The JL Audio Fathom f110s operated virtually flawlessly for all of my tests. The only minor issue I noted was the triggered on feature seemed to be set a bit too sensitively. A simple power spike, fan switch toggle or sneeze seemed to engage the power on the f110s immediately. There were times during the middle of the night that I’d walk into the kitchen to get a late night snack and find one or both f110s on for no apparent reason other than they were, like myself, restless and eager to play.

As with all high mass subwoofers drivers I’ve listened too, there were times I felt the f110s didn’t quite articulate the upper bass region as well as I heard on my tower speakers or other subwoofers. But, this was a deliberate trade-off for the output and extension they were producing for their given size which blew every other subwoofer with similar footprints out of the water we’ve had in our test labs.

Because of the rather sharp roll-off the f110s exhibit above 80Hz, I’d highly recommend choosing your main speakers wisely. The f110s are not an ideal solution for very small, bass deficient satellite speakers. Of course at this price, it is doubtful a consumer would be using such speakers in a system with these subwoofers but I’ve seen stranger things before. I agree with the JL Audio mantra of dual subs are better than one. In this case it not only produced a more seamless blend with my speakers but it also provided the necessary output to fill my largish family room which opens to my kitchen making that room challenging to fill with deep tactile bass.

I’d proceed with caution when using ARO as I found its usefulness limited to only the primary seated position. It’s a shame that at this price JL Audio didn’t offer a multi-point correction scheme or an adjustable EQ system for better fine tuning for the experienced installer. I was also a bit surprised to find the adjustable interface of the f110s to be all push button unlike the much older but slicker computer drive Velodyne DD series. Still, the f110s come with a wide selection of adjustable options to help the installer better integrate this product to your system.

Conclusion

The JL Audio Fathom f110s may be small in size, but they are not lacking in the performance department. While there are certainly much larger subs than the f110s at the same price or less, you will be hard pressed to find all of the performance attributes the f110 has to offer in such a compact box. Not once did I find the f110s output lacking as they were always able to rattle my walls and shake my couches when the source material required it.

For those looking for small but potent subwoofer that looks as good as it sounds and can swing the rather hefty budget to own one, I’d suggest saving your dollars and getting two. A pair of Fathom f110s can be transform the fidelity of your system by providing the depth and slam and uniformity in bass response across all of your listening seats that would not be achieved by lesser designed subs or even a well engineered single subwoofer solution.

The f110s are small enough to tuck behind a couch or leave near a sidewall or corner without being obtrusive. I normally don’t say this about A/V gear, but the f110s have a lot of sex appeal. They look wonderful out in the open, and believe me, you will want to show them off to your audiophile friends or bassaholic girlfriends. It’s clear to me that JL Audio is as serious about high fidelity in the home environment as they have been in mobile audio since their inception. Bassaholics rejoice as JL Audio has produced a reference level product that will thump, and thump well, without requiring a refrigerator sized box that you neither have the space nor the accepting wife to accommodate.

JL Audio Fathom f110

MSRP: $2,100(satin black) / $2,200 (gloss black)

http://www.jlaudio.com

JL Audio, Inc.

10369 North Commerce Pkwy.

Miramar, FL 33025-3962, USA
Phone: 954.443.1100

About JL Audio

Founded in 1975 in Miramar, Florida, JL Audio is a privately held American company manufacturing high-end audio solutions for home audio, mobile and marine applications. JL Audio products are sold exclusively by specialty retailers throughout the U.S.A. and distributed in fifty-eight countries around the world. JL Audio loudspeakers, amplifiers and subwoofers incorporate technologies that have been awarded fourteen U.S. patents.