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S-218 User Manual
v1 October 2019
6.1.3 – Amplifier Requirements
The S-218 is a very powerful subwoofer, making use of some of the most advanced drive
units available in the industry today. It is good practice to ensure that your amplifier can
deliver at least double the RMS power handling of the loudspeaker to ensure full headroom,
and as such the amplifier requirement is:
Product
RMS Power Handling
Recommended Min. Amplifier Power
S-218/ST-218
2500W @ 2 ohms
5000W @ 2 ohms
All of the DQ Series advanced system amplifiers can be used to power the S-218, however
the DQ6 and DQ10 are lower power models and as such will not provide maximum power
for the subwoofer.
The following table shows the maximum number of ST-218 that can be connected per
channel on the various different amplifiers:
Amplifier
Max ST-218 per channel
DQ6
1*
DQ10
1*
DQ20
1
* - The DQ6 and DQ10 do not provide sufficient power for maximum headroom for the S-
218 and as such should only be used in lower SPL environments.
6.1.4 – Processing Requirements
The S-218 requires active high and low pass filters, and appropriate limiter settings. If not
using DQ Series amplifiers, or the DSC48 Digital System Controller, then a suitable DSP
system must be used in conjunction with your S-218 to prevent damage to the subwoofer.
Check the EM Acoustics website for the most up-to-date DSP settings for the S-218.
