18SOUND 6NTLW2000
18SOUND (Eighteen Sound) 6NTLW2000 — 6" / 6 inch · Midrange with Lower Midrange (ML) · Midrange · Neodymium · Dual-Gap
2x2" voice coil · 8 Ω
Part no.: 42A-CHS-MT-18S-0028
Documents
18SOUND 6NTLW2000 — 6" · Midrange Driver
320 W AES · 93 dB Sensitivity · Frequency range 75 Hz – 8000 Hz
Technical data
- Diameter: 6 "
- Voice coil: 2 "
- Power handling: 320 W AES
- Sensitivity: 93 dB
- Impedance: 8 Ω
- Magnet: Neo
- Weight: 1.2 kg
- Mounting depth: 108 mm
- Frequency range: 75 – 8000 Hz
Datasheet (PDF) · Manufacturer page
Series: NTLW · Part no.: 42A-CHS-MT-18S-0028
18Sound 6NTLW2000: 6" midrange with dual-gap neodymium motor, 320 W AES and 93 dB
The 6NTLW2000 is a 6" midrange from the NTLW series by 18Sound (Eighteen Sound), built to cover the range from lower midrange up into the upper mids. Its neodymium motor uses the dual-gap principle: two air gaps share a 2x2" voice coil, giving more motor force for the same coil mass and better heat dissipation. With 320 W AES and 93 dB sensitivity at 8 Ω, it sits where a single-coil 6" driver quickly hits thermal limits.
Within the category, the working range stands out: usable from 75 Hz to 8,000 Hz with a resonance frequency of 86 Hz. With Qts 0.35, Vas 4.6 l and 4.9 mm Xmax, this is not a pure horn midrange but a driver that delivers real lower midrange in a vented box while staying light enough at 19 g moving mass to work cleanly up to the handover to the tweeter. A weight of 1.2 kg and a mounting depth of 108 mm suit compact tops and column speakers.
Use and enclosure
The typical application is a 3-way top or a line-array element in which the 6NTLW2000 covers the range between subwoofer and compression driver. As a guideline derived from the Thiele-Small parameters, a sealed midrange chamber of about 1.5 l gives an in-box resonance around 174 Hz; if you want to include the lower midrange, roughly 3.4 l vented, tuned to 93 Hz, results in a lower cutoff of about 97 Hz. The EBP of 226 makes the point: the driver wants to run vented or with a high-pass. Work out the exact alignment with our enclosure calculator.
The low crossover should sit well above the 75 Hz limit; in a midrange chamber, close to the in-box resonance makes sense. Going up, the driver carries to 8,000 Hz, so a 1" compression driver on a horn does not need to be crossed low. Matching horns and waveguides from 18Sound are listed in the same manufacturer's category.
What to look out for
- 8 Ω nominal, Re 5.1 Ω: easy for any amplifier, two in parallel give 4 Ω.
- Dual-gap neodymium motor with 2x2" voice coil, BL 11.6 Tm, Le only 0.22 mH.
- Xmax 4.9 mm: plenty of travel for a 6" midrange, but no substitute for a subwoofer.
- Mounting depth 108 mm, weight 1.2 kg: light enough for flying frames and columns.
- Datasheet as PDF, TSP in the 42.audio driver database.
Frequently asked questions
Does the 6NTLW2000 work as the midrange in a 3-way top with a 12" woofer?
Yes, that is exactly what it is made for. In a sealed midrange chamber of about 1.5 l the in-box resonance sits around 174 Hz, so you place the crossover to the woofer above that. Going up it reaches 8,000 Hz, which lets the compression driver take over comfortably high.
Which amplifier do I need for the 6NTLW2000?
The driver handles 320 W AES at 8 Ω, so an amplifier channel in that class with a limiter makes sense. With 93 dB sensitivity, though, you reach high levels with considerably less power.
How does it differ from the 18Sound 6ND430 or 6M44?
The 6ND430, with Fs 61 Hz, Qts 0.27 and Vas 12.6 l, has more low-end content and needs a larger box. The 6M44 is a pure midrange at Fs 102 Hz, Qts 0.29 and Vas 3.8 l. The 6NTLW2000 sits between them with Fs 86 Hz and Vas 4.6 l and brings the dual-gap motor.
At 42.audio you get the 18SOUND 6NTLW2000 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 | 86 Hz |
| Total Q Qts | 0.35 |
| Electrical Q Qes | 0.38 |
| Mechanical Q Qms | 5 |
| Equivalent volume Vas | 4.6 l |
| Moving mass Mms | 19.0 g |
| Cone area Sd | 133 cm² |
| Linear excursion Xmax | 4.9 mm |
| Force factor BL | 11.6 Tm |
| DC resistance Re | 5.1 Ω |
| Voice coil inductance Le | 0.22 mH |
Comparable drivers
Same size, same type, Qts within ±30 %.
- 18 Sound 6NMB900fs 100 Hz · Qts 0.34 · Vas 6.65 l · in the database
- 18 Sound 6NMB900fs 95 Hz · Qts 0.32 · Vas 10.3 l · in the database
- 18 Sound 6NMB420fs 110 Hz · Qts 0.33 · Vas 6.1 l · in the database
- 18 Sound 6M44fs 102 Hz · Qts 0.29 · Vas 3.8 l · in the database
- SB Acoustics MR16TX-8fs 35 Hz · Qts 0.31 · in the database
- 18 Sound 6ND430fs 61 Hz · Qts 0.27 · Vas 12.6 l · in the database
Specifications
| Allgemein | |
|---|---|
| Manufacturer | 18SOUND |
| Category | Mid Frequency |
| Series | NTLW |
| Magnet | Neo |
| Impedance (Ω) | 8 |
| Power handling (W) | 320 |
| Sensitivity (dB) | 93 |
| Frequency from (Hz) | 75 |
| Frequency to (Hz) | 8000 |
| Abmessungen & Korb | |
|---|---|
| Diameter | 6 |
| Voice coil (inch) | 2 |
| Mounting depth (mm) | 108 |
| Weight (kg) | 1.2 |
| Thiele-Small-Parameter | |
|---|---|
| Re (Ω) | 5.1 |
| Le (mH) | 0.22 |
| Fs (Hz) | 86 |
| Qms | 5 |
| Qes | 0.38 |
| Qts | 0.35 |
| Vas (l) | 4.6 |
| Xmax (mm) | 4.9 |
| BL (Tm) | 11.6 |
| Mms (kg) | 0.019 |
| Sd (m²) | 0.0133 |