BEYMA 18QLEX1600Fe
BEYMA 18QLEX1600Fe — 18" / 18 inch · Woofer · Subwoofer / Bass · Ferrite Magnet
1600 W AES - 97 dB - 30 – 1000 Hz - 8 Ω
Part no.: 42A-CHS-TT-BEY-0006
Documents
BEYMA 18QLEX1600Fe — 18" · Woofer · Ferrite-Magnet
1600 W AES · 97 dB Sensitivity · Frequency range 30 Hz – 1000 Hz
Technical data
- Diameter: 18 "
- Voice coil: 4 "
- Power handling: 1600 W AES
- Sensitivity: 97 dB
- Impedance: 8 Ω
- Magnet: Ferrite
- Weight: 14.9 kg
- Mounting depth: 233 mm
- Frequency range: 30 – 1000 Hz
Series: QLEX · Part no.: 42A-CHS-TT-BEY-0006
Beyma 18QLEX1600Fe: 18" woofer with BL 36.4 Tm and Qts 0.23 for vented and horn loading
A Qts of 0.23 on an 18" driver says most of what you need to know: the Beyma 18QLEX1600Fe from the QLEX series is a heavily driven subwoofer chassis for vented and horn enclosures, not for small sealed boxes. The ferrite motor delivers BL 36.4 Tm, the 4" voice coil handles 1600 W AES, and the 97 dB sensitivity at 8 Ω shows how efficiently the motor moves the 323 g moving mass.
With Xmax 13 mm and a displacement volume of 1631 cm³ there is excursion reserve for high output. Fs 30 Hz, Vas 195 l and Qes 0.24 give an EBP of 125, well beyond the point where reflex or horn loading makes more sense than a sealed box. The 233 mm mounting depth and 14.9 kg come with the ferrite magnet, and in return the motor stays thermally stable when it runs loud for hours.
Use and enclosure
The vented guideline from the classic approximation formulas comes out at about 43 l with fb 47 Hz and f3 around 61 Hz. That is very compact for an 18" driver and mainly illustrates how low the total Q is. In practice a driver with this Qts is usually run in considerably larger vented boxes with lower tuning, or used as a horn driver where the strong motor makes full use of the horn load. Sealed, the guideline is 23 l with fc around 92 Hz, which leaves no low-end extension for subwoofer use. Run the options through the enclosure calculator at 42.audio before you order wood.
The transmission range spans 30 Hz to 1000 Hz; as a subwoofer or bass section in a 3-way system you will cross over well below the upper limit. An amplifier delivering in the region of 1600 W into 8 Ω uses the power handling, and a high-pass below fb protects the cone from over-excursion.
What to look out for
- Qts 0.23 and BL 36.4 Tm: this driver wants a reflex load or a horn, not a small sealed box.
- Le 3.9 mH is high, but the impedance rise above the bass region is irrelevant with a low crossover.
- Mounting depth 233 mm and 14.9 kg: plan rear-panel clearance and handles accordingly.
- Re 5.3 Ω at 8 Ω nominal: two drivers in parallel present a 4 Ω load.
Frequently asked questions
How does the 18QLEX1600Fe compare with the 18 Sound 18W1001?
Both sit at Qts 0.23. The 18W1001 has a higher resonance and larger equivalent volume with Fs 35 Hz and Vas 268 l, while the 18QLEX1600Fe starts lower with Fs 30 Hz and Vas 195 l and needs less enclosure volume.
Is this driver suitable for a bass horn?
Yes, a low Qts with high BL is exactly the profile horn loading calls for. Fs 30 Hz and the 4" voice coil rated at 1600 W AES suit horns and hybrid cabinets where the motor has to control the horn load at high output.
Which amplifier suits 1600 W AES?
An amplifier providing around 1600 W into 8 Ω with a limiter and subsonic filter is the sensible choice. The 4" voice coil and ferrite magnet cope with the continuous load as long as clipping is not adding extra heat to the coil.
Beyma 18QLEX1600Fe: manufacturer, spellings and classification
Beyma and Acustica Beyma refer to the same manufacturer: Acústica Beyma S.L. of Moncada near Valencia, Spain. The 18QLEX1600Fe is a 18-inch woofer with ferrite magnet from the QLEX series, available from 42.audio, Beyma dealer in Germany, with datasheet and full specifications in the driver database.
At 42.audio you get the BEYMA 18QLEX1600Fe with all key data in the driver database and the enclosure calculator. More drivers from this manufacturer: Atlas Beyma.
Thiele-Small parameters
| Nominal impedance | 8 Ω |
|---|---|
| Resonance frequency fs | 30 Hz |
| Total Q Qts | 0.23 |
| Electrical Q Qes | 0.24 |
| Mechanical Q Qms | 6.5 |
| Equivalent volume Vas | 195.0 l |
| Moving mass Mms | 323.0 g |
| Cone area Sd | 1,255 cm² |
| Linear excursion Xmax | 13 mm |
| Displaced volume Vd | 1,631 cm³ |
| Force factor BL | 36.4 Tm |
| DC resistance Re | 5.3 Ω |
| Voice coil inductance Le | 3.9 mH |
Enclosure suggestion
The EBP of 125 suggests a bass-reflex enclosure. EBP = fs / Qes = 30 / 0.24
Sealed (Qtc 0.707)
- Enclosure volume Vb
- 23.1 l
- System resonance Fc
- 92 Hz
- Cut-off frequency F3
- 92 Hz
Bass reflex (QB3 after Small)recommended
- Enclosure volume Vb
- 30.5 l
- Tuning frequency Fb
- 53 Hz
- Cut-off frequency F3
- 68 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 %.
- B&C Speakers 18PZB100fs 30 Hz · Qts 0.24 · Vas 297 l · in the database
- Oberton 18NSW700fs 30.5 Hz · Qts 0.24 · Vas 309 l · in the database
- 18 Sound 18W1001fs 35 Hz · Qts 0.23 · Vas 268 l · in the shop
- Ciare PW455fs 36 Hz · Qts 0.24 · Vas 274 l · in the database
- 18 Sound 18NLW9000fs 32 Hz · Qts 0.21 · Vas 247 l · in the database
- FaitalPRO 18FH510fs 30 Hz · Qts 0.26 · Vas 391.4 l · in the database
Specifications
| Allgemein | |
|---|---|
| Manufacturer | BEYMA |
| Category | Low Frequency |
| Series | QLEX |
| Magnet | Ferrite |
| Impedance (Ω) | 8 |
| Power handling (W) | 1600 |
| Sensitivity (dB) | 97 |
| Frequency from (Hz) | 30 |
| Frequency to (Hz) | 1000 |
| Abmessungen & Korb | |
|---|---|
| Diameter | 18 |
| Voice coil (inch) | 4 |
| Mounting depth (mm) | 233 |
| Weight (kg) | 14.9 |
| Thiele-Small-Parameter | |
|---|---|
| Re (Ω) | 5.3 |
| Le (mH) | 3.9 |
| Fs (Hz) | 30 |
| Qms | 6.5 |
| Qes | 0.24 |
| Qts | 0.23 |
| Vas (l) | 195 |
| Xmax (mm) | 13 |
| Vd (cm³) | 1631 |
| BL (Tm) | 36.4 |
| Mms (kg) | 0.323 |
| Sd (m²) | 0.1255 |