B&C DE550TN – Flagship 1-Inch Titanium Compression Driver with 2 Tesla Motor and Maximum Output
The B&C DE550TN is the titanium-diaphragm variant of B&C’s most powerful 1-inch compression driver platform. It shares the DE550’s 2 T neodymium motor — the highest flux density of any driver in B&C’s entire product catalogue — the same 51 mm voice coil, the same 70 W AES / 140 W program power handling, and the same 108 dB sensitivity. The difference is the diaphragm: titanium instead of HT polymer.
That single material change shifts the B&C DE550TN’s tonal character from the DE550’s smooth, natural treble to the brighter, more forward, more detailed high-frequency signature that titanium delivers. For live sound environments where the compression driver needs to cut through ambient noise, stage volume, and room reflections with maximum presence and definition, titanium is the diaphragm material that projects hardest.
The B&C DE550TN matches the DE550 on every performance specification: 1 kHz – 17 kHz bandwidth, 1.2 kHz recommended crossover, 8 and 16 Ω availability, 92 mm body, 49 mm depth, 1.17 kg weight. The choice between the two drivers is purely tonal — same motor, same coil, same power, same sensitivity, different diaphragm, different treble character.
Available with a user-replaceable titanium diaphragm (part number MMD550TN8), the B&C DE550TN is field-serviceable for touring and rental applications where a damaged diaphragm needs to be swapped quickly without removing the driver from the horn.
Design and Construction of the B&C DE550TN
The B&C DE550TN uses a 51 mm (2-inch) aluminium voice coil driving a titanium diaphragm through a 1-inch exit throat. The 51 mm coil is the largest ever fitted to a 1-inch exit compression driver in B&C’s range, and it’s shared identically with the HT polymer DE550. Same coil, same former, same motor assembly — the only component that differs is the diaphragm attached to the front of the driver.
The magnetic circuit produces 2 T of flux density from a neodymium magnet — the absolute highest in B&C’s product catalogue. The 51 mm voice coil operates in this extreme magnetic field with 108 dB sensitivity and 70 W AES power handling. These figures are identical to the DE550 because the motor and coil determine sensitivity and power handling, not the diaphragm material.
The titanium diaphragm is where the B&C DE550TN’s character diverges from the DE550. Titanium is the stiffest diaphragm material commonly used in compression drivers — stiffer than HT polymer and significantly stiffer than Mylar. That stiffness maintains pistonic dome behaviour at higher frequencies, producing more detailed treble output with sharper transient definition.
Titanium also produces a characteristic resonant peak in the upper treble — typically in the 8–12 kHz region. This peak gives titanium drivers their bright, forward, cutting high-frequency character. In live sound applications, that brightness is an asset — it helps the HF section project above ambient noise and maintain clarity at distance. In studio or near-field applications, the peak may benefit from EQ correction for flatter response.
The 0.12 mH inductance is slightly lower than the DE550’s 0.14 mH — the titanium diaphragm’s different mass and coupling characteristics produce a marginally flatter impedance curve through the upper operating range. Both figures are low enough that the difference is negligible in practice.
At 1.17 kg, 92 mm overall diameter, and 49 mm depth, the B&C DE550TN is physically identical to the DE550. Same body, same weight, same mounting — two M6 holes on a 76 mm bolt circle. The two drivers are completely interchangeable in any cabinet, and builders can swap between HT polymer and titanium diaphragms by changing only the diaphragm assembly, not the entire driver.
Performance and Applications for the B&C DE550TN
The B&C DE550TN delivers 108 dB sensitivity across a 1 kHz – 17 kHz bandwidth with a recommended crossover frequency of 1.2 kHz. Every performance specification matches the DE550 exactly — same sensitivity, same bandwidth, same crossover, same power handling. The measured output level is identical. What changes is the frequency response shape and the subjective treble character.
The titanium diaphragm produces more energy in the 5–12 kHz presence and brilliance bands compared to the DE550’s HT polymer. Vocals sound more forward and articulate. Cymbals have more shimmer and bite. Percussive transients snap with sharper attack. Guitar harmonics ring with more definition. These are the qualities that make titanium the preferred diaphragm material for live sound professionals who need the HF section to project aggressively into large spaces.
