# anyone have a Fusion marine stereo?



## rmeador (Jan 16, 2010)

At the boat show last weekend, I discovered a nifty marine stereo that is much more than the typical marinized car stereo. It's made by Fusion Electronics, particularly I'm looking at the MS-CD600 (link). It has two zone volume control, so I can separately control the volume in the salon and the cockpit (really it has 3 zones, but the 3rd zone requires an external amp). It also has iPod connectivity and Sirius satellite radio connectivity, both features I desire. So, before I buy it ($300), does anyone have experience with this unit and can offer me a review? Does anyone know of units with similar features (two zones, satellite radio, aux input are the biggies) that I should look at instead? Thanks.


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## r.furborough (May 28, 2006)

OK, disclosure first - I sell and install Fusion equipment and I think they make great equipment, easy to install and great quality. Made in New Zealand and have a progressive attitude with their products. Their marine products are definitely made for the marine environment and made with good materials. I like their iPod/iPhone docks, both integrated and the remote units that secure the iPod/iPhone in a water resistant housing. If you buy, you will not be dissapointed.


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## KnottyGurl (Feb 8, 2011)

Yes I just bought them the other day with speakers and remote from cockpit. I really liked the aux input, we watch movies from the louch screen and look forward to using this as a crude but hopefully effective surround sound in the salon, will let you know of the sound aspect in two weeks when i actually have it installed and test drove with a few beeers at the cockpit and a movie.
Bill


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## BELLATRIX1965 (Jan 2, 2007)

*Fact Check! (Good unit, though!)*



r.furborough said:


> OK, disclosure first - I sell and install Fusion equipment and I think they make great equipment, easy to install and great quality. Made in New Zealand and have a progressive attitude with their products. Their marine products are definitely made for the marine environment and made with good materials. I like their iPod/iPhone docks, both integrated and the remote units that secure the iPod/iPhone in a water resistant housing. If you buy, you will not be dissapointed.


FUSION audio equipment is designed in New Zealand, but made in China!
That being said, I own an older version, CD / tuner / plug-in iPod module. Had a slight problem when I installed it (wouldn't power on), so I called customer support. I must say, they were very helpful and cooperative. They even offered to provide a software update free of charge. The manual for mine doesn't indicate that you have to provide 12V + power on BOTH the red and the yellow wires ( I think that was the color code). After I wired this way, the unit worked flawlessly. Very well built, very flexible (all the features that the OP talks about) - truly marine grade. I would definately buy FUSION again!


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## windward54 (Apr 12, 2000)

I have a Fusion stereo, and love it. This is my second unit that I have bought. The first was sold with my last boat. I liked the unit so much, I bought another as the first item I changed on the new boat. I use a iPod Classic 80gb and have thousands of songs and I'm only using about 10% of the iPod capacity. No more dealing with CD's on the boat.


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## casey1999 (Oct 18, 2010)

I have the Ipod/ am/fm model and just installed. Can only receive a couple of stations either am or fm. Does anyone have problems receiving? Otherwise the unit is very well built, just wish it would receive better


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## casey1999 (Oct 18, 2010)

I have the Ipod/ am/fm model and just installed. Can only receive a couple of stations either am or fm. Does anyone have problems receiving? Otherwise the unit is very well built, just wish it would receive better


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## rmeador (Jan 16, 2010)

What kind of antenna are you using with it?


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## casey1999 (Oct 18, 2010)

rmeador said:


> What kind of antenna are you using with it?


First I used a 40 inch west marine wire antenna. Only got an FM station within 2 miles of me so I tried an external marine antenna- that did no better. My location is poor for reception (blocked by hills) but took boat off shore and expected to get some reception but no luck. Got radio at west marine and they will exchange- just trying to figure out if it is the radio or my poor location. With the radio I cannot figure out how just tune manually. If I use the fwd and rev buttons the turner goes to fast. It would be nice if the knob could tune but does not seem to be set up that way. Unit looks to have a great warranty- 5 years.


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## windward54 (Apr 12, 2000)

It does work a lot better with an external antenna. I had mine hooked up to a Raymarine AIS 250, and it worked fine. I did find a way to go to a manual tune mode, but darned if I could do it again.


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## BELLATRIX1965 (Jan 2, 2007)

casey1999 said:


> With the radio I cannot figure out how just tune manually. If I use the fwd and rev buttons the turner goes to fast. It would be nice if the knob could tune but does not seem to be set up that way. Unit looks to have a great warranty- 5 years.


OK - to manually tune, you press AND HOLD the fwd or rev seek button for about 3 seconds. This puts you into manual tune mode, and then you will get a "manual" indication on the screen. You then push the fwd or rev button to go up or down band. It's a bit counter-intuitive, and awkward, I know


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## crazyfish (Apr 24, 2000)

*Fusion*

I like mine a lot but I am on my third unit in less then 3 years.

West Marine has never questioned the exchange of the unit under warranty for a new one. The impression I got is they see a high rate of return on the units.

The Fusion iPod HMI has improved with each new unit.

Marc Hall
Crazy Fish, Crealock 37, Hull 207
San Diego, CA


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## floatsome (Jul 5, 2008)

We are very happy with our sailboat's Fusion 2-zone system: one in the cockpit, one in the main cabin. Easy to install and use, very flexibile digital options. Second season.


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## luzum (May 27, 2002)

*same issue*



casey1999 said:


> I have the Ipod/ am/fm model and just installed. Can only receive a couple of stations either am or fm. Does anyone have problems receiving? Otherwise the unit is very well built, just wish it would receive better


I had it installed on new boat, barely got 10 stations, tried 3 antenna, and now trying a 2nd unit. When compared to small handheld am/fm radio, it appear the fusion has very poor sensitivity or some type of intermod issue, I will know more tomorrow, but if it is just a poor fm radio not sure how to replace it since size of radio is far bigger than others.


