Morel Ultmo Series ULTIMO 12 User manual

High-end drivers and omponent systems are
the monikers Morel is known for. When sound qual-
ity is dis ussed, Morel is more than likely to be
named and with good reason. Over the years, Morel
has maintained a rock steady position amongst the
upper echelon of sound quality drivers for both the car
and home audio environments through continuous
development and ingenuity. One of their latest cre-
ations, the Supremo 6 component set, has won
numerous accolades internationally for its extraordinary
performance. Morel is now attempting to recreate the
same success in the subwoofer market with their latest
technological development, the Ultimo.
The Ultimo line is a clear departure from the Israeli
company’s previous subs. After years of development,
the engineers at Morel feel they have come up with a
subwoofer that not only possesses tonal accuracy and
superb frequency response, but also has the ability to
produce high-output levels when called for. Previously,
customers often selected Morel for their quality
midranges and tweeters but looked elsewhere when
selecting a subwoofer to complete their system. Morel
intends to break this trend with the introduction of the
Ultimo line by providing customers with an ultimate
sound quality/SPL subwoofer.
PERFORMANCE DRIVEN
An external cardboard sleeve around the packag-
ing carton displays a couple of high-quality photo-
graphs including an exploded CAD drawing detailing
the various technologies within the driver. Out of the
carton, I immediately spotted the extraordinary black
woven cone. In true Morel fashion, the cone is free of
any self-branding logos or slogans, something that
seems sort of taboo judging from the plethora of
“logo-fied” subwoofers on the market. The cone is a
composite mix consisting of a paper base with a car-
bon-fiber overlay. With their extensive knowledge in
the development of sound quality drivers, Morel engi-
neers selected paper because of its natural tonal
characteristics. Paper alone provides insufficient
mechanical strength; therefore, carbon fiber was
used to provide stability during high output.
Additional cone strength was implemented with the
convex design of the dust cap to minimize deflections
during high excursions. A butyl-rubber surround
extends along the circumference of the cone. The
surround is designed to work in synchronization with
the spider as part of the driver's Progression Field
Symmetry (PFS) system. The PFS system is engi-
neered to maintain alignment and linearity of the cone
assembly and voice coil over longer excursions.
One of the most notable, if not the most impres-
sive, 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 minimiz-
ing induction and loss of magnetic flux with use of
interlocking hexagonally shaped wire. For reliable and
accurate replacement of the voice coil/cone assem-
bly, 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 maxi-
mum 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 sub-
woofer designs have the voice coil within the magnet in
which the magnet is clearly visible. Through extensive
optimization, the magnet assembly achieves 90 per-
cent 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 per-
formance driven.
INSTALLATION
The manual accompanied with the Ultimo details
various enclosure options for sealed and ported
designs. Each enclosure design has a trio of recom-
mended 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 tun-
ing the enclosure for optimal performance. Toward the
end of the manual, the owner will find the cone replace-
ULTIMO SUPREMACY
MOREL ULTIMO 12
BY ERIC FITZGERALD
PHOTOS: CASEY THORSON
REVIEW SUBWOOFER
THE LEADING MONTHLY MOBILE A/V SOURCE
ELECTRONICALLY REPRINTED FROM FEBRUARY 2008

ment procedure, which almost every cus-
tomer hopes to never have to reference.
A1.5ft3sealed enclosure was designed
from 3⁄4”MDF. A cutout template was not pro-
vided, but the manual provides all of the nec-
essary measurements, such as driver mount-
ing 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.
LISTENING SESSION
Diana Krall “I Love Being Here With You”
The track opens with an upbeat tempo with the stand-
up bass strumming away. The Ultimo driver was extreme-
ly accurate and responsive, projecting a realistic audio
image. As the bass line scaled toward the upper octaves,
the transients and decay were so realistic that I could
almost visualize the bassist’s fingers walking across the
strings. Incredibly, any hint of bloom or abnormal frequen-
cy excitations were non-existent, which created an enjoy-
able listening session at elevated volumes. Whether it’s a
direct reflection of the implementation of the PFS system
or just a great design, the Ultimo 12 maintained near per-
fect linearity at high volumes without breaking a sweat.
