18SOUND ND32SN
18SOUND (Eighteen Sound) ND32SN — 2" / 2 inch Compression Driver · Tweeter / HF Driver · Neodymium · NSD-Dome
3" voice coil · 8/16 Ω
Part no.: 42A-CHS-KD-18S-0019
18Sound ND32SN: 2" compression driver with nitride-coated titanium diaphragm
The ND32SN is a 2" compression driver from the ND series by 18Sound (Eighteen Sound), the manufacturer's neodymium line. The N in the name stands for the NSD diaphragm: a titanium dome whose surface is hardened with a nitride layer. The coating stiffens the diaphragm without adding noticeable mass and pushes the first break-up modes of the dome upwards – the result is a smoother response through the presence region and less distortion generated by the diaphragm itself.
With a 3" voice coil the ND32SN belongs to the class of large-format mid-high drivers. A coil of this size means plenty of diaphragm area behind the phase plug, high thermal reserves and a motor that does not give up at low crossover points. The 2" exit matches the large horns that take over everything above the woofer in full-range PA cabinets and horn systems. The driver is available in 8 or 16 Ω.
Use and enclosure
The ND32SN makes sense wherever a 2" horn takes over the mid-high band from the point at which a large woofer begins to beam: two-way full-range cabinets, mid-high units of large horn systems and studio monitors with horn-loaded treble. At 18Sound the XR2064C is the 2" horn that bolts straight onto the flange; further models are listed in the manufacturer's Horns & Waveguides category. The real lower limit is set by the horn: the larger the mouth, the lower the combination will reach.
Run the driver actively through a DSP crossover and place the high-pass, at least 24 dB/octave, well above the horn's lower limit. A limiter, or at the very least a protection capacitor against switch-on transients and subsonic content, is essential – compression drivers rarely die from sustained level, they die from mistakes below the crossover frequency.
What to look out for
- 8 or 16 Ω impedance: the 16 Ω version is the one to pick when two drivers share one amplifier channel in parallel.
- 2" horn throat – combine only with 2" horns; adapters to smaller horns cost top-end resolution.
- 3" voice coil: high thermal capacity, but correspondingly more diaphragm mass – use steep filters.
- Neodymium magnet: lighter than a comparable ferrite motor, which matters in flown cabinets and horn stacks.
- Nitride-coated titanium diaphragm (NSD): sensitive to touch – replace only with the original diaphragm.
Frequently asked questions
Which horn fits the ND32SN?
Any 2" horn with a matching flange. At 18Sound that is the XR2064C; the choice between wide and narrow coverage depends on the room and the throw distance. For how low you can cross, the horn size matters more than the driver.
How does the ND32SN differ from the ND32ST and ND32T?
All three are 2" drivers with a 3" voice coil from the same series. The ND32ST and ND32T use an uncoated titanium diaphragm, the ND32SN the nitride-coated NSD dome. The S variants in the series also carry the larger magnet assembly and weigh more accordingly.
Which amplifier makes sense?
A compression driver of this class does not need a big power amp but a clean one with a limiter. An active crossover that places the high-pass ahead of the amplifier gives more protection than a passive network without safeguards.
18Sound ND32SN: 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 ND32SN is a compression driver with neodymium magnet from the ND 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 ND32SN with all key data in the driver database. More drivers from this manufacturer: Atlas 18Sound.
Specifications
| Allgemein | |
|---|---|
| Manufacturer | 18SOUND |
| Category | Compression Driver |
| Series | ND |
| Magnet | Neodymium |
| Impedance (Ω) | 8/16 |
| Abmessungen & Korb | |
|---|---|
| Voice coil (inch) | 3 |