18SOUND 12MB1000
18SOUND (Eighteen Sound) 12MB1000 — 12" / 12 inch · Midrange with Lower Midrange (ML) · Midrange · Ferrite
4" voice coil · 8 Ω
Part no.: 42A-CHS-MT-18S-0004
Documents
18SOUND 12MB1000 — 12" · Midrange Driver
600 W AES · 102 dB Sensitivity · Frequency range 80 Hz – 3500 Hz
Technical data
- Diameter: 12 "
- Voice coil: 4 "
- Power handling: 600 W AES
- Sensitivity: 102 dB
- Impedance: 8 Ω
- Magnet: Ferrite
- Weight: 9.6 kg
- Mounting depth: 118 mm
- Frequency range: 80 – 3500 Hz
Datasheet (PDF) · Manufacturer page
Series: MB · Part no.: 42A-CHS-MT-18S-0004
18Sound 12MB1000: 12" ferrite midrange with 4" coil, 600 W AES and Qts 0.18
600 W AES on a 4" voice coil, BL 23.5 Tm, Qts 0.18: the 18Sound 12MB1000 is the MB-series midrange for systems where thermal headroom matters more than depth or weight. The ferrite magnet brings the driver to 9.6 kg, but in return you get a motor that controls the 55.5 g cone over 531 cm² of area with a firm grip and delivers 102 dB sensitivity at 8 Ω.
The usable range of 80 to 3,500 Hz and Xmax 2.5 mm mark it clearly as a mid and low-mid driver, not a mid-woofer. Fs 54 Hz with Vas 60 l reads like bass at first, but the EBP of 270 and the very low Qts show that the cone develops hardly any extension in a large box – this motor is made for small reflex chambers and above all for horn loading, where a low Qts becomes an advantage.
Use and enclosure
The bass-reflex guideline comes to 6.6 l tuned to 106 Hz with a lower cutoff around 155 Hz; sealed about 4.2 l at a 212 Hz corner frequency. These are small volumes for a 12" driver, and they suit a midrange chamber in a large three-way top or a midrange horn. Set the high-pass well above 80 Hz – at 2.5 mm Xmax the low mids belong to the bass driver. The enclosure calculator at 42.audio provides the fine tuning.
Upwards it ends at 3,500 Hz, which suggests handing over to a 2" compression driver on a large horn. The 1.46 mH inductance makes the impedance rise in the upper mids; allow for it in passive crossovers, uncritical with active filtering. 118 mm mounting depth is compact for a 12" with a 4" coil.
What to look out for
- 4" coil, 600 W AES: high thermal headroom for continuous duty.
- Qts 0.18, EBP 270: horn loading or a small reflex chamber, no deep bass.
- Xmax 2.5 mm: a high-pass well above 80 Hz is mandatory.
- 9.6 kg ferrite: heavy, allow for it in the cabinet and in transport.
- Le 1.46 mH: impedance rise in the upper mids, compensate in passive crossovers.
Frequently asked questions
Is the 12MB1000 suitable as a mid-woofer?
Only to a limited extent. With 2.5 mm Xmax and a usable range from 80 Hz it is a midrange with some low-mid capability, not a two-way driver. It plays to its strengths in a three-way system with a subwoofer.
What is the difference from the 12NMB1000?
The 12NMB1000 has Fs 54 Hz, Qts 0.19 and Vas 58 l, so almost the same TS parameters, but a neodymium motor and correspondingly less weight. The 12MB1000 is the ferrite variant for fixed installations where weight does not matter.
Which horn for the treble?
With an upper limit of 3,500 Hz a 2" compression driver on a horn that still loads at the crossover frequency is the natural choice. The matching models are in the 18Sound horns & waveguides category.
18Sound 12MB1000: manufacturer, spellings and classification
18Sound, 18 Sound and Eighteensound all refer to the same manufacturer: Eighteen Sound S.r.l. of Reggio Emilia, Italy. The 12MB1000 is a 12-inch midrange driver with ferrite magnet from the MB series, available from 42.audio, 18Sound dealer in Germany, with datasheet and full specifications in the driver database.
At 42.audio you get the 18SOUND 12MB1000 with datasheet PDF, all key data in the driver database and the enclosure calculator. More drivers from this manufacturer: Atlas 18Sound.
Thiele-Small parameters
| Nominal impedance | 8 Ω |
|---|---|
| Resonance frequency fs | 54 Hz |
| Total Q Qts | 0.18 |
| Electrical Q Qes | 0.2 |
| Mechanical Q Qms | 6 |
| Equivalent volume Vas | 60.0 l |
| Moving mass Mms | 55.5 g |
| Cone area Sd | 531 cm² |
| Linear excursion Xmax | 2.5 mm |
| Force factor BL | 23.5 Tm |
| DC resistance Re | 5.8 Ω |
| Voice coil inductance Le | 1.46 mH |
Comparable drivers
Same size, same type, Qts within ±30 %.
- 18 Sound 12MB600fs 44 Hz · Qts 0.18 · Vas 115 l · in the database
- 18 Sound 12NMB1000fs 54 Hz · Qts 0.19 · Vas 58 l · in the shop
- 18 Sound 12MB777fs 49 Hz · Qts 0.19 · Vas 101 l · in the database
- 18 Sound 12MB700fs 49 Hz · Qts 0.19 · Vas 101 l · in the database
- 18 Sound 12MB710fs 46 Hz · Qts 0.2 · Vas 81 l · in the database
- 18 Sound 12MB720fs 46 Hz · Qts 0.2 · Vas 81 l · in the database
Specifications
| Allgemein | |
|---|---|
| Manufacturer | 18SOUND |
| Category | Mid Frequency |
| Series | MB |
| Magnet | Ferrite |
| Impedance (Ω) | 8 |
| Power handling (W) | 600 |
| Sensitivity (dB) | 102 |
| Frequency from (Hz) | 80 |
| Frequency to (Hz) | 3500 |
| Abmessungen & Korb | |
|---|---|
| Diameter | 12 |
| Voice coil (inch) | 4 |
| Mounting depth (mm) | 118 |
| Weight (kg) | 9.6 |
| Thiele-Small-Parameter | |
|---|---|
| Re (Ω) | 5.8 |
| Le (mH) | 1.46 |
| Fs (Hz) | 54 |
| Qms | 6 |
| Qes | 0.2 |
| Qts | 0.18 |
| Vas (l) | 60 |
| Xmax (mm) | 2.5 |
| BL (Tm) | 23.5 |
| Mms (kg) | 0.0555 |
| Sd (m²) | 0.0531 |