Peavey LOW RIDER 18 Specifications
Peavey Low
Rider
™
18
00479910
INTRODUCTION
The new Low Rider 18" driver is a
milestone in high-power subwoofer
design. An incredible 1,600 Watt program
rating and extra-long cone excursion add
up to amazing new levels of clean, deep
bass.
The Low Rider 18 is an superior choice
for the bottom end of any high powered
sound system, from DJ rigs to the largest
professional touring shows.
DESIGN
The Low Rider 18 utilizes a new cone
that is a variation on the existing Kevlar®impregnated cones used on all Black
Widow speakers. The new cone is
stronger and tougher and uses an
innovative asymmetrical-M surround for
superior excursion and motion control.
High quality spring terminals accepting
large gauge wire are attached to large
diameter, high current tinsel leads with
silver solder to withstand high current,
high temperatures and long excursion.
The massive new voice coil uses
polyimide-insulated copper ribbon wire,
edge-wound and bonded onto an
incredibly durable and heat resistant
polyimide composite former. The coil’s
winding length of 1.150" is an amazing
80% longer than Peavey’s standard 18"
Black Widow coil. The long coil has much
more surface area to dissipate heat, and
its increased length drives the cone to far
higher excursion. The coil is overcoated
with a tough thermoset epoxy for added
durability, abrasion resistance and heat
dissipation.
The coil wires are solderless diffusion
welded to high-conductivity OFHC copper
ribbon leads, which are embedded inside
the former assembly and soldered to the
tinsel leads with high temperature silver
solder. The solder joint is then coated
with a special thermally-conductive
silicone adhesive for encapsulation and
heat dissipation.
The voice coil assembly is bonded to the
Kevlar cone and new, incredibly tough
plastiseal-coated Nomex progressive-roll
spider using a thermoset epoxy originally
developed for attaching nose cones on
ICBM missiles – truly an aerospace-grade
adhesive. The spider and surround are
bonded to the frame with a high strength
toughened-cyanoacrylate adhesive, which
is also used to bond the dust cap to the
cone.
The magnet structure is all-new, and was
designed using extensive Finite Element
computer modeling. The back plate/pole
piece is cold-forged from a single
massive billet of ultra-low carbon steel,
includes Peavey’s patented Focused
Field Geometry, and is undercut to allow
greater coil travel. The pole is extended
beyond the front plate to improve
magnetic linearity and coil cooling, and
the front plate is a full 10 mm thick to
match the long voice coil and provide a
better path for heat and magnetic energy.
The result is fully 50% more total
magnetic gap energy than can be found
in the standard Black Widow Super
Structure magnet assembly.
A patent-applied-for vent plate adds
additional cooling for the voice coil. This
heat-conductive, ported and finned
aluminum ring delivers cool air pumped
by the spider directly to the voice coil to
keep operating temperatures under
control. The improved cooling increases
power handling and reliability, and
reduces power compression.
The cast aluminum frame is tough and
rigid, with the strength needed to hold the
cone and magnet in perfect alignment.
The deep dish design and large spider
clearance make high excursion and high
output possible.
These dynamic new drivers also utilize
the user-friendly Black Widow replaceable
basket assemblies with Rubatex
®
gaskets.
The result of all these specially designed
components is a loudspeaker that is truly
amazing. The extremely high power
handling and available 1.4" of cone travel
combine for astonishing low frequency
output, while the possibility of small
enclosures adds a new dimension in
compact, high output sound
reinforcement systems.
SPECS
PEAVEY ELECTRONICS
ENCLOSURES Net Volume Vent diameter Vent length V
b
box tuning F3, -3 dB
cubic feet/liters (qty) inches/mm inches/mm frequency in Hz point in H
Small vented box 5.0 / 142 (2) 6" / 152 15.25 / 387 37 40
Medium vented box 6.75 / 191 (2) 6" 152 12.75 / 324 34 35
Large vented box 9 / 255 (2) 6" 152 12 / 305 30 31
Single reflex bandpass Sealed: 4.0 / 113
Vented: 3.5 / 85 (2) 6" / 152 5.0 65 40 - 104
Features and specifications subject to change without notice.
Peavey Electronics Corporation • 711 A Street • Meridian • MS • 39301
(601) 483-5365 • FAX (601) 486-1278 • www.peavey.com
©2001 Printed in the U.S.A. 6/01
80304779
ONE YEAR LIMITED WARRANTY
NOTE: For details, refer to the warranty statement. Copies of this
statement may be obtained by contacting Peavey Electronics
Corporation, P.O. Box 2989, Meridian, MS 39335
Suggested enclosures
For those who want to build their own enclosures, but don’t want to go through the design process using driver
parameters, Peavey provides the following optimized designs:
1. Small vented box
This enclosure is as small as many 15" cabinets, has better bass performance, and handles tons of
power. This design would be an excellent choice for large touring systems due to the increased number
of enclosures possible in the same load-out volume.
