I have a pair of JBL VP7118's that were converted to passive (proprietary Crown amps were garbage). One has a blown JBL 2268 driver because we assumed since the sub claims 1600w/3200w power handling, that's what the driver inside was rated for....bad assumption. It's actually half that @ 800w/1600w.
Instead of just reconing the blown driver and living with the half-sized real world capability, I got to thinking if it'd be possible to "upgrade" the box with a beefier driver that would actually handle closer to the 1600w/3200w rating. The amp we're using is a Yamaha PC9501n (1400wpc @ 4ohms).
Here is the VP7118 spec sheet: https://jblpro.com/en-US/product_documents/vpsb7118dp_spec_sheet-pdf
Not a ton of info about the box itself except:
Box Construction: 5/8 in. multi-ply exterior grade Baltic birch. Internally braced. Black DuraFlex™ finish
Suspension System: 8 standard air-cargo 3 in. track and 24 M10 fittings.
Grille: 14 Gauge Black powder-coated perforated steel with foam backing.
Dimensions (H x W x D): 514.4 x 701.8 x 812.8 mm 20.25 x 27.63 x 32 in.
Net Weight: 54 kg (129 lb)
The box is roughly 200 liters ported to 40.
I was looking at B&C 18DS115 or 18DS100, but a very knowledgeable speaker builder friend recommended going with a B&C 18TBW100 because it'd be better for this size ported box. He said the DS115 has higher BL, tighter suspension, and higher moving mass than the TBW100, which isn't ideal for my purpose. But I love the high Xmax spec of the DS115 (or SW115 with less Xmax but higher Xvar).....also like the lighter weight, as we might be gigging with these (I'm an audio engineer with a commercial recording studio). Also like the higher RMS power handling, as our amp is 1400W, I'd like to be able to tell my engineers they're fine to drive the subs til they see the red clipping light start to appear, then back off a bit. If we do this on a 1400W driver, it'll be pushed to it's max....having a little headroom might be wise? It appears the DS line performs better/more efficiently at lower volumes, where the SW catches up at the top end.
But I'm a novice, and I'm being told the TBW100 is a better option overall than the DS or SW 100 or 115.
High SPL is important to me, but I'd happily trade a some SPL for better LFE and/or sound quality if I have to. Of course cost is a factor, but not a very big one.
What say you hive mind? Thanks!
B&C 18TBW100 specs from https://usspeaker.com/B&C-18TBW100-1.htm
B&C 18SW115 specs from https://usspeaker.com/B&C-18sw115-1.htm
B&C 18SW100 specs from http://www.loudspeakerdatabase.com/BC/18SW100
B&C 18DS115 specs from https://usspeaker.com/B&C-18ds115-1.htm
B&C 18DS100 specs from http://www.loudspeakerdatabase.com/BC/18SW100
Instead of just reconing the blown driver and living with the half-sized real world capability, I got to thinking if it'd be possible to "upgrade" the box with a beefier driver that would actually handle closer to the 1600w/3200w rating. The amp we're using is a Yamaha PC9501n (1400wpc @ 4ohms).
Here is the VP7118 spec sheet: https://jblpro.com/en-US/product_documents/vpsb7118dp_spec_sheet-pdf
Not a ton of info about the box itself except:
Box Construction: 5/8 in. multi-ply exterior grade Baltic birch. Internally braced. Black DuraFlex™ finish
Suspension System: 8 standard air-cargo 3 in. track and 24 M10 fittings.
Grille: 14 Gauge Black powder-coated perforated steel with foam backing.
Dimensions (H x W x D): 514.4 x 701.8 x 812.8 mm 20.25 x 27.63 x 32 in.
Net Weight: 54 kg (129 lb)
The box is roughly 200 liters ported to 40.
