Celestion PowerProX18 Named Finalist for 2024 NAMM TEC Award

Celestion has announced that its 18-inch PowerProX18 subwoofer has been named as a finalist for the 2024 NAMM Technical Excellence & Creativity (TEC) Awards for outstanding technical achievement in the category of Sound Reinforcement Loudspeakers.

The PowerProX18 is designed to surpass the performance of other 18-inch subwoofer drivers in its class, and is ideally suited to applications including cinema sound, fixed install and touring sound reinforcement.

The subwoofer features an advanced cooling design that enables its voice coil to run 20°C cooler than comparable drivers, greatly reducing heat-related stress on the four-inch glass-fibre voice coil former and other thermally sensitive parts. It also reduces the temperature-related rise in Re (coil resistance) that causes power compression.

In the interest of performance longevity, especially in outdoor applications such as concerts, the glass fibre-loaded cellulose cone is weatherproofed not only on the front side, but on the back as well.

With a nominal impedance of eight ohms, the PowerProX18 subwoofer’s power rating is 1200 watts nominal (AES) and 2400 watts continuous. Sensitivity, measured at 1W@1m in 2π space is 97dB. Its Bl (motor force) curve exhibits what the company describes as ‘remarkable’ symmetry, and thanks to the cone’s polysiloxane-laminated dual suspension, which provides greater stability and improves cone displacement symmetry, the K (stiffness) curve reveals the same symmetry, resulting in reduced distortion.

An aluminium demodulation ring reduces the inductance (Le) of the motor circuit — only 1.61mH at 1kHz — which also contributes to lowering power compression. The ring also reduces harmonic distortion as the voice coil and cone move in the gap toward either pole of the magnet.

The subwoofer has a usable frequency range of 35 to 1000Hz, making it suitable for any large subwoofer applications, and excels when delivering the deep, palpable lows of cinema audio. Xmax is calculated at ±9.3mm. Its chassis supports a 3.5kg ferrite magnet, while the overall weight of the subwoofer is 13.2kg (29.1lb.)

The NAMM TEC Awards will take place during the NAMM Show at the Anaheim Convention Center on Saturday, January 27th. Vote for the Celestion PowerProX18 here (voting ends Nov 30th).