# First Ever Review for 18Sound 6ND430



## mikey7182 (Jan 16, 2008)

After a few months of deciding on some new equipment, and through various searches, I found that a lot of people have mentioned these drivers and wanted to try them, but apparently nobody took the chance. So I picked up a pair.

First, a little background on the install. These are paired with a set of fullsize ID horn bodies and B&C DE500 compression drivers. The mids are run L/R bridged by a Premier PRS-D4100F putting out roughly 150w per channel at 8 ohms. 

First impressions:

These things are SNAPPY! They are my first pair of DIY/high efficiency drivers, so I don't have much to compare them to personally, although I have heard other DIY setups. I have played around with several crossover points, and they seem to do well from 100hz to 800hz on a 24db slope. I didn't buy them with the intention of having heavy output <100hz; that's what my pair of W12GTi are for.  Without any EQ, they seem to have a fairly natural sound. There is some mild resonance at higher volumes, but I have a feeling it is an installation issue, and will be inspecting the doors to find the problem. Unfortunately, I don't have any fancy equipment or graphs to post, but I am impressed by them. On a side note, while beginning the tuning process today, I noticed something strange, and have noticed it in the past as well. Listening to JUST the mids, or JUST the horns, is not enjoyable in the least. I know this is obviously because the whole frequency spectrum is not being represented, but it is interesting that I found the mids to be very unpleasant to listen to on their own while working out phase issues, but once they were paired with the horns, they absolutely came to life and blended seamlessly. I noticed this with the 720PRS but not as much as I did with these for whatever reason. 

Several songs to reference:

Dave Matthews- Live at Fenway Park "Say Goodbye"

The snare drums from the 1:20 mark to 1:40 mark have been a good benchmark for tuning several setups. The impact (or lack thereof) definitely seperates a good driver from an excellent one. The 6ND430 really brings these to life. Very snappy, accurate, and high impact, there is a noticeable difference from the 720PRS mid. 

Pink Floyd- Dark Side of the Moon "Money"

This is an easy one. Opening minute or so with the various sound effects, cash drawer opening/closing, etc, sounds like the cashier at the local diner is sitting on my dash.  

Ra- Black Sun "Broken Hearted Soul"

This is a new release by a band I've followed since they started. Great track with awesome guitar, some pretty killer drums, and cool vocals. Again, the 18Sound mids do an excellent job of reproducing an accurate, high impact sound. 

Conclusion: These are great drivers. I'd recommend them to anyone looking to pair some high efficiency mids with horns or larger format tweeters. I haven't crossed them higher than 1khz, so I can't comment on their performance above that. Per the specs, I'd imagine they'd do well up to 3khz or so. If you're looking for something to HPF at 50hz, these are not for you. Then again, if you fall into that category, you're probably not reading this review.  

Here is a link to the manufacturer specs:

http://www.eighteensound.com/index.aspx?mainMenu=view_product&pid=243


----------



## M3NTAL (Apr 9, 2006)

I will have to drive out to Mesa and give'em a listen. They look quite radical!


----------



## caver50 (Sep 2, 2007)

20


mikey7182 said:


> After a few months of deciding on some new equipment, and through various searches, I found that a lot of people have mentioned these drivers and wanted to try them, but apparently nobody took the chance. So I picked up a pair.
> 
> First, a little background on the install. These are paired with a set of fullsize ID horn bodies and B&C DE500 compression drivers. The mids are run L/R bridged by a Premier PRS-D4100F putting out roughly 150w per channel at 8 ohms.
> 
> ...


Hi Mikey

I have a couple of questions for you. Would you describe the difference between the 720prs mids and the 6nd430? Do they have more impact than the 720's? According to specs,they have a lot of excursion. I know Zaph rated them highly. Oh, are they run IB ?


----------



## mikey7182 (Jan 16, 2008)

Yes, they are run IB in the doors. Compared to the 720PRS mid, they are a lot more snappy. The PRS mid is no slouch by any means; this is just a different type of driver. It is a fairly high sensitivity driver as well (92.5db) so it is making good use of the power I'm feeding it. Because the crossover points between this mid and the 720PRS mid are so different in my applications, it's hard to do a full side-by-side comparison.


----------



## caver50 (Sep 2, 2007)

mikey7182 said:


> Yes, they are run IB in the doors. Compared to the 720PRS mid, they are a lot more snappy. The PRS mid is no slouch by any means; this is just a different type of driver. It is a fairly high sensitivity driver as well (92.5db) so it is making good use of the power I'm feeding it. Because the crossover points between this mid and the 720PRS mid are so different in my applications, it's hard to do a full side-by-side comparison.


Thanks Mikey, It's sounds like the type speaker I'am looking for. It sounds like it will blend well with my Sub.


