to its density and less homogeneous nature.
In conclusion, Dr. Paul Mills' work at Tannoy and Fyne Audio has significantly contributed to the advancement of audio technology, particularly in the field of coaxial drivers and speaker design. His innovations continue to influence the industry, setting a high standard for quality and accuracy in audio systems.
- Dr. Paul Mills, after working in a different industry, designed power and control systems, later pursuing an Audio Research and Engineering PhD course at Essex University.
- His work at Tannoy, focusing on the Dual Concentric driver, became a hallmark of Tannoy’s reputation for high-quality loudspeakers.
- Mills later founded Fyne Audio, a company that shares Tannoy’s commitment to quality and innovation, with an engineering philosophy based on the 'point source' principle.
- Fyne Audio's flagship speaker, the F1-12, is renowned for its low coloration and extended low-frequency range, playing a wide range of music genres.
- The test room at Fyne Audio uses Accuphase's 50-watt E700S Class A integrated amplifier and DP-770 CD player, while at the top end, Fyne Audio tends to use Accuphase amplifiers.
- Accuphase also uses Fyne Audio's F1-12S as the reference speakers in its listening room, and both companies share a few distributors in the Far East.
- Fyne Audio finds Daft Punk's Random Access Memories and Annette Askvik’s Liberty to be well-conceived and superbly recorded albums, respectively, and considers birch plywood the ideal speaker enclosure material due to its density and less homogeneous nature.
