18SOUND 15LW1410
18SOUND (Eighteen Sound) 15LW1410 — 15" / 15 inch · Woofer · Subwoofer / Bass · Ferrite Magnet
4" voice coil · 8 Ω
Part no.: 42A-CHS-TT-18S-0016
Documents
18SOUND 15LW1410 — 15" · Woofer
1000 W AES · 98.5 dB Sensitivity · Frequency range 40 Hz – 2400 Hz
Technical data
- Diameter: 15 "
- Voice coil: 4 "
- Power handling: 1000 W AES
- Sensitivity: 98.5 dB
- Impedance: 8 Ω
- Magnet: Ferrite
- Weight: 12.9 kg
- Mounting depth: 163 mm
- Frequency range: 40 – 2400 Hz
Datasheet (PDF) · Manufacturer page
Series: LW · Part no.: 42A-CHS-TT-18S-0016
18Sound 15LW1410: 15" ferrite woofer with 1 mH inductance for 2-way tops and subs
Anyone looking for a 15" bass driver for a 2-way PA top will almost inevitably land on the 18Sound 15LW1410. It belongs to the ferrite LW series, carries a 4" voice coil, handles 1,000 W AES and delivers 98.5 dB sensitivity. The decisive difference to its sibling, the 15LW1401, sits in the motor: voice coil inductance is just 1 mH, which keeps the response far more even up to the 2,400 Hz upper limit.
The Thiele-Small parameters are typical of a tightly driven PA woofer: Fs 42 Hz, Qts 0.27, Vas 131 l, a force factor of 24.1 Tm and a moving mass of 138 g. Excursion is 8.5 mm Xmax, enough for bass tops and mid-sized subs but not optimised for extreme displacement. An EBP of 150 points clearly towards vented or horn-loaded enclosures.
Use and enclosure
For a vented box the approximation suggests around 46 l tuned to 57 Hz with a lower cut-off of about 68 Hz. That is exactly the range in which a compact 15"/1.4" top works in rental or on club stages, with subwoofers underneath. A sealed version of roughly 22 l with a system resonance near 110 Hz is only worth considering as a kick-bass section. For fine-tuning, different volumes or lower tuning frequencies, use the enclosure calculator at 42.audio.
The low inductance of 1 mH is why the 15LW1410 also behaves well with a passive crossover: the impedance rise above the bass region is flatter, and a clean hand-over to the compression driver is easier to achieve. Still, place the crossover well below 2,400 Hz so that the beaming of the 15" cone does not become excessive. Allow for the 163 mm mounting depth and 12.9 kg weight when building the cabinet.
What to look out for
- Only 1 mH voice coil inductance: well behaved even with a passive crossover.
- 98.5 dB sensitivity: high efficiency, less amplifier power for the same level.
- Xmax 8.5 mm: built for bass tops and limited subs, not for extreme excursion.
- Re 5 Ω at 8 Ω nominal, alternatively available as a 4 Ω version.
- 163 mm mounting depth, 12.9 kg: ferrite motor, so design cabinet and handles accordingly.
Frequently asked questions
Is the 15LW1410 the successor to the 15LW1401?
The enclosure parameters are identical: Fs 42 Hz, Qts 0.27, Vas 131 l, both with a 4" voice coil and 1,000 W AES. The 15LW1410 uses a much lower inductance of 1 mH and offers slightly higher sensitivity, giving up a little Xmax at 8.5 mm. For 2-way tops it is the more suitable choice.
Which enclosure for the 15LW1410 as a subwoofer?
The guideline is around 46 l vented, tuned to 57 Hz. If you want to go deeper, a driver with lower resonance and larger Vas is the better starting point, for example from the 18Sound LW or ND series.
How much amplifier power does the 15LW1410 need?
Plan on an amplifier around 1,000 W at 8 Ω with proper limiting. Thanks to 98.5 dB sensitivity the driver reaches high levels with less power too; the real ceiling is the excursion limit of 8.5 mm.
At 42.audio you get the 18SOUND 15LW1410 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 | 42 Hz |
| Total Q Qts | 0.27 |
| Electrical Q Qes | 0.28 |
| Mechanical Q Qms | 5.36 |
| Equivalent volume Vas | 131.0 l |
| Moving mass Mms | 138.0 g |
| Cone area Sd | 850 cm² |
| Linear excursion Xmax | 8.5 mm |
| Force factor BL | 24.1 Tm |
| DC resistance Re | 5 Ω |
| Voice coil inductance Le | 1 mH |
Enclosure suggestion
The EBP of 150 suggests a bass-reflex enclosure. EBP = fs / Qes = 42 / 0.28
Sealed (Qtc 0.707)
- Enclosure volume Vb
- 22.4 l
- System resonance Fc
- 110 Hz
- Cut-off frequency F3
- 110 Hz
Bass reflex (QB3 after Small)recommended
- Enclosure volume Vb
- 34.8 l
- Tuning frequency Fb
- 63 Hz
- Cut-off frequency F3
- 75 Hz
Vb is the required net internal volume, Fb the tuning frequency of the reflex port and F3 the frequency at which the level has dropped by 3 dB. Calculated approximation after Small. A starting point for simulation, not a finished build plan.
Comparable drivers
Same size, same type, Qts within ±30 %.
- 18 Sound 15LW1401fs 42 Hz · Qts 0.27 · Vas 131 l · in the shop
- 18 Sound 15W700fs 41 Hz · Qts 0.27 · Vas 180 l · in the database
- FaitalPRO 15HP1020fs 40 Hz · Qts 0.27 · Vas 126.6 l · in the database
- FaitalPRO 15FX600fs 38 Hz · Qts 0.27 · Vas 128.3 l · in the database
- B&C Speakers 15NBX100fs 37 Hz · Qts 0.27 · Vas 109.6 l · in the database
- B&C Speakers 15NDL88fs 41 Hz · Qts 0.28 · Vas 154 l · in the database
Specifications
| Allgemein | |
|---|---|
| Manufacturer | 18SOUND |
| Category | Low Frequency |
| Series | LW |
| Magnet | Ferrite |
| Impedance (Ω) | 8 |
| Power handling (W) | 1000 |
| Sensitivity (dB) | 98.5 |
| Frequency from (Hz) | 40 |
| Frequency to (Hz) | 2400 |
| Abmessungen & Korb | |
|---|---|
| Diameter | 15 |
| Voice coil (inch) | 4 |
| Mounting depth (mm) | 163 |
| Weight (kg) | 12.9 |
| Thiele-Small-Parameter | |
|---|---|
| Re (Ω) | 5 |
| Le (mH) | 1 |
| Fs (Hz) | 42 |
| Qms | 5.36 |
| Qes | 0.28 |
| Qts | 0.27 |
| Vas (l) | 131 |
| Xmax (mm) | 8.5 |
| BL (Tm) | 24.1 |
| Mms (kg) | 0.138 |
| Sd (m²) | 0.085 |