----------



## mikey7182 (Jan 16, 2008)

Let me know how you like them


----------



## ocuriel (Oct 7, 2005)

Thanks for the review. Pro audio drivers have really caught my attention lately.


----------



## caver50 (Sep 2, 2007)

Apparently they do have the 4ohm version. Just wondering if the specs are different for the 4olm? Zaph had them listed for 130.00 each. I could only find a email or phone# to call for more info. Is that what you paid for them?


----------



## Boostedrex (Apr 4, 2007)

Thanks for posting this review Mikey. And while I was at 18Sound's website, the 8NMB420 caught my eye. An 8" midbass with a 95db sensitivity sounds pretty interesting!!!


----------



## FoxPro5 (Feb 14, 2006)

Boostedrex said:


> Thanks for posting this review Mikey. And while I was at 18Sound's website, the 8NMB420 caught my eye. An 8" midbass with a 95db sensitivity sounds pretty interesting!!!


Yes, those look yummy. I called Loudspeakers Plus and they go for $170 a pop. But with a 95 dB efficiency and a Qts of .28, they might deserve a shot. 

Thanks for your thoughts, Mikey.


----------



## mikey7182 (Jan 16, 2008)

Caver- I would assume the sensitivity to be a bit lower on the 4 ohms. I paid $250 shipped for the pair (small discount). I asked Dave at Loudspeakers Plus about the 4 ohms, and I guess they are special order if you get like 100 or more.  I will probably be getting the 8" drivers instead, but he won't take mine back on exchange, so they will probably be for sale. I figured since I had to end up cutting my panels, I might as well step up to 8s in the doors, right?  No negative reflection on these whatsover though. They are strong performers for sure. 

Boosted and Fox- No problem. Those 8s caught my eye too. An alternative I've considered is the B&C 8NDL51 that npdang did a write-up on awhile back. IIRC, they have about the same sensitivity.


----------



## thehatedguy (May 4, 2007)

They make solid products.

You guys should also check out Faital Pro speakers too. They have some very very nice looking designs. Heard they were on par with B&C on terms of engineering, build, and performance...which is saying a lot b/c you could put B&C against any brand out there and they'll stack up really well.


----------



## ANT (Oct 15, 2005)

Thanks for stopping by the shop the other day Mike.
I too liked the sound they produced.. Quick,yet heavy with very little distortion or muddyness.. Blended well with the horns for sure.
It is nice to be able to judge the production ( or reproduction) quality of an album based on the feedback from the drivers.
So many people come to the shop and show me less than stellar installs it gets boring. Your mids and horns were certainly a welcome change from the typical jive that walks through the doors. Warm, clean, Loud and impressive!

ANT


----------



## caver50 (Sep 2, 2007)

mikey7182 said:


> Caver- I would assume the sensitivity to be a bit lower on the 4 ohms. I paid $250 shipped for the pair (small discount). I asked Dave at Loudspeakers Plus about the 4 ohms, and I guess they are special order if you get like 100 or more.  I will probably be getting the 8" drivers instead, but he won't take mine back on exchange, so they will probably be for sale. I figured since I had to end up cutting my panels, I might as well step up to 8s in the doors, right?  No negative reflection on these whatsover though. They are strong performers for sure.
> 
> Boosted and Fox- No problem. Those 8s caught my eye too. An alternative I've considered is the B&C 8NDL51 that npdang did a write-up on awhile back. IIRC, they have about the same sensitivity.


Thanks a bunch Mikey. Those eights do sound intriguing no doubt. I don't mind cutting sheetmetal, but my interior panels will not cooperate so I think I'am stuck with 6.5s or 7s. At this moment I'am running passive's, but I do plan on bi-amping later, thats why I was interested in the 4ohmers.


----------



## caver50 (Sep 2, 2007)

caver50 said:


> Thanks a bunch Mikey. Those eights do sound intriguing no doubt. I don't mind cutting sheetmetal, but my interior panels will not cooperate so I think I'am stuck with 6.5s or 7s. At this moment I'am running passive's, but I do plan on bi-amping later, thats why I was interested in the 4ohmers.


Oh well, I'll just keep looking. Desions, desions


----------



## saintwrath (Dec 8, 2007)

I know this thread is abit old already. But I've wanting to see a review for this driver for a long time. 

I have a question for (ex)owners of this driver, do you guys think it'd pair well with a Seas neo, cutting off around 2800 or 3000? Since I'm doing a active 2-way and already purchased the neo. I'm looking for more of female-vocal-strong from the mid , not a bass-head.

BTW, the other candidates would be the peerless exclusive7, or a Aurum Cantus AC 6.5(no review).


----------

