Fyne Audio Cubitt 5 review: an expansive-sounding, attractive stereo speaker system marred by low-rent usability

Date:
Sat, 24 Oct 2026 14:00:00 +0000

Description:
Fyne Audios first wireless stereo speaker system, the Cubitt 5, is priced to compete in a fiercely contested part of the market. Brave or foolhardy?

FULL STORY ======================================================================Fyne Audio Cubitt 5: Two-minute review Its taken Fyne Audio less than a decade to establish itself as a deeply credible manufacturer of passive loudspeakers at a wide range of prices. The Cubitt 5, though, represents its first pair of active speakers and they've got some serious competition to overcome.

At first glance, though, the system seems to have every chance. Its compact, well-made cabinets are available in a wide range of finishes, and are home to an intriguing driver array that draws liberally from the companys very successful (and much more expensive) line-up of passive loudspeakers. Power
is more than adequate at 240 watts, and the range of inputs (Bluetooth with aptX HD capability, line- and MM phono-level analog, optical and HDMI ARC) is very competitive, too. The lack of on-system controls is an odd decision, as is the lack confirmation of selected input or volume, and the remote handset thats your only control option is unlovely. Get the system up and running and youll have to ignore the unwelcome low-volume hiss that comes from each speaker before any music is cued up fortunately its not an issue once your tracks are playing. Instead youre free to admire the Cubitt 5s abilities with detail retrieval, soundstaging, low-frequency authority and articulate midrange communication. Its absolutely as confident as is acceptable when it comes to handling the top of the frequency range, but even here its not overtly ill-balanced or unruly. Latest Videos From TechRadar Watch full video here:

Add in significant dynamic headroom, an expansive overall presentation and a disinclination to alter its stance in any significant way no matter which of its input options is in use, and its apparent that where the fundamentals are concerned, the Cubitt 5 has plenty going for it. Maybe not quite for the best stereo speakers on the market, though. (Image credit: Future / Simon Lucas) Fyne Audio Cubitt 5 at Peter Tyson for 549 Fyne Audio Cubitt 5 review: Price
& release date Launched on June 30, 2026 Priced $749 / 549 / AU$1,499 The
Fyne Audio Cubitt 5 wireless stereo speaker system is on sale now, and in the United States it costs $749. In the United Kingdom it sells for 549, while in Australia youll have to part with AU$1,499. Fyne Audio Cubitt 5 review: Features 127mm IsoFlare mid/bass driver with 19mm concentric titanium dome tweeter 240 watts of Class D power Wired and wireless inputs The idea of positioning a tweeter in the acoustic center of a mid or mid/bass driver is not a new one, but its a rarity nevertheless, and Fyne Audio has been busily democratizing its IsoFlare variation on this particular theme for a while
now. The Cubitt 5 is just the latest example.

In this instance theres a 19mm titanium dome tweeter positioned in the center of a 127mm multi-fiber mid/bass driver the idea, as ever, is to create a single point-source of sound at the same time as optimizing driver
integration and sound dispersion. The mid/bass drivers surround is the companys FyneFlute design, the unusual pattern of which helps minimize unwanted energy from the pistonic movement of the driver. Each of the four drivers gets 60 watts of Class D amplification to power it an all-in total
of 240 watts really should be adequate in a system such as this and the output is bolstered by a front-firing bass reflex slot. Its an arrangement Fyne Audio suggests will deliver a frequency response of 43Hz - 34kHz. Get daily insight, inspiration and deals in your inbox Sign up for breaking news, reviews, opinion, top tech deals, and more. Contact me with news and offers from other Future brands Receive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsors By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.