The 1.2 kHz recommended crossover — the lowest of any 1-inch driver in B&C’s range — means the B&C DE550TN takes over from the woofer in the upper mid-range. The horn controls directivity from 1.2 kHz upward, producing consistent coverage that most 1-inch systems can’t achieve. Combined with titanium’s forward treble character, this early handoff creates a two-way system that sounds present and defined across the entire coverage area, not just on-axis.
The 70 W AES / 140 W program power handling provides the same thermal headroom as the DE550. The titanium diaphragm handles high temperatures well — titanium’s melting point far exceeds any operating temperature the voice coil generates, so the dome maintains its mechanical properties and resonant behaviour throughout sustained high-power use.
The choice between the B&C DE550TN and the DE550 is straightforward. The DE550’s HT polymer delivers smoother, more natural treble that works well in systems without DSP correction — background music, speech reinforcement, installations where brightness would be fatiguing. The B&C DE550TN’s titanium delivers brighter, more forward treble that cuts through in live sound — touring rigs, festival stages, DJ booths, and any environment where the audience is far from the speakers and ambient noise competes with the PA.
In systems with DSP, either driver can be voiced to taste. The DE550 starts smoother and can be brightened with EQ. The B&C DE550TN starts brighter and can be smoothed with EQ. System designers with full DSP capability should choose based on which direction they prefer to shape the response from.
The 8 and 16 Ω impedance variants match the DE550, providing multi-driver flexibility for line arrays and distributed HF configurations.
Ideal applications for the B&C DE550TN include:
- Premium two-way PA tops for live sound where maximum HF presence is required
- Touring speaker systems and festival rigs where titanium’s projection cuts through distance and noise
- Line arrays using the 16 Ω variant for multi-driver HF configurations
- Two-way systems crossing over at 1.2 kHz for maximum directivity control
- DJ systems and club installations where bright, forward treble drives the energy
- High-SPL applications where the titanium character adds presence without requiring EQ boost
- Active systems with DSP where titanium’s forward response provides headroom for voicing
Specifications – B&C DE550TN
- Throat Diameter: 25 mm (1 in)
- Nominal Impedance: 8 Ω
- Minimum Impedance: 8.4 Ω
- Nominal Power Handling: 70 W
- Continuous Power Handling: 140 W
- Sensitivity: 108 dB
- Frequency Range: 1 kHz – 17 kHz
- Recommended Crossover: 1.2 kHz
- Voice Coil Diameter: 51 mm (2 in)
- Winding Material: Aluminium
- Inductance: 0.12 mH
- Flux Density: 2 T
- Magnet Material: Neodymium
- Diaphragm Material: Titanium
- Replacement Diaphragm: MMD550TN8
- Available Impedances: 8 Ω, 16 Ω
- Net Weight: 1.17 kg (2.58 lb)
Mounting Information – B&C DE550TN
- Overall Diameter: 92 mm (3.62 in)
- Depth: 49 mm (1.93 in)
- Bolt Pattern: Two M6 holes on 76 mm (3 in) bolt circle, 180° apart
Conclusion – B&C DE550TN Compression Driver
The B&C DE550TN is the titanium voice of B&C’s most powerful 1-inch compression driver platform. Same 2 T motor, same 51 mm coil, same 70 W AES, same 108 dB sensitivity, same 1.2 kHz crossover — but with titanium’s brighter, more forward, more projecting treble character instead of the DE550’s smoother HT polymer.
For live sound, the titanium advantage is clear. The B&C DE550TN’s high-frequency energy cuts through ambient noise, carries across distance, and maintains vocal presence and transient definition in the most demanding environments. The 2 T motor and 51 mm coil ensure it does so at the highest sustained power levels available from any 1-inch driver in B&C’s range.
For builders who want B&C’s absolute best 1-inch platform with the treble character that defines professional live sound, the B&C DE550TN is the driver. Same flagship motor, same flagship power, same flagship sensitivity — with the titanium diaphragm that makes it sound like it’s working even harder than it already is. The brightest, loudest, most powerful 1-inch titanium compression driver B&C makes.
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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.