9/10
Dreamgirls Soundtra k “One Night Only”
Jennifer Hudson performs this beautiful song with con-
viction and deep emotion. The soothing yet dramatic
baseline creates a dramatic effect that grabs a hold of you.
This was especially felt and noticed with the Ultimo 12.
Drama seemed to pump into the air with every note. Each
emphatic note was delivered with determination and pur-
pose. A feeling of exhilaration surfaced as the lower
octaves came rolling in. The driver transformed the song to
another dimension. Absolutely extraordinary.
9.5/10
Maroon 5 “If I Never See Your Fa e Again”
The driver was so transparent at the beginning of this
track that I had to check if it was still activated. I toggled
the dash-mounted remote wire switch for the amplifier a
couple of times in amazement. ick drums were high
located along the dashboard and blended extremely well
with the notes from the bass guitar. I was hard-pressed to
find any flaws in the Ultimo 12 on this track. This is how a
subwoofer should perform—adding body and fullness to
an audio selection without sacrificing tonality, disrupting
clarity of other instruments or over-shadowing the vocals.
9.5/10
Cyrill Lutzels hwab/Martin Hess “Boxenkiller”
With the success that the driver had on the previous
selections, I added a pure percussion track to the mix. This
track is impressive (well, only with capable drivers) with its
complex percussion combinations and passages. With the
kick drum firing away with the double and triple combina-
tions, the driver didn’t miss a beat, nor did it allow for the
image to stray to the rear of the vehicle. What was interest-
ing was that the kick drums seemed to be borderline over-
bearing but never stepped over the line resulting in chest-
pounding, acoustically pleasing notes.
9/10
T.I. “Top Ba k”
In this track, T.I. represents the A with a mean bass line.
There is only one way to play this track, LOUD! But be
careful—blasting this track through your block can either
leave you looking lame or earning respect depending on
the SPL that’s demonstrated. The Ultimo stood on the
tallest building and beat on its chest like ing ong, show-
ing all that there’s a new champ in town. What continues
to be remarkable is the fact that this driver can hang with
the best of them when it comes to output but it also has
the unique ability to linear without cone breakup.
9.5/10
Jaime Foxx “DJ Play A Love Song”
I thought I ended my listening session as I started to
scan a couple of other tracks for my listening pleasure, but
the Ultimo performed so well on this one that I had to
include it in the review. I was completely mesmerized by
the tonal aspects. To my delight, as I leaned on the volume
knob the rich notes continued to pour out of the Ultimo.
Even when the volume was at low levels, the attentiveness
of the Morel product continued to prove itself.
9.5/10
CONCLUSION
To sum it up, Morel has an ace in the hole with the
Ultimo. Enthusiasts no longer have to choose between
sound quality and SPL when selecting a subwoofer—the
Ultimo excels highly at both. Many may balk at the steep
price tag of $800, but the “you get what you pay for” cliche
applies to this product. The driver just has too many out-
standing attributes to not give it a serious look if you are in
the market for subwoofers.
If I had to find a fault in the Ultimo, it would have to be
the 4-ohm voice coil. Frankly, 1,000-watt 4-ohm amplifiers
are not as common as their lower resistance counterparts.
But then again we are talking about a subwoofer that is
light years from common.
SUBJECTIVE SCORE CHART
Maximum Morel
Points Ultimo 12
Overall Sound Quality 50 45
Tonal Balance 10 9.5
Low-Frequency Extension 10 9
Clarity at Low Volume 10 9
Clarity at High Volume 10 9
Impact 10 8.5
Total Subjective Score 100 90
Posted with permission from the February 2008 issue of Car Audio and Electronics ®www.caraudiomag.com. Copyright 2008, Source Interlink, Inc. All rights reserved.
For more information about reprints from Car Audio and Electronics, contact Wright’s Reprints at 877-652-5295.
42562
Manufacturer contact information:
Morel
17 Hamazmera St.
P.O.Box 2007
Ness- iona 70400
Israel
Tel: [phone]
Fax: [phone]
E-mail: [e-mail]
US contact information:
Morel America
1301 Hempstead Turnpike Suite 1
Elmont, NY 11003
Office Tel: [phone]
Toll Free Number: 1 877 morel 11
www.morelhifi.com