Test Bench: Eighteen Sound 18iD 18-Inch Woofer

Eighteen Sound sent us an unusual driver for this Test Bench, because it is specifically intended for use with the new generation of Class-D digital amplifiers that can drive extremely low impedance loads. While Eighteen Sound has several models in this configuration, this month we are testing the 18” model, the 18iD, developed in accordance with Powersoft Audio’s IPAL standards. This article was originally published in Voice Coil, December 2015.

The transducer I received for this month’s Test Bench is the CF0617M, a new high power handling 6.5” midrange, from Celestion. The CF0617M is one of my favorite formats in a pro sound mid. Features include a four-spoke cast aluminum frame, a light-weight curved profile uncoated Kevlar loaded paper cone, a 1.75” diameter voice coil and a 120 mm × 15 mm ferrite magnet. This article was originally published in Voice Coil, December 2015.

The driver I examined this month was Italian Pro Sound OEM manufacturer B&C Speakers’ new high temperature polymer diaphragm DE110-8 compression driver coupled with B&C Speakers’ ME10 90° × 60° hyperbolic cosine flare horn (see Photo 1). The ultra compact DE110-8 joins B&C Speakers’ extensive series of 1” throat compression drivers. This article was originally published in Voice Coil, July 2015.

This month I examined two new 5.75” subwoofers from Wavecor, both the 4-Ω SW146WA01 and the 8-Ω SW146WA02 version. Wavecor’s SW146WA, in both the 8-Ω and 4-Ω versions, have a well-conceived feature set that includes a proprietary four-spoke stamped steel frame that incorporates an eight-spoke/eight-window configuration below the spider mounting shelf. This open eight-spoke region, along with a 13-mm diameter pole vent, provides substantial cooling for the SW146WA. This article was originally published in Voice Coil, July 2015.

This Test bench examines the 32W/4878T00 12” subwoofer from high-end driver manufacturer Scan-Speak. Over the years, Scan-Speak has become known for its midwoofers and tweeters, which is to say that its products can be found in a large percentage of the high-end loudspeakers on the market in the last 40 years. Having used Scan-Speak’s drivers in designs for some of my consulting business customers, I found it also makes some excellent subwoofers. This article was originally published in Voice Coil, March 2013.

Tang Band was founded in 1996 in Taiwan with the goal of manufacturing innovative, high-quality drivers. The transducer Tang Band sent to Voice Coil to review certainly lives up to that goal. The T1-1942S is a seriously creative new transducer, and it immediately caught my eye when I saw it on Tang Band’s website. I mean, when was the last time you saw a 1” dome in its own cabinet with a passive radiator? Me neither. This article was originally published in Voice Coil, March 2013.

Founded in 1970, Scan-Speak continues to offer the same “no compromise” philosophy that has always been a part of its mission. Scan-Speak sent its D2908/714000, which is the company’s second 30-mm beryllium dome tweeter. Basically, the new D2098 utilizes the Revelator D29 dome’s wide surround concept, but with a 99% pure beryllium dome (sourced from Truextent) coupled to the highly effective and patented Symmetrical Drive (SD-2) neodymium motor system. This article was originally published in Voice Coil, February 2013.

For this month’s Test Bench review I received the MF2519inv TIneo PRHS, from the Max Fidelity line by Canadian Loudspeaker Corp. The MF2519inv TIneo tweeter has an interesting feature set, starting with the diaphragm, using a 25-mm (0.98”) diameter inverted titanium dome with the flat edge of the dome's outer perimeter serving as the surround, a teardrop shaped phase plug, neodymium motor, and a 19-mm (0.75”) underhung ferrofluid-damped voice coil wound with round copper wire. This article was originally published in Voice Coil, February 2013.

This month’s Test Bench is dedicated to a new woofer from Motus, a fairly new company in the esoteric end of the home audio business. The transducer under test is the Motus UH205PW1, an 8” mid-bass driver with a really nicely configured six-spoke cast-aluminum frame, FEA optimized motor design and a nice overall physical appearance. This article was originally published in Voice Coil, November 2015.

This month, the driver to be characterized is the FTX0820, a new coax from Celestion. The OEM-only FTX range covers 12” (305 mm), 8” (200 mm), and 6.5” (165 mm) chassis diameters, and features fully combined low-frequency and high-frequency components that are powered by a Common Magnet Motor Assembly (where the same magnet is used for both the low-frequency and high-frequency elements). This enables the voice coils (and hence the acoustic centers of the two drivers) to be brought closer together, delivering tight signal coherence and time alignment. This article was published in Voice Coil, October 2015.