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- New Wharfedale Denton 1S updates a modern classic
- Fyne Audio Cubit 5 has impressive connectivity and power
- £649 and £549 respectively
If you're looking for stylish compact hi-fi speakers you're spoilt for choice this week: two much-loved speaker firms have unveiled brand new models.
First up is Wharfedale, which has unveiled a reinvigorated version of its classic 1970s Denton speakers in a modern-looking by passive design.
And if you prefer self-powered active speakers with their own amplification, Fyne Audio's Cubit 5 speakers are designed to connect to pretty much anything with no other components needed.
Wharfedale Denton 1S: key features and pricing
Wharfedale's original Denton speaker launched in 1974 and was an instant classic: it looked much more contemporary than its veneer-enclosed rivals and delivered impressive sound through clever driver design.
The 2026 version, the Denton 1S, is similarly forward-thinking: rather than ape the original, it's more of an homage, with similar put-anywhere flexibility but much more advanced speaker technology and anti-resonant materials.
The driver here is brand new and places a 25mm silk-dome tweeter concentrically within a 165mm polypropylene mid/bass cone to deliver sound that's aligned and coherent. It's teamed with a computer-modelled crossover and a new EQ that Wharfedale calls the "Brilliance switch"; if you switch from normal to max it lifts the response by 1.5dB between 2 and 4kHz for close-to-wall positioning. Bass extension is down to 45Hz (-6dB), which is impressive for such a compact enclosure.
The Denton 1S comes in three colors: black, blue and white. The RRP is £649 (about $867 / AU$1,209) per pair and it'll be available from late May.
Fyne Audio Cubit 5: key features and pricing
Fyne Audio is a Scottish hi-fi maker of some renown, and its new Cubit 5 is a compact active bookshelf system with up to 240W of power and hi-res audio at up to 24-bit/96KHz. It has Bluetooth 5.0 with aptX HD and AAC, and rather than just plugging in a standard Bluetooth module, Fyne says that its circuit has undergone extensive development to deliver the cleanest possible path to the amplification module.
There's lots of connectivity here. The Cubit 5 has a built-in phono stage for your turntable; analog and optical digital inputs; HDMI eARC; and a subwoofer output for extra bass. The driver is Fyne's latest 5" (125mm) IsoFlare unit, and the bass reflex port is front-mounted so you can place the speakers close to walls without boominess.
There are five finishes here: black, pearl titanium, olive green, pebble grey and Arctic white. All models will be available from June 2026 with a RRP of £549 / $749 (about AU$1,023).
➡️ Read our full guide to the best stereo speakers
1. Best overall:
Q Acoustics M40 HD
2. Best compact:
Dali Rubikore 2
3. Best desktop speakers
Creative Pebble Nova
4. Best budget buy:
Q Acoustics M20 HD
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