The primary speaker takes care of all wired and wireless connectivity. The wireless stuff consists of Bluetooth 5.0, with codec compatibility up to and including aptX HD. Physical connections, all on the rear panel, run to a moving magnet (or high-output moving coil) phono stage accessed via stereo
RCA inputs, a line-level analog equivalent also using RCAs, a digital optical input and an HDMI ARC socket. All incoming digital information is dealt with by a DAC of 24bit/96kHz resolution. Features score: 5 / 5 (Image credit: Future / Simon Lucas) Fyne Audio Cubitt 5 review: Sound quality Expansive and controlled presentation Solid punch and decent dynamics Audible hiss when not playing Theres a unique aspect to the way the Fyne Audio Cubitt 5 performs or, at least, its unique in my extensive experience of products of this type. Connect the speakers together using the supplied umbilical, plug the primary speaker into the mains, turn the power on, and theres an obvious and consistent hiss from both speakers. Is it loud? No, but it can be heard down the length of my listening room. Is it audible when playing music? No, not at all. So is it an issue? I guess not, unless you intend to use the speakers on your desktop, but I cant pretend it fills me with confidence.

Which is a great pity, because when its actually playing music the Cubitt 5
is one of the best sub-$750 wireless stereo speaker systems Ive heard so far. In virtually every respect, its an enjoyable, balanced and well-sorted
listen.

With a vinyl copy of Julian Copes Peggy Suicide incoming via the moving
magnet phono stage, the Fyne Audio doesnt take its eye off the ball for a moment. Its good where detail retrieval is concerned, and manages to stay on top of the finest details without sacrificing any sense of unity or performance. It creates a fairly large soundstage its certainly larger than the cabinets that are producing it and its coherent, organized and easy to understand.

The tonal balance is persuasive, too, the Cubitt 5 hits the plosives at the top of the frequency range absolutely as hard as it dares, but somehow they never quite get too edgy or overly hard. The midrange is sweetly communicative, so theres confidence and eloquence to the way the system handles a vocalist. And while the claims for extension down to 43Hz are, I think its fair to say, a false alarm, the Cubitt 5 nevertheless bigs deep, hits hard and controls its low-frequency activity well. Rhythmic expression
is very decent as a result, and the way the system handles tempos is
similarly unforced and naturalistic.

Theres a fair amount of dynamic headroom available, so the Fyne Audio handles big shifts in volume or intensity calmly, and its overall attention to detail means that the more subtle dynamics of harmonic variation are given their due weighting, too. Frequency response is nice and even, too. The tendency to attack the highest frequencies can make it sound like the top end is being overstated on occasion, but otherwise the Cubitt 5 gives every area of the frequency range fair representation.

Its winningly unconcerned about volume, too. Some systems can change their character when asked to play at bigger levels, but the Fyne Audio just gets louder. Theres no change in tonal balance or frequency response, and the
stage maintains its shape, too. And the same is true when you change inputs switch to a wireless stream of John Glaciers Money Shows and the fundamental attitude and character of the system dont alter in the slightest. Its still balanced, insightful, punchy and just slightly treble-happy. Sound quality score: 4 / 5 (Image credit: Future / Simon Lucas) Fyne Audio Cubitt 5 review: Design 260 x 165 x 215mm (HxWxD) Available in five different finishes
Supplied without grilles Its by no means an easy trick to pull off, but the Cubitt 5 manages to look discreet and interesting at the same time.

The discreet part is mostly thanks to the 260 x 165 x 215mm (HxWxD) dimensions, assisted by some nicely curved cabinet corners and a selection of no fewer than five very agreeable finishes. My sample is in olive green, but arctic white, midnight black, pearl titanium and pebble gray are also available. No matter which finish you decide suits you best, youll find its the final flourish in a process that includes a very high standard of construction. There are no visible seams, and the soft-touch paint is flawlessly applied.

Interesting is mostly derived from the driver array thats already been discussed in the features section of this review, as well as the forward-facing bass reflex slot that somehow makes each speakers appearance easy to anthropomorphize. The not-quite-circular brightwork surrounding the driver array doesnt do any harm when it comes to making this most functional of products look interesting, either. It comes as no surprise to me that Fyne Audio doesnt see the need to supply the Cubitt 5 with grilles. Design score:
5 / 5 (Image credit: Future) Fyne Audio Cubitt 5 review: Usability & setup Speakers must be wired together No app, no on-speaker controls, no input selection of volume indicator Nasty remote control handset In terms of
getting up and running, theres really not a lot to get your head around here. Despite the fact this is an active system, only the primary speaker requires mains power it transmits power, as well as data, along a supplied four-core umbilical cable that screws down onto the rear of each speaker. Once the speakers are connected together and the primary is powered up, its really
only a question of positioning them to your satisfaction and then youre in business.