I was looking at B&C 18DS115 or 18DS100, but a very knowledgeable speaker builder friend recommended going with a B&C 18TBW100 because it'd be better for this size ported box. He said the DS115 has higher BL, tighter suspension, and higher moving mass than the TBW100, which isn't ideal for my purpose. But I love the high Xmax spec of the DS115 (or SW115 with less Xmax but higher Xvar).....also like the lighter weight, as we might be gigging with these (I'm an audio engineer with a commercial recording studio). Also like the higher RMS power handling, as our amp is 1400W, I'd like to be able to tell my engineers they're fine to drive the subs til they see the red clipping light start to appear, then back off a bit. If we do this on a 1400W driver, it'll be pushed to it's max....having a little headroom might be wise? It appears the DS line performs better/more efficiently at lower volumes, where the SW catches up at the top end.
But I'm a novice, and I'm being told the TBW100 is a better option overall than the DS or SW 100 or 115.
High SPL is important to me, but I'd happily trade a some SPL for better LFE and/or sound quality if I have to. Of course cost is a factor, but not a very big one.
What say you hive mind? Thanks!
B&C 18TBW100 specs from https://usspeaker.com/B&C-18TBW100-1.htm
| Nominal Basket Diameter | 18" / 460mm |
| Impedance | 4 or 8 ohms |
| RMS Power Rating | 1,500 Watts |
| Program Power | 3,000 Watts |
| Frequency Response | 35Hz - 1.0kHz |
| Sensitivity (1W/1m) | 96dB |
| Voice Coil Diameter | 4" / 100mm |
| Winding Depth | 1.22" / 31mm |
| Magnetic Gap Depth | .59" / 15mm |
| Flux Density | 1.15T |
MOUNTING INFORMATION | |
| Overall Diameter | 18" / 460mm |
| Bolt Circle Diameter | 17.4" / 442mm |
| Baffle Cutout Diameter | 16.6" / 422mm |
| Depth | 9.5" / 241mm |
| Flange & Gasket Thickness | .61" / 16mm |
| No. Of Mounting Holes | 8 |
| Net Weight | 33.3 lbs./ 15.1 kg. |
| Shipping Weight | 36.6 lbs./ 16.6 kg. |
MATERIALS | |
| Basket | Cast Aluminum |
| Cone | Waterproof Paper On Both Sides |
| Cone Shape | Radial |
| Surround Shape | Triple Roll |
| Spider | Double Silicone |
| Pole Design | T-Pole |
| Former Material | Glass Fiber |
| Voice Coil | Copper |
| Magnet | Ferrite |
THIELE-SMALL PARAMETERS | |
| Resonant Frequency (fs) | 35 Hz |
| Impedance (Re) | 5.3 ohms |
| Electrical Factor(Qes) | .41 |
| Mechanical Q (Qms) | 8 |
| Total Q (Qts) | .39 |
| Compliance Equiv. Vol. (Vas) | 175 Liters/6.18cu. ft. |
| Voice Coil Overhang (Xmax) | 12.0mm |
| Reference Efficiency | 1.76% |
| BL Factor | 26.4 T-M |
| Surface Area of Cone (Sd)m2 | 0.1210m2 |
| Diaphragm Mass (Mms) | 245 Grams |
| Coil Inductance (Le) | 2.45mH |
B&C 18SW115 specs from https://usspeaker.com/B&C-18sw115-1.htm
| Nominal Basket Diameter | 18" / 460mm |
| Impedance | 4 or 8 ohms |
| RMS Power Rating | 1,700 Watts |
| Program Power | 3,400 Watts |
