Design Philosophy: Active, But on Fyne’s Own Terms
The Fyne Audio Cubitt 5 arrives as an unapologetically practical take on the active speaker. Rather than chasing app ecosystems or multi-room sync, it focuses on putting a full hi-fi stack inside a pair of compact standmounts. One cabinet houses the DAC, DSP crossover and amplification for both channels, feeding the partner speaker via a four‑pole umbilical cable. Each driver gets its own dedicated amplifier, with the signal split in DSP before conversion and amplification for tighter phase coherence and driver control. That engineering-first mindset distinguishes the Cubitt 5 from many lifestyle-focused competitors. At roughly bookshelf size and with a clean, modern finish palette, it’s clearly designed to live in real rooms where space, cables and clutter all matter. The result is an active system that looks simple on the outside but quietly leans on serious loudspeaker know‑how inside.
IsoFlare Driver: Point-Source Imaging at a Midrange Price
At the heart of the Fyne Audio Cubitt 5 is a 5-inch IsoFlare coaxial driver, pairing a 19mm titanium dome tweeter with a mid/bass cone in a true point-source layout. By placing the tweeter at the acoustic center of the mid/bass driver, IsoFlare aims to improve time alignment and imaging, so instruments and vocals snap into focus rather than smearing across the soundstage. FyneFlute surround technology further reduces cone termination resonances, helping keep midrange coloration in check. For a pair of active speakers priced at USD 749 (approx. RM3,450), this is a distinctive proposition: much of the budget is clearly devoted to acoustic engineering rather than just convenience features. In listening terms, the expectation is a coherent, precise presentation more reminiscent of serious passive monitors than generic powered bookshelf speakers, positioning the Cubitt 5 as a sonic outlier in its price bracket.
All-In-One Connectivity: Phono, HDMI ARC and Digital Convenience
Where many active speakers stop at a line input and Bluetooth, the Fyne Audio Cubitt 5 goes all-in on versatility. An onboard moving magnet phono preamp turns it into an easy recommendation for anyone specifically seeking active speakers with phono; plug a turntable straight in with no external box required. HDMI ARC support effectively makes the Cubitt 5 a set of HDMI ARC speakers, letting a TV hand off audio with volume controlled from the TV remote. Add an optical input up to 24-bit/96kHz, analogue RCA, a subwoofer output and you have an unusually self-contained hub for vinyl, TV, consoles and computers. Source selection is handled by a simple remote rather than an app, underscoring Fyne’s intention: a modern, plug-and-play hi-fi system that behaves like traditional separates, not another opaque streaming platform.
aptX HD Bluetooth Audio: Wireless Without Going Fully Lifestyle
Wireless is handled via Bluetooth 5.0 with aptX HD and AAC, giving the Cubitt 5 enough bandwidth for higher-quality streaming from compatible phones, tablets and laptops. For many listeners, that will be the primary everyday source, bridging casual listening and more critical sessions. In the context of aptX HD Bluetooth audio, the Cubitt 5 strikes a balance: it doesn’t try to be a network streamer, but it also refuses to treat wireless as an afterthought. All incoming analogue sources, including the MM phono input, are converted to digital before the DSP crossover, a design choice common to serious active systems. Purists may bristle at this digitisation, yet it is exactly what allows Fyne to tailor the response of each amplifier/driver pair. The payoff is consistency: whether the signal comes from vinyl, TV or phone, it is optimised within the same controlled digital domain.
Who Is the Cubitt 5 Really For?
The Fyne Audio Cubitt 5 blurs traditional market lines. Its IsoFlare driver, DSP-based active architecture and serious cabinet engineering appeal to audiophiles who prioritise imaging, coherence and phase accuracy. At the same time, the breadth of connections—especially HDMI ARC and the integrated MM stage—caters to people who simply want two attractive boxes that handle TV, vinyl and streaming with minimal fuss. Those who enjoy mixing and matching amplifiers will look elsewhere; the amplification here is locked in by design. Yet that very limitation is also the source of its tuned, system-level performance. Positioned between barebones lifestyle speakers and complex separates, the Cubitt 5 makes a strong case that a single, well-thought-out active design can satisfy both critical listening and everyday convenience, challenging assumptions about what modern all‑in‑one speakers should look and sound like.