B&C DE36 – Advanced 1-Inch Ring Radiator Compression Driver with HT Polymer Diaphragm
The B&C DE36 is a fundamentally different 1-inch compression driver from anything else in B&C’s compact HF range. Where the DE10, DE12TC, DE14, and DE14TN use conventional dome diaphragms — either Mylar or titanium — the B&C DE36 uses a ring radiator topology with an annular high-temperature polymer diaphragm. The result is a driver that delivers 107.5 dB sensitivity, a 1.2 kHz – 20 kHz bandwidth that is wider than any other 1-inch driver in B&C’s range, and a recommended crossover frequency of just 1.8 kHz that lets the compression driver take over from the woofer earlier and more smoothly than conventional dome designs allow.
B&C describes the B&C DE36 as their newest ring radiator offering, the product of years of extensive FEA modelling and physical testing. The ring radiator architecture is not a marketing distinction — it’s a different way of generating sound pressure from a compression driver, with measurable advantages in frequency response smoothness, distortion performance, and high-frequency extension. The annular diaphragm radiates from the perimeter of the phase plug rather than from a central dome, which eliminates many of the resonance and breakup issues that conventional dome diaphragms exhibit in the upper treble.
The 1.6 T flux density is the highest of any compression driver in B&C’s HF range and matches the absolute highest flux density of any driver in B&C’s entire product catalogue (shared with the 10NSM76 midrange). The 0.05 mH inductance is the lowest of any HF driver we’ve covered — less than half the DE10’s 0.1 mH and roughly a third of the DE12TC/DE14’s 0.14 mH. These two specifications together confirm that the B&C DE36 represents a higher tier of magnetic circuit engineering than the conventional dome drivers in the compact 1-inch range.
Available in 8 and 16 Ω with a user-replaceable diaphragm (part number MMD0368), the B&C DE36 is built for compact two-way systems, line arrays, and any application where the builder wants the performance advantages of a ring radiator topology from a 1-inch exit format.
Design and Construction of the B&C DE36
The B&C DE36 uses a 38 mm (1.5-inch) aluminium voice coil driving an annular high-temperature polymer ring diaphragm through a 1-inch exit throat. The 38 mm coil is the largest in B&C’s compact 1-inch range — 2 mm larger than the DE12TC/DE14 family’s 36 mm — providing slightly more drive area and thermal capacity. The coil diameter contributes to the 35 W AES power rating, which is higher than the DE10’s 20 W and matches the practical thermal capacity of the 36 mm coil drivers despite the different diaphragm topology.
The ring radiator design is the defining architectural feature. In a conventional compression driver, the diaphragm is a dome that pushes air into a phase plug from the centre outward. In a ring radiator, the diaphragm is an annular ring — shaped like a washer — that radiates from the outer edge of the phase plug. This geometry provides several measurable advantages. The annular shape eliminates the centre-of-dome resonance that causes the characteristic breakup peak in titanium dome drivers. It also provides more uniform path lengths from the diaphragm to the throat, which reduces phase cancellation and improves frequency response smoothness across the entire operating band.
The HT polymer diaphragm material — a high-temperature engineering polymer in the ketone family — is stiffer and more thermally stable than Mylar while producing none of the harsh resonant peaks associated with titanium. This gives the B&C DE36 a tonal character that sits between the two conventional options: more detailed and extended than Mylar, smoother and more controlled than titanium. For system designers, the HT polymer ring eliminates the need for corrective EQ to manage diaphragm resonance — the response is naturally smooth through the entire operating range.
The magnetic circuit produces 1.6 T of flux density from a ferrite magnet — the highest flux of any compression driver in B&C’s HF range. That extreme flux concentration ensures the 38 mm voice coil operates in the strongest possible magnetic field, maximising efficiency and producing the 107.5 dB sensitivity that makes the B&C DE36 the loudest compact 1-inch driver in B&C’s range on a per-watt basis (the DE10 achieves 107 dB from a smaller, less powerful platform). The 0.05 mH inductance is extraordinarily low — the lowest of any B&C HF driver — keeping the impedance curve essentially flat from the 1.2 kHz lower limit through the 20 kHz upper limit.
The 20 kHz upper frequency limit extends 2 kHz beyond the 18 kHz ceiling of the DE10/DE12TC/DE14 series, giving the B&C DE36 usable output into the highest octave of human hearing. Combined with the 1.2 kHz lower limit — 300 Hz below the DE12TC/DE14’s 1.5 kHz and 800 Hz below the DE10’s 2 kHz — the B&C DE36 covers a wider total bandwidth than any other 1-inch driver in B&C’s range.
At 1.1 kg, 90 mm overall diameter, and 48 mm depth, the B&C DE36 shares the same 90 mm body as the rest of the compact 1-inch range but is 1 mm shallower than the DE12TC/DE14. The mounting uses two M6 holes on a 76 mm bolt circle — note that these are M6 bolts, not the M5 bolts used on the DE10/DE12TC/DE14 series. Builders upgrading from the conventional dome drivers should verify their horn flange accepts M6 hardware.
Performance and Applications for the B&C DE36
The B&C DE36 delivers 107.5 dB sensitivity across a 1.2 kHz – 20 kHz bandwidth with a recommended crossover frequency of 1.8 kHz. The 1.8 kHz crossover recommendation is the lowest of any 1-inch compression driver in B&C’s range — 400 Hz lower than the DE12TC/DE14 family’s 2.2 kHz and 700 Hz lower than the DE10’s 2.5 kHz. This lower crossover capability is a direct consequence of the ring radiator topology — the annular diaphragm produces usable output further down the frequency range than conventional domes of comparable size.
