B&C DE800 – Lightest High-Power 1.4-Inch Compression Driver with 75 mm Voice Coil and 110 Watt Rating
The B&C DE800 is the lightest 75 mm voice coil compression driver in B&C’s range — delivering 110 W AES power handling, 108 dB sensitivity, and a 1.85 T neodymium motor from a package that weighs just 2.3 kg. That weight figure is remarkable. The 65 mm coil DE610 weighs 3.8 kg. The 75 mm coil DE910TN weighs 2.4 kg. The B&C DE800 puts a 75 mm coil, 110 watts of power handling, and a 1.4-inch exit into 2.3 kg — the most concentrated power-to-weight ratio of any compression driver in B&C’s catalogue.
The 110 W AES / 220 W continuous program power handling ties the DE910TN as the highest in B&C’s entire HF range. But where the DE910TN achieves that figure from a 1.3-inch exit in a 131 mm body, the B&C DE800 delivers it from a 1.4-inch exit in a 124 mm body that weighs 100 g less. The larger 1.4-inch exit provides lower throat compression and better low-frequency coupling to the horn, and the smaller body fits into tighter cabinet designs. Every dimension favours the B&C DE800 for system designers who need maximum power from minimum space and weight.
The composite polyimide/titanium diaphragm uses a polyimide damping layer bonded to a titanium dome. Polyimide is a high-performance engineering polymer — the same material family as Kapton — with exceptional thermal stability at the temperatures that 110 W of sustained power generates. The polyimide layer damps the titanium dome’s resonant behaviour, producing smoother upper treble response while retaining titanium’s stiffness, detail, and projection.
At 2.3 kg, 124 mm overall diameter, and 56 mm depth, the B&C DE800 is more compact than any other 1.4-inch driver handling 80+ watts in B&C’s range. Available in 8 Ω with a user-replaceable diaphragm (part number MMD8008M) and a fast-on version for production-line assembly.
Design and Construction of the B&C DE800
The B&C DE800 uses a 75 mm (3-inch) aluminium voice coil driving a composite polyimide/titanium diaphragm through a 1.4-inch (36 mm) exit throat. The 75 mm coil is the same diameter used in the DE910 and DE910TN — the largest coil class in B&C’s HF range. But where the DE910 series uses that coil in a 1.3-inch exit body weighing 2.4 kg with a 131 mm diameter, the B&C DE800 packages the same coil size in a 1.4-inch exit body weighing 2.3 kg with a 124 mm diameter.
The 75 mm coil provides the thermal mass for 110 W AES sustained operation. The 3-inch coil circumference dissipates heat across a larger area than the 65 mm coils in the DE602/DE610/DE618TN, which is the fundamental reason the B&C DE800 handles 37.5% more power (110 W vs 80 W AES) despite being lighter and smaller than the 65 mm coil alternatives.
The magnetic circuit produces 1.85 T of flux density from a neodymium magnet assembly with a shorting copper cap. The 1.85 T is lower than the DE910TN’s 2.05 T but higher than the DE610’s 1.75 T — and the 75 mm coil extracts more total force from this flux than any 65 mm coil can, because more conductor sits inside the magnetic gap. The neodymium motor’s compact size is what makes the B&C DE800’s 2.3 kg weight and 124 mm body possible — a ferrite motor producing comparable flux would be significantly larger and heavier.
The composite polyimide/titanium diaphragm is a different composite construction from the DE910’s polyester/titanium. Polyimide is a superior damping material to polyester in this application — it’s stiffer, more thermally stable, and maintains its mechanical properties at higher temperatures. The titanium layer provides the dome stiffness for pistonic behaviour and high-frequency detail. The polyimide layer provides the internal damping that absorbs the resonant energy titanium alone would release as upper treble harshness.
The combination produces treble that is more detailed and forward than pure polymer, smoother and more controlled than pure titanium, and more thermally stable than a polyester/titanium composite. The polyimide layer doesn’t soften or delaminate at the operating temperatures the 110 W AES rating generates — a critical advantage for sustained high-power use where the diaphragm must maintain its mechanical integrity hour after hour.
The shorting copper cap reduces voice coil inductance rise at higher frequencies. The 0.14 mH inductance keeps the impedance curve flat through the 18 kHz upper limit, supporting clean crossover behaviour and smooth high-frequency extension.
At 2.3 kg, 124 mm overall diameter, and 56 mm depth, the B&C DE800 is the most compact 75 mm coil compression driver in B&C’s range. The 124 mm body is 7 mm smaller than the DE910TN’s 131 mm and 32 mm smaller than the DE610’s 156 mm. Four M6 mounting holes on a 102 mm bolt circle at 90° intervals match the standard professional 1.4-inch pattern.
Performance and Applications for the B&C DE800
The B&C DE800 delivers 108 dB sensitivity across a 1 kHz – 18 kHz bandwidth with a recommended crossover frequency of 1.2 kHz. The 108 dB matches every other 65 mm and 75 mm coil 1.4-inch driver in B&C’s range. The 1.2 kHz crossover matches the DE610 and DE618TN. The 1 kHz – 18 kHz bandwidth matches the standard operating range of B&C’s professional 1.4-inch drivers.