Getting what you want from the system isnt all that tricky, either, but neither is it all that satisfying an experience. This is not a Wi-Fi-enabled system, of course, so theres no control app, which is hardly unheard-of in this part of the market. There are no controls on either speaker, either, which is rather less common. The primary speaker has an LED tell-tale thats red when the systems in standby and blue when its powered up. The blue light flashes when its following instructions from the remote handset thats your only method of operation.

Given that the remote is all youve got, though, its a shame Fyne Audio specified what I imagine is the least expensive handset it could source. The look and feel is down-market, and the fact youve no indication of the source thats been selected or the volume level thats been specified only adds to the impression of cost- and corner-cutting. Usability & setup score: 3 / 5 (Image credit: Future / Simon Lucas) Fyne Audio Cubitt 5 review: Value Judged purely on the sound it makes, theres no denying the Cubitt 5 offers very decent
value for money indeed once its making a sound, that is. The standard of build and finish only adds to the impression of money well spent.

But theres more to it than this, of course and as far as the experiential goes, the feel of operating the system, the sensation is undeniably low-rent. Which unfortunately undermines the impression of value the Fyne Audio system otherwise offers. Value score: 4 / 5 (Image credit: Future / Simon Lucas) Should I buy the Fyne Audio Cubitt 5? Swipe to scroll horizontally Fyne Audio Cubitt 5 scorecard

Attribute

Notes

Score

Features

19mm titanium dome tweeter, in a 127mm multi-fiber mid/bass driver optimizes driver integration and sound dispersion

5 / 5

Sound quality

Expansive and controlled, with solid punch, but an audible hiss when not playing

4 / 5

Design

Discreet and interesting, with five finishes and no need for grilles

5 / 5

Setup & usability

An active system, easy to set up, but no control app or on-unit controls grate, along with a cheap remote control

3 / 5

Value

Judged on the sound alone, very good, but as an experience... not so much

4 / 5 Buy them if

You want full-range sound from winningly compact cabinets Small enough for positioning on a shelf, but with sufficient sonic scale to fill a
medium-sized room.

You want options beyond back and white There are a trio of more interesting options available.

You admire interesting engineering The titanium dome tweeter time-aligned in the throat of the IsoFlare mid/bass driver counts as interesting for sure. Dont buy them if

Youre using them on a desktop Not only are they slightly large for this purpose, the power on hissing gets quite old quite quickly

You like to know whats going on How much volume have you dialled in? Which input has been selected? Who can say?

Youre sensitive to the quality of control interfaces Fyne Audio always knew the remote control handset would be the only way to interact with the Cubitt
5 so why did it specify the cheapest it could find? Fyne Audio Cubitt 5 review: Also consider The Cambridge L/R S system handily undercuts the Fyne Audio on price, and has an awful lot to recommend it both aesthetically and
in audio terms. Not quite the room-filling ability of the Cubitt 5, mind you.

And the same is true of the Ruark Audio MR1 mk3 , but if you want a well-specified and great-sounding system thats genuinely small enough for desktop use and isnt as pricey as the Fyne Audio, you need look no further. How I tested the Fyne Audio Cubitt 5 Almost all my testing is done with the Cubitt 5 positioned on a pair of Soundstyle S2 speaker stands, joined
together by their supplied connecting cable and with the primary speaker plugged into the mains.

Sources include a FiiO M15S digital audio player with aptX HD Bluetooth capability, a Technics SL-1300G with Goldring 1022 cartridge for vinyl via
the phono stage, a Rega Apollo CD player connected to the optical input, and
a Philips OLED806 via the HDMI socket.

Which means a lot of different content, stored in a variety of file types,
and of many resolutions, is available and then I listen for almost an entire working week. Read TechRadar's Reviews Guarantee First reviewed: October 2026 Fyne Audio Cubitt 5: Price Comparison 549 View 549 View 549 View 549 View No price information Check Amazon We check over 250 million products every day for the best prices powered by



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