Fern and Roby Raven II Speakers

Compact, single-driver sealed-box speakers built for flexible system design.

Overview

The Raven II is a compact, high-performance loudspeaker designed and built by Fern & Roby in Richmond, Virginia. It is a single-driver, sealed-box design housed in a solid hardwood enclosure with a veneered rear panel, available in ash or walnut and sold in pairs. 

We designed these speakers to anchor a complete system, delivering scale, tonal balance, and coherence in a more compact form. 

It integrates easily into a range of listening spaces: they can be placed on bookshelves or on isolation speaker stands, and work well in both dedicated listening room systems and more integrated living spaces. 

Because room, placement, and system context all play a role, we’re always happy to talk through your setup to help determine the best approach.

Design & Construction

The Raven II uses a single-driver, full-range approach. This avoids crossover complexity and preserves a more direct, cohesive presentation. The drivers are built to our specifications by SEAS in Norway and are designed to deliver strong low-frequency performance for the size along with smooth, detailed response across the full range. 

We make the primary structure of the sealed enclosure from solid hardwood, with an emphasis on mass, joinery, and material behavior to control resonance. This supports clarity, imaging, and tonal consistency under load. 

The front baffle is made of Richlite, a dense composite material formed from resin-infused paper. We chose Richlite for its stability and damping characteristics, which help reduce unwanted resonance while supporting a more grounded presentation. 

The choice of hardwood and Richlite also aligns with how we think about materials more broadly—prioritizing long-term durability and performance, while making use of responsibly sourced and recycled materials whenever we can. 

Why We Built the Raven II

We wanted to bring the physicality and presence of larger systems into a more compact, adaptable format that would fit into more homes easily. 

We did this by focusing on material integrity and enclosure design to create a speaker that feels stable, balanced, and complete within a range of spaces. 

It’s designed to integrate naturally into both the room and the system to deliver satisfying sound that doesn’t fatigue you. 

System Context

We designed the Raven II to support a range of system approaches, with an emphasis on flexibility and integration. 

It can function as a compact, full-range speaker on its own, or as part of a more complex system, including pairing with a subwoofer. It’s very adaptable—we have it on bookshelves in some setups and on stands in others, and it responds well to corner and rear wall loading.  

It pairs easily with a wide range of amplification, from low-powered tube designs to higher-output solid-state systems. We’ve had excellent results with our integrated F&R Amp No. 2 and amplifiers from Linear Tube Audio, as well as a wide range of low power tube amps like the ATM-300 by Air Tight. 

As with all of our products, the final result is shaped by the system as a whole. We often talk clients through room, placement, and component matching to help refine the setup. 

Who This Is For

The Raven II supports a range of listening environments and system approaches, particularly where flexibility and placement options are important. 

It works well in spaces where a more compact speaker integrates naturally, whether on shelves or our isolation speaker stands, and where a system may evolve over time—either as a complete solution on its own or as part of a broader setup.

It’s often chosen by listeners who value a cohesive, grounded presentation with rich tone and great detail, and who want a speaker that can fit easily into a broad variety of rooms. 

Choosing Between the Raven II and the Raven III

The Raven II and Raven III share the same core design philosophy, but reflect different approaches to building a system. 

The Raven II is the more modular and flexible option. Its compact form and sealed design make it easy to place and integrate, and it can be paired with a subwoofer to create a more distributed, full-range system. In addition to the practical considerations of room placement, the sealed box / acoustic suspension design provides a sonic result with fast attack in bass making for an energetic and nuanced musical delivery of the mid and bass registers. This is where we think a lot of the magic of musical playback occurs. 

The Raven III extends this approach into a floorstanding format, delivering greater low-frequency extension and a more self-contained presentation in a single speaker. 

Both approaches work well across a range of rooms. The choice often comes down to how you prefer to build your system—modular and adaptable, or more integrated from the start. 

We’re always happy to talk through your room, system, and listening preferences to help determine the best fit.

