18SOUND ND32T
18SOUND (Eighteen Sound) ND32T — 2" / 2 inch Compression Driver · Tweeter / HF Driver · Neodymium · Titanium Dome
3" voice coil · 8/16 Ω
Part no.: 42A-CHS-KD-18S-0031
18Sound ND32T: 2" compression driver with titanium diaphragm and 3" voice coil
If you want to put a neodymium driver on a 2" horn without buying the heaviest version straight away, the ND32T is the one. It is the base version of the 2" drivers in the ND series by 18Sound (Eighteen Sound): titanium diaphragm, 3" voice coil, neodymium motor, available in 8 or 16 Ω. Compared with its sibling ND32ST the magnet assembly is smaller, which makes the driver lighter – a tangible argument for cabinets that are carried, flown or set up frequently.
Titanium is the default diaphragm material in this class: high tensile strength, good dimensional stability under heat and behaviour that stays forgiving when overdriven. Together with the 3" coil this gives a driver that can take over the mid-high band from the point where large woofers start to beam, without running into thermal limits.
Use and enclosure
The ND32T belongs on a 2" horn: at 18Sound that is the XR2064C, and other manufacturers offer matching flanges to the same standard. Typical applications are two-way full-range cabinets for live sound, mid-high units in horn systems and installations where a single driver has to cover everything from the upper fundamentals to the top octave. How low you can cross depends on the horn – a large mouth loads lower and relieves the diaphragm.
For the crossover: steep high-pass, at least 24 dB/octave, and preferably half an octave higher than the horn allows if the cabinet is driven hard. The 16 Ω version pays off when two drivers run in parallel on one amplifier channel or when a passive network with an attenuator is planned – the higher impedance simplifies level matching and eases the load on the power amp.
What to look out for
- 8 or 16 Ω to choose from – decide on the impedance when ordering, it cannot be switched.
- 2" throat with standard flange – use 2" horns only, no adapters in the high-frequency path.
- 3" titanium diaphragm – high continuous power handling, but vulnerable to signals below the horn's lower limit.
- Neodymium magnet – considerably lighter than a ferrite driver of the same class, ideal for flown cabinets.
Frequently asked questions
ND32T or ND32ST?
Both have a titanium diaphragm, 3" coil and 2" exit. The ND32ST has the stronger motor and weighs more, the ND32T is lighter. At moderate levels and crossover points above the horn's recommendation the difference is small; at full level and low crossover points the ST has more headroom.
Which horn and which coverage?
The application decides the horn: a wide-coverage box for short distances needs a different horn than a long-throw system. The XR2064C from 18Sound is a matching 2" horn; further models are in the manufacturer's horn category.
Do I need an active crossover?
Not strictly, but it makes sense. Active operation with DSP lets you set crossover, delay and horn equalisation cleanly. Passive works too, then with a protection capacitor in series and an attenuator to match the woofer.
18Sound ND32T: 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 ND32T 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 ND32T 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 |