| Frequency Response | 35Hz - 1.5kHz |
| Sensitivity (1W/1m) | 97dB |
| Voice Coil Diameter | 4.5" / 116mm |
| Winding Material | Copper |
| Former Material | Fiberglass |
| Winding Depth | 1.33" / 34mm |
| Magnetic Gap Depth | .55" / 14mm |
| Flux Density | 1.16T |
MOUNTING INFORMATION | |
| Overall Diameter | 18" / 460mm |
| Bolt Circle Diameter | 17.44" / 443mm |
| Baffle Cutout Diameter | 16.6" / 422mm |
| Depth | 9.5" / 242mm |
| Flange & Gasket Thickness | .625" / 16mm |
| No. Of Mounting Holes | 8 |
| Volume Displaced By Driver | 0.3 ft3 / 10.5 Liters |
| Net Weight | 26.2 lbs./ 11.9 kg. |
| Shipping Weight | 30.6 lbs./ 13.9 kg. |
MATERIALS | |
| Basket | Die Cast Aluminum |
| Cone | Treated Paper |
| Surround Shape | Triple Roll |
| Cone Shape | Radial |
| Voice Coil | Copper |
| Pole Design | T-Pole |
| Spider | Double Silicone |
| Magnet | Neodymium |
THIELE-SMALL PARAMETERS | |
| Resonant Frequency (fs) | 32 Hz |
| Impedance (Re) | 5.3 ohms |
| Electrical Factor(Qes) | .32 |
| Mechanical Q (Qms) | 5.6 |
| Total Q (Qts) | .3 |
| Compliance Equiv. Vol. (Vas) | 187 Liters/6.5cu. ft. |
| Voice Coil Overhang (Xmax) | 14.0mm |
| Reference Efficiency | 1.9% |
| Diaphragm Mass (Mms) | 275 grams |
| BL Factor | 30.3 T-M |
| Surface Area of Cone (Sd)m2 | 0.1210m2 |
| Coil Inductance (Le) | 1.9mH |
| EBP |
B&C 18SW100 specs from http://www.loudspeakerdatabase.com/BC/18SW100
| Resonant frequency | fS | 36 | Hz |
| Electrical Q | QES | 0.40 | |
| Mechanical Q | QMS | 5.91 | |
| Total Q factor | QTS | 0.36 | |
| Suspension equivalent air volume | VAS | 160 | litres |
| DC resistance | RE | 3.2 | Ω |
| Minimum impedance | Zmin | 4.0 | Ω |
| Voice coil inductance | LE | 1.52 | mH |
| Force factor | B·l | 22 | T·m |
| Suspension mechanical resistance | RMS | 9.3 | N·s/m |
| Suspension mechanical compliance | CMS | 77 | µm/N |
| Moving mass | MMD | 214.8 | g |
| Moving mass (including airload) | MMS | 244 | g |
| Surface of the diaphragm | SD | 1210 | cm² |
| Effective diaphragm diameter | Ø | 39.3 | cm |
| Maximum linear excursion | Xmax | ± 12.5 | mm |
| Displacement volume at Xmax | VD | 1512.5 | cm³ |
| Efficiency | η₀ | 1.92 | % |
| Efficiency bandwidth product | EBP | 90 |
| Volume occupied | 10 | liters |
| Overall diameter | 460 | mm |
| Baffle hole diameter | 422 | mm |
| Overall depth | 239 | mm |
| Flange thickness | 16 | mm |
| Net weight | 10 | kg |
| Diaphragm material | Waterproof | |
| Diaphragm shape | Cone Radial |
| Spider | Double Silicone | |
| Voice coil diameter | 100 | mm |
| Voice coil height (HVC) | 32 | mm |
| Coil material | Copper | |
| Former material | Glass Fibre | |
| Magnet | Neodymium Inside Slug | |
| Air gap height | 14 | mm |
| Flux density | 1.15 | Tesla |
B&C 18DS115 specs from https://usspeaker.com/B&C-18ds115-1.htm
| Nominal Basket Diameter | 18" / 460mm |
| Impedance | 4 or 8 ohms |
| RMS Power Rating | 1,700 Watts |
