wavemaster FUSION Active Subwoofer Review
wavemaster have sent over their 125W FUSION subwoofer to befriend their TWO NEO speakers that we’ve previously reviewed and awarded five stars. Interestingly, it’s an active subwoofer, integrating an amplifier into the cube, and it retails for €319 or £349 on Amazon. So is it a worthwhile addition to a wavemaster audio set-up?
Design
Just like the TWO NEO speaker, this 260mm cubed FUSION subwoofer shares that reassuringly solid MDF unibody structure and is available to buy in either stone grey or soft white. Having a design aesthetic that matches is nice and it definitely doesn’t matter if you do happen to have it on display, as it’s undoubtably one of the best looking subwoofer designs out there. Reassuringly, that exterior surface is extremely durable; we’ve had ours for many months and despite leaving all manner of objects on top, as well as a cat using the surface as a personal seating area, it still looks as good as the day it arrived.
Around the back of the FUSION we see the cable input and controls for adjusting the phase, level and frequency. It’s a very straightforward set-up when used in conjunction with the TWO NEO speakers, offering left & right channel response. Adjusting the controls is occasionally desirable if you plan on listening to a certain genre, or want a cinema experience that’s a bit more intense. Yet, generally speaking, it’s a set it and forget it affair - find what’s best and most appropriate for your room/size, with any potential neighbours considered in the process, of course!
Performance
We’ve got to say, prior to having this subwoofer, we had no complaints with regard to the general bass response from just the TWO NEO speakers in a 2.0 set-up; they pack a considerable punch. However, once we introduced the wavemaster FUSION subwoofer, to bring our setup into a 2.1 configuration, it was immediately obvious that we’ve been missing out. That ‘live’ sound style, which these speakers do so well anyway, is catapulted into another sphere. Tapping play on ‘You Ain’t the Problem’ by Michael Kiwanuka adds considerable depth to the bongo beats. Vocals, the electric guitar and even the occasional symbol, dive head first into this shallow low level frequency zone and it’s a benefit to each element. From months of listening, we can confidently confirm that it’s not a murky deep sound, but a richer sound style. Whilst we’ve not had the opportunity to pair the wavemaster FUSION subwoofer with any other brand of speaker, the FUSION subwoofer at its heart is the perfect partner in crime for our wavemaster NEO speakers; there’s certainly an understanding of the harmony that is the sound signature.
Hearing a bass loaded song like ‘Brutal!’ by Olivia Rodrigo, demonstrates what this set-up, compromising of a 200mm woofer with aluminium cone and full rubber fronting with two passive 'radiators', can do when turned almost all the way up. Piercing straight through our heart, across the floor and up into the walls - it’s as if we are swimming in vibrations. Right through our music library, there’s not a single track that doesn't benefit from having this deeper response level. This even applies to softer music, with warmer tones, such as ‘It’s a Wonderful Time for Love’ by Norah Jones. There’s a new-found heft to the performance, an added warmth in the vocals, a greater attack in the percussion and clarity from the piano. It’s an immense and all encapsulating sound that will resonate for movies and TV Shows too.
Verdict
This little cube is remarkable. Having the FUSION subwoofer added to our set-up has in no way been a detriment to our musical library or taken away from the TWO NEO speakers, it has only elevated our audio experience and created an even more engaging sound style that is utterly outstanding.
(All images edited using Nik Collection)