HYDRO-12 // 500 Watts RMS 12 Inch Shallow-Mount Subwoofer
CT Sounds is proud to introduce the hydro shallow mount subwoofer series after completing a rigorous R&D process spanning 2 years! Our goal was to engineer a 500-watt 12” shallow-mount subwoofer with a mounting depth below 4.5” that was suitable for both sealed & ported enclosures. To achieve this, we focused on the EBP (Efficiency Bandwidth Product). As a general rule, EBP < 50, is used only for sealed enclosures, EBP 50 - 100, is used for both, and EBP > 100, is used only for ported enclosures. EBP = FS/QES.
| Quick Facts: | |
| RMS Power: | 500 Watts |
| MAX Power: | 1000 Watts |
| Voice Coil Configuration: | Dual 2 Ohm |
| Use Cases: | Sealed & Ported Enclosures |
Our 1st prototype utilized a 61.1 mm voice coil & 75 oz magnet resulting in a high QES rating of 0.89 and low EBP of 37.87. The 2nd prototype utilized a 50.8 mm voice coil & 75 oz magnet resulting in a slightly lower QES rating of 0.716 and a slightly higher EBP of 47.07. After the 1st and 2nd prototypes, we determined a larger motor assembly was needed to provide a more controlled electrical system (lower QES). This led us to invest in a custom-tooled basket (used in the final prototype) to keep the mounting depth below 4.5”.
The 3rd and final prototype uses a 61.1 mm voice coil & 92 oz magnet resulting in a reduced QES rating of 0.490 and a balanced EBP of 70.73. In testing, we ran into mechanical noise due to the larger motor assembly and voice coil in a confined space. Therefore, we invested in a custom-tooled cone to maximize the excursion capability by creating an equal distance between the cone, spider, and bottom plate. The result is a 12” shallow-mount subwoofer that is extremely responsive in both sealed & ported enclosures.
| General Specifications: | |
| Product Type: | Car Subwoofer |
| Subwoofer Size: | 12" |
| Voice Coil Configuration: | Dual 2 Ohm |
| RMS Power: | 500 Watts |
| MAX Power: | 1000 Watts |
| Voice Coil Type: | 2.40 Inch - 4 Layer High-Temperature Copper Voice Coil |
| Magnet Type: | Y35 |
| Bottom Plate Type: | Low Carbon Iron |
| Surround Type: | Dual White Stitched Competition Mega Foam Surround |
| Cone Type: | Composite Paper with 3% Carbon Fiber Reinforcement |
| Tinsel Lead Type: | Single Braided Flat Copper Tinsel Leads |
| Terminal Type: | 12 Gauge Push Terminals |
| Basket Type: | Stamped Steel |
| Spider Material: | Poly-Cotton Blend |
| T/S Parameters: | |
| Qes: | 0.490 |
| Qms: | 5.850 |
| Qts: | 0.453 |
| Fs: | 34.66 Hz |
| Vas: | 38.150 L |
| Mms: | 204.701 g |
| Cms: | 0.103 m/N |
| Re: | 3.9 Ω |
| Bl: | 18.820 Tm |
| Le: | / |
| Sd: | 510.7 cm² |
| Xmax - Single Way (mm): | 11 mm |
| Xmax - Single Way (cm): | 1.1 cm |
| Vd (Sd*Xmax): | 561.77 cm² |
| SPL: | 87.14 dB |
| Subwoofer Measurements: | |
| Cutout diameter | 11.10" |
| Overall diameter | 12.79" |
| Mounting depth | 4.52" |
| Box Specifications: | |
| Displacement | 0.065 ft3 |
| Box Recommendations: | |
| Sealed | 0.75 ft3 |
| Ported | 1.5 ft3 |
| Tuning Frequency | 32 Hz |
| Port Area | 24 in2 |
*Enclosure recommendations do not account for subwoofer, bracing, and port displacement.
CT Sounds is proud to introduce the hydro shallow mount subwoofer series after completing a rigorous R&D process spanning 2 years! Our goal was to engineer a 500-watt 12” shallow-mount subwoofer with a mounting depth below 4.5” that was suitable for both sealed & ported enclosures. To achieve this, we focused on the EBP (Efficiency Bandwidth Product). As a general rule, EBP < 50, is used only for sealed enclosures, EBP 50 - 100, is used for both, and EBP > 100, is used only for ported enclosures. EBP = FS/QES.
| Quick Facts: | |
| RMS Power: | 500 Watts |
| MAX Power: | 1000 Watts |
| Coil Configuration: | Dual 4 Ohm |
| Use Cases: | Sealed & Ported Enclosures |
Our 1st prototype utilized a 61.1 mm voice coil & 75 oz magnet resulting in a high QES rating of 0.955 and low EBP of 37.07. The 2nd prototype utilized a 50.8 mm voice coil & 75 oz magnet resulting in a slightly lower QES rating of 0.769 and a slightly higher EBP of 46.23. After the 1st and 2nd prototypes, we determined a larger motor assembly was needed to provide a more controlled electrical system (lower QES). This led us to invest in a custom-tooled basket (used in the final prototype) to keep the mounting depth below 4.5”.
The 3rd and final prototype uses a 61.1 mm voice coil & 92 oz magnet resulting in a reduced QES rating of 0.526 and a balanced EBP of 70.04. In testing, we ran into mechanical noise due to the larger motor assembly and voice coil in a confined space. Therefore, we invested in a custom-tooled cone to maximize the excursion capability by creating an equal distance between the cone, spider, and bottom plate. The result is a 12” shallow-mount subwoofer that is extremely responsive in both sealed & ported enclosures.
| General Specifications: | |
| Product Type: | Car Subwoofer |
| Subwoofer Size: | 12" |
| Voice Coil Configuration: | Dual 4 Ohm |
| RMS Power: | 500 Watts |
| MAX Power: | 1000 Watts |
| Voice Coil Type: | 2.40 Inch - 4 Layer High-Temperature Copper Voice Coil |
| Magnet Type: | Y35 |
| Bottom Plate Type: | Low Carbon Iron |
| Surround Type: | Dual White Stitched Competition Mega Foam Surround |
| Cone Type: | Composite Paper with 3% Carbon Fiber Reinforcement |
| Tinsel Lead Type: | Single Braided Flat Copper Tinsel Leads |
| Terminal Type: | 12 Gauge Push Terminals |
| Basket Type: | Stamped Steel |
| Spider Material: | Poly-Cotton Blend |
| T/S Parameters: | |
| Qes: | 0.526 |
| Qms: | 5.444 |
| Qts: | 0.480 |
| Fs: | 36.84 Hz |
| Vas: | 36.150 L |
| Mms: | 191.187 g |
| Cms: | 0.097 m/N |
| Re: | 6.4 Ω |
| Bl: | 22.215 Tm |
| Le: | / |
| Sd: | 510.7 cm² |
| Xmax - Single Way (mm): | 11 mm |
| Xmax - Single Way (cm): | 1.1 cm |
| Vd (Sd*Xmax): | 561.77 cm² |
| SPL: | 87.40 dB |
| Subwoofer Measurements: | |
| Cutout diameter | 11.10" |
| Overall diameter | 12.79" |
| Mounting depth | 4.52" |
| Box Specifications: | |
| Displacement | 0.065 ft3 |
| Box Recommendations: | |
| Sealed | 0.75 ft3 |
| Ported | 1.5 ft3 |
| Tuning Frequency | 32 Hz |
| Port Area | 24 in2 |
*Enclosure recommendations do not account for subwoofer, bracing, and port displacement.