| Program Power | 3,400 Watts |
| Frequency Response | 30Hz - 500Hz |
| Sensitivity (1W/1m) | 98dB |
| Voice Coil Diameter | 4.5" / 116mm |
| Winding Material | Aluminum |
| Former Material | Fiberglass |
| Winding Depth | 1.57" / 40mm |
| Magnetic Gap Depth | .55" / 14mm |
| X Damage (Peak to Peak) | 60mm |
| Flux Density | .8T |
MOUNTING INFORMATION | |
| Overall Diameter | 18.11" / 460mm |
| Bolt Circle Diameter | 17.32" / 440mm |
| Baffle Cutout Diameter | 16.61" / 422mm |
| Depth | 9.76" / 248mm |
| Flange & Gasket Thickness | .63" / 16mm |
| No. Of Mounting Holes | 8 |
| Volume Displaced By Driver | 0.35 ft3 / 10 Liters |
| Net Weight | 26.46 lbs./ 12 kg. |
| Shipping Weight | 29.98 lbs./ 13.6 kg. |
MATERIALS | |
| Basket | Die Cast Aluminum |
| Cone | Treated Paper |
| Cone Treatment | Waterproof Front & Back |
| Surround Shape | Triple Roll |
| Cone Shape | Radial |
| Voice Coil | Copper |
| Pole Design | T-Pole |
| Spider | Double Silicone |
| Demodulation Ring | Aluminum |
| Magnet | Neodymium |
THIELE-SMALL PARAMETERS | |
| Resonant Frequency (fs) | 30 Hz |
| Impedance (Re) | 5 ohms |
| Electrical Factor(Qes) | .21 |
| Mechanical Q (Qms) | 4.3 |
| Total Q (Qts) | .2 |
| Compliance Equiv. Vol. (Vas) | 168 Liters/5.93cu. ft. |
| Voice Coil Overhang (Xmax) | 16.5mm |
| Reference Efficiency | 1.9% |
| Diaphragm Mass (Mms) | 330 grams |
| BL Factor | 39 T-M |
| Surface Area of Cone (Sd)m2 | 0.1210m2 |
| Coil Inductance (Le) | 3.85mH |
| EBP | 142 |
B&C 18DS100 specs from http://www.loudspeakerdatabase.com/BC/18SW100
| Resonant frequency | fS | 36 | Hz |
| Electrical Q | QES | 0.40 | |
| Mechanical Q | QMS | 5.91 | |
| Total Q factor | QTS | 0.36 | |
| Suspension equivalent air volume | VAS | 160 | litres |
| DC resistance | RE | 3.2 | Ω |
| Minimum impedance | Zmin | 4.0 | Ω |
| Voice coil inductance | LE | 1.52 | mH |
| Force factor | B·l | 22 | T·m |
| Suspension mechanical resistance | RMS | 9.3 | N·s/m |
| Suspension mechanical compliance | CMS | 77 | µm/N |
| Moving mass | MMD | 214.8 | g |
| Moving mass (including airload) | MMS | 244 | g |
| Surface of the diaphragm | SD | 1210 | cm² |
| Effective diaphragm diameter | Ø | 39.3 | cm |
| Maximum linear excursion | Xmax | ± 12.5 | mm |
| Displacement volume at Xmax | VD | 1512.5 | cm³ |
| Efficiency | η₀ | 1.92 | % |
| Efficiency bandwidth product | EBP | 90 |
| Volume occupied | 10 | liters |
| Overall diameter | 460 | mm |
| Baffle hole diameter | 422 | mm |
| Overall depth | 239 | mm |
| Flange thickness | 16 | mm |
| Net weight | 10 | kg |
| Diaphragm material | Waterproof | |
| Diaphragm shape | Cone Radial |
| Spider | Double Silicone | |
| Voice coil diameter | 100 | mm |
| Voice coil height (HVC) | 32 | mm |
| Coil material | Copper | |
| Former material | Glass Fibre | |
| Magnet | Neodymium Inside Slug | |
| Air gap height | 14 | mm |
| Flux density | 1.15 | Tesla |