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Arc Audio
Arc Audio SW12 12 Inch Shallow-Mount Subwoofer
SKU: SW12D4
$ 629.99
QUICK SPECS
- Depth / Xmax: 2.625 in mounting depth | 15.5mm one-way linear Xmax | Front-mounted N42UH neodymium motor (external, outside enclosure)
- Voice Coil: 3 in aluminum former | Stage-baked tempered construction | Dual 2-Ohm (D2) or Dual 4-Ohm (D4)
- Enclosure: 0.8 cu ft sealed recommended | Reinforced cellulose fiber raised-cup cone | Low-shore butyl surround | Nomex/cotton spider
- Terminals: High-tension spring-loaded push terminals | MSRP $629 | Full T/S parameters and cutout diameter pending Arc Audio spec sheet
Arc Audio SW12 12 Inch Shallow-Mount Subwoofer
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INSTALLER'S TAKE
Product Details
Specifications
Enclosures
FAQs
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Arc Audio SW12 Shallow-Mount Subwoofer
A real 12-inch SQ driver in 2.625 inches of mounting depth
2.625" Mounting Depth
15.5mm Xmax
400W RMS
Neo Motor
D2 or D4
2.625"mounting depth
15.5mmone-way Xmax
400 / 800watts RMS / peak
0.8cu ft recommended
A Full 12 in 2.625 Inches
The Arc Audio SW12 puts a real 12-inch cone in a chassis that mounts in just 2.625 inches of depth. That is shallow enough for behind-seat and under-seat truck installs that would never take a conventional 12, without giving up cone area. With an 11-inch cutout and a 12.5-inch outer diameter, it drops into a properly cut shallow baffle and goes to work.
This is the bigger brother to the SW10. Where the SW10 covers tight 10-inch builds, the SW12 brings more cone area, more displacement, and deeper extension for the installer who wants 12-inch output in a thin package.
The Motor Lives Outside the Cone
The SW12 uses a front-mounted N42UH neodymium motor with a CNC-machined vented iron cap. Mounting the motor in front of the cone rather than behind it is how Arc keeps the depth down, and it has a real acoustic benefit: in a down-fire or front-fire enclosure the motor sits in the open cavity rather than buried inside the sealed air volume, so it breathes free air and the box keeps its true net airspace.
15.5mm of One-Way Xmax
Serious linear excursion for a driver this thin. The SW12 moves real air for a shallow-mount, which is where most thin 12s fall short.
Stage-Baked 3-Inch Coil
A 3-inch tempered aluminum voice coil former handles heat and power without the compression that plagues smaller coils under long, loud drive time.
Vented Iron Cap
The CNC-machined vented cap pulls heat out of the motor and lets the assembly stay composed when you lean on it.
Engineered for Sound Quality
Every part of the SW12 is chosen for accuracy, not just output. The raised-cup cone is reinforced cellulose fiber with a hydrophobic composite coating, the surround is low-shore butyl rubber for clean, linear travel, and the spider is a Nomex and cotton blend that holds the cone honest through its full excursion. The result is tight, controlled, musical bass that integrates with a real front stage rather than fighting it.
The SW12 is a sealed-box driver by design. Its EBP of 45.9 places it firmly in sealed territory, and Arc recommends 0.8 cubic feet as the optimum sealed volume. Build it sealed and it rewards you with the kind of accurate, fast low end that sound-quality builds are after.
Published T/S, no guesswork. Fs 33 Hz, Qts 0.616, Qes 0.719, Qms 4.289, Vas 33.73 L, BL 12.024, Mms 277.4 g, Sd 532.97 cm², sensitivity 85.29 dB. Full data so you can model the box before you cut it.
Power and Wiring
The SW12 handles 400 watts RMS and 800 watts peak, and comes in two coil configurations so it matches your amplifier rather than the other way around. The Dual 2-Ohm wires to 1 ohm or 4 ohm for amplifiers that make their power into low impedance. The Dual 4-Ohm wires to 2 ohm or 8 ohm for a wider range of amps. Both deliver the same power handling and the same shallow profile.
Sealed Enclosure Performance: Pre-Calculated Results
Using Arc Audio's published Thiele-Small parameters for the SW12 D4 (parallel configuration), here are the predicted Qtc, system resonance (Fc), and F3 rolloff across three sealed volumes. Arc Audio recommends 0.8 cubic feet as the optimum sealed volume. Calculated using the same formulas as the Audio Intensity Sealed Box Calculator.
