Next Level Acoustics Fusion Reference Soundbar & CI-HV10 Subwoofer Preview

See the complete review of the Next Level Acoustics Fusion Reference Soundbar & CI-HV10 Subwoofer

Coupled with the CI-HV10 subwoofer, it delivers the soundstage and dynamics of a good set of tower speakers while disappearing into any room.

Soundbars are a dime-a-dozen, and most of them offer an improvement over the speakers built into your television. But none can adequately replace a good set of towers and matched center channel. Next Level Acoustics turns that notion upside down with the Fusion Reference Soundbar. It’s a passive cabinet with three isolated sectors representing the left, right, and center channels. At 66” wide, it’s an ideal fit for flat panels up to 75” wide. With a slim depth under four inches, it’s easy to wall-mount, or it can be set inside furniture thanks to its sealed design.

For my review, I’ve received a 66” Fusion Reference Soundbar finished in oak veneer with black lacquer finish. Build quality is monolithic and the cabinet feels like it’s been carved from billet. The front baffle is ¾” MDF while Baltic Birch rounds out the sides and back. This is a passive unit, basically three speaker channels in a single enclosure. I’ll be connecting it to an Integra DHC-80.1 processor and Emotiva XPA5 Amplifier. To fill in the bass, Next Level also sent their CI-HV10 subwoofer. It’s a small cabinet with an efficient 14” x 17” footprint. Inside is a 10” aluminum cone driver suspended between two chambers. It acts almost like a sealed design but a large port on the front allows air to escape. It’s rated to a low of 24Hz, driven by a 500-watt amp.

I’m looking forward to watching a few Blu-rays and listening to some familiar music. Will the Fusion Reference Soundbar rock? I’m about to find out! Watch this space for my full review coming soon.

See the complete review of the Next Level Acoustics Fusion Reference Soundbar & CI-HV10 Subwoofer