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## rmeador (Jan 16, 2010)

I think only the faceplate part is bigger. I believe the behind-dash portion of the radio is a standard size, as is the hole it fits into. I'm still in the process of installing mine... hopefully I'll have it working this afternoon and I can write my own review. I don't really care about FM performance though. It will be connected to my computer (I just built a DC-powered mini desktop mounted under the nav station) or satellite radio.


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## casey1999 (Oct 18, 2010)

luzum said:


> I had it installed on new boat, barely got 10 stations, tried 3 antenna, and now trying a 2nd unit. When compared to small handheld am/fm radio, it appear the fusion has very poor sensitivity or some type of intermod issue, I will know more tomorrow, but if it is just a poor fm radio not sure how to replace it since size of radio is far bigger than others.


I first tried the West Marine FM stereo antenna- the 40 inch wire inside the cabin of my sail boat. Got only got one FM station a few miles away. Next tried the west marine 4 foot AM/FM antenna outside the boat on targa- reception was no better. Last friday I install the Shaksphere 8 foot AM/FM antenna outside the boat on targa. Now I get good reception on both am and fm. I need to take a portable radio the the boat and see how that compares. Even though I am getting good reception- seems a little extreme to require an 8 foot antennna to do so. Stills seems the the sensativity on the Fusion is weak. I looked and the units specs and manufacturer does not give the sensativity spec for the unit- strange.

Other than that, the unit is great.


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## windward54 (Apr 12, 2000)

I always had bad reception on any stereo I had, especially in the marina. All the masts from the surrounding boats makes getting signals tough. I solved my reception problem when I installed an AIS receiver. the unit I used had a connection for an AM/FM radio antenna.


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## rmeador (Jan 16, 2010)

I finished installing my unit last night. I really like it! It sounds good, it's easy to use, and has a bunch of cool features (like showing the song names for CDs that have them encoded). I got moderately good FM reception with the silly little west marine antenna. I didn't try AM. I only found one drawback, and that is the LCD screen on the unit. It seems rather slow to update, so you get ghosting when text is scrolling (as it does when scrolling a long song name). That's a really nitpicky thing to complain about though. On the whole, I'm very happy with it.


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## Figjam (Apr 27, 2011)

*Fusion Stereo Reception Issues;*

I just installed my fusion IP 500...i replaced my poly-planar because i wanted to play my Ipod. The IP works beautifully for IPOD and satallite as well as FM stereo but my am reception is almost zero. I am attached to an 8 foot Shakespear antenna. The poly-planar received both am and fm perfectly but the IP-500 does not receive am. I talked to customer service and they had me attach a wire and move it around....no change. It seems that there are other experiencing this problem but I have not seen any solution except to try different antenna...i cannot believe that i would have to change antennea' until i found one that was compatible with the Fusion stereo...has anyone found any other solution...like maybe certain models are better than others for this or the company can tweak something inside?


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## dhays (Jul 9, 2010)

It is these reports about poor radio reception/sensitivity that keeps me from jumping on this. I have a Sony that has a very poor ergonomic design and no good way to integrate iPod. The Fusion is great on the features it offers and the design looks great. However, I would like decent FM reception.

Dave


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## Figjam (Apr 27, 2011)

....to be clear I get perfect FM reception. That is what is so perplexing...i have to believe there is something that can be can be adjusted within the unit to fix this. I am also perplexed that while the customer service guy at Fusion was very polite and seemed to try to help, he acted as though this is an "out of the blue" sort of occurrence and one that he had never heard of happening. I have gone on the chat sites and find dozens of people with the same issue...just seems that the company would acknowledge the problem and come with a solution....


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## casey1999 (Oct 18, 2010)

Figjam said:


> ....to be clear I get perfect FM reception. That is what is so perplexing...i have to believe there is something that can be can be adjusted within the unit to fix this. I am also perplexed that while the customer service guy at Fusion was very polite and seemed to try to help, he acted as though this is an "out of the blue" sort of occurrence and one that he had never heard of happening. I have gone on the chat sites and find dozens of people with the same issue...just seems that the company would acknowledge the problem and come with a solution....


If there is one, and there seems to be (see my post a few back), company probably does not want to spend the money to recall the defective units. the unit would be perfect if the sensitivity were better.


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## DaMfwic (Jun 22, 2011)

*2nd fusion marine radio that gets condensation behind the front glass?*

Is anyone else experiencing this? I just purchase new boat with new marine radio (Fusion 600) and replaced, under warranty, the 1st fusion radio because of condensation. The 2nd Fusion unit was installed 2 weeks ago and when I was covering the boat this past Sunday, I noticed condensation behind the radio front glass again. What am I doing wrong?


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## PalmettoSailor (Mar 7, 2006)

I saw the Fusion units at West Marine also and immediately discounted them as way overpriced for my needs.

I think I'm going to go with a Sony non marine unit from Crutchfield that has an internal drawer to hold your iPod. Clean and secure with no external wires and it keeps the iPod Charged. Its only $139 from Crutchfiled and in my experience Sony products have always met or exceeded my needs. There is a marinized version that West Marine sells for $199 (same as Crutchfield)if you think its worth $60 more.


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## luzum (May 27, 2002)

I replaced it with a new unit and it was just as bad, almost not usable in Huntington Harbor where a small portable fm radio works 10 times better. Just started using it again for start of season and it really ticks me off that they can provide a radio that functions at that price. I don't need ipod so I am just going to replace it with a standard radio. I know sometimes you get rough reception in the harbors but this one is terrible.


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