The ability to cross over at 1.8 kHz changes what a compact two-way system can do. The woofer hands off sooner, which means it operates in a narrower bandwidth where its response is more controlled and its directivity is more predictable. The compression driver takes over earlier, which means the horn controls the system’s directivity from a lower frequency. For system designers, this translates to better pattern control, more consistent coverage, and smoother power response across the crossover region — the exact qualities that separate professional-grade two-way systems from compromise designs.
The 107.5 dB sensitivity is the highest of any 1-inch driver in B&C’s range with a 36 mm or larger voice coil. The DE10 achieves 107 dB from a smaller 25 mm coil, but the B&C DE36’s 38 mm coil provides substantially more thermal capacity. At full rated power, the B&C DE36’s combination of 107.5 dB sensitivity and 35 W AES produces higher sustained output than the DE10’s 107 dB at 20 W — and does so with the ring radiator’s smoother, more controlled frequency response.
The 35 W AES power handling positions the B&C DE36 for compact two-way systems and line arrays at moderate to high power levels. The HT polymer diaphragm’s thermal stability means the 35 W rating holds up reliably during sustained operation — the polymer doesn’t soften or deform at high temperatures the way some diaphragm materials can, maintaining consistent mechanical properties throughout the driver’s operating envelope.
The 8 and 16 Ω impedance variants provide the same system design flexibility as the DE14/DE14TN platform. The 16 Ω variant is essential for line arrays and multi-driver HF configurations where impedance management determines amplifier efficiency and power distribution. Two 16 Ω drivers in parallel present 8 Ω, four in series-parallel present 16 Ω — clean, standard impedance values that amplifiers handle efficiently.
The HT polymer ring diaphragm’s smooth frequency response is the B&C DE36’s strongest practical advantage over the conventional dome alternatives. In systems running without DSP or parametric EQ, the ring radiator topology produces balanced, natural-sounding treble that doesn’t require corrective processing. In systems with DSP, the smooth baseline response gives the system designer a clean starting point for voicing — you’re shaping a naturally flat response rather than compensating for diaphragm resonance artefacts.
Ideal applications for the B&C DE36 include:
- Compact two-way PA tops requiring the widest bandwidth and lowest crossover from a 1-inch driver
- Line arrays using the 16 Ω variant for multi-driver HF configurations
- Two-way systems crossing over at 1.8 kHz for improved pattern control and power response
- Passive crossover designs where the 0.05 mH inductance simplifies filter topology
- Applications requiring smooth, extended treble without DSP correction
- Upgrades from conventional dome drivers where ring radiator performance is desired
- Compact stage monitors and vocal reinforcement with natural-sounding high frequencies
Specifications – B&C DE36
- Throat Diameter: 25 mm (1 in)
- Nominal Impedance: 8 Ω
- Minimum Impedance: 7.2 Ω
- Nominal Power Handling: 35 W
- Continuous Power Handling: 70 W
- Sensitivity: 107.5 dB
- Frequency Range: 1.2 kHz – 20 kHz
- Recommended Crossover: 1.8 kHz
- Voice Coil Diameter: 38 mm (1.5 in)
- Winding Material: Aluminium
- Inductance: 0.05 mH
- Flux Density: 1.6 T
- Magnet Material: Ferrite
- Diaphragm Material: HT Polymer Ring (Annular)
- Replacement Diaphragm: MMD0368
- Available Impedances: 8 Ω, 16 Ω
- Net Weight: 1.1 kg (2.43 lb)
Mounting Information – B&C DE36
- Overall Diameter: 90 mm (3.54 in)
- Depth: 48 mm (1.89 in)
- Bolt Pattern: Two M6 holes on 76 mm (3 in) bolt circle, 180° apart
Conclusion – B&C DE36 Compression Driver
The B&C DE36 is the most advanced 1-inch compression driver in B&C’s compact HF range. The ring radiator topology, HT polymer annular diaphragm, 1.6 T flux density, 0.05 mH inductance, and 1.2 kHz – 20 kHz bandwidth represent a fundamentally higher level of engineering than the conventional dome drivers in the DE10/DE12TC/DE14 series. Every specification either leads or matches the best in the compact 1-inch range: highest sensitivity with a large coil (107.5 dB), widest bandwidth (1.2–20 kHz), lowest crossover (1.8 kHz), highest flux (1.6 T), and lowest inductance (0.05 mH).
The ring radiator’s practical advantage is smoothness. Where titanium domes produce a bright resonant peak and Mylar domes roll off early, the B&C DE36’s HT polymer ring delivers extended, detailed, naturally smooth treble that works in systems with or without DSP processing. The 1.8 kHz crossover capability gives system designers better pattern control and smoother power response than any other compact 1-inch in the range can provide — the woofer hands off earlier, the horn takes over sooner, and the system sounds more coherent across the entire coverage pattern.
For compact two-way PA systems, line arrays, stage monitors, and any application where a 1-inch compression driver needs to deliver the widest bandwidth, smoothest response, and lowest crossover point available in the format, the B&C DE36 is the ring radiator that redefines what a compact 1-inch can do. It’s the driver you choose when conventional dome technology isn’t enough — and the performance justifies the step up.
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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.