2. Medium vented box
This enclosure is an exceptional compromise of deep bass extension, high power handling, and
reasonable size. It is capable of extremely high output below 40 Hz for excellent performance.
3. Large vented box
The large vented box produces superb performance in the bottom octave for high level playback, movie
theater, special effects and permanent installation. The enclosure reduces power handling by about 15%
but offers useful output to 25 Hz.
4. Single-reflex bandpass
Special enclosure design that uses the enclosure as an acoustic filter for shaped response. Not as
efficient as a vented system, but it doesn’t require a crossover for subwoofer use.
Kapton®is a registered trademark of DuPont.
Kevlar®is a registered trademark of DuPont.
Nomex
®
is a registered trademark of DuPont.
Rubatex®is a registered trademark of Rubatex Corporation.
REPLACEMENT OF SPEAKER BASKET ASSEMBLY
1. Prior to replacement procedure, clean work area of all metal objects and other debris.
2. With speaker lying face down, remove the three screws on back of magnet structure with 7/16"
nut driver.
3.. After screws are removed, lift the magnet structure off the basket frame.
4. Clean the voice coil “gap” before magnet structure is put on new replacement basket. (See
illustration.) Fold a piece of masking tape over on itself several times, sticky side out, and insert it
into the voice coil “gap.” Run it all the way around the “gap” several times to remove all particles of
metal and other trash before magnet structure is put on new replacement basket.
5. Holding magnet structure in slanted position, gently lower the structure down into the basket so
that it rests inside the magnet structure counter bore, being sure to align the screw holes, and
lower the structure down into place. Insert screws and tighten.
STEP 1
STEP 2
STEP 3
STEP 4
APPLICATIONS
The Low Rider 18 is specifically designed
for subwoofer use, with extremely high
output capabilities and massive power
handling. It is usable to 500 Hz, although
most subwoofer applications will be
below 150 Hz.
Best performance for this driver will be
with vented enclosures between 5 and 9
cubic feet (142 to 255 liters), and vent
tunings from 30 to 45 Hz. The Low Rider
18 is optimized for vented systems but
will also work with appropriate singlereflex bandpass enclosures. Sealed,
infinite baffle, transmission line, and dual
reflex bandpass enclosures are not
recommended.
When the Low Rider 18 is driven with a
power amplifier greater than 750 Watts,
active filtering must be included. This
filter should be a high pass 24 dB
Butterworth at a minimum of 25 Hz.
Failure to use filtering with high power
operation may cause driver damage that
could void your warranty.
The extremely high output capabilities of
the Low Rider 18 introduce the possibility
of causing structural damage to buildings,
as well as inducing permanent hearing
loss, nausea, vertigo and intestinal
disturbances in listeners. Please take
care in setting maximum sound pressure
levels.
ENCLOSURES
To assist with the growing interest in
home-built enclosure designs, Peavey
provides complete parameter data on this
driver as well as providing the user with
several recommended enclosure designs.
This information and much more can be
found at www.peavey.com.
Enclosures should be built of best-quality
3/4" to 1-1/4" (20 mm to 32 mm) marine
or other high grade plywood. If you must
use construction grade plywood, inspect
each sheet thoroughly and use grade BC
or better. Do not use plywood thinner
than 3/4". Other materials such as
particle board and MDF are not
acceptable.
Use a quality wood glue, and fit joints
tightly. Dado corner joints are highly
recommended. Use wood screws or a
pneumatic nailer to assemble the
enclosure during gluing, to maximize joint
strength.
Strength of the completed enclosure has
a great effect on the bass performance of
the finished system. Internal bracing will
be required to improve the structural
design strength of the cabinet. The Low
Rider 18 can generate enormous forces
inside the enclosure, and panels that
aren’t stiff enough will vibrate - creating
undesired sounds of their own. If your
cabinet vibrates or the cabinet panels are
not stiff enough, add more bracing.
Vents shown in the examples require
standard Schedule 40 PVC pipe for vent
construction. The pipe should be dadoed
tightly into the back of the baffle and
glued firmly in place with high quality
epoxy or high strength industrial grade
hot glue. Rough up the outside of the
pipe to improve the glue bond. Radius
the insides of the vent ends to improve
air flow and reduce vent noise.
Vents for these enclosures are much
longer than typical for an 18" subwoofer.
This reflects the special characteristics of
the Low Rider’s design that make it
possible to combine a large, highexcursion woofer with an unusually small
enclosure. For best performance, the
inside ends of the vents should be at
least one diameter (6" / 150 mm) from
any interior wall of the enclosure. The
vent should be straight, without elbow
fittings or other methods to bend the vent
for greater length. Vent diameter should
not be decreased, as high air velocity will
result in noise and reduced power
handling.
