Review: Fusion Encounter EN-AT110 10” (inch) bass tube [Car Audio]
June 15th, 2008 by 
Setu Garg
Most of us in India might not have heard about the Fusion car audio products. Fusion is a leading car and marine audio equipment manufacturer from New Zealand.
The popular car audio brands in India are Sony xplod, JBL, Alpine, Kenwood and of course Pioneer. However, Fusion is gaining popularity in India with its advanced and integrated car audio solutions.
I recently installed the Fusion EN-AT110 Encounter 10” Bass Tube in my car (Maruti Suzuki Swift ). The Fusion EN-AT110 is a 10” Bass Tube active enclosure with an amplifier integrated within. The amplifier is perfectly suited for the 10” sub woofer.
Product Features:
- 300 Watts Max
- Remote Level Controller
- Speaker Level Inputs
- RCA Line-Level Inputs
- Adjustable Low Pass Filter
- Adjustable Bass Boost
- LED Power Indicator
- LED Protection Indicator
Performance (Sound Quality):
The tube connects to the sub woofer output of your car’s audio system through the RCA Line-Level input jacks. The Fusion ET-AT110 has a frequency response of 30Hz - 250Hz which is good enough for reproducing all the thump and thud we have in our audio. I tested this beast with a selection of songs having emphasis on the lower frequencies. The output will blow you away. This tube complements the existing set of speakers in your car to give you an exceptional audio experience. There was a huge improvement in sound quality after installing this bass tube.
The standard speakers which we install either in the car’s doors or on the back tray are not able to reproduce the lower frequencies of the song the way they are meant to be played. The sound might be OK or enough for ignorant people. However, audiophiles like me will always feel the need of the something extra to enrich the audio listening experience. This tube will satisfy your audiophile lust.
The 10” sub woofer was able to reproduce the low frequencies in the songs I tested pretty well. Just like the whole track, the lower frequencies are also distributed in 3 sub levels. The lowest, medium and high. This tube was able to reproduce all the levels very well without any distortion or creak. The remote control can be used to adjust the bass level in case the sound becomes distorted which does not unless you have a bad audio source.
Rating: 4.5/5
Remote:
The wired remote can be affixed below the dashboard of your car. The remote lets you control the bass level and is pretty smooth in operation. It also has a green LED around the knob which gives it a very sporty look.
However, no matter how you install the remote on your dashboard, the text and indicators will always be upside down. They should probably print the text and the indicators upside down in the first place. Also, knobs to control other tube’s functions such as the Low Pass Filter would have added to the value.
Rating: 3/5
Looks:
Although this enclosure will stay in your cars trunk all the time, I must say that this was the best looking bass tube I saw in the market. This scores pretty well in this segment. All the other bass tubes I saw had a standard speaker grill to protect the sub woofer. This one however, had a punk looking stainless steel grill. Actually its more of a show off thing than an actual grill. Also, the color scheme of blank and florescent green looks fabulous and adds to the visual rating of your car.
Rating: 5/5
Value for Money:
This is another segment in which this tube wins well over the its competitors. Most Bass tubes from other manufacturers do not have an integrated amplifier in built. You have to purchase an amplifier separately. Finding the right amplifier for your bass tube is the most difficult task. There are many compatibility issues and the risk of even damaging the sub woofer if you get an amplifier which is not compatible with the sub woofer in the tube. With Fusion EN-AT110, you do not have to worry about that. The complementing amplifier is built into the bass tube itself. This also saves space as you do not have to install a separate amplifier. However, in case you already have an amplifier, you can still connect this tube through the speaker level inputs. Good quality wiring is also supplied in the box.
Here is what you get in the box:
- Encounter 10” Active Bass Tube
- Wiring Harnesses
- Speaker Level Input Harness
- Power Harness
- RCA Lead (5m -161/2ft)
- Remote Control Lead (6m - 113/4ft-)
- Remote Level Controller
- Manual
- FUSION Sticker
- Warranty Card
- Adhesive Rubber Feet
- Adhesive Velcro Feet
Rating: 4/5
Conclusion:
The Fusion EN-AT110 Bass Tube sells at an MRP of approx 8500 INR. You can get it for as low as 7500 INR at few good shops in local car bazaars. At this price, you get a good looking bass tube with a built in compatible amplifier, a wired remote and good quality wiring. This makes it a very good bargain.
Pros:
- Great sound
- Good value for money
- Built in amplifier
- Remote controller
- Supplied wiring
- Good looks
Cons:
- Vibrations produced due to the sound might not seem enough to some people
- Only bass level controller in the remote
June 16th, 2008 at 9:32 am
Through first hand experience, I can vouch that the output audio experience of this device is amazing.
There is a remarkable difference in the way songs get played ‘before-installation’ and ‘after-installation’. As there is no need of an external amplifier, it is less messy and occupies lesser space as compared to a separate Tube+Ext Amp.
