MANUFACTURER'S SPECIFICATIONS
System Type: Two-way, ducted port.
Speaker Components: Two; woofer, 10-in. cone type; tweeter, 3-in. cone type
Nominal Input Impedance: 8 ohms.
Frequency Response: 24-20,000 Hz.
Maximum Input Power: 40 watts.
Minimum Input Required: 10 watts.
Dimensions: 14 in. W., 10 3/4 in. D., 22 in. H.
Weight: 26 lbs.
Price: $109.95.
There is now a wide choice of good loudspeakers in the $100.00 class and one of the most recent contenders is the Fairfax FX-300 which costs $109.95. It measures 22 by 14 by 10 3/4 inches and is finished in an oiled walnut veneer with an attractive matching grille cloth of brown and gold fabric.
The bass unit is a 10 inch with half-roll surround and 1 1/2 inch voice coil. Magnet is a 8.5 ounce Alnico. The tweeter is a 4 inch cone type with closed back. Actual cone size is 3 inches as the flexible surround is quite wide. Crossover is about 1500 Hz but the variable HF level control begins to function at 700 Hz. Input connectors are binding-posts which are mounted on a recessed panel at the rear. The cabinet is well made and solidly constructed of 1 inch stock instead of the more commonly used 1/4 in. board. Unlike most systems in this category, the FX-300 is not totally enclosed but functions as a bass-reflex with a 4-by-2 1/2 inch tube vent placed at the front. The enclosure itself is filled with fiberglass.
Measurements
Fig. 1--Frequency response to one-third octave pink noise. A, high frequency
control at maximum; B, at center, and C, at minimum.
Fig. 2--Response at A, on axis; B, at 45 degrees, and C, an average of five
positions.
The frequency response taken with one-third octave pink noise is shown in Fig. 1. Curve A is the response with the high frequency level control at maximum; Curve B with the control at center, and Curve C with it at minimum. Figure 2 shows the response on-axis, at 45 degrees, and an average taken at 5 positions. System resonance is 74 Hz and frequency doubling occurred at 60 Hz but only when driven hard with 12 watts input-above average. Distortion is shown in Fig. 3. 96 dB SPL corresponded to an input of 5 watts. Response to tone bursts was very good and can be seen in Fig. 4. The impedance curves are shown in Fig. 5, and it will be seen that the average value is around 15 ohms with the low point at 7.5 ohms. White noise performance was good with a slight mid-range coloration.
Fig. 3--Distortion at 5 and 10 watt inputs.
Fig. 4--Tone-burst response at A, 100; B, 500, and C, 5000 Hz.
Fig. 5--Impedance curve. Low point is 7.5 ohms.
Listening Tests
For our listening tests, we found the center position of the level control gave the best balance. Overall sound was clean and rather forward compared with our laboratory standard.
Bass was sufficient for realistic organ reproduction in a medium-size room, and speech--always a good test--was relatively uncolored. Sensitivity was above average and a 20-20 watt amplifier would be more than adequate for most people. All-in-all, the Fairfax FX-300 shows a creditable performance and at its modest price, it is very good value for the money.
-T.A.
(Audio magazine, Nov. 1972)
Also see:
Fairfax Model FX-350 Speaker System (Nov. 1974)
Fairfax FX-300 speaker (ad, Feb. 1974)
Fisher ST-425 Speaker System (Equip. Profile, Jan. 1975)
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