The difference is power handling and weight. The B&C DE800 handles 110 W AES — 37.5% more than the DE602/DE610/DE618TN’s 80 W — in a body that weighs 1.5 kg less than the DE610 and is 32 mm narrower. For touring systems where per-cabinet weight determines truck space, rigging loads, and crew requirements, the B&C DE800 delivers the highest power rating in B&C’s 1.4-inch range from the lightest, most compact package.
The power-to-weight ratio is the B&C DE800’s defining characteristic. At 110 watts per 2.3 kg, it delivers 47.8 watts per kilogram — significantly higher than the DE610’s 21 watts per kilogram (80 W / 3.8 kg) or the DE910TN’s 45.8 watts per kilogram (110 W / 2.4 kg). For system designers optimising performance per unit of weight, the B&C DE800 is the most efficient driver in B&C’s HF range.
The 1.4-inch exit provides the horn coupling advantages over the DE910TN’s 1.3-inch: larger acoustic coupling area, lower throat compression, better low-frequency energy transfer to the horn, and compatibility with the full-size 1.4-inch professional horns used in touring and installed sound. The step from 1.3-inch to 1.4-inch exit means the B&C DE800 works with wider, deeper horns that provide better pattern control and lower cutoff frequencies.
The composite polyimide/titanium diaphragm positions the B&C DE800 tonally between pure titanium and pure polymer. It’s brighter and more detailed than HT polymer drivers like the DE52, smoother and more controlled than pure titanium drivers like the DE610. The polyimide damping layer tames titanium’s resonant peak without eliminating titanium’s projection and presence — producing treble that cuts through in live sound environments without the harshness that untreated titanium can produce.
For systems with DSP, the B&C DE800’s naturally smoother titanium response requires less corrective EQ in the upper treble. For systems without DSP, the composite diaphragm sounds more balanced than pure titanium — more forgiving across a wider range of listening positions and room conditions.
The fast-on version provides push-on terminal connections for production environments where assembly speed matters.
Ideal applications for the B&C DE800 include:
- Premium touring speaker systems where power-to-weight ratio is the defining metric
- Line arrays where per-element weight determines total array mass and rigging requirements
- Large-format two-way and three-way systems with 1.4-inch horns
- High-SPL installations where 110 W AES sustained operation is the requirement
- Compact cabinet designs where the 124 mm body fits behind horns that won’t accommodate larger drivers
- Systems where composite polyimide/titanium treble character reduces the need for corrective DSP
- Festival rigs and arena installations running sustained high power for extended hours
- Fast-on assembly configurations for volume production
Specifications – B&C DE800
- Throat Diameter: 36 mm (1.4 in)
- Nominal Impedance: 8 Ω
- Minimum Impedance: 8 Ω
- Nominal Power Handling: 110 W
- Continuous Power Handling: 220 W
- Sensitivity: 108 dB
- Frequency Range: 1 kHz – 18 kHz
- Recommended Crossover: 1.2 kHz
- Voice Coil Diameter: 75 mm (3 in)
- Winding Material: Aluminium
- Inductance: 0.14 mH
- Flux Density: 1.85 T
- Magnet Material: Neodymium
- Diaphragm Material: Composite Polyimide/Titanium
- Replacement Diaphragm: MMD8008M
- Net Weight: 2.3 kg (5.1 lb)
Mounting Information – B&C DE800
- Overall Diameter: 124 mm (4.9 in)
- Depth: 56 mm (2.2 in)
- Bolt Pattern: Four M6 holes on 102 mm (4 in) bolt circle, 90° apart
- Note: Also available in fast-on version
Conclusion – B&C DE800 Compression Driver
The B&C DE800 is the most power-dense 1.4-inch compression driver in B&C’s range. The 75 mm voice coil, 110 W AES power handling, 108 dB sensitivity, and 1.85 T neodymium motor — all in a 2.3 kg, 124 mm package — produce the highest power-to-weight ratio of any compression driver B&C makes. Nothing else in the 1.4-inch range combines this much power handling with this little weight.
The composite polyimide/titanium diaphragm is the material choice that makes the B&C DE800 both powerful and refined. Polyimide’s superior thermal stability supports the 110 W AES rating through sustained operation, while its damping properties smooth titanium’s upper treble resonance into a more controlled, more musical high-frequency character.
The 2.3 kg weight places the B&C DE800 in a class of its own for system designers optimising total cabinet weight. A touring system using the B&C DE800 instead of the DE610 saves 1.5 kg per HF driver — across a 12-element line array, that’s 18 kg saved from the HF section alone. Multiply across a full festival rig and the weight savings become significant enough to affect truck loading, rigging certification, and crew logistics.
For premium touring systems, line arrays, high-output installations, and any application where a 1.4-inch compression driver needs to deliver 110 watts of sustained power from the lightest, most compact package available, the B&C DE800 is the driver that redefines what’s possible at 2.3 kilograms. Seventy-five millimetres of coil, 110 watts of power, 108 dB of sensitivity, and the best power-to-weight ratio in B&C’s compression driver catalogue.
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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.