The Tube can be tuned to complement your car size with the help of knobs available at the back of the device. Once tuned, all you need to do is play with the Bass Remote.
You would be amazed to hear the bass it reproduces for low frequencies as in the songs “Yeh Jo Des Hai Tera” (Swades), then medium frequcies as in Songs “Jaane Kyun Log…” (Dil Chahta Hai) and High frequencies as in any Punjabi Dhol songs. Just try it out to hear the difference!
My rating would be:
Audio Quality: 4.5/5
Bass Strength: 5/5
Looks: 4.5/5.0
Value for Money: 4/5
Overall: 4.5/5
Reg
Anshuman
June 16th, 2008 at 9:32 am
Through first hand experience, I can vouch that the output audio experience of this device is amazing.
There is a remarkable difference in the way songs get played ‘before-installation’ and ‘after-installation’. As there is no need of an external amplifier, it is less messy and occupies lesser space as compared to a separate Tube+Ext Amp.
The Tube can be tuned to complement your car size with the help of knobs available at the back of the device. Once tuned, all you need to do is play with the Bass Remote.
You would be amazed to hear the bass it reproduces for low frequencies as in the songs “Yeh Jo Des Hai Tera” (Swades), then medium frequcies as in Songs “Jaane Kyun Log…” (Dil Chahta Hai) and High frequencies as in any Punjabi Dhol songs. Just try it out to hear the difference!
My rating would be:
Audio Quality: 4.5/5
Bass Strength: 5/5
Looks: 4.5/5.0
Value for Money: 4/5
Overall: 4.5/5
Reg
Anshuman
August 8th, 2008 at 2:11 am
Guys what is the price of Fusion Encounter 12" Active Tube Pack in India. I am getting a deal for 99 pounds which is about 8000 Rs. I hope the sound quality is decent for bass lovers ?
August 8th, 2008 at 2:11 am
Guys what is the price of Fusion Encounter 12″ Active Tube Pack in India. I am getting a deal for 99 pounds which is about 8000 Rs. I hope the sound quality is decent for bass lovers ?
August 8th, 2008 at 5:41 am
@Rajesh,
As I mentioned that the 10″ one is available at a best price of 7500 Rupees. I wasn’t able to see the 12″ one available in the market here in Noida. It might have not yet been launched in India. However, even if it is available, its definitly gonna be priced well above 8000 Rupees.
So I suppose the deal you are getting is pretty good, provided you can carry it back to India safely.
August 8th, 2008 at 5:41 am
@Rajesh,
As I mentioned that the 10″ one is available at a best price of 7500 Rupees. I wasn’t able to see the 12″ one available in the market here in Noida. It might have not yet been launched in India. However, even if it is available, its definitly gonna be priced well above 8000 Rupees.
So I suppose the deal you are getting is pretty good, provided you can carry it back to India safely.
August 18th, 2008 at 9:08 pm
Hi Setu,
Thanks for sharing your valuable suggestion on the Fusion Bass tube. I had a look at it in Noida at Car Ghar show room in Sector-16. I own a TAFARI 2.2 VTT and I am planning to install it in the bull. I would be fitting it right behind the back as I dont have a close boot space in my vehicle. Which car do you have it fitted in ?
I think the best part is with this box is that it comes with a built-in AMP and also sub-woofer. However the product specs doesnt show the impedence power is draws and how many channels does it support. Any idea ???
I have an Alpine system fitted in my car and dont know whether it has a low-level input of a high-level input and whether this will work with my system or not ??
http://www.alpine.com.au/products/product.asp?m...
Any help on this will be appreciated.
August 19th, 2008 at 2:45 am
@Amit,
Most of the queries you have are answered in the post itself. However,
- I have installed it in a Maruti Suzuki Swift
- No idea about impedance.
- This tube supports a single channel for the speaker inside. Since it has an amp built in, it supports only one channel. In case you need more channels, you will have to install another amp.
- This tube has both low level as well as high level inputs and should work well with your alpine system. If you are installing another amp for your front and rear speakers, you can either use that amp and connect with the high level inputs or directly connect your alpine system with this tube’s low level inputs.
If you are installing this in a TATA Safari, see if you can get hold of the 12” version of this tube. That will sound better in your car as it has a bigger body. However, even if you are not able to get it here in Noida, the 10” one should also suffice.
Let me know how it goes.
January 30th, 2009 at 10:30 am
Im getting this installed into my ford ranger ext cab really soon, cant wait to hear it pound
July 8th, 2009 at 9:55 pm
Hello guys, can somebody give me an advice regarding finding a compatible sub-woofer or basstube(below 5k) for Sony CDX GT470s to be fitted in a Maruti 800.
Thanks.