Bazooka BTA6100M

The original brand of Bass Tube. The Xerox, Frigidaire and Hoover of their world. We still talk about hoovering even when we use the Vax. This is the six inch diameter model there are eight and ten inch but no bigger (I have always fantasised about two fifteen inch Bazookas) and they come in regular or heavy duty passive (not powered) or, like this one, powered by its own internal amplifier.
It uses a 2 Ohm set of dual voice coils on its speaker so as to draw a maximum power of 100 watts from its muscle-box and has the classic orange segment shaped port opening alongside the driver. Said speaker driver is dished, rather than having a dust dome that sticks out with the Bazooka logo on it and a strong injection-moulded grille to protect it on the front. Again with the Bazooka branding on it. Both line up neatly along the horizontal. The enclosure feels solid and dense and has a gunmetal crackle finish similar to Hammerite paint in its look. The rear has an orange-segment shaped panel over the end of the port, also with a Bazooka label on it and the heatsink for the amp. The flanks of the tube also bear big Bazooka badges, as does the rubber collar around the top of the tube. You cannot mistake these from any angle.
The back panel has two parts that look like they are finished in carbon fibre but look printed when examined with a lens. There is a multi way plug connector, a power LED, a phase inverter switch, a gain knob and a screw-down socket for the use of an optional (£15 RBCM 100) bass gain-on-a-wire accessory. This would enable you to turn the bass level up and down at will from the front of the car. Less for mum, more for Marley. The multi way plug has speaker wires for input as well as two RCA sockets on trailing cords and of course the power, earth and remote cables. All neatly fixed and shrink-tubing protected. It comes with a set of straps, a fusible link for installation use, some screws to secure the straps onto the pair of injection moulded plastic base pieces that support the tube on your boot floor.
– Power Output 100 watts from onboard amplifier
– Impedance 2 Ohms Dual Voice Coil
– Frequency Response 35Hz to 85Hz
– RCA Input
– Hi Level Input
– Battery Voltage Range 10.5V to 14.4V
– Crossover fixed @ 85 Hz at a slope of 18dB per octave
– Optional RBCM-100 Remote Control
– Auto Turn On
– Subsonic Filter -12dB @ 35Hz
– Voice Coil Size 1.5 inch high power/high temp
– Magnet 13 Oz
– 460 x 172 x 203mm
Review by Adam Rayner
Did you know that an earlier distributor of this product made a 150dB install in a small van with a stack of Bazooka tubes just to prove you can and that sound offs have been won with them? Well, they can be tuned by moving them in or out of the corners of the back of your car, be it saloon or hatch, to adjust the horn effect of the loading. These models, of which this is the smallest, have amplifiers in their guts. At a full 100 watts, you could be forgiven for worrying about hurting the small speaker in there but it has a massive fat top roil surround and a voice coil system that is made to be abused. These are the people who make liquid-cooled subs and amplifiers for use in the deep southern states. Designed in Baton Rouge Louisian’. These tubes kick butt.
I tried one of this model an age ago and recall being impressed. Was it still a cool item, or is this one just too small? It’s easy to connect. You plug the multi way in and you don�t need to worry about a crossover, as its fixed at a slightly high 85Hz but with a nice steep 18dB per octave slope. It means no mid in your woofer.
I got it hooked up via the RCA cords. I simply used the rear outputs of the Panasonic deck I have just been testing. Although you could use ‘Y’ leads if you don’t have enough RCA’s hanging out the back of your set. Or of course just extend the rear speaker wires, as they will work for high level input.
I fired it up and immediately became aware that although it was playing underneath the very good Morel Supremo reference components, which have a very good bass response, the air shifting out of the port of the BTA6100 was phenomenal. It may have been unfair but I put a Bass CD through it. Of course, while it is able to cope with most stuff, the sheer music energy down low in these recordings is meant for bigger woofers and this unit did find it hard to cope. If you push it too far you can hear the air chuffing in the port. Below its cut off point itll ‘purr’, rather than drop any further.
That said, it was amazingly deep, loud and throbby for one so small. Above all, it was melodic if kept within its limits. If the bass note went up and down in pitch, the Bazooka tracked it a treat. It’ll make any stock install come to life, improving the whole sound, not just the bass, such is the way these things work. This is because you stress the rest of the speakers less while still getting a pleasing result. Ideal for the smaller and posher sporty cars where you just can’t or won’t countenance putting in a bit of expensive custom woodwork, or else you simply thought no bass would fit. It drops a good �un and really makes a far greater sound pressure of bass than you would expect.
A quart in a pint pot, this tiny bass maker is a whole league ahead of the smaller under-seat type products you might also consider in this bracket and just perfect for pickup trucks and behind the seats in a working van that needs all its cargo space for ugly things. You could easily use two, they are so small. If you want instant bass, Bazzy are your boys and this is a compact yet high performance product. For my own taste, I’d just buy a bigger one!
Sound Quality 8.0
Build Quality 10.0
Power Handling 6.0
Efficiency 9.0
Value For Money 7.0
Overall rating 8.0