EAW NT116S

EAW NT116S

16″ Powered Subwoofer — Newport Series

The EAW NT116S is a single 16-inch powered subwoofer built to anchor the low end of EAW’s Newport Series. A 16″ cone moves roughly 50% more air than a standard 15″ driver, and with 4000 W of onboard Class-D power behind it, the NT116S reaches 135 dB SPL and extends down to 25 Hz — output and depth usually expected from larger 18-inch enclosures. It flies directly beneath an NT206L array or works on the ground as a standalone low-frequency source, giving rental companies and integrators one cabinet that covers both flown and ground-stacked low end.

Large-format output from a single 16″ driver

The EAW NT116S is built around one 16-inch cone on a 4-inch voice coil in a vented enclosure, covering 25 Hz to 125 Hz with a maximum SPL of 135 dB. Cone area is the foundation of any subwoofer’s real-world output, and the move from a 15″ to a 16″ driver buys a meaningful jump in displacement without stepping up to the size and weight of an 18″ box.

More air moved per cabinet means fewer boxes are needed to hit a target level, which keeps the stage footprint, the rigging load and the truck pack down while still delivering full bottom-end weight. The 25 Hz extension reaches the bottom octave that gives kick, bass and low synth material their physical impact rather than just their tone.

4000 W of onboard amplification

A Class-D amplifier is integrated into the cabinet, so there is no external amp rack to transport, rig, power or cable. The EAW NT116S runs in single-amp VLF DSP mode with EAW DynO, the company’s dynamic optimisation processing, which keeps performance consistent under sustained load and in demanding conditions.

Building the amplification into the enclosure removes the weight and floor space of a separate rack, shortens the signal and power runs, and cuts down the number of points where something can go wrong on site. For touring crews that translates directly into faster get-ins and a smaller, simpler rig; for installs it means fewer components to specify, mount and maintain.

Cardioid Mode for cleaner stages

A dedicated Cardioid Mode is selectable from the back panel. With the subwoofers physically arranged for it, the EAW NT116S concentrates low-frequency energy out into the audience and pulls it back off the stage. The benefit is twofold: tighter, more defined low end in the listening area, and far less sub energy washing back into vocal microphones, instrument mics and monitor world behind the cabinets.

On reverberant indoor stages and on tight festival decks, that rear rejection is often the difference between a controlled mix and a muddy one, and it is achieved here without external processing or a separate cardioid controller.

Flown or ground-stacked

An optional rigging kit and flybar let the EAW NT116S fly as a dedicated subwoofer array, while a transition bar integrates it directly beneath an NT206L line array for a single flown hang of tops and subs together. On the ground it works as a standalone low-frequency solution, stacked to taste for the room.

The Online Array Assistant (OAA) software supplies pick-points, splay angles and switch settings before the array leaves the deck, so the rig goes up correctly on the first attempt rather than needing a re-fly to correct angles or settings — a real saving in both labour and time on a show day.

Road-ready construction

The cabinet is built from Baltic birch, steel and aluminium, landing at 50.9 kg, which is light for a 16-inch powered sub of this output. The construction is chosen for the balance of stiffness, durability and weight that touring demands, and a dedicated rain hood is available to protect the amplifier and input section during outdoor deployments. That makes the NT116S equally at home in a fixed install, on a touring deck or out in the open at a festival.

Part of the Newport ecosystem

The EAW NT116S is designed to work alongside the NT206L, NT208L and NTX210L within the Newport Series. Every Newport cabinet carries integrated Class-D amplification and shares EAW’s Resolution software libraries for 3D SPL modelling and room optimisation, so the subwoofer drops into a predicted, controllable, measurable system rather than a system built on guesswork. Designers can model coverage and output ahead of time, then deploy with confidence that the rig will behave as planned.

Applications

Touring and live production, fixed installations, outdoor festivals, corporate events, houses of worship and performing arts venues — anywhere a compact, high-output low-frequency source is needed without the burden of an external amplifier rack.