Can a mighty 18" subwoofer pack a real dancefloor-ready punch and still be lightweight, compact – and affordable? The Mackie Thump 118s sure can. It delivers bone-rattling bass tones from its 18" woofer, but this sub doesn’t just throw bass out there any old way – it comes with multiple high-pass modes plus an adjustable preset for extra flexibility. Even simpler, though, is the menu-free control: Everything just works, at the touch of a button. The Mackie Thump 118s is built to be tough enough for the road, and it's fitted with a pole mount so stacking tops is quick and easy.
What's the point of having two nice rubberized handles if a sub is too heavy to lift? The Mackie Thump 118s solves this dilemma, as it weighs just 30.2kg, or a little over 66lbs. The cabinet itself, complete with stacking recesses and an M20 pole mount, measures 541x531x607mm. Sound-wise, its 1400W Class D amp pushes out a massive 132dB of sound pressure, covering a frequency range from 30Hz to 150Hz. The high-pass presets Deep, Punch, and Flat are joined by a variable crossover that can be set anywhere between 80 and 160Hz. For getting the music into it, all connections – including two inputs plus two high-pass and two full-range outputs – are XLR. Sound techs and stagehands can take it from mono to stereo at the flick of a switch. The 118s runs on 220–240V AC power.
The fact that the Mackie Thump 118s can be controlled without menus, just by pressing a few buttons, makes it a great pick for beginners who want serious low-end punch without spending ages setting up. Bands can hit the Punch preset for a Rock'n'Roll sound at maximum output: Thanks to its low weight, this sub will love joining them on tour – the cabinet is certainly tough enough for the road. Club owners can dial in the variable crossover to match the sub perfectly with their existing PA setup. And DJs, especially in the EDM scene, will love the Deep mode, which gives those low frequencies an extra boost.
In 1988 Greg Mackie, already a successful co-founder of a pro audio company, founded Mackie Designs Inc. with the goal of producing affordable, high-quality mixers. The company's first official product, the LM-1602 line mixer, was initially produced within the four walls of his home. As sales figures were encouraging, its successor model CR-1604 soon followed - and in 1991 the company finally moved into its first proper production facility. The combination of reliable quality and low prices quickly brought the company enormous success, so that by 1995 Mackie had already sold 100,000 products. In 2003, the company was renamed LOUD Audio, LLC so that there is no longer any confusion between the Mackie brand and its former parent company of the same name.
Since subs usually sit on the floor in dark corners, the Mackie Thump 118s has LEDs next to the various high-pass modes to indicate which preset is active. Drop a separately available speaker pole into the mount and the matching top can be stacked on it, too: Mackie has tuned the Thump tops (such as the 212 or 215) to pair perfectly with this sub for a balanced sound. Of course, low frequencies can behave differently depending on the venue, so a polarity switch – included here as a simple toggle switch – helps fix that; it's also handy for touring bands looking to add their own sub to a club's hanging PA. In bigger party spaces, just hook up a second sub for extra punch. And for galas and events where the gear needs to stay low-key, the front LED can be switched off.