The SW12's Fs of 33 Hz and Vas of 33.73 L produce deeper extension than the SW10 in equivalent enclosure volumes. The EBP of 45.9 places this driver firmly in sealed enclosure territory. At the recommended 0.8 cu ft, Qtc 0.972 gives a slightly warm alignment with F3 at 41.5 Hz, excellent extension for a shallow-mount 12. The larger Vas means the SW12 needs more enclosure volume to achieve the same Qtc as the SW10.
SW12 D4 (Parallel) | Qts 0.616 | Fs 33 Hz | Vas 33.73 L
| Box Volume | Qtc | Fc | F3 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0.65 cu ftCompact minimum | 1.037 | 55.5 Hz | 43.0 Hz |
| 0.80 cu ft ★Arc Audio recommended optimum | 0.972 | 52.1 Hz | 41.5 Hz |
| 1.00 cu ftExtended / flattest response | 0.912 | 48.8 Hz | 40.2 Hz |
SW12 D4 Frequency Response | Sealed
0.65 cu ft (Qtc 1.037)
0.80 cu ft (Qtc 0.972) ★ Arc Recommended
1.00 cu ft (Qtc 0.912)
Note on impedance: T/S parameters are measured for the D4 variant (parallel = approximately 2 ohm load). The D2 variant will produce different sealed alignments due to differing Qts and Vas values. D2 T/S data not included in the current Arc Audio release. Run your own numbers in the Sealed Box Calculator.
The Matched Enclosure Is Already Built
You do not have to guess at the box. The Proline X Micro Series 12" Sealed Enclosure, Fits Arc Audio SW12 is CNC-cut to the exact sealed targets shown above, in three net volumes (0.65, 0.8, and 1.0 cubic feet) on a shared 26 by 14.75 footprint, down-fire primary with a 4-foot kit and front-fire as a secondary option. Order it bare or loaded with the SW12 already mounted and wired. See the Enclosures tab for the matched Proline X enclosure.
Big Bass, Thin Footprint
The Arc Audio SW12 is covered by Arc Audio's 1-year limited warranty through authorized dealers. Audio Intensity is an authorized Arc Audio dealer, and every order ships free to the lower 48.
| Arc Audio SW12 Subwoofer Specifications | |
|---|---|
| Power and Configuration | |
| Voice Coil Configuration | Dual 2-Ohm (D2) or Dual 4-Ohm (D4) |
| Wiring Options (D2) | 1 Ohm or 4 Ohm |
| Wiring Options (D4) | 2 Ohm or 8 Ohm |
| Voice Coil Diameter | 3 in |
| Voice Coil Former | Aluminum |
| Voice Coil Construction | Stage-Baked Tempered |
| Thiele-Small Parameters (D4, Parallel) | |
| Resonant Frequency (Fs) | 33 Hz |
| Total Q (Qts) | 0.616 |
| Electrical Q (Qes) | 0.719 |
| Mechanical Q (Qms) | 4.289 |
| Equivalent Volume (Vas) | 33.73 L |
| DC Resistance (Re, Parallel) | 1.81 Ohm |
| Force Factor (BL) | 12.024 N/A |
| Moving Mass (Mms) | 277.4 g |
| Effective Piston Area (Sd) | 532.97 cm2 |
| Sensitivity (1W/1m, nominal) | 85.29 dB |
| EBP (Efficiency Bandwidth Product) | 45.9 (sealed enclosure recommended) |
| Excursion and Extension | |
| Xmax (One-Way Linear) | 15.5 mm |
| Recommended Sealed Enclosure | 0.8 cu ft |
| F3 at Recommended Volume | 41.5 Hz (Qtc 0.972) |
| Motor System | |
| Motor Type | Front-Mounted N42UH Neodymium |
| Motor Cap | CNC-Machined Vented Iron |
| Motor Position | External (outside enclosure) for open-air cooling |
| Moving Assembly | |
| Cone Profile | Raised-Cup |
| Cone Material | Reinforced Cellulose Fiber |
| Cone Coating | Composite Hydrophobic Treatment |
| Surround | Low-Shore Butyl Rubber |
| Spider | Nomex / Cotton Blend |
| Mounting and Physical | |
| Mounting Depth | 2.625 in |
| Terminals | High-Tension Spring-Loaded (tool-free) |
| MSRP | $629.00 |
| Warranty | 1 Year (Authorized Dealers) |
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