Listening & Reviews

“Once again this is not a loudspeaker for a typical audiophile… This will become your speaker, and no one else’s opinion will matter.” —Marc Phillips, Part-Time Audiophile

Additional reviews:

• "The driver itself is pretty amazing. It is made by Seas of Norway. The Raven II uses the 94 dB (8ohm) Seas Exotic driver. Seas specs the driver from 30 Hz to 20,000, but the Raven IIs start rolling off around 67 Hz with a gentle 3 db slope. This allows for more accurate bass when mounted in a bookcase or in the corners of a room. The slope is also almost perfect for mating with a subwoofer if you choose to use them in free-standing space."—Jack Roberts — The Audio Beatnik

  
  

• "The real proposition for the Raven II lies around the idea that they are a true bookshelf style speaker and in that regard, they are most successful – maybe the most successful. A bookshelf would be so lucky to house these well-crafted speakers in a horizontal position. Its hifi in a truly small space. For what they are, they provide. Plenty of snap, detail and fidelity to spare from a single driver."—rian Hunter, Audio-Head (Read part 1 and part 2 of Brian’s review)

  
  

Client Listening Notes

• “Well, I have to say, I think you figured out single-driver speakers. The Raven IIs sound beautiful so far.  And you were right—very easy to integrate my subwoofer.  It only has a 24db/octave slope, so I have ended up with the crossover at 70Hz and so far so good. The sound is rich and enveloping. Tubes are awesome and no crossover is awesome. I hope you're having a good weekend.”—Paul R

  
  

• “I set the [Raven IIs and the Speaker Stands] up in my office the next day and they are sounding incredible. Several of my coworkers have come in and commented positively on the design aesthetics, but the best part was when one of my more skeptical colleagues came in and sat down to listen.  I watched her eyes go from narrow and somewhat sarcastic to wide and VERY appreciative.  Within 20 seconds she said (about Nora Jones) ‘it sounds like she's right here in the room!’  By the end of the first track she said ‘ok, now I get it.’ re the hobby in general.  Can't think of a better testament to your work.  Others have also really enjoyed them, but that was my favorite reaction so far.  I'm loving them.  Found myself listening so much more often than to my previous system, and even during the day.  I couldn't be more pleased.  Thank you so very much.  I think I needed the boost and this has been a delight.”—Seth R

  
  

You can hear the Raven II by appointment at our factory showroom in Richmond, Virginia, or come see us at Axpona.

Specifications

Drivers

• Custom drivers built to our specifications by SEAS 

  
  

• Frequency response: 30 Hz – 20,000 Hz 

  
  

• Efficiency: 94 dB 

  
  

• Impedance: 8 ohms 

  
  

Enclosure

• Sealed-box design focused on mass and stability to support a cohesive presentation

  
  

Performance Notes

• Designed to deliver strong bass performance into the low 50 Hz range 

  
  

• Optimized for bookshelf placement and corner loading 

  
  

• Can be integrated with a subwoofer if desired

  
  

Materials

• Solid walnut or ash  

  
  

• SEAS drivers

  
  

• Richlite front baffle

  
  

• Walnut veneer plywood rear panel  

  
  

• Black Cat internal wiring  

  
  

Dimensions & Weight

• Dimensions:

  
  

  • 11.75" W × 9" D × 23.25" H 

    
    

  • (+1" depth for terminals) 

    
    

• Weight: 33 lbs each 

  
  

• Shipping details (per speaker): 

  
  

  • 16" × 16" × 26" 

    
    

  • 45 lbs per box 

    
    

  • Additional box if isolation stands are included

    
    

Lead Time & Shipping

We burn in every single pair of Raven II speakers before we ship them to our clients.  

• Flat shipping fee of $150 within the continental United States. 

  
  

• For international orders, please contact us directly to discuss options. 

  
  

Additional shipping, return, and warranty information can be found on our FAQ page

Audition & Returns

We offer a 14-day in-home audition period for select Fern & Roby products. 

If you decide the Raven II is not the right fit, you may return it within that period, subject to the following: 

• Payment must be made in full at time of purchase  

  
  

• A 3.5% processing fee applies to the original transaction as well as any refund  

  
  

• Equipment must be returned in as-new condition  

  
  

• Return authorization must be requested within 14 days of delivery  

  
  

• Return shipping is the responsibility of the customer  

  
  

For full details about our 14-day in-home audition period, please contact us directly