B&C 12CLA76 High-Efficiency 12-Inch Neodymium Woofer for Lightweight Professional Sound Systems
The B&C 12CLA76 is a high-efficiency 12-inch neodymium woofer designed for professional sound reinforcement systems where lightweight construction, strong sensitivity, and extended midrange performance are key requirements. Positioned within B&C’s CLA series, it is optimised for compact two-way loudspeakers, portable PA systems, flown arrays, and installation speakers where reduced weight and high output efficiency are equally important.
Built around a 76 mm copper-clad aluminium voice coil and a lightweight neodymium motor system, the B&C 12CLA76 delivers strong acoustic output with excellent thermal efficiency. Its design focuses on maintaining high sensitivity while providing smooth midbass response and extended usable bandwidth for flexible system integration in modern professional audio applications.
Lightweight Neodymium Motor with High Output Efficiency
At the core of the B&C 12CLA76 is a neodymium inside-slug motor structure engineered for high flux density and reduced overall weight. With a flux density of approximately 1.2 T and a BL factor of 20.2 Tm, the motor provides strong control over cone movement while maintaining high efficiency across the operating range.
The 76 mm voice coil uses copper-clad aluminium wire (CCAW), which reduces moving mass while maintaining adequate thermal performance for professional use. This contributes directly to the driver’s high sensitivity of 98.5 dB, allowing it to produce substantial acoustic output with relatively low amplifier power.
A ventilated voice coil gap helps reduce thermal compression by improving airflow through the motor assembly. This ensures more consistent performance during sustained high-output operation, particularly in portable PA and installed systems where long duty cycles are common.
The lightweight neodymium structure also makes the B&C 12CLA76 significantly easier to integrate into portable or flown systems where weight reduction is a major design consideration.
Wide-Band Response for Midbass and Vocal Applications
The B&C 12CLA76 is designed as a wide-band woofer with a frequency range of 50 Hz to 3 kHz, making it suitable for both low-frequency reinforcement and midrange vocal reproduction in compact systems.
With its high sensitivity and extended upper bandwidth, the driver integrates smoothly with compression drivers in two-way systems, typically crossing between 1.2 kHz and 2 kHz depending on horn selection and system tuning. This makes it highly versatile in professional sound reinforcement designs.
The tonal response is focused and articulate in the midrange, providing strong vocal projection and clarity. This makes the B&C 12CLA76 particularly effective in applications such as small line arrays, portable PA cabinets, and installation loudspeakers where speech intelligibility is a priority.
Thiele-Small Behaviour and Enclosure Design
The B&C 12CLA76 is optimised for vented enclosure designs, with a Qts of 0.25 and an EBP of approximately 200, indicating a strong preference for bass-reflex systems with high efficiency and output.
With an Fs of 52 Hz and a Vas of 56 litres, the driver performs well in compact enclosures around 40 litres tuned near 60 Hz. This alignment provides controlled low-frequency response with emphasis on punch and midbass definition rather than deep sub-bass extension.
The moving mass of 64 g contributes to fast transient response and improved articulation in the vocal and upper bass regions. Combined with the strong neodymium motor, the B&C 12CLA76 maintains tight cone control even at higher output levels, reducing distortion in demanding applications.
Reliable Power Handling for Professional Applications
The B&C 12CLA76 is rated at 350 W AES and 700 W program power handling, making it suitable for medium-power professional sound reinforcement systems where efficiency and clarity are more important than extreme power capacity.
The copper-clad aluminium voice coil provides a balance between low mass and thermal stability, allowing the driver to maintain consistent performance under normal touring and installation conditions.
Its combination of high sensitivity, lightweight construction, and controlled bandwidth makes it particularly effective in distributed PA systems, portable loudspeakers, and compact two-way designs where amplifier efficiency and system weight are critical considerations.
Specifications
- Nominal Diameter: 320 mm (12″)
- Voice Coil Diameter: 76 mm (3″)
- Continuous Power Handling: 700 W
- Nominal Power Handling: 350 W AES
- Nominal Impedance: 8 Ω
- Minimum Impedance: 6.1 Ω
- Frequency Range: 50 Hz – 3000 Hz
- Sensitivity: 98.5 dB
- Resonance Frequency (Fs): 52 Hz
- Qes: 0.26
- Qms: 4.9
- Qts: 0.25
- Vas: 56 dm³
- BL Factor: 20.2 Tm
- Xmax: 5.3 mm
- Moving Mass (Mms): 64 g
- Effective Cone Area (Sd): 522 cm²
- Inductance (Le): 0.44 mH
- Recommended Enclosure Volume: 40 dm³
- Recommended Tuning Frequency: 60 Hz
- Net Weight: ~3.4 kg
Conclusion
The B&C 12CLA76 is a lightweight high-efficiency neodymium woofer designed for professional systems that require strong sensitivity, controlled midbass response, and excellent vocal clarity in compact enclosures. Its copper-clad aluminium voice coil, neodymium motor structure, and wide-band frequency response make it highly suitable for portable PA systems and installation loudspeakers. For designers seeking a balance of low weight, high output, and efficient system integration, the B&C 12CLA76 delivers reliable performance in modern professional audio applications.
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About B&C Speakers S.r.L.
B&C Speakers products are built in Bagno a Ripoli (Florence), Italy., ensuring high quality products to suite your speaker building requirements. Their 10,500 square meter facility incorporates highly sophisticated automation and quality control. Over the years they become one of the world leaders in the Professional Audio market, a brand recognized everywhere as a premium product that offers excellent value to the consumer.
