One of the most notable, if not the most impressive, part of the Ultimo 12 is the external voice coil coined "EVC." At an enormous 5.1", the voice coil provides incredible power handling. The heavy-gauge Hexatech aluminum voice coil is two to three times larger than standard design. The voice coil is wound on a heavy-aluminum former that provides structural support as part of the PFS system. The Hexatech design increases efficiency while minimizing induction and loss of magnetic flux with use of interlocking hexagonally shaped wire. For reliable and accurate replacement of the voice coil/cone assembly, Morel designed the self-centering Accucenter system that ensures proper alignment.
Heavy-duty tinsel leads allow large buckets of power to be fed to the hungry beast of a voice coil. Amplifier connectivity is provided through a pair of spring-loaded terminals located along the side of the aluminum die-cast chassis. The aerodynamic Uniflow chassis is designed to minimize distortion resulting from sound reflections. Working in conjunction with the motor assembly, the Uniflow chassis helps to provide maximum cooling of the voice coil. Air vents designed into the chassis allow large amounts of air to flow freely through the voice coil into a cooling duct located in the in the motor assembly.
Morel's motor assembly design is both unique and uncommon in subwoofers. The Double Magnet Motor (DMM) assembly is a compact design of stacked ferrite magnets within the oversized EVC. Traditional subwoofer designs have the voice coil within the magnet in which the magnet is clearly visible. Through extensive optimization, the magnet assembly achieves 90 percent efficiency. The lower portion of the assembly is encased within a heavy-duty enclosure. Morel designed the magnet cup enclosure to screw to the base of the Uniflow chassis to enable quick and easy replacement of the magnet motor or the cone/voice coil assembly.
First impressions of the subwoofer indicate that Morel has stepped up to the plate in the ultimate subwoofer derby with a well-equipped product. All of the features designed on this product are performance driven.
Installation
The manual accompanied with the Ultimo details various enclosure options for sealed and ported designs. Each enclosure design has a trio of recommended volumes accompanied by frequency response graphs and impedance curves. Illustrations of amplifier connectivity for single and multiple Ultimo drivers are displayed along with suggestions for locating and tuning the enclosure for optimal performance. Toward the end of the manual, the owner will find the cone replacement procedure, which almost every customer hopes to never have to reference.
A 1.5ft3 sealed enclosure was designed from 31/44" MDF. A cutout template was not provided, but the manual provides all of the necessary measurements, such as driver mounting diameter and screw hole locations. With the stout 4-ohm voice coil requiring 1,000 watts of continuous power (3,000-watts peak), I had to drag out the Audison VRX 2.400. Connectivity was effortless with the large spring-loaded terminals. The attractive honeycomb-shaped grille (or as Morel calls it, "Octopus") provided with the sub was installed over the cone of the driver to provide protection in the trunk of the Honda Accord.