If you’ve not heard of Fluance before, that’s because the company has flown a little under the mainstream radar as a direct-to-consumer speaker brand delivering high-quality products at unbelievably low prices. The company doesn’t do a ton of high-profile marketing, and instead chooses to let its products spread the word. For the most part, this tactic has worked for the Canadian company, but with the introduction of the outrageous Fi70 wireless speaker, we think Fluance is about to gain a much bigger chunk of mind-share.
The Fi70 is, in our opinion, Fluance’s most ambitious speaker effort yet. Sure, the company just announced an entirely new class of high-performance speakers (and we have those in for review, too!) but the Fi70 is so big, so interesting to look at, and just so outrageous, it’s hard to imagine anyone not perking up and taking notice.
But is it any good?
The good news is, the Fi70 is a totally respectable speaker, if not an impractical one for many. If Fluance’s goal was to create an all-in-one speaker that delivered the volume of sound you’d expect from a long list of separate Hi-Fi components, then it has succeeded. The Fi70 has its own 280-watt amplifier, FM/AM tuner, Bluetooth adapter, and an optical digital audio jack built right in. All one needs to do is add a source, and the Fi70 will deliver a massive amount of sound without the need for separate components, speaker wire, or interconnect cables.
The Fi70 comprises a pair of 1-inch silk dome tweeters, 5-inch woven fiberglass midrange drivers, and a pair of 8-inch bass drivers in a 3-way configuration. The cabinetry is made from furniture-grade MDF and is crafted similarly to Fluance’s entire range of speakers. The cabinet is ported on the back in a bass reflex design.
High-centered on the speaker’s baffle is a blue LCD display that shows the time, input selection, and treble/bass levels when adjust using an included remote.
The speaker stands 3 feet tall when an included stand is attached, though Fluance also includes self-adhering rubber feet in case the speaker is to be placed directly on the floor or some insanely large shelf.
As for sound quality: We’ve always felt Fluance speakers were a little bright and slightly brittle in the treble, though we know not everyone shares this opinion, and we’ll admit the Fi70 is a little more reigned-in in the treble region than we expected. Bass is profound, and it runs deep, though users will want to be careful about placement as the bass can get a little booming if it is loaded into a corner. Our only real complaint is that there seems to be a lean area in the lower midrange, just before the midbass region, that leaves the sound feeling a little unsupported and, perhaps, a bit less warm than we’d hoped for.
But, sweet mercy, this speaker can get loud, and it manages to avoid distortion pretty well. We’re also pleased with the fidelity achieved with Bluetooth-connected sources. Does it fill the room? No doubt! We managed to push the speaker loud enough to aggravate some office-mates.
This is definitely a speaker that can power your party. Mostly, though, it’s going to get a lot of attention for the way it looks, and there’s nothing wrong with that.
You can find the Fi70 at Fluance’s website for $500.