Be sure to allow for the displacement of
the vent, bracing, and woofer in your
enclosure design before building it.
Smaller volume cabinets will reduce bass
output and mis-tune the enclosure.
Line the inside of the enclosure with
polyester fiber batting such as quilt
stuffing. The batting material should
conform to California bedding fire codes.
Attach the batting with spray adhesive or
staples, and keep material away from the
end of the vent tube where it could be
pulled in by air flow.
Handles, protective corners, cabinet
covering, grille materials and crossovers
are available through Peavey
Accessories. Take particular care in
positioning of handles as subwoofers
tend to be large and heavy.
Do not use 1/4" phone plugs and jacks in
the construction of your enclosures.
Power capacity of the Low Rider 18 is
well above safe limits for phone plugs
and jacks. Neutrik
®
Speakon®connectors
are highly recommended, and internal
cabinet wiring should be at least 16
gauge stranded copper wire.
Flying of subwoofers is not
recommended. An array of subwoofer
enclosures at ground level will typically
outperform any other possible
arrangement.
These instructions are a general
guideline for design. Proper construction
techniques, good planning and common
sense will result in a reliable, high quality,
high performance system.
Peavey in no way accepts liability for any
damage, accidents or injury that may
result from construction or use of
enclosures using this information.
PARAMETERS
Thiele-Small parameters for Low Rider
18" subwoofer follow. This data is for use
in designing enclosures. Numerous
software packages are available that use
this data to simulate the response of the
driver and enclosure together for
optimum performance in any application.
PARAMETER DEFINITIONS
Z
nom
: The nominal impedance of the
driver in Ohms.
R
evc
: DC resistance of the driver in
Ohms. Also known as Re.
Sd: The functional radiating surface
area of the cone assembly, in meters2.
BL: Efficiency of the voice coil and
magnet system in Telsa meters.
Fo: Free air resonance. Also known
as Fs.
Vas: Volume of air having the same
compliance (springiness) as the driver’s
suspension.
Cms: Restorative force of the driver’s
suspension in micrometers/Newton.
Mms: The total mass of the moving
parts of the loudspeaker, including the air
load, in grams.
Qms: Resonance characteristics of the
mechanical factors of the loudspeaker.
Qes: Resonance characteristics of
electrical factors of the loudspeaker.
Qts: Resonance characteristics of the
electrical and mechanical factors
combined together.
X
max
: Distance the cone can move in
one direction before the coil begins to
leave the magnetic gap.
SPECIFICATIONS 1808-8HPS Low Rider 18
Part # 00479910
Size: inches / mm 18" / 460 nominal
Frame OD inches / mm 18-1/8" / 460
Bolt circle inches / mm 17-3/8" / 441
Cutout diameter inches/mm 16-3/4" / 425
Depth 6-3/8" / 162
Impedance: 8 Ohms
Power Capacity: 3200 W peak
1600 W program
800 W continuous per AES 2-1984, 50 Hz – 500 Hz
Usable frequency range: 25 Hz ~ 500 Hz
Cone: Kevlar®impregnated cellulose
Voice coil diameter: 100 mm
Voice coil material: Polyimide coated copper ribbon wire
Polyimide-impregnated fiberglass former
Nomex
®
stiffener
Ultrasonically welded OFHC copper leads
Net weight lb. / kg: 22 / 10
Z
nom
(Ohms) 8
R
evc
(Ohms) 6.21
Sd(Square Meters) 0.1237
BL (T/M) 22.73
Fo(Hz) 28.9
Vas(liters) 403.9
Cms(uM/N) 185.9
Mms(gm) 163.2
Q
ms
8.770
Q
es
.356
Q
ts
.342
X
max
(mm) 9.6
Le(mH) .87
SPL (1W 1m) 97.3
no(%) 2.65
Vdcubic inches / milliliters 145 / 2375
P
max
(Watts pgm.) 1600
Disp (inches
3
) / milliliters 235 / 3852
Vented
Single Reflex Bandpass
Features and specifications subject to change without notice.
Le: Inductance of the voice coil in
millihenries.
SPL: Typical sound pressure level at 1
Watt, 1 meter.
no: Electrical-to-acoustical
conversion efficiency in percent.
Vd: Air displacement of the driver
from negative Xmax to positive Xmax .
P
max
: Maximum continuous program
power in Watts.
Disp: Volume displaced by the driver
inside the cabinet when mounted on its
rear flange.
SPL, dB
100
95
90
85
80
75
70
65
60
Frequency, Hz
10
Low Rider 18: Small vented 5.0cf Fb37
Low Rider 18: Medium vented 6.75cf Fb34
Low Rider 18: Large vented 9.0cf Fb30
Low Rider 18: Single reflex bandpass 7.5cf
50 100 Hz 500 1K
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