PASSIVE SUB
Cinema · Subwoofer
M118E
Cinema Subwoofer
Passive cinema subwoofer with a single 18-inch driver in a bass-reflex enclosure driven from a conventional amplifier channel, for LFE reproduction. Hall depth ≤ 8/11 m (1 unit), ≤ 11/16 m (2 units)1
Frequency response35 Hz – 500 Hz±3 dB @ 2π
Drivers18" LF × 1low-frequency section
SystemPassive Subwoofer129.0 dB rated max SPL @ 1 m, 2π
Hall depth≤ 8/11 m (1 unit), ≤ 11/16 m (2 units)continuous / program power
Applications
Cinema LFE channels · Small to medium commercial auditoriums · Screening rooms
01
Features
Performance
- Single 18-inch woofer with a Φ99 mm voice coil and 26 mm winding, built for large-excursion LFE output.
- Usable down to 25 Hz at −10 dB, keeping the deepest effects content inside the working band.
- Φ45 mm magnet-vent hole and 20-strand heat-resistant copper tinsel leads give a thermal path for sustained high-power work.
Engineering
- MDF bass-reflex enclosure, PVC laminate; 684 × 554 × 554 mm, 34.1 kg — a full-size 18-inch cabinet two people can move into place.
- Recommended 140 Hz low-pass to the screen channels and 27 Hz high-pass for driver protection, settable straight from the specification table.
Economy & maintenance
- 8 Ω nominal, driveable from a standard amplifier channel, with no bridging or dedicated subwoofer amplifier.
02
Overview
The M118E is a passive cinema subwoofer in the M Series, used for low-frequency reproduction on the LFE channel in commercial auditoriums. The system comprises a single 18″ low-frequency driver (99 mm voice coil) in an MDF bass-reflex enclosure with a PVC laminate finish, with a 35 Hz–500 Hz response (±3 dB), 25 Hz usable at −10 dB and an 8 Ω nominal load.
At 100 dB sensitivity and an 800 W AES 100-hour rating, it produces a 129.0 dB rated maximum SPL on a continuous basis. A 140 Hz low-pass is recommended for integration with the screen channels, with a 27 Hz high-pass limiting excessive excursion below the operating band. At 684 × 554 × 554 mm and 34.1 kg net, the cabinet is a two-person placement; the 8 Ω load runs from a conventional amplifier channel.
03
Specifications
| Product Type | Cinema Subwoofer |
|---|---|
| System Type | Passive Subwoofer |
| Driver Configuration | 18" LF × 1 |
| Nominal Impedance | 8Ω |
| Frequency Response (±3 dB @ 2π)2 | 35 Hz–500 Hz |
| Frequency Range (-10 dB @ 2π)2 | 25 Hz–500 Hz |
| AES 100-Hour Power Rating3 | 800W |
| AES 2-Hour Power Rating | 1000W |
| Program Power4 | 1600W |
| Sensitivity (2π) @1W/1m | 100dB |
| Rated Maximum SPL /1m @ 2π | 129.0dB |
| Calculated Maximum SPL /1m @ 2π5 | 135.0dB |
| Recommended LPF | 140 Hz@24 dB/oct |
| Recommended HPF | 27 Hz@24 dB/oct |
| Coverage Angle (H×V) | — |
| Enclosure Type | Cinema subwoofer enclosure |
| Enclosure Material / Finish | MDF · PVC laminate |
| Input Connectors | Binding posts |
| Mounting Options | Floor-standing |
| Dimensions W×H×D (mm) | W684 × H554 × D554 mm |
| Net Weight | 34.1 kg |
04
Frequency response
05
Dimensions
W × H × D · net weightW684 × H554 × D554 mm · 34.1 kg
- 1Two length values are given: the first is the usable range on continuous power, the second on program power. Program power is a short-term maximum output and is not a level the system can sustain continuously. Target levels follow the SMPTE ST 202 / RP 200 cinema reference level: 95 dB for LFE plus 20 dB peak headroom, measured at the reference listening position (RLP); hall depth = listening distance x 1.5. Listening distance is derived from free-field distance attenuation. The continuous-power range uses the rated maximum SPL in this table; the program-power range uses the rated value +3 dB (program power being twice the continuous power). The calculated maximum SPL (rated +6 dB, short-term peak) is not used for these figures. Subwoofer arrays use non-coherent summation (+3 dB per doubling of cabinet count, +3 dB per doubling of power). Screen loss, power compression, system limiting and room gain are not included - this is a theoretical estimate, not a measured guarantee; on-site verification is recommended. Operating beyond the recommended figure may result in, but is not limited to: dynamic compression, increased distortion, extraneous noise, and in severe cases equipment damage.
- 2Low-frequency response and sensitivity specifications are referenced to half-space (2π) conditions, representative of typical cinema baffle-wall installation. Frequency-response graphs are measured in an anechoic free-field (4π) environment unless otherwise noted. In the low-frequency region the same loudspeaker measures about 6 dB higher under 2π than under 4π (in practice 3–6 dB depending on frequency and baffle conditions); this is a difference of measurement convention, not of performance.
- 3Rating based on an IEC filtered random-noise test signal, band-limited 30 Hz–500 Hz, with a peak-to-average ratio of 6 dB
- 4Recommended amplifier output at the applicable impedance should not exceed the program power, giving an unclipped output waveform while avoiding loudspeaker damage; an amplifier capable of at least the RMS continuous power (AES 100 h) is recommended to realize full loudspeaker performance. The actual amplifier match should be determined by calculation for the listening distance (see note 1).
- 5Calculated maximum SPL is derived from the rated (continuous) power and half-space (2π) sensitivity and is a calculated, not measured, figure; at a 6 dB peak-to-average ratio it exceeds the rated value by 6 dB, representing short-term peak capability rather than a level the system can sustain.
- 6The frequency-response graphs on this page are measured on-axis at 1 W/1 m in an anechoic free-field (4π) environment with 1/6-octave smoothing; the frequency response and sensitivity in the specification table are stated under half-space (2π) conditions. Lower readings in the low-frequency region of the graph therefore reflect the difference in convention rather than a difference in performance. 2π-format curves are available on request.
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